I Need You ⚣ TK

Chapter 01: Complex background

In the city's bustling maze of minds, V was the name on everyone's lips - a psychologist so revered he was more myth than man. Known for his exceptional skill and insight, he had a reputation for pulling even the most fractured minds back from the brink. Parents urged their troubled children to see him, friends coaxed one another into his care, and stories of miraculous recoveries circulated in whispered awe. V had it all; a brilliant mind, accolades from his studies, and a flourishing practice that saw clients from every walk of life. It was as if he could read people with an uncanny ease, peeling back layers until the root of their pain lay bare before him.

But behind the celebrated alias of "V" was Kim Taehyung, a man who often felt like a stranger to his own reflection. Despite his success, Taehyung carried a hollow ache he couldn't quite name. The ease with which he connected with others and helped them find balance felt foreign when turned inward; he often struggled to bridge that same empathy to himself. Friends would call, eager to catch up, but Taehyung could never quite manage to carve out the time. The intimacy he facilitated so expertly with his clients became an elusive thing in his own life.

His love life, too, was an enigma he hadn't quite solved. He hadn't been in many relationships, preferring the safety of solitude over the vulnerability of romance. A quiet uncertainty lingered in him, partly due to his struggle with his sexuality - a truth he could barely acknowledge aloud. Though he knew he was gay, the journey of self-acceptance had been slow and uncertain, layered with hesitations that he had yet to unravel. He was the person others counted on, a guide through their darkness, yet there he was, stumbling through his own with no clear end in sight. 

Taehyung closed his notebook and glanced across his desk at his current patient, a young woman who had been gradually chipping away at the walls of her social anxiety. He offered her an encouraging smile, recognising the progress she'd made over the past few months. Her voice, once shaky and tentative, was steadier now, her hands no longer wringing together as they had in their first session. Taehyung gently reminded her of the techniques they'd practised and encouraged her to challenge herself further, promising he'd be there every step of the way.

After she left, he was barely back at his desk before his office line rang. His receptionist's voice came through, calm but expectant, "Dr. Kim, the department head wants to see you in Room 2A. It's about a new patient request."

He pushed back his chair, trying to recall if he'd taken on any new cases recently, and walked down the quiet hallway to Room 2A. His supervisor was there, along with a slim stack of paperwork on the table. "Taehyung, there's a special request for a new client," his supervisor said, sliding the paperwork toward him. "He's specifically asked for you."

Taehyung raised an eyebrow as he skimmed through the file. The patient's name was Jeon Jungkook, a 23-year-old man who lived with his adoptive parents after the tragic murder of his biological parents when he was only eight. Taehyung's gaze lingered on that detail, and he felt a pang of empathy. Trauma was woven into each word on the page, but it wasn't just that, it was the sheer weight of the circumstances that had led Jungkook here.

"He has a complex background," his supervisor noted, observing Taehyung's expression. "Are you available to take on another patient right now? He's been insistent about meeting with you specifically."

Taehyung glanced at his schedule, mentally running through the sessions he had lined up. His calendar was nearly full, yet something about Jungkook's profile made him pause. The fractured family history, the adoptive background, the quiet plea in requesting Taehyung by name - it was as though Jungkook was already reaching out, wanting to be seen.