Xxx

Going back to Daegu was a good choice, even though just on every weekend. At least I could see my granny. I really did not care about the salary, because become a theater tutor was like a mind refresher. And spending my should-free-Saturday with some kids was not a bad idea at all.

Yes, a week ago, I decided to be a theater tutor. The offer came from my former sophomore teacher. I never thought granny would talk much about my life to our neighborhood, my teacher told me that. She said that granny told her about my job in Seoul. The fact that granny’s boy was an actor in a quite famous theater house made Mrs. Kwon interested in contacting me, telling me whether I could help to substitute her position for three or four months due to her leave for giving birth. It did not take a long time for me to say yes. Aside from the intention for helping the lovely pregnant lady, I would not neglect a chance for a reason to leave a busy and hectic life in a big city, even just for a day. And here I was, sitting on the 07.00 Saturday morning train, from Seoul to Daegu.

Sitting on the left side near the window every time I got on the train was always being my favorite. At this hour, the sun light might be quite fierce but it was not enough to burn my skin, instead it warmed me up from the cold night.

I was excited, wondering around but not too focus on the others. It was my nature, in every ride whether on the bus, train, car or the plane; the scenery was all my attention. It did not mean I was not interested in people around me, I just felt like the other might feel uncomfortable if I looked at them, just like how that usually happened to me.

Few minutes to go, some people still filled up the seats. A slight shake woke me up from my own thought, made me straightened up and then I realized that someone had taken the empty place beside me.

This guy, I could not clearly see his face since he wore a face mask, but I could assure that he gave me a smile or a grin by seeing his crinkle eyes after we exchanged a second glance. This man must be young; his falling-to-forehead-hair style told me that.

The train began to take off. I knew I could sleep a moment due to the train took almost 2 hours till departure. But I was too excited to let my eyes closed.

Xxx

It was the same Saturday morning, on the same 07.00 o’clock train of the second week. Again, I took the left side of the seat near the window. The weather seemed different from the week before, the wind was quite chill. The sun was covered by a dark cloud. I was lucky to get in before the raindrop felt slightly, blurring my sight on the window glass. Nothing could be seen outside; I turned my glanced to the busy passengers that just got in, they were wagging their moist clothes and jacket, and wiping their wet faces and hair.

A moment before the train departed, a man who clutched a yellow umbrella on his right hand and a hand bag on the left caught my eyes. Lowering his soaked defense stuff, he threw some gazes around trying to find an unoccupied seat. I sat still, unconsciously paying my attention to him until he turned to me, giving me a slight raising eyebrow glance for a second. I gave him the same, and then it clicked in my head. This was the same masked guy. He moved, surely headed through my direction. I looked to my right side, there was not an empty place, but then realized after the umbrella man passed by me, giving a small ‘excuse me’ to an old woman that sat two row behind. He talked, but he said nothing to me last week. I smiled for a second; more to me; this never happened before, giving a stranger an extra attention.

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes, letting the train moved along with the beginning of heavy rain.

Xxx

It was the same Saturday morning, on the same 07.00 train. Taking the same ride every week unconsciously brought my steps to the same direction. I always headed to the same place, not consequently the same seat but almost the same left side near the window.

I began to memorize some similar face that came along with me. We might not encounter this meet-up-on-the-train-moment every week, but some faces were just easy to remember, while other was not. They perhaps had the same schedule to attend as I did. Just like the masked guy did. But today, something changed. Sitting on the right sideway the same row that I would take, there he was, near the window, a hand bag on his lap and unmasked. He came sooner than me. This time, he gave me his real big smile when I was heading to my path. This guy better never put off his mask; his smile could blind people’s eyes around. I was not sure he gave that at me but it would be rude to not respond those almost-missed-eyes-smile back an equal, so I just nodded and threw an unopened smile, then taking the seat that I intended to. That would not be rude not to do the same, to smile as big as he was, would it?

