Satisfaction [NCT]

39.

———

With one hand in the wall and the other wrapped tight around the watch, two workers came rushing in and brought Jaehyun to a comfort room. The room was very open and clean, it was obvious this room only had one purpose. One man talked to Jaehyun, trying to get him to relax, the other man treated his busted fist. "Can I take this from you?" The first man asked nicely, reaching for the watch. Jaehyun didn't speak but moved his hand closer to himself. He wouldn't give up the item.

It didn't matter how much the man talked to him, he wasn't feeling any better.

Silence took over Jaehyun. "Do you want some time alone?" A nurse asked. Jaehyun nodded. The nurses left him alone, locking him in the room. Bland, white, padded walls surrounded him. There were two chairs and a mat on the floor. He had never seen the inside of this room, but Doyoung had. Jaehyun is sure he was in the psychiatric ward. People with extreme mental reactions would be taken here. Usually they only stay for an hour, but in Doyoung's case, he once stayed there for 5 days.

To leave, you must pass a psychiatric scan, telling the doctors that you are not a threat to yourself or to others. Jaehyun sat in a corner of the room, he held the only item they allowed him to keep, the watch. They took away his phone and keys. The nurses actually broke protocol for allowing him to keep Doyoung's watch while he was alone, but someone was always keeping an eye on him through their cameras.

A mental health professional walked into the room, quickly assessing Jaehyun based on his visual state. "Hi, Jaehyun Jung, right?" He did nothing. "Did I say your name right?" He contemplated not doing anything again, but he decided to nod, even though her American accent made the name sound weird. "Okay, I'm off to a good start." She took a deep breath, she was obviously nervous. 'Must be new' Jaehyun thought. "Can you tell me anything about yourself?" She waited for him to speak but he didn't.

His eyes focused on one section of the wall, where two panels met at one point. He moved his eyes along the lines, stopping whenever he reached the connecting point. The so-called doctor kept talking but he wasn't listening. He only watched the wall and thought about his friend.

Doyoung.

The only word going through his mind. He could imagine it being written all over the walls. Doyoung Doyoung Doyoung Doyoung.

After imagining seeing his name over and over, Jaehyun became intolerant of the wall. He couldn't look at it, all it did was bring him pain. He wanted it gone. He wanted out. He wants his friends.

Shifting his glance, he opened his palm so he could get a good look at the slightly wet watch in his sweaty hands. All 6 bars were at 0. The heart rate was nonexistent. It hurt to look at. If Jaehyun thought he had felt empty before, now he truly was. Two of the only people he has loved in his life are dead. He didn't get to say goodbye to either. He had only expected to go to sleep one night and wake up and they would still be here, but they weren't, and now they never will be.

Jaehyun is alone.

The worst part is, he finally understood what Doyoung felt.

Worthless.

———

Mark went over to Xiyeon's house. They were sitting together on the couch, Mark's arm wrapped around her shoulders, tracing her arm with his fingertips. They were sitting in her upstairs loft, where her parents never go.

A movie played on the screen in front of them, filling the silence. She placed her hand on his thigh, seemingly innocent but it was anything but innocent. Mark tried to direct his focus on the TV but the fear of the unknown overwhelmed him.