`PARADIS.

❝ No more going home for the weekends? ❞ What Chase was more concerned about now was what his parents would feel about that. Had something happened amongst them that would cause Maxwell to disregard all intentions of returning home for the weekend? Or was it something far worse and it was the passing of his grandmother? No, the latter couldn’t be it. He wouldn’t be here speaking with the him if that were the case. He’d be bawling his eyes out or that’s what he assumed he would do. ❝ Did something happen at home? ❞

Normally, the therapist wasn’t very good when it came to expressing his own feelings unless he was under a lot of pressure. Funny how that works, isn’t it? A therapist helping others to express themselves when he himself was incapable of finding words to convey how he truly felt. Granted, it was only because he wanted to find the perfect words that would express his sentiment. The less words used, the better. So there he stood, struggling to figure out how to fully say what he wanted to say without sounding like a complete blubbering fool. His hands rubbed the nape of his neck gingerly out of habit. Eye contact was minimal as his eyes would constantly shift away from gazing across into her pools of chestnut. ❝ I think a lot of you. ❞ To many, she may have been just a body on a ravishing pair of legs, but to him she was much more than that. Her mind was brilliant. How he had always wanted to dig deeper and further into the dark crevices of her mind to see what hidden treasures lie beyond the tip of the iceberg. However, he knew that prodding further than what was comfortable was hardly professional and he would appear to be like an intruding twat. Chase was curious, yes, but he knew his limitations and where the line was. ❝ Don’t ever think once that the opinions of others would alter my conception of you. ❞ Extending out his hand, the therapist gently ruffles at her cascading tresses and offers her an honest smile. Those words were perfect.

[ SMS  ⇨ 루 ] Your plant died?[ SMS  ⇨ 루 ] My condolences. [ SMS  ⇨ 루 ] Will you be holding a memorial service for her?

A familiar voice resonates in his eardrums. Chase was temporarily relived to know that Mrs. Park was no longer there to pester him about her problems with her husband or scheduling for the early morning. However, that slight moment of solace was now overcome with annoyance in a much more lighthearted kind of way. The star had finally arrived had he? Fashionably late too. Playfully, the therapist retorts while standing on the other side of the door.   ❝ I’m terribly sorry, but do you have an appointment? I may have to schedule you in tomorrow morning then. Would hate it if Mrs. Park found out that I’m more flexible with you.  ❞ As much as he himself hated when clients weren’t punctual, how could one resist the charms of a fellow friend - especially one from ages before. Shaking his head with a hint of displeasure that he gave in so easily to this generation’s rising star, the man of counsel unlocked the entrance way for his companion to make himself at home. Even if this office lacked a lot of things that a typical living quarter contained, this was definitely a place that Chase considers his second home - home away from home. Most of his hours were spent there even on the occasional weekend if clients really needed his aid.  Pulling himself from the door, he awaited for it to fling right open. There had been times where he worried about the whereabouts of Woobin - whether or not he’d be swamped by fans throwing themselves at him. What worried him even more was whether paparazzi would be in hot pursuit and follow him right to his office. Luckily so far, nothing of that sort had happened. Not yet anyway. Chase was never big on spotlights and fame. He always very much preferred the life of solitude and tranquility. It caught him off guard when his close friend had decided upon becoming a big celebrity. He was proud of him, no doubt, but for some reason he felt that he had lost Woobin in the big, flashing lights. The feeling of vexation rears it’s ugly head once again and the charm wore off.   ❝ What? Were you expecting a red carpet to be laid out for you to walk across into my office? Sorry, I don’t have that luxury, so hurry up and come in.  ❞ He needed caffeine and quickly. Not watching for his friend to enter his work space, the therapists heads on over to pour himself a cup. 

Before he had an opportunity to utter a single word, she had already bolted out of his office doors. Shit. Undoubtedly, Chase had come off too strong in his query. In that brief moment between her leaving the room in haste and him standing there realizing what a mistake he had made in terms of quick judgement, he smothered his face. If he were to run after her, the misconception would be cleared up, but let’s say that he does run out there and clients are present, he may look like a horrible therapist for allowing clientele to barge out of there. Decisions.  ❝ Damn it! ❞ The therapist quickly grabbed his keys and darted out of his office after the young woman. If it came down to people passing conviction unto him that he was indeed an unpleasant therapist, then so be it. He would rather clear the waters with this woman than save face to a crowd of people who did not know.  It didn’t take long for him to reach the end of the long stretch of hallway and out of the double doors due to his long legs. Once outside, his chocolate orbs quickly glanced around in search of the familiar face. The instant he locked onto her, he made his way as calmly as possible in her direction and called out to her.  ❝ Oy. ❞ Rubbing the nape of his neck, he cleared his throat and offered his apology.  ❝ You shouldn’t be sorry... it was my fault for coming off so strongly and well -- I shouldn’t be leaving my door unattended anyways. So... don’t take the blame for any of it. ❞ Apologies of this manner weren’t his forte and he honestly wasn’t sure if it would be enough to convey how sorry he truly felt. 

