he paints with lies ❆ kookmin

8 • 여덟

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❁ཻུ۪۪⸙͎.'◦• ⊱›────── January 19th 2020

jimin

Jungkook gave me a look of disbelief. It would not be strange if he had trouble believing me─believing that there was something out of the ordinary with him. He had never lived without the symptoms, having seen no change in himself. Telling him this felt harder than explaining to a person that has hallucinations, that what they are seeing is not real.

"It isn't a psychiatric diagnosis on its own, but a set of symptoms," I started, and since he did not interrupt me, I continued. "You've already told me about the symptoms, I'm only giving you the name for it."

Jungkook did not interrupt me, shout, walk away or say I was wrong. He looked at me with what I could only assume to be interest and trust. It surprised me, since we had just started to get to know each other.

A wave of satisfaction washed over me at the realisation, that he did in fact already trust me. As a doctor, it would be beneficial, but it was surprisingly also important to me personally.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but, I find that you feel compelled to lie, and don't feel guilt or remorse doing it. The reason why you lie being to see if anyone can detect it. In your case, you seem to have increased the stakes as it's become too easy to get away with it." I stated the symptoms that holds a common name, before spelling it out. "You're a mythomaniac, Jungkook."

He looked at me with furrowed eyebrows, clearly in deep thought. So, I did not stress him to answer.

"It's... a symptom?" Uncertainty was laced in his voice as he spoke, breaking the silence. "Then, what's the disease causing it?"

For a moment, my certainty that he had mythomania wavered. Mythomaniacs often lack awareness of illness, and do not let people in easily. Jungkook, however, had bent all rules. Not just these two, but also the fact that no one caught on to his lies, was very peculiar. He was such a good liar─he stunned me completely.

"Well, I can't give you an answer right now. There are several possibilities, though I'd like to cross a few off of the list already. I'm quite certain you're not schizophrenic for example." I gave him a small smile, not certain how to reassure him. I was not used to giving medical advice like this.

"I'm glad, but, I don't know what that leaves on your list of diseases," he said, making me chuckle. He seemed to take the fact that he wasn't in full health quite lightly.

"I'm sure whatever you have, is just a sprinkle of the disease anyway. You're functioning well, Jungkook-ah. You're not like anyone I've ever met, and that in a great way. But, would you mind coming in to the hospital tomorrow to meet with me and perhaps also a psychiatrist? I'd like a second opinion." He seemed to absorb the news well as he nodded.

❁ཻུ۪۪⸙͎.'

I worried about him the whole night before his visit to the hospital. I had never felt protective over anyone before, but I guess he had it spark to life inside me. I knew he had no one else to help him with the trouble he was in.

When I had realised that he was a mythomaniac, I had also realised that it meant he was the person who forged Jin's painting. My instincts clashed, as I found him to be both the criminal and somewhat of a patient of mine. Though, the fact that he was ill gave the whole criminality a different look. Jungkook had intended to commit forgery, but he had also not intended to be found out before he switched the paintings again─if that could be argued for.