Snip.
Snip.
Snip.
Fashion magazine clippings littered Seokjin's floor like fallen leaves. The metal scissors were a pleasant weight in Jin's large hands as they glinted in the morning sunlight. A scowl was present on his handsome features as he clipped through a man's face with a deadly calmness.
The model's hair was a platinum blonde, silky and styled in an arched sweep over his forehead. He had a sharp jawline and cheek bones that held ever so slightly puffy mochi like cheeks.
Jin sneered at the picture.
The same man appeared on most of these fashion magazines being one of the most popular models of the recent years and Jin hated it. He hated seeing that face all over the magazines that his own face had once featured in multiple times before his accident happened. Before that dark cloud in his life caused it to come crashing down.
Snip.
One murder, then a second, then another.
Snip.
He hadn't meant too. He really didn't, but an anger so powerful had erupted out of nowhere through his body, whispered dark thoughts into his ears and began to puppeteer his limbs, and once his vision had returned there was so much red.
The people in this facility told him that he had been possessed by a spirit, and that he didn't need to worry any longer because they had gotten rid of it. However Jin wasn't so certain that it was entirely...gone.
He had never believed in such things as spirits and ghosts. Which is why he was so terrified that that anger had been his and not some vengeful ghost's.
Jin shook his head. His thoughts were swarming and mixing around like a kicked hornets nest, intertwining and confusing him, making him angry. He was always so angry, nowadays at least. He never remembered himself to be so angry all the time. Seokjin remembered being laid back and being called a mother hen back in his modelling days. It seemed so long ago and surreal now that he thought it might have just been a distant dream.
The blonde closed his eyes and breathed slowly, thinking back to the day before when he was with you. The therapist that actually had the ability to calm his nerves, unlike the other long haired brunette girl.
(Y/n).
The girl that had brought food ingredients instead of a notepad and pen for a therapy session.
It was the first time in a while that he had felt so comfortable in his own skin. His mind had been calm and clear has he sorted, arranged and chopped through vegetables and meat with your soothing background chatter as you worked side by side.
He had been surprised that you hadn't heard of him before. He remembered when you had asked him what career he had been interested in going into and he had said modelling, not telling you the full truth that he had in fact already been a model. Judging by your fashion sense, you obviously hadn't read any of the magazines he had his pictures in.
Snip.
Snip.
Sni-
Jin halted the twin blades mid way through a woman's face. His eyes narrowed, thinking he was seeing things. As he squinted, the details of the woman's features blurred and shifted.
He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.
Her face melted into your own. Your face smiled back at him from the glossy page, your body clad in a white summer dress that was in the season's most wanted trend.
Jin blinked, and blinked again.
You were good looking, but you weren't model pretty. You were average. So he knew his mind was playing tricks on him and that you wouldn't be a model in a fashion magazine.
However he had to admit, you did look good in that dress...
He suddenly threw the booklet down and slapped his face into his hands at the abrupt thought he just had.
Jin groaned as he leaned back in his chair, catching a glimpse of the woman on the page again that had reverted back to her original features and not your own. He sighed craning his neck back looking up at the ceiling and closing his eyes, feeling a faint thud of the scissors his hand let go off onto the littered carpet.
"Urgh, they must have upped my med dosage or something..." He grumbled quietly to himself.
Jung Hoseok. Jung Hoseok.
The name filled your thoughts as you tapped restlessly on your laptop in your cosy office. You spent more time in your office than in your bedroom so you had decorated it to be comfortable. A few shelves that were divided into non-fiction research and fiction books to read in your spare time. A lone moogle plush sat in the chair that faced you in the opposite side of your desk so that the last childish instincts you had in you were satisfied, its void black sewn eyes staring at you innocently. You weren't a child anymore, but plushies were a guilty pleasure.
After Jackson's little stunt you had relocated your case files into another desk drawer and put a lock on it.
You were researching further into Hoseok's disorders and background, making sure that you had all your information up to date, and that you knew what you were getting into.
Mental disorders often became a problem when facing possession cases. Spirits took advantage of darkness in one's mind and would put their victims against themselves, making them especially vulnerable to possession. It meant that a case concerning a patient at a mental health facility could mean that this case could turn out to be tricky.
You were lucky that you were a trained therapist but you weren't on the same level as the people who worked at a mental health hospital. On top of that, you had been trained specifically for 'ghosty issues' not so much with psychiatric disorders, although you did have the basics covered.
You scrolled through the web pages you found on your , eyes flickering between the black letters through the screen, refreshing your memory on the topics.
