Chanyeol slams his bag down on the table, going around it to sit down right after that. He has a cold expression upon his face, and he’s obviously mad about something. Everyone else in the room’s trying not to look at him or catch his attention but Jongin chooses to openly stare. He reaches a hand over and knocks on Chanyeol’s table.

Chanyeol turns his head to look, and even though his gaze could probably get Jongin buried 6 feet under the ground, he still meets the redhead’s eyes. Jongin stretches an arm out towards Chanyeol, in his hand an unopened bottle of water. The redhead seems to understand what Jongin’s telling him so he does it. He snatches the bottle from Jongin’s hand and uncaps it, before he takes a few large swigs from it.

“Wanna tell me what happened?” Jongin asks with a brow raised.

Chanyeol scrunches his face up as he shakes his head. “Not now.”

“Okay.” Jongin nods. “Wanna tell me anything else?”

“Stay away from Jaehyun,” Chanyeol blurts out before he could even filter himself. “Just don’t get too close to him.”

“What? Why?” Jongin ask, curiosity beaming over the top of his head as he leans a little closer to Chanyeol.

“I’ll tell you later.” Chanyeol waves him away, turning his attention to the professor who’s just entered the classroom.

Jongin doesn’t forget about it even after the lesson’s over, and he makes it a point to remember by asking Chanyeol about it as soon as they step out of the class. Chanyeol growls and steps away, completely avoiding as he asks for space. Jongin freezes and stares at Chanyeol’s retreating back, nodding along to himself as he sees how mad the other actually is. Jongin doesn’t probe any further. He turns to walk the other way to meet Jongdae outside the building as he’s promised.

“Do you know what the other kids call us?” Jongdae starts with a grin as soon as he sees Jongin making his way closer. “They call us the Jong brothers.”

“Wow,” Jongin mouths. “We’re brothers now.”

“Some of ‘em actually think we’re brothers. Like, how? You’re so much taller, and I’m so much smarter.” Jongdae dodges Jongin’s slaps, laugh loud and free as he lets it out into the air.

“You just dissed yourself too, you know?” Jongin says with a laugh.

“Hey, I gotta lose some to make some.”

“Full of , that’s what you are.” Jongin cackles as Jongdae tries his best to land a punch.

“If I’m full of then you’re full of too. We’re brothers, remember?” Jongdae drapes an arm around Jongin’s shoulder, tugging on him as he starts up a walk to the bus stop. Jongin tries his best to get away but finally huffs when he realises that he can’t, or that he’s too lazy to try any harder. Jongdae is way stronger than he looks.

“Kim Jongdae, I will—”

“Jongin?” He stumbles out of Jongdae’s loosened grip to come face to face with Sehun. The latter smiles. “Did you forget?”

“I…” Jongin stares at Sehun with a frown right smack on his forehead. “Forgot what?”

“Appointment with the Psychiatrist. You and me.” Sehun grabs ahold of Jongin’s hand as the latter stumbles out of balance when he takes a step closer to him. “Don’t bail out on me.”

“I totally forgot, Hun! I’m so sorry! When is it?” Jongin steadies himself once again, though he still has his hands in Sehun’s. “Is it today?”

“Yes, today.” Sehun glances down at his wristwatch. “Right now, actually.”

“Oh, , let’s go then.” Jongin turns back to Jongdae and waves. “Sorry, Dae. I really have to go for this one.”

“Fine. Be that way. I’ll just find myself a new brother.” Jongin laughs at the way Jongdae petulantly stomps his foot, playfully sulking as he flaps Jongin’s sorry hands away. He laughs, though, at the end, and that assures Jongin that he’s alright. “Take care, Jong.”

Sehun has his left hand pressed on the small of Jongin’s back, and the latter feels chills crawling its way up his spine at the contact. Ironic, really, because Sehun’s skin is warm. Jongin gives Jongdae one last wave before they go off towards the other direction, as Sehun’s headed to. Jongin wants to ask where they’re going exactly, but the natural furrow of Sehun’s brows intimidates him just a little.

“Are you mad at me?” Jongin asks, voice small and unsure.

It’s not like he’s that scared of Sehun. Jongin honestly doesn’t see Sehun as someone he should fear, so he doesn’t, but sometimes the thought of causing anyone to be upset puts Jongin in a solemn mood. He hates being the reason behind someone’s downcasted mood. It’s been like so ever since he’s little. Just something about negative emotions stirs something deep within him.

“Huh?” Sehun abruptly turns, frown still there as he stares at Jongin who’s prancing prettily to catch up to Sehun’s fast steps. “For what?”

“For forgetting?” Jongin’s careful of his tone, of his words. It seems as if he’s starting to mind himself a little more than he’s used to again. It’s that time of the month again. When everything everyone around him says defines him for the next few months. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not mad about that. Just something in the morning pissed me off and I was recalling it. That’s why I look like I’m 2 seconds away from murdering somebody.” Sehun lets out an airy chuckle slip from his lips, and it stems from deep in his lungs. Seeing that grin of his, Jongin instinctively mimics it too. At the back of his brain, a part of him keeps on telling him not to engage so much with Sehun but Jongin pushes the thought aside for now.

“What happened?” Jongin asks, just to keep the conversation going. Only after he processes his words once again did he realise that Sehun might not even want to answer him. It puts him slightly off edge, makes him vexed for some reason.

