Hye Jung exhaled deeply as soon as she entered her apartment. She spent the past eighteen hours on duty in the hospital - most of the patients she did surgeries for with Doctor Oh ended being sent in the ICU. Doing her best to keep watch on them and fill out the paperwork, it definitely took a toll on her. Kicking off her shoes over to the corner of the living room, she made her way over to the kitchen. Opening the fridge, she groaned once she saw that there is nothing except for kimchi. For the past few weeks, she has eaten nothing but sandwiches. Wishing that she had the energy to even get out her phone to order delivery, she managed to collapse onto the bed - her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. Her eyelids are slowly starting to get heavy and before she knew it, sleep took over her body.

A few minutes later.

The sound of knocking interrupted her sleep as she slowly opened her eyes. An immediate feeling of tiredness and anger that ran through her body before she realized who it was actually at the door. She got up from the bed, making her way over to the apartment door. Hye Jung smiled softly as she looked at Lee Jun Ki, who was carrying a box of fried chicken and cold beer. "Did I disturb your sleep?"

Hye Jung shook her head and moved aside for him to enter. "No," the smell of chicken automatically made her stomach growl. "You just came in time. There's practially nothing in my fridge."

"I knew you wouldn't have anything so I bought you groceries. It's in my car, we'll get it after eating." Jun Ki opened the box of chicken and cans of beer ready on the table. "Did you have a long day?"

She slightly laugh before taking a seat across from her as she took a drumstick, biting off the chicken. "How did you know?"

"What wouldn't I know?" Jun Ki took a long sip of the beer. He watched as she ate the chicken with a smile plastered on her face. He exhaled deeply and leaned forward to grab his own piece of chicken. "It's nice to see you smile, you know."

Hye Jung stopped eating and looked at him. "Haven't I been smiling lately?"

Jun Ki shook his head while shrugging his shoulders. "I don't think so. Not from what I've seen lately. It seems as if everything has changed since we came back from Paris." He cleared his throat as he chuckled. "Maybe it's the hospital that is stressing you out or maybe...."

She knew what he's thinking, it's hard not to know what he thinks of what has been bothering her. Hye Jung sighed deeply as she looked at him. "It's the hospital, believe me." She took another bite of her chicken. "It's been so long since I've been in the operation room. It's the stress and nerve that's getting the best out of me." She grabbed a beer can, drinking it in one gulp. "Maybe staying in Paris for a year wasn't the brightest idea."

He gives her a small smile as he slowly took a sip of his beer. His eyes adverted over to the coffee table where a picture frame of her and Hong Ji Hong stands. "Do you regret it?" Jun Ki looked away from the picture and over to Hye Jung. "Leaving him?"

Hye Jung put down the empty beer can and shrugged her shoulders. "Sometimes." She looked at the table blankly as she answered further. "But it was a decision I had to make."

"Don't you think they would find out one day?"

"About Ji Hong? I guess. As long as I can keep it from being expose - "

Jun Ki moved around in his seat and he shook his head. "No. About us, don't you think they will find out about us? That it's a lie. That we're merely just friends who met in Paris."

Hye Jung exhaled as she stared at him. She doesn't know what else she could possibly say. When she flew to Paris last year, all she had in mind was to erase every single thing about the hospital. She wanted those memories to be gone so she would drown herself in her bed in that hotel. Barely earting or drinking. It wasn't until her third week in that hotel that she met Lee Jun Ki, a freelancer who had the hotel room right across from her. They met by chance. When she slightly opened her hotel room to get another bucket of ice and there he was, leaning against the wall - smoking an expensive cigar, where it isn't allowed. Eventually she woul finally leave the hotel with him to explore the popular city that she haven't been able to for the time that she was there. He took her to places that she never even heard of in books and told her secret history aboutt Paris that became so fascinating that she couldn't stop thinking about it for the day. Lee Jun Ki became a friend to her in time of need. She was struggling to control her emotions because all she could do was think about Ji Hong's condition. How she left him like that in the police station broke her. For years, she believed that what broke her was her grandma's death but no. It was actually the fact that she had to leave the man she love, making him think that she hates him for something as little as hidiing an eye diease.

"Jun Ki-ah," Hye Jung returned back to reality and smiled as she looked at her friend. "Thanks for being here for me. You didn't have to leave Paris but you did for me. I don't know how to properly thank you."

Jun Ki chuckled. "Just make sure that you eat well and don't forget to buy your own food. Like you said, I'm a freelancer. I don't know how much I make a week like you." He slid the box of chicken over to her, knowing very well that she has only been eating sandwiches for a week. "Eat more good food that can cause you heart problems in the future." The both of them looked at each other and laughed out loud at the comment. Jun Ki looked at the time on his watch and smiled to see that it was past midnight already. "Yoo Hye Jung, happy birthday."

