Chapter Text
“You should meet him. No more one-sided crush.”
“Tomorrow at 7pm. Look for a black SUV. He’ll be waiting for you at the entrance by the ER.”
“Just go and have dinner with him. I know you’re busy, but you still need to eat.”
Min-ha’s words echoed through Gyeo-ul’s mind as the GS resident sighed over her patient’s chart. She looked at the time on her watch. It was 30 minutes before 7pm. She would have to get ready for the dinner she agreed to have with Min-ha’s old colleague.
“What’s with all the sighing?” a voice next to her disrupted her thoughts. Prof. Lee Ik-jun slid next to Gyeo-ul over the counter at the nurse’s station, trying to get a read of her face.
Just the day prior, he had unknowingly betrayed Jeong-won’s lies to the GS resident. He had revealed that Jeong-won didn't spend the weekend at Yangpyeong, as he had told Gyeo-ul, but at his house.
Ik-jun thought it was odd of Jeong-won to be so unaccommodating to the point of lying, just to get out of eating with someone. This – and a few instances of curious behavior – convinced him that Jeong-won was definitely acting strange. He was avoiding Gyeo-ul. And consequently, the young girl was rejected, thinly veiled through a poorly thought-out lie.
Ik-jun had no doubt Gyeo-ul’s sighs had something to do with that. It had to be heartache. Ik-jun felt responsible.
He leaned in closer to her, whispering, “Are you still upset about Jeong-won? Because, you know, I can still help you out. I have my ways, Gyeoul-ah.” He sounded playful, his usual chipper self.
Gyeo-ul closed the chart she was reading. She forced a cheerful smile for her professor. “It’s okay, gyusonim. I was just tired, that’s all.”
Ik-jun stared at her. Gyeo-ul was a terrible liar.
The resident, seeing his wary expression, let out a small laugh as she handed over the chart to the nurse. She tucked her hands in her coat pockets and walked to the elevator, Ik-jun walking next to her. “Don’t worry about it, gyusonim. I’m okay.” She gave him a smile. “In fact, I’m going on a date tonight.”
Ik-jun raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Really, a date? My, you move on fast.”
“Aniyo,” she replied. “Min-ha set me up with a friend of hers. This date is per Dr. Chu Min-ha’s orders.”
Ik-jun was very much surprised. Gyeo-ul had been so steadfast about her feelings for Jeong-won. He was sure she wouldn’t give up all of a sudden.
He stared at her as she walked purposefully. Was she okay now, really? He wasn’t sure. Was she relaxed? She didn’t seem too relaxed. There was an odd sort of forced air about her as she walked quietly.
“So,” he tried to use a more cheerful tone of voice, “what time’s the date? Is he picking you up?”
“Ne, gyusonim,,” she responded. “Min-ha said to meet him at 7 at the ER entrance.”
Ik-jun nodded, taking note of this.
The elevator doors opened and Gyeo-ul stepped in. Ik-jun stayed planted on his spot, outside the elevator. “Aren’t you coming down, gyusonim?” she asked him.
“No, you go ahead. I just have to check on a patient one last time before I go.”
“Oh okay,” Gyeo-ul nodded, pressing the elevator button going down to the lower floor. She would have to change first.
“Gyeoul-ah,” Ik-jun called her as the doors were closing. “Have fun at your date.” He smiled at her. He meant it.
The GS resident smiled back, nodding at him as the elevator brought her down.
Ik-jun turned back, walking the hallways, towards one of his patient’s rooms. His phone gave a quick beep. It was Seok-hyeong.
“Are we meeting at the lobby?” he asked.
“No, just meet me at the basement parking lot. My car’s there.” Ik-jun replied.
And then he added, “I’ll see you in 30 minutes.”
“Araseo,” Seok-hyeong texted back.
Ik-jun decided to text the same instructions to Song-hwa. Jun-wan wouldn’t be available that night for dinner and band practice since he said he had other plans.
As Ik-jun was about to send the same text to Jeong-won, the man himself called him up at that moment.
“Hey, so what time are you getting off?” he asked Ik-jun.
“I told the guys to meet in 30 minutes.”
“Alright, are we taking your car?” Jeong-won asked.
“Yeah, I’ll just meet you guys at the par—“ Ik-jun suddenly had an idea. “Actually, wait for me at the ER entrance. At 7pm. And don’t be late.”
