Jeo Jenny gave me a light tap on my arm and then left the room shyly without giving me a chance to answer...

I stared at the door blankly for a while and let out a sigh, frustrated. 

Then I headed to Myung's room to start our day by playing the games I had suggested yesterday, trying not to think about it...

~

Maybe it looks silly, however, I have my own reason for doing this...

First, when you want your patient to open up to you, you need to make them feel comfortable enough with you so that they can talk easily.

Second, when a person has failed in their life for such a long time, they mostly believe that they're not capable enough to succeed in anything, which is why they're afraid of starting over or doing anything. They prefer to stay where they are rather than move forward... 

However, this problem can easily be solved by achieving simple things that you're trying for the first time eventually. For example, finishing a new simple task, a new book or winning a game, etc. As time passes, your unconscious mind will be going to acknowledge that you do have some capabilities to achieve whatever you want... 

All you have to do is keep going... 

~

I stepped into Myung's room, and he was staring at outside as usual when I said, "Good morning, Myung."

He turned his head toward me, "You came."

"Was I supposed to not come?" I asked.

He flinched a bit and mumbled, "I don't know." 

I grinned as I approached him. "Are you ready for our battle?" 

He smirked, "I don't know why we're doing this, but I'm ready to defeat you."

+"It's going to be three simple games. Also, the loser should grant the winner's wish... Okay?"

-"Alright. What's the first one?"

I pulled a string out of my pocket and replied, "Cat's cradle. Do you know this game?"

He tilted his head in wonder and nodded. I then made the first figure with my hands. "Go on, it's your turn."

He calmly ran his fingers through the strings and made the next move.

As we continued for a few minutes, Myung made his last move wrong. We both stared at the string strangled in his fingers for a second, and then I said, "Oops, I won!" With a smirk on my face. 

.

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[...Dantae: 1 / Myung: 0...]

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.

He looked up and glared at me, annoyed, "What's next?"

"Palm push~... We're going to stand in front of each other and put up both our hands palm-to-palm. Push and feint with our palms on our attack turns to force the other off balance so one of our feet moves and who'll lose its balance is the loser. It'll be three rounds..." I explained to him.

He stepped into the middle of the room and said, "I got it! Let's do it!"

I followed him and stood up in front of him, raising my palms. "You can attack first for the first round ~..." I said.

Myung started to attack, and I dodged my hands by pulling away a few times, which made him even more annoyed. His face was so adorable when he was trying so hard to push me and not lose his balance. As Myung pushed his hands forward with such force, and I dodged again, he lost his balance, and his head was bumped into my chest. 

I grabbed his shoulders and helped him to stand straight. "I guess I win agaiiiinnnn~~~..."

Myung gritted his teeth, and you could see rage was rising in his eyes...

.

[Round one: 1 point for Dantae.]

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We started round two by me attacking him, but he also dodged pretty well until I lost my balance and fell in his direction. Myung put his palms on my chest, trying to push me off him, and I backed away quickly. "Ehm~... You won this time." 

The corners of his lips were turned upwards a bit. "Let's do the last round!" 

.

[Round two: 1 point for Myung.]

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For the third round, Myung was the attacker again, and he kept pushing my palms with all the force he had, like an angry baby bird. I tried my best not to fall since his strength was nothing compared to me. However, as my attention fell on Myung's smile, I somehow lost my sense of focus and stumbled backwards... 

.

[Round three: 1 point for Myung.]

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He said excitedly, "I won!"

I nodded with a smile, "Yeah~ Now we only have one game to go~..." and stroked his hair.

.

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[...Dantae: 1 / Myung: 1...]

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He asked with anticipation, "What's next?~"

"We're going to sit down, and then we have to stare into each other's eyes while keeping a poker face for a minute. This has two rounds in which first I'll try to make you lose your calm face in that one minute, and then It'll be reversed for the second round. Whoever endures longer not to lose his face is the winner..." I explained.

As we sat down on the floor in front of each other, I pulled my phone out and set a one-minute timer. Then I grabbed his hands into mine and said, "I'm going to start." 

Myung nodded in response, and I started to crack a few jokes or make silly faces, however, he stayed incredibly calm and didn't budge until one minute was done.

.

[Round one: 1 point for Myung.]

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I whined, "I guess I chose the wrong game~..."

Myung replied proudly, "No one can beat my calmness."

"Okay! Let's go for the last round! I'm not going to lose easily! I'm good at keeping my concentration." I groaned.

I put on pokerface, and our one minute started. Myung remained silent while staring at me for the first few seconds. 

Then he said in a cute baby voice that I've never heard from him, "Myung~~ is upset that you won't let him win, Hyung~~..."

My heart skipped a beat as he said that...

And my mind was attacked by different emotions...

...Shit!... This isn't fair!... 

...I need to stay focused!... 

...But he called me 'Hyung' in a super cute way~... 

Then he attacked again while his eyes sparkled mischievously, "Hyung~~~ I'll give you a kiss if you let me win~... "

I was taken aback by what he'd just said and felt my whole face and ears blush. I dropped my head in response as my heart was jumping out of my chest and huffed... 