“My father called me,” Sehun mumbles under his breath. Jongin could tell he’s not used to talking about his father at all. It’s just one of the things Jongin is sure about Sehun; he’s not fond of talking about his family.

“Your father?” Jongin doesn’t mean to probe. His words just tend to tumble out before he can stop them.

Sehun lets out a short hum, nodding. “My father. She called and asked me to visit her. She’s in the city, that’s why. I said no, and she got mad.”

“Wait, your father called?” Jongin confirms. Sehun nods his head. “So who’s the she?”

“It’s the 21st century, Jongin.” A smile of mockery makes its way up to settle on Sehun’s face. It’s mocking Jongin’s cluelessness the same time it’s giving off smug vibes. “Piece 2 and 2 together and tell me what you get later, ‘kay?”

“Wha—”

“For now…” Sehun trails off for a second, confusing Jongin to extents he can’t describe. The former snaps out of it after a while as he resumes. “For now, let’s talk about what you want to talk about first.”

“With the Psychiatrist?” Sehun nods his head. Jongin continues, “I don’t know what to say. What do you usually do?”

“Literally talk.” Sehun titters. “About anything, everything, let everything out.”

“You’ve done it before.” It’s a statement, not a question and Sehun realises that. “When?”

Sehun shrugs. “The start of the last year in High School.”

“Were you ever planning on telling me when we were friends?” Jongin asks, running out of breath as his voice comes out unusually soft.

“I just did, didn’t I?” Sehun smiles.

“We’re friends?” Jongin inquires, eyes wide and voice hitching up in surprise.

“Of course we’re friends.” Sehun makes a face. Jongin swats his arm for that. “We’re quite close friends, actually.”

“Oh,” Jongin simply says. “I don’t know how being friends work, so I’m sorry if I didn’t know.”

“We’re not?” Sehun shoots back.

Jongin comes to a halt, the tip of his shoes digging into the dirt path as he stares right into Sehun’s eyes. He looks, and focuses on the glint in his orbs. The way his pupils contract, the way his irises shine under the sunlight. As Jongin watches the way his reflection in Sehun’s eyes fix into a relaxed stance, as if finally relenting, as if finally admitting something he should have long ago, Jongin nods. His bangs bounce and fall over the top of his line of sight, obscuring a part of his view of Sehun.

“Yes, we are.” And even through his hair, Jongin could discern the slightest of content tailing after a graceful smile that’s making its way rather quickly upon Sehun’s features. It suits him, Jongin thinks, and it fits Sehun more than it fits Jongdae. And that says something since Jongdae has the prettiest smile Jongin’s seen.

“We’re friends.” Sehun grins.

         “Ah, yes, Kim Jongin. Before we start, I’d like to ask if you would prefer being alone.” Doctor Kim gestures to Sehun, notepad already out and balancing on the top of his knees as he then clamps a pen in between his lips. He reaches over for a tissue and uses it to wipe the skin in between his fingers. He seems odd to Jongin, but it’s obvious enough that he’s very experienced in his field of work.

“It’s fine for now.” Without thinking, Jongin wraps his dainty fingers around Sehun’s wrist, on the hand that’s closest to him. And he doesn’t let go. It worries Sehun, because that’s obviously a sign of Jongin’s nerves going haywire due to the situation they’re in.

“Alright then.” Doctor Kim smiles, and Jongin shoots back a tentative, lipped smile. “What brings you here? Care to explain a little bit about yourself?”

“Sehun… told me to come here,” Jongin starts, and it gets easier for him to continue with every syllable he mouths out loud. “I seem to have problems coping due to my past. I have anxiety, and I have panic attacks pretty often too. And to be frank, I have a lot of suicidal thoughts. It gets ugly sometimes. And I’m always breaking down. I need help.”

“Going straight into it, I see.” Doctor Kim hums knowingly, nodding along as he jots down everything he managed to catch. “Looking at you now, it does seem like you have anxiety. It’s not hard to tell.”

“Oh.”

It takes Jongin aback. Quite hard, if he must admit. Taemin’s always said he has anxiety, always pointed out the times he actually has depression and Jongin has always nodded along to his best friend’s words, but has never actually accepted it. He never did admit that he has it. Hearing it from a real professional Psychiatrist, someone who spent years getting a doctorate to discern people like him, who knows what he’s doing, it puts Jongin in a distinct mood.

Jongin tightens his hold around Sehun, clenching it as hard as he can. Sehun lets him, only because he knows how nerve-racking it feels like to be sitting across Doctor Kim, realising every single suppressed emotion he’s kept under the sand come digging its way back up to breathe the sunlight in. Carefully, Sehun takes Jongin’s tensed hand and holds it in his. It doesn’t miss Doctor Kim’s eyes, but he only jots it down on paper instead of voicing it out.

“And what about your family? Do any of them know? Do you go to them for help?”

That’s an easy question. Jongin firmly shakes his head a no, and even though it’s no surprise to both himself and Sehun, the latter can’t help but to stare. He thinks it’s amazing how even though he barely gets any support from others, Jongin still perseveres in life. That’s something Sehun struggles to do. He’s had his fair share of midlife crises.

“No one in my family knows. Only some of my trusted friends do. And Sehun too.” Jongin gulps a nonexistent lump slowly squeezing its way up his throat. He doesn’t know why, but simply discussing about his family or friends to a professional like this jerks him well into tears. “Family has never really been something I associate well with.