“Jongin-ah…are you ok?” Sohee asks as she walks into Jongin’s office. Compared to her worried voice, Sohee’s face doesn’t show any sign of concern or emotion.

She didn’t care. She probably didn’t care about me all along…

Jongin nods carelessly. “What do you need?” Jongin’s voice is cold and emotionless. There was something very different to the way he treated Sohee today.

Sohee looks at Jongin with confusion. She could sense the change in his attitude towards too. What happened? Or…what’s happening?

“Jongin, is there something wrong?”

“No Sohee. Nothing is wrong. What do you need?” Jongin doesn’t even bother to look at Sohee anymore. He looks down at Gaeul’s medical chart and tries to find compatible historical records that might be applicable. He swore there was a case he read a few years ago in one of the records…why couldn’t he find it?

On the other hand, Sohee stares at Jongin with bewilderment. There was definitely something going on that she did not like.

“Jongin, you’re acting different. What’s wrong?” She demands firmly.

Jongin looks up from the chart and frowns. “Nothing is wrong. Actually, things are finally turning right.”

His words pierce into Sohee’s heart. How could he, Kim Jongin, even dare to treat her this way?! She walks over to his desk angrily and snatches the medical chart he keeps studying.

…Ga…Eul…Why was it her again?!

“Are you really trying to be a doctor or something?!!” Sohee screams angrily.

Jongin grabs Gaeul’s chart from Sohee and slams it down onto his desk. He stands up and glares at Sohee. “I’m not trying to be a doctor. I am a doctor. You may not have realized, but I’m the best cardiac surgeon in Korea, heck, maybe even in the world! But of course, you don’t know. You never even cared for me.”

Sohee gasps. “How could you…I was there for you when your parents passed away! I was there when no one was there for you!!”

“You were…and I was grateful. But you were there for me for two years. I stood by you for 20 years. I think I did my part.”

Sohee’s eyes fill with tears and she raises her hand to place it on her heart. “But you love me…”

At Sohee’s tears, Jongin feels regretful for his actions. What was wrong with him…why did he have to say it in such a harsh tone? He sighs and pulls Sohee into his chest. He wraps his hands around her shoulders and gives her a warm hug. A hug that signals regret and an apology.

Outside his office, Gaeul glances at Jongin embracing Sohee with sadness through the door. She could tell his eyes were filled with confusion, sadness and regret. At the same time, a small part in Gaeul’s heart trembles. She didn’t understand the meaning of this tremble or sorrow, but she knew looking at them any longer would cause greater grief. So, she closes her eyes and turns her back, walking away from the office and her own feelings.

“Sohee, I will always love you, just not in love you. But as a friend, I’ll support-“

Sohee roughly pushes Jongin away. “Friend?!” She demands hurtfully. Since when did Jongin think of her as his friend?! She was not going to accept his friendship!

Jongin nods. He wasn’t going to back down either. He didn’t understand where the sudden courage was coming from, but he knew he was time to clear things up. His heart had long drifted away, but his stupid mind refused to accept the truth, until today.

“I don’t understand…”

“Me too.” Jongin agrees as he is unaware of his feelings either.

“…is it because of Gaeul?!” Sohee asks critically.

“No. This is about us. I don’t think I ever…loved you…the way normal people love one another. I think…think it was an obsession. You were my guardian angel.” He tries to explain his perplexed thoughts. Without a clear reason in his mind either, Jongin confirms the only clear answer was that he was not in love with Sohee.

Refusing to accept the truth, Sohee shakes her head adamantly. “It is because of Gaeul. She stole you away from me. She’s stealing everything away from me!! I’m going to kill her. If you can’t get her away from my life, I’m going to remove her myself!!” Sohee screams bitterly.

Jongin looks at Sohee with pity. He felt sorry. He had a clear role in shaping Sohee into a monster. He was at fault too. Now the only thing standing in front of him looked and sounded like a monster.

“I made a monster.” Jongin mutters regretfully.

Sohee gasps at Jongin’s words. He called me a monster…a monster!!

She raises her hand and slaps Jongin’s cheeks with the greatest force of anger. Slowly raising his head, Jongin looks at Sohee with pity-filled eyes. Realizing his pitiful look, Sohee clenches her teeth and slaps Jongin again. These were not the eyes Jongin looked at her with!

• Coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Finishing the surgery, Jongin puts down the scalpel and looks into clear arteries. “Close operation. Please finish the stitches, thank you.” Jongin tells the assistant surgeon and walks out of the operating room.

This was the third operation Jongin performed today. After taking the role as Gaeul’s specialist doctor, Jongin was too busy to perform any other surgeries. For the past two days, he tried to catch up with his waitlisted patients, spending nights awake researching Gaeul’s cardiac response and days performing surgeries.