“Araseo, araseo,” Jeong-won responded.
“At 7pm on the dot, okay? Or you can be there early, whichever. Just don’t be late,” Ik-jun insisted.
“Alright, I got it.” Jeong-won told him.
“7pm and don’t be late!” Ik-jun repeated before Jeong-won turned off the call.
Ik-jun smiled at his phone. Would this work perhaps? He wasn’t sure.
But he needed to see what this would do for his stubborn friend.
Ahn Jeong-won rode the elevator down to the hospital lobby, right where the ER entrance would be. He wondered why Ik-jun had been so insistent about not being late. It wasn’t like Jeong-won was ever late anyway.
He shook his head. It was just Ik-jun being his crazy self again. Even if he did turn out to be a respectable surgeon and a great father, there were still traces of his crazy, energetic, extremely random, nightclub-loving friend in that 40-year-old man.
As he pondered on these thoughts, Jeong-won caught sight of a figure in a familiar denim jacket standing a few feet away from him. Instinctively, he froze in his step. It was Gyeo-ul.
She was standing still on the pavement, probably waiting for someone. Jeong-won noted that her hair was down. He had never really seen her hair loose before – it was always tied in a ponytail, with some stray strands falling at the front.
Jeong-won didn’t understand why he hesitated to walk further. He was just waiting for his friends, and she was probably just on her way home too.
He strode toward the spot next to her on the pavement, making sure to keep a safe distance between them.
As he stopped, he stood there wordlessly. It would be best not to say anything. Ik-jun would roll by any minute now anyway.
“Annyeonghaseyo,” Gyeo-ul finally said, noticing his presence then, but not before hesitating for a moment.
“Ne,” Jeong-won gave her a slight bow. “Annyeonghaseyo.”
The evening was still, and the hospital didn’t seem to be as busy as it usually was that time of night. Jeong-won wondered if he should make conversation. She was his resident after all.
“You’re going home early today,” he said, checking his watch.
“Yes, I have plans this evening,” Gyeo-ul replied, not really looking at him. They both stared out in front of them.
“With Dr. Chu Min-ha?” he asked. Of course they were close friends and he noticed them hanging out together several times. It was natural to ask.
“No,” she said plainly. Jeong-won found it a curious answer.
Before he could ask further, a black SUV stopped in front of Gyeo-ul suddenly. A handsome guy in a brown suit got down from the driver’s seat and greeted her.
“Annyeonghaseyo,” he bowed to her. “Shall we go?” He gave her a bright smile as he opened the door of the passenger’s seat to her.
Gyeo-ul stared at him for a moment, surprised by his polite gestures. She nodded at him, “Ne,” before getting into her seat.
The young man closed the door carefully and walked quickly to the driver’s side of the car.
With the window down, Gyeo-ul bowed to her professor. “I’ll be off then, gyusonim.”
And the car drove off.
Jeong-won stared out as it faded into the curve leaving the hospital grounds. He wondered what kind of plans Gyeo-ul had that evening.
It certainly looked like a date – the guy had on a suit and opened the door for her. Was he her boyfriend?
But then, she had asked him just last week to buy her a meal. Could she have had a boyfriend then?
Jeong-won looked out, wondering to himself. It couldn’t be a boyfriend – he was still talking to her formally.
He blinked, looking at nothing. The car was completely out of sight.
Still, it looked like they were on a date.
“Anyeong, Andrea!” Three familiar voices suddenly called out to him from across the lot.
“Did you see an angel or something?” Ik-jun asked him. He looked at him with an amused grin on his face. “Gosh, why are you all spaced out?”
Had he spaced out? Jeong-won hadn’t noticed he had been staring into the distance.
“It’s cold. Get in,” Song-hwa urged him, scooting over on her seat at the back of the car for Jeong-won.
"Okay," he said, jogging over to Ik-jun’s car and getting inside quickly.
If Gyeo-ul was on a date, it was certainly none of Jeong-won's business.
He tried to forget the look she gave him from the window of the car. She bowed to him with her usual blank expression, but her hair was down. She might have even worn lipstick, he wasn’t sure. It looked nice. She looked quite nice.
Jeong-won looked out the window, trying to concentrate on the city lights instead.
It was none of his business.