Flashback

“Will you marry me?”

Jongin raised a brow, not really sure if he heard that right. Despite the confusion, he managed to press the phone back on his ear. “Hey, I’ll call you again,” he said softly before pocketing his phone.

“Answer me! You,” Areum demanded before grabbing him by the collar. “Will you marry me?” she asked again but he just stayed quiet, still thinking if everything that’s going on is real and not just his imagination. She let go with a sigh and plopped on the ground, leaning on the wall.

Jongin looked around, wary of people’s eyes since he’s with a girl who’s sputtering things that don’t make sense. Nonetheless, he crouched, trying to help her up but she just pulled him down, making him sit beside her.

“I really want to get married,” she added and Jongin could hear the desperate tone from her voice. “I’m already 33 and I’m turning 34 soon. All my same-aged friends are already married. My family’s always pressuring me to get married. I want to get married too but nobody’s asking me!” she added.

Instead of laughing his off from hearing that drunken confession, Jongin listened carefully as if he understands her. They say that words from a drunken person are the pure truth and he believes in that. The girl’s desperate.

She turned to him and pouted. “Do I look ugly? Is there something wrong with my face?” she asked like a child.

Jongin stared at her intently as if examining her features. She looks pretty even with her messy hair and smeared lipstick. “You’re pretty,” he replied. She grinned, patting his cheek lightly. “My name is Areum. Lee Areum. My parents gave me that name, wishing that I’d grow up pretty and I did.”

“Why is nobody asking me out then?” she mumbled.

“Maybe because they’re all blind?” he asked, smiling a little bit. Areum chuckled before hitting his shoulder. “That must be the reason. They’re all blind,” she nodded.

Suddenly, she held her hand in front of him. “Give me your phone.”

Jongin quickly got his phone from his pocket and handed it to her. She was completely drunk because she was punching in gibberish words and numbers on his phone. She called a number and her phone, inside her pouch, rang. After a while, she handed it back to him.

A number and a name were saved on his phone. “What’s your name?” she asked, grabbing her own phone from her pouch.

“Kim Jongin.”

She slowly nodded while squinting, trying to type his name. “Saved,” she chirped, smiling and he could tell that she’s really drunk. She looked like she’s already sleepy. Jongin couldn’t help but stare at her. Despite her crazy personality, he could see a warm person in her.

Jongin slowly pulled her phone from her hand and clicked on the video button. And as he stopped recording a video, he heard a voice calling for the lady beside him.

“Lee Areum! What are you doing there!?” Jihyo asked in shock when she saw her sitting on the ground with Jongin on her side. Jieun and Seohyun also rushed to her side, helping her up.

“I said I want to get married,” Areum muttered as she stood with the two girls assisting her.

“This is her phone,” Jongin said, giving the phone to Jihyo and she stared at him suspiciously. “What did you do to her?” she asked and Jongin cleared his throat.

“I was just standing here and she-”

“He’s going to marry me. I asked him to,” Areum suddenly butted in and she pointed at Jongin. The three girls had their eyes wide opened in surprise.

“He’s going to marry me.”

And with those words, Areum out.

End of Flashback

“Ahahahahahahahaha.”

Areum let go of a forced laughter, looking around at the people staring at her. “You really are a cute kid but lying is bad. People will think that you’re really telling the truth. Come here little brother,” Areum commented, still maintaining that painfully forced smile on her face before dragging Jongin towards the exit door.

She was fuming, not only because she’s angry but because she’s embarrassed. “Look, can we just let this matter go? I was drunk when I made that proposal,” she started when they were out of the hospital.

“Why?” he asked casually.

“W-Why? I just said it. I was drunk and that proposal should be invalid. I wasn’t thinking straight that time,” she replied right away. Jongin just maintained his calm expression while nodding slowly.

“So…is it all settled then?” she continued, crossing her fingers behind.

“I don’t think so.”

“Why not?”

“I like you.”

