Irene was staring at the multicolored stack of lunchboxes on her table like she was awaiting instructions from the Holy Spirit.

Packing food for Seulgi seemed like a good idea in her head. But now that the said food has gone 17 degrees Celsius cold inside her kindergarten classroom? Not so much.  The real dilemma was how to get it to Seulgi. She doubts the hospital is actually hospitable to people who are neither patients nor visitors.

“Seonsaengnim….”

A tiny, distant voice snaps Irene out of her brainstorming session.

“Mmhm?” The teacher’s gaze dips and when she sees her class’ youngest and tallest member, it softens like warm chocolate.

“Wonyoung?”

The child gingerly hands her a straw and a plastic juice pack. “Please open this…”

“Oh, sure thing…” The older girl warily eyes the flimsy packaging before taking it. “…just a second.”

The juice container had a white spot that marked where to poke the straw, but Irene knew better to be fooled again. She had seen this kind of drink from the other children before. There were only two scenarios: (1) Irene skewers the target and the juice becomes a shish kebab. (2) Irene punches the hole wrong and the sticky juice drips all over her.

To avoid both, the kindergarten teacher pulls out a small scissor stashed in her purple apron instead. She snips the plastic to the side just so the thin straw could fit in snuggly. “Here. Try not to tip it, so it doesn’t get to your clothes, ‘kay?” 

“Okay, Irene-seonsaeng~”

Sipping from the upright straw, Wonyoung waddles towards quiet Minjoo and Yuri who were squatting on the rubber play mat, watching Ahn Yujin and Choi Yena dash in circles inside the classroom.

Irene sighs deeply. She zones out at work for one minute and the classroom turns into a track oval.

“Yujinnie, don’t run around too much! You just had lunch!” She vacates the teacher’s table and jogs to catch the puppy-like kid in a hug before she starts another lap. She pulls out a face towel from her pocket.

“That goes for you too, Yena!” The teacher scolds, extending her arm to block the toddlers from moving any further.  She steadies them with an iron grip on their arms. “How about helping your other classmates instead, hmm? With the beddings?”

Ahn Puppy and Choi Duckling’s eyes strayed to Eunbi, Hitomi and Nako who were diligently unrolling their respective sleeping mats over their assigned places for nap time.

“No! That’s! Booooooring!” Yujin and Yena squirm away from Irene’s reach as she attempted to wipe the sweat trickling from their faces and backs. The latter squeezes her eyes shut and hums the tantrums away. She racks her brain for another – more enticing – distraction.

Aha.

“How about playing with Sakura, Chaeyeon and Chaewon, eh?” Irene tries, with more enthusiasm. “I heard Sakura brought rice balls with secret ingredients hidden inside! They’re having a contest now on who can pick and eat the most delicious ones.”

“Eh!?” Yujin stops fidgeting. “Really?”

“What flavors?”, Yena asks.

Irene grins, relieved that she’s gotten hold of their curiosity at least.

“I don’t know either…but, look!” The teacher spins the toddlers towards the trio huddled near the small monoblocs. “Chaewon is squinting so hard! Looks like she’s eaten something really sour!”

“I wonder what they gave her…” Irene adds, and she, Yena and Yujin share a chuckle.

“I think I’ll try some…” Yujin announces, her eyes already glistening with mischief.

“Me too! So, we can tell you the flavors!” Yena agrees.

They zip towards their other classmates before Irene can say another word.

“Walk slowly, you kids!”

“Oops! Sorry, seonsaengnim!”, the young ones yell back.

The kindergarten teacher nods and re-ties her now-disheveled ponytail. She sweeps her gaze from one corner of the room to the other, pausing to glance at the huge analog clock on their sky-wallpapered wall. Her chest swells with pride.  She has kept the peace in the room just before naptime. Likewise, Eunbi, Hitomi and Nako have set all the girls’ color-coded mats on the floor - one, two, three…four-five-six, seven…eight….nine, ten and eleven.

“Wait. Eleven?” Irene echoes out loud.

Her sight zeroes in at the spot near the bookshelves and it traces broken lines on where a coral-colored mat should have been. The 12^th and the last - Kang Hyewon’s.  Panic pangs on Irene’s chest until she feels a tug on her apron.

“Seonsaengnim.”

