Detectives Irene and Seulgi have been sent for therapy to work out their angry partnership. While the therapist maybe a bit terrified of them, she's also amazed that they don't see what's right in front of their faces.

 

The story is not an accurate representation of how therapy works so please don't take this seriously. But I hope you enjoy!

 

The couch was about three cushions long, it could have very comfortably fit at least four people. There was no need for Seulgi and Irene to sit so far apart, their sides digging into the separate armrests.

 

Wendy sat across from them, settling the writing pad on her lap and clicking her pen once. Yoona had not been kidding when she had said that they would be a challenge. Their body language alone made her feel uneasy.

 

“So, why are we here this morning?” she asked in an open and friendly tone.

 

“Our boss hates me and wants to kill me,” Irene snarled and earned an eye roll from Seulgi.

 

Wendy cleared and made a quick note. Kang Seulgi and Bae Joohyun were the best detectives in Seoul. Alone, they had closed more cases than anyone and broke records in their respective precincts. They had been partners for ten months, and together they had been even better, the beginning of a legend in many peoples' opinion. The problem was that they couldn't even agree on what to get for lunch.

 

No other cop would assist them for too long and it was way past being a problem. So, Wendy had been the last solution for Yoona, the older woman had practically begged.

 

“We are here because this hard-headed idiot put a suspect through a window last week,” Seulgi hissed and Irene turned sideways to give her an incredulous glare.

 

“She was trying to stab me! You would know that if you hadn't been calling for damn backup.”

 

“It's protocol, Irene!” Seulgi shot back, “You remember protocol, don't you? It means doing the right thing, following the rules.”

 

“Oh yeah, I remember. The trying to stick a knife in my gut must have missed that class!”

 

“OK! Ok, thank you,” Wendy exclaimed, the pad nearly slipping off her lap as she scrambled for their attention. She smoothed out the paper again as the two detectives sat back and folded their arms. They didn't notice how they mirrored each other. But Wendy did, that was her job after all.

 

“This, is why you are here. The yelling, the sniping, is why you've been recommended to me,” she said and Irene snorted. “That's great, I snap at the Princess and we get sent to a twelve year old for behaviour lessons.”

 

Seulgi held back a gasp and would have hit her in the leg if she hadn't been on the other side of the couch. Wendy just winced but it was enough for Irene to immediately feel bad.

 

Wendy Shon, former military doctor, had returned home from war with severe PTSD. After her own therapy sessions, she had dedicated her life to helping others and quickly rose in the ranks to be near the top of her field. She specialized in providing therapy to law enforcement. Even if she did look about twelve.

 

“Sorry,” Irene said sincerely, “But I just don't appreciate someone telling me all my faults first thing Monday morning.”

 

Wendy smiled and replied, “That's fine...but I'm not going to tell you your faults. You already know them.”

 

They frowned at her in surprise and Wendy just grinned again. “Look, why don't we start simple. Tell me about your partnership.”

 

“She never lets me drive.”

 

“She commandeered my radio.”

 

“She never listens to me.”

 

“She thinks she knows everything.”

 

“Because you know nothing.”

 

“I've been on the job longer than you!”

 

“That does not make you right all the damn time!”

 

“RIGHT, OK!” Wendy called again before the two settled back into stormy silence. She sighed and made more notes. The page was already half full.

 

“One at a time,” she said calmly, “You are going to explain to me your grievances with each other and the other cannot speak. Not even sneeze. Irene, would you like to go first?”

 

The next half an hour was filled with complaints, glares, and the scribbling of Wendy's pen. She wasn't sure if either of them noticed how much paper she was going through since they were busy controlling tempers.

 

“Well,” she said finally, “those are certainly...detailed problems you both have.”

 

Seulgi and Irene still sat apart with their arms folded. “Look, can we just get to the point?” Seulgi asked suddenly, “I don't think either of us would appreciate you dancing around the issue. Please, tell us the truth as clearly as possible and we will deal with it.”

 

When she saw Irene nod, Wendy smiled widely, “See! You're agreeing on something.”

 

They just blinked at her. It was easy to see that they were not her usual clients. Not being able to agree wasn't the problem, it was just a result of many other issues. And they would not be happy to hear about them all. Wendy looked down at her note pad and circled the final two sentences.

 

“Alright...it is healthy to approach our problems with an open mind.”

 

She looked at Irene first. “Detective Bae, you have severe anger management issues.”

 

Seulgi let out a bark of laughter and Irene clenched her jaw hard.

 

Wendy quickly continued. “I would recommend various coping techniques. For instance, you could try counting to ten before reacting or snapping a rubber band against your wrist. That could be a good start.”

 

Irene looked ready to walk out right there and then but she caught sight of Seulgi's grin. “Alright, sounds good to me. But what are the Princess' deep dark issues?”

 

Seulgi stopped grinning.

 

“Ah yes, Detective Kang...you have a problem with authority.”

 

Irene laughed so loud, the neighbouring offices complained. “You have got to be kidding? The perfect, rule-following Princess? She loves authority, her family is made up of authority. Literally.”

 

“Yes, that is part of the problem,” Wendy said but kept her attention on Seulgi's furious gaze.

 

“I have to argue with you on this-,” she started but Wendy interrupted her.

