your hand in mine - pt. iii ☽ michaeng

3.1

This is going to be interesting, Dr. Kwon thinks as she studies the couple in front of her. They are visibly – and equally – nervous. Their hands are clasped together in their laps, and their legs are crossed. The smaller woman appears more at ease, but Dr. Kwon has seen and treated enough patients to know when to look for other signs. The clench of her jaw and the shifting of her gaze tell her more than her seemingly relaxed pose.

She watches the taller woman steal glances at the smaller, every so often, and it doesn't take a genius – or someone who graduated on top of her class – to figure out she's the guilty one. Or feels like she's the guilty one. Dr. Kwon has seen her fair share of gaslit patients. But the smaller woman doesn't seem like an abuser, and yes, looks may be deceiving, but Dr. Kwon's intuition has never failed her.

She gives them another quick onceover. The taller woman is chewing on her lower lip, and the looks she's throwing at the other woman are increasingly lingering. Longing. The smaller woman is mostly staring ahead or at Dr. Kwon's forehead. Occasionally, however, her eyes meet her partner's, and there's the smallest smile on her lips that the other woman anxiously returns.

Dr. Kwon wonders. It might be a cheating case; but her gut tells her there's something more to it. Something deeper.

"So," she clasps her hands together, giving the pair a warm smile. They tentatively return it. "Miss Son and Miss… Myoui, is it?" She doesn't miss the way the taller woman flinches at her name.

"Just Mina is fine," she rushes to correct her. Dr. Kwon nods.

"Of course." She expectantly looks at Miss Son next.

"Chaeyoung. It's, uh, Chaeyoung."

"Okay, good," Dr. Kwon nods again, allowing her smile to grow. "Nice to meet you both, Mina and Chaeyoung. My name is Minsuk. I'm very glad we decided on first name basis right away. It helps with establishing trust between us."

The way their eyes widen before they glance at each other and look away at the word trust tells her everything she needs to know. It doesn't particularly matter under what circumstances their trust was broken. All she cares about is that it is, and they are here to repair it. She only hopes it's not too late.

"Why don't we start with you telling me a little about yourselves?"

Chaeyoung sits up a little straighter on the couch. "Would you like to go first?" She quietly asks Mina, who looks mildly nauseous at the thought.

"Oh, no, it's okay, you can go first."

"Are you sure? I mean, I don't mind–"

"Yes, I'm–"

Dr. Kwon hides a grin when they stop, abruptly, and try to conceal their own amused smiles. Mina's eyes catch Chaeyoung's, and smiles fade, little by little, as they hold each other's gazes; and all Dr. Kwon can think is poor kids. Before her, she sees hurt, desperation, guilt, and underneath it all, love being exchanged with a mere glance, and – she really, really hopes it's not too late.

"Why don't we go clockwise, if that helps?" She watches both women blink and slowly look away to concentrate on her. For a second, she feels almost guilty for intruding on what looked like a private moment. She has a feeling they have those often. "Chaeyoung, let's start with you."

"I'm not very good at talking about myself," Chaeyoung says quietly. And – Dr. Kwon noted that before, but it becomes more and more prominent with each second. Miss Son is a strikingly beautiful woman, from the sharp cut of her jaw to the brilliance of her eyes. But then again, so is Mina. They make quite an eye-catching couple.

"Me neither," Mina agrees.

Dr. Kwon goes to say something, but Chaeyoung quickly intervenes, her gaze cool and collected. "If you don't mind, Dr. Kwon, I'd rather we skipped ice breaking exercises."