The kindergarten teacher exhales audibly.   

“Hey, Hyewon. I was just looking for you! Were you behind me all this time?” Irene crouches to meet the child’s eyes. She pokes her nose gently. “I noticed your mat isn’t on the floor yet. Not in the mood for a nap?”

The kid merely points to Irene’s desk, ignoring the question completely. “Aren’t you going to eat those?”

“Oh.” The teacher doesn’t have to look. She knows Hyewon is talking about the yellow, blue and green lunchboxes conspicuously littering on her table.  “…I’m not going to eat those.”

“Can I eat them, then?” Hyewon asks, with a fork in her hand and her unrolled mat in the other.

Irene stifles a laugh at her blunt request. Where did the fork even come from?

“I’m sorry, Hyewon. The two of us can’t eat them.” The teacher caresses her student’s hair apologetically. “Besides, aren’t you full from all the snacks the others gave you?”

Hyewon doesn’t even bat an eye at Irene.

“Ooookay.”The older girl rises and steers the toddler by her shoulders to the napping area.  “Let’s just roll out your mat together, hmm? What do you say?”

The child faces backward and her eyes dart to the desk again. This time, her hands hug her mat even tighter. “…But who’s going to eat them if we won’t?”

Irene goes down on one knee again, collecting all of her patience. “If I tell you, will you be a good girl and go to sleep?”

“Okay.”

Irene squeezes Hyewon’s arms and pulls her closer so only she could hear. “It’s for a doctor I’m thankful for these days. Come to think of it. You even have the same last name.”

Hyewon tilts her head. “Kang?”

And just like that, Irene gets a lightbulb moment. Maybe this was it. Whatever it was called. The sign of the universe. The instructions of the Holy Spirit.

“Say…from one Kang to another, Hyewon, do you think I should surprise Kang-seonsaengnim at work or should I just ask her to pick it up at -“

“Surprise!” Hyewon squeals before the older girl even finishes her question.

Irene’s expression contorts into a cross between a smile and a wince.

A surprise it is.

--------

By this time, Irene hopes she’s learned not to take advices from three-year-olds. The hospital waiting room smelled like burnt coffee, disinfectant and detergent  (not the kind Irene finds pleasant though).

If stress had a scent, it would be this. She figures as she bathed under the pulsing fluorescent lights of Myung Se’s toxicology department.

Irene has been pacing back and forth in the ward, trying to find the right timing to ask one of the personnel. Only to realize, after 15 minutes, that in a hospital – nobody ever finds time. You make time.

“Excuse me!” She calls out (at last) to a girl about to walk down the hallway.

“Hi there! Can I help you?”, the young woman says with an upbeat, singsong delivery.

She’s dressed in a fit, short baby pink blouse with no buttons in it. With her perfectly combed bangs, round face and long neck, one would mistake her as a doll. But she must be a nurse in the department, Irene guesses, but she can’t be so sure. Her uniform is missing a nameplate and the name on her hospital ID is too small to read.

“I’m looking for Dr. Kang.” The older woman answers. Her free hand fishes around her pocket for her teaching license while the cloth bag on her other arm skids down to her wrist. The right side of her upper lip raises over her teeth, making a semi-grimace.  

“I’m Irene and I’m her friend. Previously, also her patient’s mother. A long story actually…also quite complicated.” She finishes her long-winded introduction with a courteous smile.

Irene’s hand clasps the card at last, readily surrendering it to the health staff. The cloth bag she’s carrying makes a jiggling sound. “Anyway, I was just wondering if I could drop these off? They’re lunchboxes – for her and her friend.”

“Ah, Seulgi-seonsaengnim and Son-seonsaeng?” The girl’s eyes gleam in recognition. She seems to be familiar with them or with Seulgi, at least,  since she calls her on a first name basis. The nurse glances over her shoulder like she’s looking for her supervisor or something before she tells Irene: “Please wait for a moment.”

The personnel slides into the chair behind the front desk and types something into the computer. She pushes a few more buttons and frowns. She clicks the mouse. Irene braces herself for the fact that Seulgi’s whereabouts will not show up in the department’s slender, silver monitor. Before the staff can say anything, Irene interjects. “Is there something wrong?”