 

“Your father was a great detective, your mother is in charge of most of the city, and your home was filled with people who were leaders and made careers of telling others what to do. And in reality, you hate that. You're a capable talented detective and as leader you have fantastic instincts. But people have constantly told you to stand down, to be quiet. And because that's all you've ever known, you do so. Until Irene. She's been a cop for longer than you and has clearly established that she thinks she's in charge —an authority over you. Except that she's not, she is your equal, and your partner. She is finally an authority that you can argue with.”

 

They both stared at her with confused eyes and raised eyebrows. “Damn, you really are as good as they say...” Seulgi muttered.

 

Wendy smiled and tapped her pencil off the note pad. “Here is your homework for the week. Irene, I want you to record every time you get irrationally angry, suspects being smartasses don't count. Seulgi, I would like you to recall every time a person in authority had shut you down but you knew you were in the right. I also would like to know why you felt you had to be quiet. With that, I will see you both next week.”

 

The two detectives stood up and marched out of the room. Wendy followed them out into the hallway and they started arguing again before the elevator doors closed. She sighed heavily and walked over to the desk against the wall.

 

“Yeri, when you're finished, can you order a box of rubber bands? I think my client is going to need as many as possible.”

 

Yeri, her lifelong friend, raised her head from a large book and nodded once. She was a pretty good secretary, even if she was only doing it until she got into the advanced college course. Plus, they played laser tag on their lunch break.

 

“Can we order coffee before your next session?” Yeri asked, “You look like you need it dude.”

 

Wendy ran a hand through her hair and sighed. “I think I'm going to need a lot of coffee in the future.”

 

She went to go back into her office but then paused. “Oh, and when Detectives Bae and Kang are scheduled for a session, can you remove all breakable items from the room?”

 

“Way ahead of you,” Yeri quipped, “They already nearly destroyed the vase of flowers in the waiting room.”

 

Wendy quickly learned that it was better when they were fighting.

 

Their second session filled the room with a tension that made her skin crawl. The only sound was the ticking clock. As she adjusted her revised notes and writing pad, Wendy glanced over at her clients. Irene was sitting straight with her side still against the arm rest. Her arms were crossed and she had a controlled look of fury on her face. The rubber band on her wrist looked worn and there were red marks on her arm. Atleast she was using the techniques.

 

Seulgi looked more worried than angry. She was gnawing at her bottom lip and was seated just a few more inches away from her respective side of the couch. That was progress.

 

“So,” she began, “I am glad that you have done the lists I asked for last week...even if they are really long. But, I am guessing that something else has happened? You know, since you two are looking at everything but each other.”

 

Irene remained stoic, she didn't even blink. Instead Seulgi cleared softly and spoke. “I yelled at her sister Joy yesterday. Irene was not happy.”

 

Wendy nodded slowly and opened the file sitting on the table to her left. “Ah yes, Joy. The file here says that your sister is a talented negotiator for such a young age. Best in her year at school and was snapped up by the department immediately. You must be very proud.”

 

Irene relaxed only slightly. “She's a great kid,” she said gruffly, “She's done a lot with what she's been given.”

 

“You essentially raised her didn't you?” Wendy asked carefully, “Dad wasn't around, Mom died early, you were her parent for most of her childhood?”

 

Irene just shrugged. “I did what I could.”

 

Seulgi was clenching her jaw at this point so Wendy quickly got to the point. “Why did you yell at her?”

 

Irene stiffened again but Seulgi went with determination. “She does stupid things that she knows will piss Irene off and she does them with the intention of making her sister angry. I see Irene worried sick for hours and then she just waltzes back in with a grin and a superior attitude. She makes her mistakes sound like nothing and turns it round so that Irene feels guilty.”

 

“That is none of your goddamn business!” Irene hissed and Seulgi suddenly turned to her with a fire blazing in her eyes.

 

“It is when you put yourself and others in danger. I love Joy like everyone else but she needs to know that she can't just do whatever she likes without concern for others!”

 

“So really, you were concerned for Irene's well-being?” Wendy asked quickly, and this caused the two to freeze.

 

“Uh...no, I mean...she's my partner,” Seulgi reasoned, “If she's watching my back, I want her focused. I really just think she's going too easy on her sister...”

 

Irene seemed to deflate and she ran a hand through her dark hair with a sigh. Good, she was losing the aggressive stance, it was a good time to push ahead.

 

“Do you think you let your sister get away with some things?”

 

Irene swallowed harshly and shrugged. “I didn't used to, when she was younger, I was so strict. Eventually she lost it at me and we had this huge fight. I had to let her go, I had to let her make her own decisions. That was the right thing to do, right?”

 

To her surprise, Wendy realized that Irene was seeking her opinion. “Yes, that was right. As a human being, she deserves to make her own choices. Yet, Seulgi seems to think that you've distanced yourself too much.”

 

“Joy is trying to punish you in her childish way for some awful reason—.”

 

Irene interrupted her partner with an exhausted tone of voice. “She's just trying to push my buttons that's all. It's harmless.”

 

“Harmless!” Seulgi snapped, “You don't sleep at night when she doesn't come home, even though she's only staying over at a friend's. She intentionally does not call you or text you. It's not ok, Irene. She needs to know the difference between living her life and just acting out to annoy you.”

 

Instead of arguing, Irene ran both her palms over her face and sighed. Now, this was a breakthrough, Wendy thought. We're really getting to a deep issue here and she seems open to talking about it.

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