Areum raised a brow, not really sure if she heard that right. “Are you playing with me right now? Hey, I’m being nice to you here so take this matter seriously. You don’t just sputter things like that in front of my work place. I have a reputation to maintain and protect,” she hissed but Jongin was abnormally calm.

“I’m not playing with you. I’m telling you the truth. I’ve fallen for you at first sight,” he stated and Areum’s jaws dropped. She has never met a person as direct as he is and it’s bringing cold chills down her spine.

“You…are you sick? That must be the only reason why you’re acting like that,” she asked before reaching for his forehead, checking his temperature. He just stared at her, observing how flustered she looked like.

He grabbed her hand and held it tightly. “You should take responsibility for what you did.”

“W-What did I do?” she asked, stuttering.

“You shook this young heart, my heart. You made me expect when you asked me to marry you so you should keep your words.”

Areum pulled her hand from him. She just heard the greasiest line in her entire life and it’s enough supply of oil for the whole year.

“Hey, stop saying things like that. How old are you anyway?”

“I’m 27.”

27…so…he’s 6 years younger. That’d be like taking care of a baby.

“Whatever you say, my proposal’s invalid. I’m not marrying you,” Areum stated with all seriousness but he just smiled at her.

“But didn’t you say that you want to get married? You sounded desperate when you said that too.”

She clenched her fists and shut her eyes before sighing. “Look here, kid, I don’t like younger guys. You’re not my type,” she snapped and she was sure that he got what she wanted to say.

He grinned.

“Such a pity. I’m honestly into older girls. And you’re perfect, Doctor Lee.”

That just sent the second wave of cold chills to her whole body and she shuddered. He’s a weirdo but a good looking one. Areum knows that there are many people like him out there but he’s just a very weird case. How the hell could one say such lines like that?

She just stared at him.

I’m sure he enrolled in a course about the Art of Seduction. 

“Did you hear what happened at the emergency room? A guy said that Doctor Lee asked him to marry her.”

“Really? Doctor Lee did that?”

“Yes. The other nurses told me that the guy’s cute and hot at the same time.”

“Is he older than her?”

“No. He’s younger. But don’t you think Doctor Lee’s too desperate to get married because of what she did? I mean, you know, asking a guy to marry her is kind of…you know.”

“I understand her case though. She’s already 34.”

I’m freaking 33! And I’m not despe- Oh who am I kidding? I am freaking desperate to get married. Areum hissed internally. She could hear the nurses at the lobby chatting and it took her all the patience in the whole world to not murder them right there and then.

“The lobby’s not a chatting area. Go back to your posts and assist there,” Nurse Goo stated with a loud voice for the younger nurses to hear. The latter gasped when they saw her and Areum staring at them before running away from them. “Geez, they’re really something,” she sighed in all seriousness.

“Sojin, thanks,” Areum commented but still with a defeated sigh after that.

“Unnie, what’s wrong with you today? And what was that guy talking about when he said that you asked him to marry you? He’s joking, isn’t he? You’re not that desperate to ask someone to-”

“I did.”

“What?”

“I did ask him to marry me,” Areum replied, voice getting softer and smaller in embarrassment. Sojin looked like she couldn’t process what she just heard. “I was drunk and I asked him to marry me. He’s a total stranger and I asked him to. I’m really going nuts.”

 “So is he really going to marry you?” Sojin asked but her tone sounded more excited than Areum expected. “Unnie, are you really getting married soon?”

“What’s with your tone? You sound really happy,” Areum asked, stepping away from the younger nurse who was looking at her with those shimmering eyes of hers.

“I am happy. Unnie, I am happy that you’re getting married. You and that guy look like a perfect match and you-”

“I’m not going to marry him.”

Sojin stared at her for some seconds. “Why?”

“He’s not my type. I’m not into younger guys,” she deadpanned as she continued walking. Sojin was left, still thinking about what she said.

“Unnie, are you sure? That guy looked perfect f