"This was cheating~~" I muttered...

.

[Round two: 1 point for Myung.]

.

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[...Dantae: 1 / Myung: 2 => Final winner: Myung...]

.

.

Myung sprang up joyfully. "Hehe~~ I won!!! I told you I could win an old geezer like you!!!"

I got up and smiled, embarrassed, "Yep!... You won! So I'll grant you a wish." 

He fidgeted, then answered hesitantly, "I don't have any now~..."

I pinched his right cheek slightly, "It's alright... you can save it for later~..." 

"Okay." He nodded as he became emotionless again...

"Now, shall we start our first real therapy session?" I asked. 

He stared at me with a melancholic expression while his hand trembled. "Alright."

~

I asked him to lie down on his bed and close his eyes, and then I sat down in the leather armchair across the room. "How was it when we were playing?..." 

-"I'm not sure~... at first, it was annoying, but~... then it was fun, I guess~..."

+"Can you tell me what you felt when you won in the end?"

-"Em~... Satisfied, maybe?... Watching your defeated face was really satisfying..."

...This kid!... 

+"Ehm~ well~... I believe it's a positive sign that you've begun to feel these different emotions..."

-"But I don't think these temporary things could help to fill the void inside of me..."

+"Can you describe that void in words?"

-"..."

+"Myung?"

-"It's as if a part of me is dead, but the other part of me is grieving on top of my own grave helplessly..."

+"Since when did you start to feel like this?"

-"Last year~... When I lost everything I had~... after tolerating so many painful days for years~..."

As I noticed, he shivered and put his palms on his chest anxiously, I walked towards him and held his hand. "Open your eyes, Myung." 

He looked at me with scared sorrowful eyes, and he said as he panted heavily, "I don't think I can~... talk~... about~... I don't even know~ from where~ I should~ start~..." 

I pulled him up into my arms, "It's fine~ There's no rush. We have lots of time~... breathe slowly with me, okay?"

Myung nodded silently while trembling in my embrace. Then I whispered, "You're gonna be alright~"

After I put him back to sleep with sedatives, I left the room for my other appointments until my shift was done, and I had to go back home.

I returned to his room for a brief moment to say a goodbye before leaving the hospital. His expression was grim, but he said tenderly, "Take care, Grandpa. See you tomorrow~"

A wave of bittersweet happiness washed over me at his kind yet sorrowful farewell... 

This is the first time he said, "See you tomorrow," instead of me saying it to him...

~

After leaving the hospital, I drove home and had dinner with Dami. She had been waiting for me to talk about her audition, with a smile on her face. 

In an eager tone, she explained the whole audition and what had happened at the company. It seemed that she had given her best shot, and they probably liked her performance. And all she has to do now is to wait for the results... 

Seeing Dami smiling made me truly happy from the deepest of my heart. I wanna support her until the end as his older brother, especially since dad is no longer among us...

I will do my duty to be the father figure she needs and make sure she has everything she needs to be successful in life...

As she was still talking, I stroked her hair and said with a big smile on my face, "Well done, Dami~ I'm so proud of you~" 

Dami burst into tears and jumped into my arms, "Thank you, Oppa~... Waaaahhhh~..."

I chuckled and patted her back. "Our Dami has grown up well~..." 

~ 

When midnight came, I lay on the couch to sleep since Dami was sleeping in my bed. I rested my head on my forearms and closed my eyes, trying to fall asleep. However, an anxious feeling didn't let me. 

I kept thinking about Myung staying all alone in there with that gloomy face of his. In my years studying, I've seen so many different cases and patients, but I'm not sure why my feelings about him differ.

All my concerns are around him...

As I was immersed in my thoughts, I eventually fell asleep...

"I'll kiss you if you let me win, Hyunggg~~" Myung's voice echoed in my mind... 

I anxiously gulped and opened my eyes, seeing him in front of me with his cute expression...

"What are you doing here?" I asked, confused.

He tilted his head and blinked, sitting on my lap, "Hmm~~~... You called me to come~..."

I jolted up in shock, and my face reached his, looking into his deep black eyes, "Am I dreaming?!~"

And then I poked his cheek with my finger in wonder, but it felt so real...

He grasped my hand and stared at me with a teasing smile, "Ehe~... Stop acting innocent~... I know you want me~..."

"Whaa~tt?!" I asked as I felt my face become pale.

Myung then pressed his delicate lips on mine and gave me a gentle kiss, "I should've done what I promised since I won, right?~..." 

My heart was pounding so hard that I couldn't hear anything more, and I just froze in my place...

He wrapped his arms around my neck and whispered into my ear, "Hold me~ Seo Dantae~..."

I gasped in panic as my eyes were open once again... Finding myself alone in the dark living room of my home... 

I observed my surroundings anxiously, "Gosh!!!~... It was a dream!~... "

I ran my hands through my hair in relief and sighed, "What kinda dream was that? I'm not even a teenager filled with hormones!... Get yourself together, Dantae! He's your patient!"

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