Munchausen Syndrome
'Munchausen syndrome is a factitious disorder, a mental disorder in which a person repeatedly and deliberately acts as if he or she has a physical or mental illness when he or she is not really sick. Munchausen syndrome is considered a mental illness because it is associated with severe emotional difficulties.'
Insomnia
'Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder in which people have trouble sleeping. They may have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep as long as desired. Insomnia is typically followed by daytime sleepiness, low energy, irritability, and a depressed mood.'
Drug Addiction
'Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing disorder characterised by compulsive drug seeking, continued use despite harmful consequences, and long-lasting changes in the brain. It is considered both a complex brain disorder and a mental illness.'
After looking through the web pages you found the site for Wings Psychiatric Hospital, and the contact details at the bottom of their website.
You wanted to make sure you had the right patient. That he was there. Of course they wouldn't so openly give you information on one of their patients, but there was a chance you could get something out of them.
You picked up the phone and dialled the hospital's number.
"Hi, is this Wings Psychiatric Hospital?" You spoke through the phone speaker once the receiving end had picked up.
"Yes, dear. What can I help you with?" An elderly woman's voice replied back.
"I'd like to ask about a patient who is currently staying at your hospital, under the name of Jung Hoseok."
"Hmm let me see....Yes we have a patient here under that name, but for security reasons, may I ask with whom I'm speaking with?"
Unfortunately for you, Hoseok's file was pretty bare of background information so you weren't sure as to what family he may have. You had received it from a source that had wished to keep themselves anonymous. There was a possibility that it was someone working at the hospital that had reported it. You hoped to God it hadn't been the nurse you had looked at at the morgue.
Please have a sister. Please have a sister. You chanted in your head as you took a leap of faith.
"Yes of course, I'm his sister."
"Ah yes! Dawon, Jung Dawon. Sorry, your contact details are different on the paperwork..."
"T-that's because I lost my phone! I'm ringing from a spare that I have. I just wanted to check on my brother..."
"His nurse unfortunately passed away recently Mr. Jung has closed himself off ever since. Its a shame really, he had been doing so well too."
"Um, forgive me for being blunt, but may I ask what the cause of her passing might have been?"
"Oh, oh the poor thing, she fell down the stair well and landed in an awful way, it was a horrific accident."
Yeah, I don't think so lady. You mentally sighed.
"We will be hiring a stand in nurse to take care of him for the time being so there's no need to worry."
"Ok, well thank you for the update, I'll check in again soon." You thanked, ready to hang up.
"Its not a problem Miss Jung, but if you don't mind me asking, why the sudden change of heart?"
The question caught you off guard.
"What do you mean by that?"
"The last time we saw you, you specifically said not to contact you unless it was an emergency."
You wondered why his own sister had told them to keep contact to the family to a minimum. It was slightly odd you felt. You had to think of a response quickly.
"Well I...I began to worry about him. That's all."
"Ok Miss Jung. We look forward to your next visit or call." And with that, the line cut off.
You gained two things from that. One: Hoseok has a sister and Two: Hoseok needed a stand in nurse.
This was a perfect opportunity.
You couldn't help the giddy smile that lifted your lips, you couldn't wait to tell Jackson. You had a way in!
A sudden knock on your office door snapped you out of your mental celebration.
"Come in!"
You were surprised to see your boss, Bang Shihyuk himself poke his head through the door. It was rare that you saw him out of his own office.
"(Y/n), you're not doing what I think you are on that computer are you?" He scolded, annoyance in his voice.
Like a child that had been caught with their hand in a cookie jar, you slammed the lid of your laptop shut and fumbled to hide the paperwork on your desk.
He shot you a disappointed glare. "You're meant to be resting."
"I'm sorry Sir."
"No you're not. But there's no way I can get you to stop is there? You've always been like that, having to keep yourself busy."
Your eyes dropped to the floor in shame.
"F-for the record sir, I feel fine. Maybe a little sleep deprived but other than that, I'm good." You stammered.
"I told you (Y/n). The damage that was done isn't necessarily physical, but was inflicted on your soul. It leaves you more prone to supernatural beings with malicious intents."
"I know, I know. Don't worry, I have been taking it easy." You waved off as if it were nothing to worry about. "Oh yeah! Did you find anything on the spirit that possessed Jungkook's body.
"Unfortunately not, but I've not finished looking just yet. Well then! If you're just going to ignore my advice, (Y/n), could you do something else for me? Something a little less high maintenance." Shihyuk asked in more of a suggestion than command.
