BTS Sick-/Hurtfic

Braces - Jimin

Requested by: icansiiu
TW: childhood trauma, medical treatment

Jimin was just eight years old when he had his first encounter with a dentist. It was a cold, gray November day. The leaves outside the window of the small clinic swirled in the wind, creating a whirlpool of reds and oranges against the drab sky.

Jimin clutched his mother’s hand tightly as they walked through the door, the bell above jingling with a sharp sound that echoed in the otherwise silent room.The waiting room smelled of antiseptic and the faint, sweet scent of fluoride. 

Jimin’s heart pounded in his small chest as he glanced around at the array of old magazines and the dull fish tank in the corner. His mother, a kind woman with gentle eyes, smiled down at him, but her face couldn't mask the concern she felt.

“It’s going to be okay, Jimin,” she said, squeezing his hand. “We’re just here for a check-up. It won’t hurt.”

But Jimin was not convinced. The stories he’d heard from his classmates were enough to fill him with dread. Tales of sharp needles, whirring drills, and painful extractions made his stomach churn.

He swallowed hard, trying to steady his breathing as a nurse called his name.The dentist, a tall man with a neatly trimmed beard and a white coat, seemed friendly enough. He introduced himself as Dr. Wang and asked Jimin about school and his favorite games as he led them to the examination room.

But as Jimin climbed into the large, intimidating chair, his nerves took over. The bright light above him, the sharp instruments laid out on the tray, and the distant hum of other dental tools working in the background made him feel like a tiny mouse trapped in a cage.

“Open wide,” Dr. Kim said gently, but the words sent a chill down Jimin’s spine. He obeyed, opening his mouth as wide as he could, tears already pricking at the corners of his eyes.

The examination started simple enough, with Dr. Kim using a small mirror to check Jimin’s teeth, but then came the cleaning.

The loud whirring sound of the polisher and the gritty taste of the paste made Jimin gag. He could feel the tears sliding down his cheeks, but he couldn’t move. His mother held his hand the whole time, whispering comforting words, but they seemed distant and hollow. After what felt like an eternity, Dr. Kim finally finished.

“All done!” he said cheerfully, but Jimin didn’t feel any relief. The memory of the sounds, the sensations, and the fear was etched deeply into his mind.

From that day on, Jimin avoided the dentist at all costs. He would fake stomach aches, hide the appointment reminders, and even beg his parents to let him stay home whenever a visit was due. His parents, seeing his genuine fear, didn’t push him too hard, hoping that with time, he would outgrow his terror.But the years went by, and Jimin’s fear only grew.

By the time he reached high school, he hadn’t seen a dentist in almost a decade. His teeth were healthy enough, but they weren’t straight. His bottom teeth, in particular, had begun to crowd and overlap, and his once perfect smile was now slightly crooked.

Jimin tried to hide his teeth whenever he laughed or smiled, embarrassed by their appearance. He would often cover his mouth with his hand or press his lips together to avoid showing them. His friends noticed but didn’t say much, understanding his sensitivity. But Jimin couldn’t ignore it any longer, especially not when he started to have trouble chewing and noticed an ache in his jaw that wouldn’t go away.

One day, during a casual conversation at lunch, his best friend since childhood Taehyung brought it up. “Hey, Jimin,” Jungkook said, taking a bite of his sandwich. “I noticed you’ve been rubbing your jaw a lot lately. Everything okay?”Jimin glanced at Taehyung, trying to force a smile. “Yeah, it’s nothing. Just a bit of an ache.”