art || vkook || discontinued

private office

trigger warning:

includes conversation on the topic of attempted suicide.

------------

"are you ready?" namjoon keeps a cautious eye on jungguk, making sure that he isn't going to back out of this. he took the day off of work to accompany the boy to his first therapy session, hoping to provide some sort of comfort.

"no," jungguk is shaking, petrified to walk into the office in front of him, "not that it matters." his nervous eyes scan the waiting room in an attempt to familiarize himself with the space.

the walls are painted white with sparse decorations scattered along them. the rough carpet is navy blue, the chairs the same color, though, to jungguk's relief, they are a soft, comfortable material. a small outlet in one of the walls allows space for a reception desk, behind which is seated a plump man dressed in business attire. when namjoon and jungguk had entered the building they had been greeted by the kind man. that was seven minutes ago and jungguk grows more nervous every second he has to wait.

he closes his eyes and tips his head back against the wall. he's in this position for only a moment before his name is called out. his body snaps forward at the sound and he grabs namjoon's arm, not wanting to leave his side. the older man places his hand on jungguk's thigh before addressing him, "c'mon, gguk. you can do this." he pries the boy's hand off his arm, pressing on the younger's back and urging him to stand. "go on."

jungguk takes one final deep before moving forward with shaky legs. the door is shut behind as soon as he steps into the private office. he swallows the lump in his throat as the man behind the desk looks up to him, smiling.

"hello, jungguk. i'm dr. kang, but i'd much prefer if you called me yoojoon." his voice is gentle, albeit nothing like jungguk hoped it would be.

"hi." jungguk is all but inaudible, too nervous to project his words.

"take a seat," yoojoon gestures to the chair behind the boy, "let's get started, shall we?" jungguk sits and folds his hands in his lap, his eyes dart around the room, looking at anything but his therapist. "i always use the first session to get to know my patients. i don't want you to be uncomfortable with me. i'll start, okay?" jungguk nods, still avoiding eye contact. the psychologist sighs before he begins, "like i already said, my name is kang yoojoon. i'm forty-three years old and have been married for seventeen to a woman named jaehwa. i have a son named hyunki and a daughter named hyunjae." he pauses to study the boy in front of him, assessing what he's going to be dealing with.

jungguk is sweating, though it's hard to tell. his leg moves in a relentless up-and-down pattern, head down, hands folded and fidgeting. yoojoon is used to nervous, hesitant patients, but this one seemed worse than others. he makes a note to himself to keep an eye on jungguk's behavior and watch for symptoms of anxiety, writing it down as one of the boy's possible problems. the man hopes, however, that his patient has nothing but a wariness around strangers.

"i like dogs but i don't have one, my wife is allergic," yoojoon continues his self-introduction, his gaze never leaving jungguk's tense figure, "i go out with a group of friends every saturday and read in my free time. what about you?"

the boy hesitates but speaks nevertheless, "my name is jeon jungguk. i'm twenty-one. i've been in one serious relationship but we broke it off after h- they- after they decided i wasn't their type." yoojoon notices the stumble in jungguk's words, deciding to ask him about it after he finished speaking. "i've never had any pets but i want to get a dog. i live alone and spend most of my time either at home or my friends' apartment if i'm not at work."

"why do you live alone?"

"i moved here from busan for school. my parents pay my rent." he's a bit ashamed of the fact. he wishes he was able to support himself. "i have a part-time job to pay for groceries and stuff."