Xxx

“Kibum ah, is it okay for you to stay longer? What about your work?” She really was not tired asking the same question since this morning.

“I will not be a jobless man just because I take my leave for two days, Granny. Moreover, I want to look around while accompany you. I may go home these latest three months in a row, but I never had a chance to say hi to our neighbor. There is only a month left before my tutoring season ends. I want to great some friends too” I hoped these long reasons made her gave up asking other same questions. I thought it was long enough, yeah? She just chuckled; knowing my tone might indicate that I was a little bit annoyed.

“I want to know how your health is,” I added.

“Alright, I got it” she gave up. “Just finish your tea while I pack some cookies, Ok?” she got up from her arm seat; turning her small body to the cabinet not far behind.

 “Will we visit some relatives?” I sipped more the plain green tea which getting cold, while filling my mouth with another sweet cake.

“Not exactly, but yes, since I though he is” she did not bother to look at me, busying herself by filling the jar of food.

“Mm..” I just mumbled, stopping the new relative conversation, not really interested in the topic.

Xxx

“Hallo, Mrs. Kim. You bring a new boy?” New boy? This middle age nurse was kidding, right? A big smile plastered on her face. I wondered how close this lady to granny.

“Morning to you to, Eunji ah” That sentence declared the fact that they knew each other well, granny even dropped the formalities.  “My grandson is staying for a few days, so Minho is not needed for a while” she reasoned jokingly. I liked how it sounded; Minho was not needed this time.

“Ah, such a fine man you have here” the nurse glanced over granny toward me, extending her hand forward. “Kim Kibum, I assume?”

Did not want to being a-bratty-granny’s-grandson-from-a-city, I shook her hand back, saying a yes and a humble nice to meet you’s. That seemed making Granny felt satisfied and the lady before me pleased.

“Just have a sit you both, let me take a moment for your registration Mrs. Kim” She left after getting a soft nod from us.

It was still early in the clinic; there were not too many people yet. Two employees were passing by here and there, definitely cleaners due to the stuffs they brought. And a happy married couple (I could see it) patients that sat two rows before us; must be here for monthly pregnant checkup.

“Mrs. Kim, please follow me for checking your blood pressure” this time a young male nurse in charge for directing Granny to a certain room. How old this boy could be?

“May he come?” Granny glanced at me, knew that I did not want to be left alone.

“Sure, this way please” he smiled before walking to the right hallway, stopping in front of the first room and keeping the door open for us.

Checking blood pressure did not take too much time since the nurse really did his job well. He stated that Granny might have a high pressure this time, saying that the doctor would give him the exact description for that. He took some notes before allowing us to follow him to the next room across the hallway. I let granny in with him, telling her that I would catch up after taking the cookies that we left in the waiting room. Granny asked me to.

“First patient, Taemin-shi?” I could hear someone talked behind the door before I left, definitely the doctor.

Not wasting anytime, because I did not want to miss the important information about patient-doctor talk, I rushed to get the cookies back, and in a moment I was in the same room as Granny.

“Oh, I thought you come with Minho, no?” I did not expect I would hear that question the first time I came in. People around here absolutely used to Granny came along together with that annoying neighbor boy of ours. Even his absent was annoying right now.

“Granny’s boy is here, so why him” Those three just smiled, reacted for my sudden answer for the question that was not directed to me.

“My grandson is staying, so he takes the chance doctor” she, being the only women in this very room, seemed understand my mood.

“Ah, of course. You may want to have a seat …?” I just realized that the doctor directed his eyes to me, asking for my name, after granny said Kibum loudly enough to him.

“Have a seat Kibum-shi. I need you to pay attention for what I say because Mrs. Kim needs someone to remind her about what she should or should not do” the doctor talking to me again.