. . .

Yoon Do and Ji Hong leaned against their own car in the parking lot as they stared at each other. It's bright early in the morning, both starting the morning shift together. "How is the Chief position so far?"

"Stressful. Take it back." Ji Hong said as he took a sip of his coffee.

"I can't take back what was never mine and never had." Yoon Do laughed as he gave the other half of his crossiant to Ji Hong. "You know what day it is, don't you?"

Ji Hong froze mid bite of the crossiant as he blinked his eyes. "It doesn't matter to me anymore."

"It does for you as a colleague." Yoon Do answered. He sighed and looked at him before opening his car door. "It's her birthday, the whole neurosugery department is throwing her a karoke party tonight. As Chief, don't you think you should be there."

He shrugged his shoulders before he crumpled up the wrapper in his hand, opening his own car door. "Depends on how many paperwork I have to fill out."

Yoon Do narrowed his eyes at him. "Don't lie. The conditions on you taking the position was less paperwork."

"I can't hear you." Ji Hong muttered as he shut the car door and started driving out of the parking lot. As soon as he was out of Yoon Do's sight, Ji Hong's strong expression faltered as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. Hye Jung's birthday.....suddenly a memory from the past came rushing back into his mind.

One and a half year ago.

"What do you want to do for your birthday?" Ji Hong asked with a smile on his face as he leaned forward to kiss her.

Hye Jung smiled as they shared a kiss before she wrapped her arms around him, tugging him even closer to her. "Hm.....flowers."

"Flowers?" Ji Hong furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion. "You can get flowers from me anytime though?"

"Not these kind of flowers," she fixed his hair as she spoke. "Grandma used to have this flower vase in the house up in the countryside. She would use that vase for the flowers that I get for her every week. I recently have this obsession with flowers that just overcame me, don't know what it is." Hye Jung smiled happily as she kissed Ji Hong again. "Maybe I got from her. I would love it if that vase was here so I can hold something of hers like that near me."

Ji Hong smiled as he moved a piece of hair away from her face. Sometimes he wonders how did he get so lucky to be getting married with someone like her. All she ever talked or worried about are her family and patients. Just like how he is. "I'll try my best."

Present Time.

Stopping at the red light in the heavy mornin traffic, Ji Hong stared blankly at the road in front of him. He never got to get that vase for her. On the day of her birthday, they were both so busy during their shifts in the hospital that they just came home to eat ramen and sleep. Nothing special was ever done on her birthday, at least not by him.

. . .

Seo Woo slid a small box over to Hye Jung on the table with a smile on her face. "I know that we haven't got to talk much since you came back but I still remembered that it's your birthday today. I hope you don't mind that I got you something."

Putting down her coffee, Hye Jung opened the gift to find herself staring at a small beautiful bracelet. "Seo Woo-ah, you didn't have to." She gasped at the ruby diamonds around the bracelet. "This is too expensive. I've been so..." How does she even explain her behavior? Her attitude towards them? She isn't dumb. Hye Jung can see that they're trying to so hard to become close with her again but they have doubts about her. Just like Soon Hee, who hasn't even spoken to her since that party. "I really don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Seo Woo took a deep breath and shrugged her shoulders. "Did you hear about the party that the department is throwing for you?"

"Why does it always seem like this department is trying to throwing me celebrations all the time?" Hye Jung asked. She simply smiled before she stood up, grabbing her morning coffee and bagel. "Thanks for the present."

Seo Woo stared at her. "Can you sit here longer and eat? Can't you do that?" This is one of the rare mornings where Seo Woo has got to sit down and chat with her for a bit. "Please?"

Hye Jung breathed in deeply and shook her head. "I'm sorry." It's not that she doesn't want to stay longer to talk, it's just that she can't. "I have surgery in five minutes, I have to prep." Without another word, Hye Jung rushed out of the break room - biting down her bagel and gulping down her hot coffee. She has been noticing that Doctor Oh Anna loves to do her most important surgeries bright early in the morning. This would be Hye Jung's fifth assistance as a fellow in morning surgeries with Doctor Oh this week alone. As irritating as it can be, it's a job that Hye Jung has to do. Especially if she has to keep her mind 100% on the goal in task. Her footsteps slow down once she found Ji Hong walking across the other side of the hall - looking at his phone like he always does. Before she knew it, Hye Jung started following him quietly as she observed everything that he does. The way he would swiftly avoid incoming people even with his eyes glued onto the phone. And the way he would step on the ground a little heavier on the right foot than the left. A small smile spread across her face, it's only the little things that she would remember. Just as she was about to walk away and head downstairs to prep for the surgery, she halted her steps when Doctor Oh, linked her arms around Ji Hong's - whispering something in his ear. Immediately, Hye Jung felt this short pang in her heart as she witnessed Ji Hong laughing along with Anna. Breathing in deeply, Hye Jung opened the door that's leading to downstairs of the hospital.

