Proving A Point
Project ZeloYoungjae had gone to take Zelo back, leaving Himchan and Jongup to the car. Before starting work again, Himchan had promised to go out with Jongup for ice cream.
"UWA~ Thank you Hyung!" Jongup squealed when Himchan passed him his dessert, forcing out a laugh from the elder in his disbelief that such a cute 'kid' could be a doctor. The two sat on a bench, the warm breeze tickling their faces and hair. Himchan had become quite interested in Jongup lately, especially as he has seemed to open up socially to both him and Yongguk, even though they were friends.
"Jongup, can I ask you something?"
Jongup hummed, not removing his face from the cold treat.
"What made you want a job in psychology?"
Jongup did not even need to think about it. He expertly began to tell his story as if he had many times before.
"Heh, can you not tell? There's only me and my mom in my family, so it's always been hard. My dad left shortly after I was born when my parents found out that it would be very much impossible to have another child. She worked night and day to make sure I survived. When I was five, I was diagnosed with ADHD. The doctors told my mother that I'd be very unlikely to get a job because of it. Imagine how that would feel, knowing that your last chance of survival couldn't function like a normal person. My mom, she was getting ill from overworking and I couldn't even financially support her when I got older. But then I met Youngjae." Jongup said his name with reverance, as if Youngjae was more of a diety than a human.
"Youngjae had already known what he wanted to do in middle school and his path was chosen pretty clearly. He became a friend of mine even though we didn't have lessons together. We couldn't have had lessons together as at the time most of mine were learning therapy classes or group discussions with other kids who have similar problems. Himchan, have you noticed that I don't write or read much?"
Himchan shook his head, he didn't even think that the boy had suffered.
"I can't. I mean, I can, but I don't have the capability to concentrate on it. It's how me and Youngjae became a team. He doesn't really notice much and sticks to his books. He can recite a chapter of any of our University textbooks, but his experience was rocky. But me, I can notice things, it's easier to concentrate on a person than a book because I can talk to them and have fun mostly."
Himchan nodded in approval but let Jongup continue.
"I never wanted this job originally. I followed Youngjae. I love him, I really do. I guess you could say he was the light in the tunnel. I always orbit him like a moon to a planet and I'm sure it gets on his nerves but I can't help it. Without him, I'm just a nobody with a learning difficulty. If it wasn't for Youngjae I'd be sitting at home still living with my mom on benefits from the state for having a disability. It's hardly life changing, people just don't try hard enough to find something that they can do, regardless of the hurdles in front. When I first told my mom I got into University, she thought I was taunting her, or lying to make her feel better. She thought I was going to run away so she didn't have to work so hard for me. I send her money now, because it's hard to see her.."
Himchan looked at Jongup who was deep in thought. It sure explained his borderline manic behaviour that he got when he was a little bit excited. He felt warm inside knowing that Jongup had confided in him. The boy was pretty smart seeing as he knew about hacking computers and can diagnose mental illness, he's just handicapped to the putting pen to paper aspect of it all.
"My radar has been off a little lately, but have you noticed that something is a little strange with Yongguk? I wanted to ask Youngjae but I doubt he's noticed anything."
"Yongguk's my best friend, we've known each other for years, I don't think he'd lie to me or not tell me. We have so much trust between us." Himchan smiled happily into his ice cream before Jongup got bored and pulled him up to leave. Though after passing it off, he began to think.
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