Yuri’s POV

 

"Hyunnie! Pancakes is ready!" 

 

"Coming!" my baby girl shouts back. 

 

Seohyun smiles wide when she sees the blueberry pancakes ready for her to eat on the table. 

 

"My favorite!" she dashes to her seat, her eyes filled with anticipation which makes me laugh joyfully. 

 

"I know, here, slow down when you eat okay, there's still plenty of pancakes," I give her one pancake on her plate and make sure to warn her to eat slowly. 

 

"Thanks Omma," she said after a few bites. 

“This is delicious,”

 

I study my daughter’s features carefully, her eyes twinkling with happiness, making me content in the inside.

 

I still can’t believe I had forgotten to pick Seohyun up yesterday.

 

She didn’t even get mad at me, like any normal kid would.

She greeted me with a smile when I came back home.

 

What did I do to deserve an angel of a daughter?

 

What kind of mother forgets about her daughter?

I’m such a failure.

 

Sica-yah, I’m sorry, I’ll try harder from now on.

 

Perhaps, the worst thing was that I wouldn’t have realised I forgot about Seohyun if her teacher hadn’t texted me.

 

“Omma?”

 

“Yes, baby?”

“Why aren’t you eating?”

 

“I am!” I immediately cut a small piece of the pancake with my fork and put it in my mouth.

She smiles at the sight, her round eyes filled with warmth.

 

“Listen, Hyunnie, I’m sorry about yesterday,”

 

“It’s okay, Omma, there’s a huge accident yesterday, I hope everyone will recover quickly,”

I can only sigh after hearing her response.

 

“You’re working hard so that other people won’t lose anyone they love, just like we did,” she added with a comforting tone.

 

“Baby, have I told you how much I love you?” I responded, my voice cracking.

“That you’re the best present I could ever get?”

I can feel my tears welling up.

 

“My Hyunnie is all grown up now and she’s such an amazing daughter,”

 

"That's because I have an amazing mother!" she raised her spoonful of pancake towards me and I open my mouth wide to receive it. 

 

“I know you’re trying hard Omma, I know, you don’t have to feel bad,” she said, my tears are now flowing freely down my cheeks.

 

She comes towards me and wipes my tears before I embrace her in my arms.

 

“I promise I will try even harder from now on, okay?”

“Let’s have a movie date at least once a week from now on, how does that sound?”

 

“Really? Okay!”

I can already see the excitement in her eyes.

 

 

 

****

 

Seohyun seems extra chirpy this morning ever since breakfast.

It’s true what Sooyoung said, it doesn’t take much for Seohyun to be happy, I just need to spend more time with her.

 

I let her roll the car window open because she likes to feel the wind in her face.

She let out a sweet laugh every time her hair is covering her face.

 

"I have a new teacher in class, she's really nice, and everyone loves her," 

 

“Is this the teacher that sent you home yesterday?”

Seohyun nodded in response.

 

“Have you thanked her properly?”

 

“I did,”

“I like her, she’s very nice and caring, unlike our previous teacher who always falls asleep in class,” Seohyun giggles.  

 

"But I think she's a little bit crazy sometimes," Seohyun said while giggling. 

 

"Crazy good? Or crazy bad?" 

 

 

"Good, definitely good," Seohyun answered in a millisecond. 

 

 

“She talks to herself a lot,”

Seohyun then elaborates her story.

“I don’t think she’s aware that she’s doing that,”

 

I miss this, I miss bonding with my daughter.

 

Where have I been lately?

Her teacher have already taught her for weeks and I'm only finding out now? 

 

I'm so sorry Sica, I promise I'll be there for her from now on. 

 

As soon as we arrived at our destination, she leans towards me and said, "Omma, thank you for breakfast and sending me to school today, I love this, I love you,"

 

"I love you too my sweety pie," I pinch her cheeks gently, she's the sweetest kid. 

 

"Okay, you need to get in now, you don't want to be late," I said soon after our little sweet mother-daughter moment.

 

“And I’ll be picking you up later!” I shouted before Seohyun is out of sight.

Seohyun responded by making a heart sign with her hand.

 

So adorable.

 

 

***

 

 

"Morning, Dr. Kwon," 

 

"Morning Doctor," 

I smile warmly to the people greeting me as I enter the hospital. 

 

I head to the changing room to change into my scrubs. 

 

"JUST IN TIME!!" Hyoyeon said as soon as she sees me. 

 

"Hey Kwon," Sooyoung who's standing in front of her locker greets me. 

 

"You're not going to like this," she shut her locker door after shoving in her work clothes and turns towards my direction. 

 

"Hey, LET ME TALK, will you?!" Hyoyeon snarled, if strangers were to come here at this moment, they would have thought that we're in a fight. 

 

"Calm down, what do you have for me now?" I turn my back from her so I could change at the same time. 

 

"What do you feel about... getting back in the game?" 

"You know, you haven't been dating,"

"And good god, you so need to get laid," 

 

 

I turn around to face Hyoyeon, to say that I'm shocked is an understatement. 

"Hyo..." 

 

"Oh here it comes!" Sooyoung laughed in an 'I told you so' manner. 

 

"I... am... A... Mother,"

 

"So?" Hyoyeon shot me a puzzled look.

 

"I can't exactly prance around with my like I'm some kind of addict," 

 

"I have responsibilities, I have Seohyun, and I don't want her to get confused," 

 

"I'm asking you to get laid, not look for a new mom for Hyunnie," Hyoyeon answered. 

 

"She's really attractive, with a killer smile," 

 

I shake my head and sigh out loud.

 

"You're missing out Kwon," 

 

"You're a looker Kwon! It's such a waste to not use your looks while you still can," 

I shake my head in frustration again, she's never going to get it.