. . .

Ji Hong leaned against the wall as Pa Ran continued on showing off his new watch. It's already been five minutes since his best friend has walked in here - claiming of some important information to which is only his watch. "When are you going to find a new girlfriend?" He loves his friend, he really does. But when Jung Pa Ran doesn't have a woman by his side, he tends to hang out with his close friends until he does. In Joo was a victim of it for the last two weeks. Ji Hong has no intentions to be the next victim. "Go meet someone," he paused to throw a piece of wrapper at Pa Ran. "That's not a model, actress or whatever. Find smoeone that you see yourself being with as a wife."

"Oh? Like my ex-wife?" Pa Ran scoffed as he checked the time on the new watch. "Hey, shouldn't we leave?" He opened the door and smiled. "Hye Jung's birthday party."

"You belong in the General Department." Ji Hong stated as he walked back over to his desk, opening a new file folder to finish some paperwork. "I'll probably be there later."

Pa Ran narrowed his eyes at him. "Don't avoid."

"I'm not avoiding, I actually do need to finish work." Ji Hong started typing on his computer. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Pa ran still looking at him. "Seriously, Jung Pa Ran. I will hit you."

. . .

The Next Day.

Yoon Do furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion. "Both of Hye Jung and Ji Hong requested a day off today?"

Nurse Yoo nodded her head as she handed him his new patient files. "I got a phone call from them within a span of ten minutes apart from each other, they just wanted a day off. Gave no speific reason behind it." She shrugged her shoulders as she exhaled. "Seems like the hospital will be busy today."

"Thanks," he held onto the files and started walking over to elevator. As he stands and wait for the elevator to reach his floor, he sighed. "Why are they taking a day off like this?"

. . .

Hye Jung smiled brightly as she reached the store in the countryside that's five minutes away from her grandma's house. "Hi," she smiled at the old man in the store. "I'm Yoo Hye Jung, I called briefly last night about the flower vase that belonged to my grandma."

The old man chuckled as he moved aside. "Oh! I didn't know that the flower vase would be so popular. Someone just came by and bought the vase from me." He looked at Hye Jung up and down. "I didn't know you Seoul kids would be so interested in one flower vase."

"Someone bought it?" Hye Jung looked upset. She had made a phone call to make sure the vase would still be here. "Is the buyer still nearby?"

"Yeah, he just left."

Hye Jung immediately started running down the small steep hill. It's been so long since she came back to visit this place but she remembers it still in the back of her head. "Hey!" she started screaming the loudest she possibly to catch the guy's attention. As soon as she caught up with the guy, she grabbed his arm to make him turn around. "That vase," she breathed heavily due to the running. Her eyes stayed glued on the vase, it still looks the same even if it's been more than 14 years. "The vase is very important to me." Hye Jung tried her best to smile as she looked up. "Do you mind if I can buy it - " she stopped talking once she saw who it was.

Ji Hong clenched onto the vase with both hands as he looked at Hye Jung. "I..."

"What are you - " She was absolutely speechless at the situation right now. What kind of mess is this? She possibly can't be here with him, she can't be anywhere near him. Not when someone is after him. Hye Jung took a step back, a little startled at this turn of events. She has been having everything under control so far. Since being back, she has caculated every movement that Ji Hong would make. Never has she thought that Hong Ji Hong would do this - to be here, getting something that he knows is dearest to her heart. But why would he be here? Why would he buy and take the flower vase?

A/N: I AM SO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE AND SHORT CHAPTER TODAY! I AM SO BUSY WITH EVERTHING LATELY THAT I HAVEN'T FOUND TIME TO WRITE MORE DOWN. BUT I RATHER GET THIS CHAPTER DONE NOW BEFORE I REGRET ANYTHING! THIS CHAPTER DID COVER A BIT BEFORE THE NEXT CHAPTER! THE DRAMA HAS ONLY BEGAN NOW! I AM SORRY FOR THE WEEK DELAY! I WILL TRY MY BEST TO KEEP UPDATING FASTER! I HOPE YOU ALL LIKED THIS CHAPTTER! AND SUPPORT AND COMMENT THIS CHAPTER LIKE YOU HAVE BEEN DOING SO FAR! IT MEANS SO MUCH FOR ME, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH OF IT INSPIRES ME! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE LOVE! I WILL TRY TO POST ANOTHER CHAPTER WITHIN THIS WEEK AGAIN! PLEASE KEEP SUPPORTING, LOVING, AND COMMENTING! IT REALLY HELPS! SORRY FOR ANY MISTAKES!