"Of course." You piped up, closing the lid of your laptop not before saving the pages you had been looking at.
"Can you go and visit that Jungkook boy? He's been asking after you quite frequently."
"Oh, yes! I was meaning to go and see him anyway." You exclaimed, packing your things away and heading out of the door with Shihyuk.
"(Y/n)! You're here!" You were greeted by the younger boy enthusiastically, a wide smile stretched on his boyish features as you entered his room, closing the door behind you softly.
"I haven't seen you for a bit." He pouted with eyes reminding you of a puppy's.
"Ah, I'm sorry Jungkook, but I had to rest and take it easy. Your exorcism took a lot out of me." You explained with an embarrassed look on your features.
"I was the cause of this, I'm sorry." He said quietly, enthusiasm washing away being replaced by a depressed cloud hanging over his head.
You frowned and moved closer to the guilt ridden boy, which he became very consciously aware of.
"Don't say that. Jungkook, look at me." You coaxed firmly. Jungkook lifted his head, eyes shyly glancing at your own. "None of this was your fault. This is my job and I know the risks that come with it. I choose to do this." You explained softly.
That's the problem. He thought. You know that what you're doing is dangerous, yet you continue to do it, even when your health takes a hit.
"You were unfortunate enough to become a victim, and I chose to help you. So don't you dare start blaming yourself."
That seemed to relax the boy, even if it was only slightly.
"I didn't come to give you a session today but I did come to check on you..." As you spoke a thought light up like a light bulb in your head. "Did you want me to fetch anything from your home? Anything that might make you feel more at ease?" You asked looking around his bare room." He hadn't anything to decorate with.
Jungkook's face lit up at the question.
"You would do that for me!?" He asked in disbelief bouncing on the balls of his feet. Sometimes you forgot that this kid was older than he acted, but you didn't mind. It was endearing.
"Of course." You nodded with a smile dancing on your lips, watching the child within him flash in his eyes.
"Well if its not too much trouble, my video games...B-but only if it's no trouble!" Jungkook was delighted that you had thought of him. You hadn't even come to see him because of work. He smiled inwardly. You had come of your own accord.
A strange, deep satisfaction bloomed in his chest.
Jisoo was busy doing her routine checks on her patients, just to make sure that everything was ok for them in their respective rooms.
You should be with Jungkook by now so she needn't stop by his room today. She admired your compassion and your work ethic, always having your head in the game and never slowing down. That caused her some worry however. Everybody should slow down once in a while and take a breather. You were so endorsed with your work that she couldn't remember the last time you took a vacation or at least time for yourself.
You were constantly running around the country, dispelling spirits and supernatural nuisances from peoples lives. She admired your bravery too.
The brunette decided that she was going to convince you to take time off soon and do something else for a change, even if it was for just a day.
Jisoo arrived at her next patient's door, Kim Seokjin's room.
Jisoo knocked and waited for a bit before entering and immediately her attention was drawn to the floor that was covered in messy paper magazine clippings. Alarm bells went off in her head as her sociology training told her that this might be a cause of unstable behaviour from her patient.
The atmosphere in his room was off. To the naked eye, everything was normal. The sunlight spilled in from the window, but somehow it failed to make the room look comforting.
"Seokjin? Is everything ok?" Jisoo asked the male who sat on his bed, long legs stretched out comfortably while reading a hardback, not making any move to respond to said female.
Jisoo deflated from the lack of response she received. Before she could say anything else, a glint on the coffee table that held the remains of magazines caught her eye.
A pair of large scissors lay open in the disarray of paper.
"I'm sorry to say, Seokjin, but you aren't allowed to have these without supervision." Jisoo said as she bent down to pick the scissors up from the messy floor.
Seokjin's brow ticked in mild annoyance.
"Hn." Was the response she got.
"I also just came to tell you about your lunch. It'll be served in an hour. We have jachae today with ddukbokki on the side. I hope-"
"Gurgh, leave me be!" Seokjin demanded as if there was a bothersome fly in his room.
Jisoo's breath caught slightly, her eyes wider at his sudden snap. Where had this suddenly come from.
"I'm sorry to bother you Seokjin, I was only checking in on you and letting you know about lunch."
Jisoo, made her way swiftly yet calmly to the door, not before listening to the last thing Jin had to say to her before she left, that made something in the back of her mind nag in warning.
"And make sure its (Y/n) that comes to see me next time..."
The door echoed as it clicked shut.
UNEDITED
April. 25. 2020