Taking a single chair before his table and readying myself for what he said, I suddenly snapped my head, aware that the guy that wearing a white coat who was busy inspecting his patient whom lying down on the bed, was a man I knew. No, I did not recognize him, but I surely saw him somewhere. Ah, the masked guy on the train!. I exclaimed in my head, feeling happy for my good memory. I stared at his back, scanning the possibilities for my assumption. Probably young, quite my height, not as thin as me, that bang that falling to his forehead, the voice, and the small eyes. Yes, I was accurate, it was him.

Helping by the nurse, he did what the doctor commonly does. Checking granny’s heartbeat stability, asking her to take a deep breath in and out, while interrogating what just she did and ate these couple days. The thing which amused me was the way he treated his patient. He was so gentle, responding with his smile and a chuckle every time he heard granny’s answer of his questions. He was so considerate, choosing his best words for some advices so that the patient would not get offended. He was so careful, like afraid to hurt anyone by his touch. Sure it was a must for a doctor to make every patient felt secure and comfortable, but this guy was just, different. I wonder, would he treat any of his patients like that? Or was it just because granny was old enough that she got special treatment as such?

The sound of the chair being dragged brought my sense back. Taemin, he called him before, helped granny took the seat beside me. The masked guy slash young doctor settled himself down on his previous place. He wrote down some notes calmly, typical a doctor should be. I paid my attention to him whom talking and telling us that Granny should not eat too much sweet and meat, asking me to let her having much rest while doing her daily activities normally. Doing nothing or too much working would not bring her any good, he said.

“Take this prescription twice a day, in the morning and evening. Those will help Mrs. Kim to maintain her blood pressure” I nodded, directing my eyes from him to his tapping pointed finger on the paper.

“And this one once before sleeping, this is just vitamin. The pharmacist will show you the drugs” He told us firmly, finishing his patient-doctor speech. He might be young, but he indeed had a match charisma for this occupation.

“Thank you dr. Lee, I really am feeling healthy seeing you today” Did Granny just flirt to him?

“As always Mrs. Kim. I’m glad you could make to the clinic today” He threw that blinded smile again. “Please look after your granny and remain her about the prescription, Kibum-shi” His sharp eyes focused on me.

That request of him startled me, making me spitted a slightly high noted “sure”. A thin pink shade probably emerged on my cheeks. I was not an easy distracted person for you to know. That fact just got me uncomfortable. Opposite of me, he seemed relax being around. Of course, he was a doctor after all. He used to be that way.

That morning we left the clinic after granny surprisingly giving the cookies she packed to dr, Lee and Taemin. She told me on the way home that those two had helped her so much during her checkup. Lee Jinki, a young doctor from the city, had been working in the clinic for almost a year now, while the nurse had been staying and working here since three and a half years. That long?

“Why did you never tell me that there is a cute nurse living around our neighborhood?” I confronted Minho on my visit to his house in the afternoon.

“You met him?” he just grinned, not taking seriously about my question.

“Yeah, and the doctor too” I shifted my gaze around the house; his living room did not change too much.

“I wanted to keep him for myself, that’s why I did not tell you” really, Minho? What was the point?

“Him?  Which one?” That sport freak guy’s answer made me slightly anxious to dig more information.

“So, you are now interested in?” This time he smiled wider, showing his teasing already big eyes.

“Not yet, depends on your answer” I smirked, knowing he would not risk losing in competing about getting someone attention, because this field was my territory.

“The nurse” Aha! So Minho’s.

“That sounds so you” I smiled, assuring him that I would not take his already chance.

That afternoon we caught up so much. He told me that he had talked to Taemin a couple of times even went for a cup of tea together. That was a slow progress for the nurse had been here that long, but Minho said that the cute boy was so full of dedication to his work, even on his first year, spending almost his time in clinic, and my neighbor decided to not interrupt the latter’s job. Talking in the phone or seeing him when he passed by was enough for this time, he stated. Of course I threw a speech toward his face about it-was-your-time-to-take-a-brave-step-to-ask-him-out, it was not like Taemin always busy, keeping himself in a room to measure someone’s blood pressure all the time. The younger might like him back too. Minho just laughed for my tantrum, promising me that he would take the latter out this weekend. Whatever, at least he had his phone number.