 

Just then a figure approaching from the door coughed. 

 

"So… sorry Dr. Kwon, you are needed in the Chief's office now," my third year resident tells me but I couldn't help to notice the blush in her cheeks. 

 

She must be embarrassed to hear her seniors talking about getting laid.

 

Frankly speaking, so am I.

 

Something tells me I’m about to get more embarrassed when Hyoyeon gave me her ‘I’m-going-to-get-you-in-trouble’ look.

 

"So Krystal, don't you think so?" Hyoyeon smirked towards the resident.  

 

Oh god, no.

 

"Sorry? What are you saying?" 

 

"That it's a waste if Dr. Kwon here doesn't get out there and play the field," 

 

I can hear Sooyoung laughing in the corner. 

 

There's also a rumour, and I'm pretty sure that Hyoyeon started it, that Krystal has a crush on me. 

 

It started when Krystal accidentally dropped the cart containing medical supplies a few months back, and Hyoyoen assumed that it was because of me.

 

I've been shrugging it off obviously because I'm sure she only hit the cart accidentally because she's a klutz and not because I just accidentally touched her hand.

 

But since Hyoyeon was there at the time, she made a big deal out of it.

She’s been teasing me ever since.

 

"I don't think it is, maybe she's just saving herself for one person who is worth it," Krystal answered after thinking hard.

 

"Geez, it's just a date, they're not going to get married at once!" Hyoyeon said in frustration. 

 

“If you like her so much, then you can go on that date,” I half-glared at Hyoyeon and she smiled like an idiot after hearing my response.

 

"Thanks Krystal, is that all?" I turn to look at Krystal while I my pants. 

 

"Yyy... Yyess Dr. Kwon, I'll be in the E.R room now," her body stiffens as if trying not to see that I'm actually changing my pants. 

 

I guess it is true.

 

"Okay, see you later," I said before turning around to my locker again.

 

“Wait,” I stopped her before she could leave the room.

 

I head towards her in front of the door, “I’m sorry about lashing out yesterday, it wasn’t your fault at all,”

 

“It’s okay, Dr. Kwon. It was just a misunderstanding,” she gives me a warm smile.

 

I yelled at Kystal angrily yesterday because of my own failure as a mom.

I thought I had told Krystal to pick up Seohyun but I realised that I didn’t actually get to tell her due to all of the patients rushing in to the hospital.

 

Basically, I came out of the operating room, seething, after I read the text from Seohyun’s teacher.

Krystal could only cry as I began throwing all my anger towards her.

 

 

 

“It’s my fault, I was angry at myself but I blamed you instead, I’m really sorry,”

She responded with another smile and nodded.

 

“I’ll let you be lead on my next surgery? How does that sound?”

“It’s not because I feel guilty, but I really do think that you’re ready,”

 

Her cheeks reddened, “Are you sure Dr. Kwon?”

 

“Absolutely,”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be by your side the entire time,”

 

“Okay,” she chuckles before asking for my permission to leave so she could attend to her patients.

 

 

 

 

"God, you need to stop that," Sooyoung said towards me as soon as the door behind Krystal closes.

 

"What did I do?" 

 

"You do know that Krystal has the hots for you, stop playing with her feelings!"

 

"It's just a rumour that Hyo started," I laughed. 

 

"I'm sure she doesn't want...," 

 

"See what I have to deal with here? She's so oblivious it's almost stupid!" Hyoyeon shouted in frustration. 

 

"Whatever guys, I really need to go to the chief now," 

 

"Yes to the date?" Hyoyeon tried to use her puppy eyes on me.

 

"Hell no," 

 

I can’t even get my straight yet and she wants me to add another complication in my life?

 

***

After meeting with the chief about my overall performance, I performed several minor surgeries on my patients. 

 

Thankful that today isn't as busy as any other day, I rest on the sofa in the doctor's lounge to get some shut eye. 

 

"Damn it," Sooyoung entered in a frustrated mood.

 

Seriously, I can't have a moment of peace. 

I keep my eyes shut, secretly hoping that Sooyoung won't notice that I'm awake. 

 

"You want to know what happened with my patient?!" she slumped on the seat next to me, sighing loudly. 

 

"She wants to get a larger implants! She already did the procedure last year!" 

 

Sooyoung is a plastic surgeon and she's damn good at it. Patients even came all the way from the other side of the country to get their surgeries done by her. 

 

"Just let her do it, it's her choice," 

 

"She's not exactly young anymore, the risks..." 

 

"If I can get a second opinion from another doctor..." 

 

This is what she wanted from the beginning. 

Why didn't she just outright say it?

 

"Fine, I'll talk to her,"

 

"Will you?!!! Yes! THANK YOU! You're the best Yuri-ah!!" 

 

"But I'm going to need a favour," 

 

"You name it," she sits up, eager.

 

"Convince Hyo to not force me to go on a date with her cousin's friend," 

 

"Yuri..." 

 

"I know, I know, you guys want me to live my life... and trust me, I am trying," 

"It's just I'm not ready to date anyone right now, serious or not," 

"Please understand my reason," 

 

"Fine," she nodded in defeat.

 

"I'll talk to her," Sooyoung answered, giving me a sense of relief.

 

"This woman is very attractive though, I've seen her picture. Killer smile, the one that will melt your stone cold heart," Sooyoung grinned playfully. 

 

"Just leave me alone, I'm going to sleep while it's still quiet here," I shut my eyes again, determined to ignore whatever crap that comes out from Sooyoung's mouth.

 

“You’re not going to help me figure out how to dissuade Hyoyeon for setting you up?” Sooyoung asked again.

 

“Maybe YOU can date her,” 

I smile in satisfaction because my answer seemed to shut her up.