He slowly nodded with her response to his inquiry. His eyes slowly shifted away from her presence to somewhere else just for a brief moment before returning them back on to the young woman before him.  ❝ I see. ❞ Something triggered in his mind that there was most likely more to the story than just that. Why did she leave New York in the end? Why did she settle in the southern parts of Korea in the first place? What exactly drove her here and stay here. Fresh starts always meant that there something that happened previously and someone wished to start anew - a clean slate most would refer to it as. However, as much as he wanted to inquire more on the topic, he knew that his relationships with clientele should not begin with driving them away with his tenacious questioning. Instead, he opted out for something lighter, something more informal.  ❝ So tell me, Krystal, what do you like doing on your spare time? Any hobbies? ❞ A warm and sincere smile drew across his face as his body leans moderately forward.  ❝ Just out of curiosity. I do want to get to know you better and make this more comfortable for you. ❞ Chase had always hated the idea of following the rule books in terms of getting to point A to point B. It was too linear and too straightforward. When it came to his clients, he always preferred getting to know them better and getting know what they enjoyed doing. This was a place of therapy and in most cases people always saw it as a negative thing like something was completely wrong with a person and they needed to seek counsel. Therapy, to Chase, was enlightening and he believed everyone should have it - whether you were fine or not.      

Wasted. That was the most appropriate word to describe the toppling therapist as he pressed his sweltering body against her door. The world was spinning and all he wanted was for it to stop - even if it were for a brief moment. His eyelids were tightly shut; afraid that if he were to open them, he would flop over onto the ground and lose control of his ability to hold down what he drank. It was logical to him at the time that he should have allowed himself to eat first before shooting down those drinks, but when the day is long, all sense of logic is lost.  ❝ Please. Just let me in. It’s cold out here, ❞ he slurred. Alcoholic shivers. One of his many symptoms after having too much to drink. The breeze felt intense and goosebumps lined up all along his bare arms. Slowly flickering one of his eyelids open enough for visibility and seeing the door not budging, Chase peered through his peripherals at the neighbor’s. The flower pot wasn’t too far off, maybe if he moved  little by little, he would make it to their flower pot and just rest his head on the edge of it. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea. Mustering all that he could, he took a step forward. The world spun and the raven-haired male spun along with the world before pressing his back against the wall and slowly slid down.  ❝ Jaemi-ah... ❞ God he must look so pathetic.

Just by the way the adolescent answered, it was already enough to elicit a light bulb to figuratively appear in his mind. Chase needed to be careful with this one and needed to pick and choose his choice of wording carefully. It was always one thing when people admit themselves to a therapist, but it was another thing to be admitted by someone else. What was worse in this current situation was, the parent/guardian of this young man was a no show. The situation was then left up to the therapist to decide whether or not to carry on with the session or to just call up the mother in hopes that she would make an appearance. What he did know for certain at that moment, was to make sure the teen was comfortable.  Leaning in, but allowing for enough space in between the both of them where he didn’t feel invaded, Chase offered a sincere and reassuring smile.  ❝ Do you like games, Hiro? We could play a little game to get to know each other better, if you’d like. ❞

Could he honestly say when was the last time he had a woman over at his apartment complex? No, he couldn’t and he wouldn’t. It was one thing to make himself appear as the suave and smooth casanova, but it was another thing to present himself as genuine as well. Personally, he just wanted some company from a woman. He wasn’t expecting much out of it nor will he, but if she authentically just wanted to watch a movie with him, then he saw no harm in that. It beat him attending a local bar with stranger women with even stranger intentions.  ❝ Sure. Why not. Should we grab food along the way? Or shall I make us both something, then? ❞ It had been awhile since Chase had anyone over for more than a few minutes and he usually didn’t provide food for anyone since their stay was so short-lived. The therapist himself, rarely spent time in his own apartment complex. The main purpose of it was to sleep in and a place to store his belongings. Other than that, he was either working or out and about. This was definitely going to be a change of pace for him - and he did not mind it in the least.  ❝ I get the feeling that if we watch a movie about food, we’ll end up building an appetite. So I thought I’d just ask in case. ❞

Loneliness. What a dreadful feeling that was. Complete loneliness was by far worse than just the feeling of being alone. However, the therapist could identify with that sort of feeling. Most people would say that for a therapy session to go considerably well, the therapist and the clientele need to connect on a much deeper level than just the surface. The connection should be beyond that, where similar incidences should tie their emotions together. Yes, Chase was very much aware of what it’s like to be seen as an outcast.  He didn’t want to say outright that he, too, had undergone the feeling of seclusion. Another thing he learned was to not to expose oneself when in a session with someone - for he is the therapist and the therapy session should be about the client.  ❝ Loneliness is a dreadful thing, isn’t it? When you say you don’t quite mind, do you really mean it? I sense as though, you do mind, even if it’s minuscule. ❞ There was always some meaning behind everyone’s choice of words. It can be deciphered in the way they enunciate. To make things more prominent in terms of meaning, body language also played a key part. Chase carefully watched her movements, from the way her lips formed, to the arch of her brows.  ❝ Do you feel lonely now? ❞

[ SMS ⇨ 루 ] Your plant? [ SMS  ⇨ 루 ] Well… have you spoken to her about how it’s okay for change? That change occurs when in a relationship of sorts and that sometimes it’s required to happen for growth. [ SMS  ⇨ 루 ] Best of luck to you and your uh.. plant.