chapter 2

Today is Group Therapy Day.

Everyone's favorite, of course. Wednesdays.

Sitting across mentally unstable lunatics with red gazes; having to listen to them tell all about their day when nobody genuinely cares to listen. And then it gets to your turn, when you're forced to at least say something, Jungkook.

And of course this is accompanied by a "look" when you disobey. You watch as they scan their eyes over a list of names on their clipboard until they finally meet yours. They scribble a description of your rebellious behavior, and move on.

Jungkook is well aware that the staffs know of his usual reluctance to participate, and yet they continue to pester him about it. What they don't understand is that there is nothing to say.

He sighs to himself in irritation and makes to pick at his fingers. A bad habit.

As he drowns out the voices of the other talking patients, he starts to wander his eyes to observe every person in the room. They are seated in a makeshift circle, giving him a somewhat better view of everyone, besides for the people to his left and right.

Ah, Min Yoongi. Must be a good patient to be able to earn enough benefits for mint coloured hair. Bastard.

He continues to glance at the others, all while noticing small ticks each one of them perform.

Kim Taehyung. Always restless.

He rolls his eyes.

Kim Namjoon, Seokjin, Jung Hoseok...

He wonders why they are here.

His thinking is cut short when he hears his name being called. He looks away from his stare to the counselor who seemed to have called for him.

"Hm?" he responds. The counselor shakes her head in disapproval before she continues to speak again.

"I'd like you to welcome an arriving patient into our hospital this evening with a tour. Earn some behavioral points, ah? There are benefits we think you would enjoy." She raises her eyebrow in expectance, seemingly not giving him a choice.

"Yeah, alright," Jungkook responds before he pretends to lose attention, directing his face elsewhere solely to avoid further conversation. Jungkook sees her nod her head in his peripherals and lift herself from her seat, then begin to dismiss the group of patients from their hourly meet. He sighs as he gets up from his plastic seat, in his thoughts as he folds it and stacks it in a corner designated for the chairs.

Aren't I the least fit to welcome a new patient? He feels a twinge of annoyance run through his veins. Who cares about benefits?

He grits his teeth as he walks through the door, heading straight for his room.

Jungkook walks to the front office with the direction of a staff member and a security guard, awaiting the arrival of the new patient. He walks carefully, watching his legs move for himself. The last thing Jungkook wants to do is give this goddamn tour, but he's already in enough trouble as it is. Sooner or later, the staff would probably threaten to call his parents to inform them of his non-cooperating behavior if he doesn't at least appear to be trying.

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