He laughed as the pretty little girl gave him a pouty look.

 

“Yah Jung Soojung! Don’t be rude!” The little girl’s mother patted her child’s shoulder, giving Minho an apologetic grin.

 

“It’s alright Ma’am” Minho chuckled as he took Soojung in his arms and handed her a lollipop. 

 

The little lady smiled at him like he was a prince and gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

 

“She’s been asking to see you since last week Doctor Choi. Now I see why” Mrs. Jung chuckled softly.

 

 “You’d make a great father. Any woman would be lucky to have you Doctor”

 

“I can be your woman Doctor Choi!” Soojung innocently said, earning a horrific look from her mother.

 

“Soojung!”

 

“Tell you what Soojung, when you grow up into a beautiful lady, I’ll be old and wrinkly by then. You wouldn’t want that right? Only a handsome prince for our princess Soojung, right?” Minho lovingly said as he set down the little girl. The little girl nodded in agreement.

 

 

 

 

“You’d make a great father. Any woman would be lucky to have you Doctor”

 

 

Minho sighed as he folded his lab gown and shoved it in his bag. His brain kept on repeating the old lady’s words.

 

 

 

He thought he was dead. He should be dead. But no. He had to live. He had to survive. The irony, when all you’ve ever wanted in your life was to die, it decides otherwise.

 

“You’ve broken both of your legs” A voice came out of nowhere, pulling him out of his thoughts.”You’re going to stay still for a few months”

 

He coughed, his throat burned. So this is what it feels like to survive a car crash, well it hurt like hell. Even speaking was a damn .

 

“You were unconscious for a couple of days. We were quite certain you’d take longer to wake up” The voice said again, this time a little louder. It sounded familiar.

 

His head slowly turned, a flash of pain shot through his spine. His eyes turned glassy. This was like living hell on earth.

 

 

“You’re to refrain from extraneous activities” She said, her eyes meeting his.

 

 

He caught his breath. Heaven, was it even real? Cause if it was, then he must be in the wrong place.

 

 

She caught his gaze, giving him a tight smile as she adjusted his IV. She was so near that he could smell her newly showered scent. So near that he could hear her breath.

 

 

He knew her. She knew him.

 

 

“W-why—“He croaked as she tried to hush him.

 

 

“I just came in yesterday” She whispered. “And you’re the first patient I tended to”

 

 

His eyes searched hers, trying to find more answers.

 

 

“Get some rest” She said, tucking him under the warm sheets. “You need it. I’ll be back tomorrow”

 

 

She left.

 

 

His eyes were still on the invisible trail she left. She was here. Seo Joo Hyun. His cousin’s girlfriend. His ex-girlfriend. She was here. She was back. And she was more beautiful than ever.

 

 

 

 

Minho dodged all the invitations for thanksgiving with the same excuse each year. He was going to spend it with his “family”. It wasn’t particularly a lie, but it wasn’t all true either. His “family” consisted of him and his pet dog due to the fact that his real family was out of town and out of his reach. It wasn’t that he didn’t love his family, it was just that he was trained to be independent that holidays like this was spent with his own self (with the exception of Christmas). Plus the fact that his parents were as busy as hell that they don’t have the time to share their holidays with their children. The nurses, staff, and doctors alike bid him good night as he walked out of the hospital, nodding in acknowledgement.

 

 

DR.CHOI MINHO.

 

 

A name he fought so hard to obtain. A name that he earned from his own sweat and hard work. He relaxed as soon as he entered his car, turned the radio on, and drove to his destination.

 

 

 

The beach house was the only place he could be himself. It was the only place he could think, feel, let loose, and let go. It was the place where the sun kissed the ocean and the clouds were painted with different colours. It’s where the stars shone brightest and the moon the loveliest shade of silver.

 

He smiled as he walked out of his car, his dog greeting him as soon as he set foot on the sand.

 

 

“Dubu-yah” He laughed, liking how the wind caressed his face and the dog bark in delight with his presence, taking away all his worries. “Let’s go inside”

 

 

 

The beach house wasn’t big; it was a one storey structure with only two bedrooms, a bathroom, a comfy living room, and a cosy kitchen. It wasn’t as grand as the house he used to live in. Yet, it was home. His home.

 

 

 

 

“See you in a few days” She smiled as she handed him a list of daily medicine. He rolled his eyes at her.

 

 

“Seriously? We’re both doctors” He teased, his laugh a little shaky.

 

 

“I’m not the one in crutches though” She returned his laugh, her uptight demeanour vanished. She looked like the girl he asked out, the girl he shared his first kiss with, the girl that caught his heart.

 

 

“What?” She stopped laughing as soon as she saw the look on his face.

 

 

“Nothing” He bit his bottom lip. “It’s just. It’s nice to see you smile again. For real. I missed that”

 

 

She averted her gaze, a slight blush on her cheeks.

 

 

“You should go. Your parents must be waiting for you” She said, pointing at the black Audi driven by my personal driver.

 

 

Parents? I chuckled inwardly. She’s making excuses to avoid this blooming conversation. She knew very well my relationship with my parents. They only cared if I was on the brink of death, otherwise, I’m just another son to them.

 

 

I sighed. Limping as I walked towards my car, the driver opening the back seat door for me. I turned around before I got in, catching her looking at me.

 

 

“The old beach house” I said, my hands tightened on my crutches.

 

 

“What?” Her brows furrowed.

 

 

“I’ll be by the old beach house if you ever… feel like catching up” I murmured.

 

 

Her face turned from, astonishment, to confusion, to pain.

 

 

“Look Minho—“

 

 

“I know you’re dating Shim Changmin” The words suddenly flowing out of my mouth. “But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re my… friend. Besides, I can’t come to the hospital in this poor state. The driver needs rest. You’re my doctor; you can’t force a handicapped man to come such a long way for a weekly check-up. Just check up on me at the old beach house”

 

 

Her face was a painted with a thousand emotions. I rendered her speechless. I won.

 

 

“See you” I said before she could answer and retreated inside my car.

 

 

 

 

 

Italic paragraphs are mean't for flashbacks & italic words/phrases are mean't for point of view comments. <3 This is going to be a short story so yeah, stay tuned! Thank you subbies and upvotes!! <3 <3 till next time!