Exhausted from his final surgery for the day, Jongin takes a deep breath as pulls his cap off and washes his hands in the sink. For the past week, Jongin felt as though Gaeul had been avoiding him. Although he didn’t have time to see her recently, every time he had the chance to, she was keeping a distance. Was it because he cried in front of her? Did she find it creepy? The thoughts and questions of what could have gone wrong steals Jongin’s attention, to the point that he is willing to demand an answer from her.

“Was she really freaked out?” Jongin mumbles his thoughts out loud as he continues to scrub his already clean hands mindlessly.

“Who did you freak out?” Baekhyun creeps up to Jongin and scares him.

Jongin yells at Baekhyun’s sudden intrusion. “You scared me!”

Baekhyun shrugs. “Seems like your surgery went well. Congratulations.” He says looking at the surgery screen panel, above the operation room.

Jongin smirks. “I’ve got to live up to the name. But save the congratulations until I get Gaeul out of this hospital.”

At Jongin’s determination, Baekhyun notices a difference. A very minor difference, but noticeable to Baekhyun who has watched Jongin suffer with Sohee. Before, Jongin would have cared less about curing Gaeul, but today he had a different sense of determination. A true determination of a doctor…but maybe even more.

“Sohee came crying to me yesterday. She said you changed…” Baekhyun says calmly.

Jongin cautiously looks at Baekhyun to see if he was angry or upset, but Baekhyun seemed peaceful. Of course, Baekhyun wouldn’t give a even if Sohee said she was leaving him.

“Do you think I’ve changed?” Jongin asks.

“Yes. But, for the better.” Baekhyun smiles and pats Jongin’s shoulder. “I don’t see a broken heart anymore. I wonder who your heart surgeon is….whoever she is, I’d like to take lessons from her.”

Jongin rolls his eyes. Pssht, heart surgeon my .

“I never needed a surgeon Dr. Byun.” Jongin announces matter-of-factly.

Baekhyun gives him the ‘I’m-not-so-sure-about-that’ look. But it was obvious Jongin didn’t know who his surgeon was. He was the typical main character who was blind to see his own feelings until the very end.

“Dr.Kim, see you in the seminar in about 2 hours.” Baekhyun waves his hand with all the coolness within him and walks away.

Jongin frowns.

Did he have to wave as if he was some….Wait…she?

I never said my surgeon was a girl?

“Dr.Byun!!” Jongin calls after Baekhyun who has already walked a great distance away from him. Baekhyun doesn’t turn around and keeps walking away. He heard Jongin but he didn’t need to turn around to know the question. He knew Jongin would be confused, but confusion was a great source of enlightenment. Because after confusion comes knowledge.“Jongin-ah…are you ok?” Sohee asks as she walks into Jongin’s office. Compared to her worried voice, Sohee’s face doesn’t show any sign of concern or emotion.

She didn’t care. She probably didn’t care about me all along…

Jongin nods carelessly. “What do you need?” Jongin’s voice is cold and emotionless. There was something very different to the way he treated Sohee today.

Sohee looks at Jongin with confusion. She could sense the change in his attitude towards too. What happened? Or…what’s happening?

“Jongin, is there something wrong?”

“No Sohee. Nothing is wrong. What do you need?” Jongin doesn’t even bother to look at Sohee anymore. He looks down at Gaeul’s medical chart and tries to find compatible historical records that might be applicable. He swore there was a case he read a few years ago in one of the records…why couldn’t he find it?

On the other hand, Sohee stares at Jongin with bewilderment. There was definitely something going on that she did not like.

“Jongin, you’re acting different. What’s wrong?” She demands firmly.

Jongin looks up from the chart and frowns. “Nothing is wrong. Actually, things are finally turning right.”

His words pierce into Sohee’s heart. How could he, Kim Jongin, even dare to treat her this way?! She walks over to his desk angrily and snatches the medical chart he keeps studying.

…Ga…Eul…Why was it her again?!

“Are you really trying to be a doctor or something?!!” Sohee screams angrily.

Jongin grabs Gaeul’s chart from Sohee and slams it down onto his desk. He stands up and glares at Sohee. “I’m not trying to be a doctor. I am a doctor. You may not have realized, but I’m the best cardiac surgeon in Korea, heck, maybe even in the world! But of course, you don’t know. You never even cared for me.”

Sohee gasps. “How could you…I was there for you when your parents passed away! I was there when no one was there for you!!”

“You were…and I was grateful. But you were there for me for two years. I stood by you for 20 years. I think I did my part.”

Sohee’s eyes fill with tears and she raises her hand to place it on her heart. “But you love me…”

At Sohee’s tears, Jongin feels regretful for his actions. What was wrong with him…why did he have to say it in such a harsh tone? He sighs and pulls Sohee into his chest. He wraps his hands around her shoulders and gives her a warm hug. A hug that signals regret and an apology.

Outside his office, Gaeul glances at Jongin embracing Sohee with sadness through the door. She could tell his eyes were filled with confusion, sadness and regret. At the same time, a small part in Gaeul’s heart trembles. She didn’t understand the meaning of this tremble or sorrow, but she knew looking at them any longer would cause greater grief. So, she closes her eyes and turns her back, walking away from the office and her own feelings.

