𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋𝐒 + 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐔𝐁𝐈𝐌

1 | the word for world is forest

please see the end for notes <3

———

five years ago

     "honestly, i think i should be used to this by now," sighed the blond, pinching the soft skin on the bridge of his nose as held his head low. "but i'm not." the sudden upward tilt of his head left taehyung staring into dull brown eyes.

     the office was simply too large for someone who only worked in public healthcare. bed shortages could easily be solved because you could just squeeze a handful of beds in there.

     the air was vacant except for tiny dust particles which swirled in the breeze from a fan. from where taehyung was sat, he could see corners of the room where luscious plant pots were precariously stacked atop shelves, threatening to topple and burst into a muddy mess below.

     taehyung watched the small man flick his legs above the desk until his leather brogues collided with the surface, acrylic name plate leaping off and plummeting into the white tiled floor. it was eerily clean; taehyung often worried he would stain the pure surface with the soles of his shoes despite only having walked around the hospital.

park jimin, hospital director.

he could be quite the dramatic sometimes.

though, he was a usually composed man who seemed to have a soft side for his close friend and academic prodigy-

"taehyung. i, for the love of god don't understand why you want to completely dispose of your potential." his words spewed out like relentless bullets. "i only wanna see you succeed, even surpass me, but instead you tell me you want to specify in haematology." the last part came out subdued, mumbled quietly against the soft surface of the palm which held up his chin.

"no, you're wrong it's-"

"no, i'm not kidding! though a little surprised, i'm also kind of irritated. can you not even comprehend how i feel for even a second?!" jimin waved his small hand around in frantic gestures.

most decisons taehyung made irked jimin to the point where his face would redden in frustration and he seemed scarier, despite his height. the decision to reject university scholarship offers from across the world. the decision to work in a quaint hospital in the countryside. the decision to even choose medicine in the first place.

     "i meant that it's not haematology. it's hepatology*."

     mumbling an incoherent remark, a faint blush stained the elder's cheeks, eyes averting to the side.

     "you might not support my decision, but..." the doctor placed tensing hands on the desk surface, pulling his body closer to his superior, "i want to do this," taehyung testified, voice raised slightly and eyes wide with vehemence. "i want to help those patients in the best way possible, right in front of them, where they can see my face and know that everything's going to be okay."

     the director folded his arms, plump lips pressed firmly together as he allowed the doctor to express his emotions. he could tell when the younger was truly passionate about something.

     "in uni, despite being 4 years too early," the doctor chuckled, "and a few centimetres too short, there was one guy who still valued me as an actual student. i asked him what i should specify in, after finishing my degree and he told me about the hepatologists who stayed by his sick baby brother's side his entire life. so i promised him that i would do exactly that, and help more people like his brother."

     taehyung had observed the older man's expression when he had spoken to him back in university. a smile had tugged on the corner of his lips, despite him rarely seeming engaged in anything, when the topic of conversation changed to his kid brother. a somewhat dedicated student who had eased the 14 year old into the busy university lifestyle, until taehyung finished the course and research in a year and a half, diving into deeper study until he was of working age.

     it was at that exact moment he knew that his choice to pursue a life-saving profession was neither pointless nor arbitrary.

     taehyung pressed, "i could ask why you also choose to work here,". pointing his index finger at his chest, he mumbled, "i mean, the reason i'm here is because a life in the city spotlight isn't to my liking."

     scoffing, the director shook his head, disappointed that his friend had forgotten.

     "i fell in love, you dimwit." jimin gazed fondly at the metal ring adorning his finger, the princess cut diamond glistening like a beautiful lagoon of clear water. "don't do the same reckless things i did if you ever fall in love."

     "oh yeah, how is hoseok, by the way?"

     "he's fine, and the well-being centre is doing great,"

     jimin's husband was the epitome of benevolence; a man dedicated to helping others no matter what the cost. despite living in the city, he recognised that a small town in the countryside was receiving no funding for their mental health. so, he moved there, and opened the centre. jimin, despite being given the option not to, opted to go with his then-boyfriend, admiring his philanthropy and selflessness.

     jimin dragged his toned legs back under the desk, finally giving his friend a warm smile. "well, i guess if you, a prodigy, have made that decision, then who am i to fight you on it?"

     "thanks, park." the doctor beamed, wide smile raising his cheeks and he graciously stood up from his seat. long strides took him to the doorway where the air transitioned from the miasma of plants and coffee to the familiar sterilised scent of the hospital corridor.

     it really was an unnecessarily large office. one of the walls brandished a bookshelf with wood matching the dark shade of the desk. worryingly, the majority were titles regarding botany and houseplants rather than their medical counterparts which were discarded in boxes to the side.

     "leaving so soon?" judged the director, as he knew the doctor had at least another 30 minutes to spare. taehyung's surgeon training course would be terminating soon anyway, just as he declared. being punctual should have been the least of his worries.

     jimin rolled his eyes while scoffing at the amount of determination and tenacity the teen had.

     taehyung was always full of surprises.

     "don't get too excited about my coming here," the teen chirped, shifting to face the desk.

     one sharp kick was enough to rid the door of its wedge. he smirked as it began to close, turning back to make his way to his ward.

     "i didn't need your permission, anyway."

———

*hepatology is the branch of medicine that incorporates the study of liver, gallbladder, biliary tree, and pancreas as well as management of their disorders.