As for the doctor, Minho did not know much about him. They did not talk much during the checkup session aside from some advices for keeping granny’s health, and because he was temporarily live here, unlike Taemin. He stayed in the guest house owned by the clinic located in the same area, would be in here for three day, coming on Saturday and going back to the city on Tuesday in every week. That explained everything.

He was in charge for the citizen who needed his help on the weekend due to the clinic’s schedule that closed on that day. Little did I knew the young doctor did not walked around the society that much. But Minho assured me that he was a very kindhearted man, from courtesy which he got from Taemin. Once they encountered on the road, Minho saw the latter helped an old lady brought her groceries to her home. And one thing that everybody in here knew about him so well, no one could beat his charming smile.

Jonghyun joined us around seven while bringing some drinks and junk foods. He complained about our lack meeting-up-boy-season these recent years, sulking to me for not going back home often. That night we really had a good reunion. It indeed was not a bad choice to take a work off.

Xxx

It was the same Saturday morning.

It was the same train.

It was the same destination.

My tutor season would last in two weeks; it meant that I would back to my normal schedule. I had a good time being around kids, teaching them how to be good actors, sharing my great and experiences in entertainments. Some of them even started making a dream to become like me. It was such a shame that I could not stay longer, but what to do? I had a big job in the city, and I would not have a heart to take someone’s job. I promised to help after all. And it was not like I would leave forever. I would come back even not as often as these months. Daegu was my hometown.

“May I?” I snapped my head toward the sound. Oh, masked guy!

“Sure” I gave him a nod, dumbfound seeing him still standing. “Ah, I’m sorry” chuckling, I almost slapped my forehead for not noticing that I had put my bag on the unoccupied seat.

“Never mind” he assured me, smiling, taking the seat beside me.

There was not any voice of us after a few minutes the train departed. I could not stared outside, afraid the one who sat next to me get offended because we had known each other, even just a name, nor I could look at him so I just averted my eyes forward or onto my bag on my lap. I was not the type to begin the conversation with. But then, I heard a shy Hi from his lips, asking me how I was. Without reluctantly, I said a small hello, telling him I was fine then asking the similar question back.

This guy was different from the last time we met. There was not the confident-doctor-words uttered from his mouth, but he did not seem nervous either. I felt like, he wanted to give me another impression of him. He was just being Jinki.

We did not talk much after that, him letting me doing my outside-seeing routine.

“I heard your tutoring session will end up soon?” turning my head back toward him, giving an are you talking to me gaze because I was not sure due to the sudden question.

“Ah.. Taemin told me that. You know, he’s going out with Minho” he added, understanding my blank expression.

“That’s right, Minho, Taemin. Yeah, next week will be my last” my voice sounded slightly unsure, connecting every question and answer for the right formation.

“Hm…” surprisingly, that conversation ended up again just like that.

It was five minute before departure that he asked another shocking question again.

“Hey Kibum-shi” but he seemed serious this time.

“Yes?” I did not expect anything after that.

“You know, we may not encounter each other anymore neither in this same train nor the clinic. But I’m sure that we come from the same city, Seoul right? this…” the young doctor gave me a black and white card, which written on it “dr. Lee Jinki. Seoul International Hospital” complete with his office number.

I took it without saying anything. Still unsure what he did mean.

“If you need a doctor or monthly check up, please contact me?” this guy sure was weird. He expected me having a disease?

“Ah s-sure, but I…” my stutter voice interrupted by the sudden stop of the train, the rush of the passenger leaving made my words left hanging.

Standing dumbfounded outside the train, the card still was clutched on my fingers. A small tapping on my shoulder woke me up from my thought.

“If you do not need a monthly check up, may be a weekly coffee meet up?”

This time, the question indeed left me smile the whole time. That Masked Guy!

Xxxxx

The End.