“Sohee, I will always love you, just not in love you. But as a friend, I’ll support-“

Sohee roughly pushes Jongin away. “Friend?!” She demands hurtfully. Since when did Jongin think of her as his friend?! She was not going to accept his friendship!

Jongin nods. He wasn’t going to back down either. He didn’t understand where the sudden courage was coming from, but he knew he was time to clear things up. His heart had long drifted away, but his stupid mind refused to accept the truth, until today.

“I don’t understand…”

“Me too.” Jongin agrees as he is unaware of his feelings either.

“…is it because of Gaeul?!” Sohee asks critically.

“No. This is about us. I don’t think I ever…loved you…the way normal people love one another. I think…think it was an obsession. You were my guardian angel.” He tries to explain his perplexed thoughts. Without a clear reason in his mind either, Jongin confirms the only clear answer was that he was not in love with Sohee.

Refusing to accept the truth, Sohee shakes her head adamantly. “It is because of Gaeul. She stole you away from me. She’s stealing everything away from me!! I’m going to kill her. If you can’t get her away from my life, I’m going to remove her myself!!” Sohee screams bitterly.

Jongin looks at Sohee with pity. He felt sorry. He had a clear role in shaping Sohee into a monster. He was at fault too. Now the only thing standing in front of him looked and sounded like a monster.

“I made a monster.” Jongin mutters regretfully.

Sohee gasps at Jongin’s words. He called me a monster…a monster!!

She raises her hand and slaps Jongin’s cheeks with the greatest force of anger. Slowly raising his head, Jongin looks at Sohee with pity-filled eyes. Realizing his pitiful look, Sohee clenches her teeth and slaps Jongin again. These were not the eyes Jongin looked at her with!

• Coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Finishing the surgery, Jongin puts down the scalpel and looks into clear arteries. “Close operation. Please finish the stitches, thank you.” Jongin tells the assistant surgeon and walks out of the operating room.

This was the third operation Jongin performed today. After taking the role as Gaeul’s specialist doctor, Jongin was too busy to perform any other surgeries. For the past two days, he tried to catch up with his waitlisted patients, spending nights awake researching Gaeul’s cardiac response and days performing surgeries.

Exhausted from his final surgery for the day, Jongin takes a deep breath as pulls his cap off and washes his hands in the sink. For the past week, Jongin felt as though Gaeul had been avoiding him. Although he didn’t have time to see her recently, every time he had the chance to, she was keeping a distance. Was it because he cried in front of her? Did she find it creepy? The thoughts and questions of what could have gone wrong steals Jongin’s attention, to the point that he is willing to demand an answer from her.

“Was she really freaked out?” Jongin mumbles his thoughts out loud as he continues to scrub his already clean hands mindlessly.

“Who did you freak out?” Baekhyun creeps up to Jongin and scares him.

Jongin yells at Baekhyun’s sudden intrusion. “You scared me!”

Baekhyun shrugs. “Seems like your surgery went well. Congratulations.” He says looking at the surgery screen panel, above the operation room.

Jongin smirks. “I’ve got to live up to the name. But save the congratulations until I get Gaeul out of this hospital.”

At Jongin’s determination, Baekhyun notices a difference. A very minor difference, but noticeable to Baekhyun who has watched Jongin suffer with Sohee. Before, Jongin would have cared less about curing Gaeul, but today he had a different sense of determination. A true determination of a doctor…but maybe even more.

“Sohee came crying to me yesterday. She said you changed…” Baekhyun says calmly.

Jongin cautiously looks at Baekhyun to see if he was angry or upset, but Baekhyun seemed peaceful. Of course, Baekhyun wouldn’t give a even if Sohee said she was leaving him.

“Do you think I’ve changed?” Jongin asks.

“Yes. But, for the better.” Baekhyun smiles and pats Jongin’s shoulder. “I don’t see a broken heart anymore. I wonder who your heart surgeon is….whoever she is, I’d like to take lessons from her.”

Jongin rolls his eyes. Pssht, heart surgeon my .

“I never needed a surgeon Dr. Byun.” Jongin announces matter-of-factly.

Baekhyun gives him the ‘I’m-not-so-sure-about-that’ look. But it was obvious Jongin didn’t know who his surgeon was. He was the typical main character who was blind to see his own feelings until the very end.

“Dr.Kim, see you in the seminar in about 2 hours.” Baekhyun waves his hand with all the coolness within him and walks away.

Jongin frowns.

Did he have to wave as if he was some….Wait…she?

I never said my surgeon was a girl?

“Dr.Byun!!” Jongin calls after Baekhyun who has already walked a great distance away from him. Baekhyun doesn’t turn around and keeps walking away. He heard Jongin but he didn’t need to turn around to know the question. He knew Jongin would be confused, but confusion was a great source of enlightenment. Because after confusion comes knowledge.