“Mmhmm….the clocking system says Dr. Kang has been here since morning, but I haven’t seen the residents in the wards all day.”  The nurse lets out a sighing whistle at the desktop. “Maybe they got sent out for an errand...”

Well, it’s not like this was unexpected. Irene blinks and tucks her hand to her side. Suddenly, it feels like the bag is wringing her wrist tighter, as if the lunchboxes are weighing her down with the disappointment of not reaching their owner as soon as possible. 

“They should be back soon though. They don’t stray away from the hospital for too long. We always need them more here….” The female employee squints at the screen. She scoots forward on her chair and looks back at Irene who’s backed up and is nodding weakly. She chuckles when she sees her making such a long face.

“Don’t be too disappointed, Irene-ssi.” The accommodating staff gives her a small wink. She returns Irene’s ID and gestures to the metal benches arranged in rows inside the room. “You can wait here until they arrive if you want to.”

The way the nurse looks at Irene makes her think she understands the situation more than she’s letting on. The former beams in appreciation. “Thanks for all your help.”

“No problem! I hope she receives your gift.” With a cheerful wave of her hand, the nurse brisk walks away, leaving Irene to herself again. This time, with the nurse’s permission, she lets herself roam around more comfortably… until interesting object in the room steals her attention.

MYUNG SE HOSPITAL MEDICAL TOXICOLOGY ORGANIZATIONAL CHART, the letters on the board read. She scans the whole pyramid of medical professionals and their photos, noticing that the more letters they had after their name, the higher their positions were. From people who have finished masteral degrees, became fellows and members of royal societies and diplomates to the very bottom of the hierarchy, Irene spots a familiar face with only two letters after her name – M.D.

Son Seungwan, Seulgi’s friend with cream blonde hair except in the picture her hair is ebony.  The bangs, cheeks and dimples are giveaways though. Irene muses.

Scrutinizing, she sees exactly what she’s looking for on the same row – her natural dark hair untouched by brown dye, wearing her signature white coat and maroon scrub top ensemble and smile, which Irene traces nimbly with her fingers:

:]

Kang Seulgi.

--------

“Irene!?”  

The latter withdraws her hand from Seulgi’s photo as if it pricked her. She focuses her vision on the white blur jogging towards her, until she becomes clear.  

“Sooyoungie?”

“H-hey, are you…o-okay? D-did…something h-happen…?” Sooyoung asks with a tinge of worry in her tired voice. She’s still panting when she reaches Irene’s spot, fumbling into her coat pocket for something.  “Do you want me to call Seulgi? I have her – “

“No, no, no…” Irene stops the doctor’s hand in midair, patting it lightly.   “Calm down, Sooyoungie. Everything’s fine. I just dropped by to give you presents.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” Sooyoung smoothes out her straggled tied back hair, exhaling slowly. She tosses her phone back to her pocket for safekeeping. “For a second there, I thought you came because Ahreum got herself in bigger trouble. The poison center makes me jumpy.”

“Thanks for your concern, Sooyoung…” Irene smiles lovingly, the taller girl’s arm. She passes the tote bag in her hands. “…really though, these are the only things I came for. I thought maybe you’d eat them for dinner or midnight snacks. I made enough for three people.”

“These are soooo cute, Irene! Seulgi would be ecstatic to receive these!”,  the family medicine physician blurts out as she sneaks a quick glance into the bag. Animal printed square lunchboxes - a yellow bear, a blue squirrel and a green chick - were arranged one on top of the other.

“But…” The doctor’s expression sours. “…I think it’ll take around 2 hours before Seulgi gets here. The university lecture they got sent to just finished. They’re  probably still packing up after the fellows.”

“Oh…” Irene’s voice trails off. When the nurse told her “they’ll be here soon”, she didn’t think “soon” meant 2 hours. Her eyes flick towards the clock. “…It’s unfortunate but, I don’t think I can wait. I have to feed Ahreum dinner and send my cousin home. What is fortunate is that you’re here.”

“Aw, gee…” Sooyoung claps her hand to , so only her crinkling eyes can be seen. “You’ve gotten a lot closer with Seulgi, huh?”

Irene snickers. “Meeting under dangerous circumstances and being on house-visiting terms first might have helped.

At the mention of “house visit”, the taller girl pulls a face. “About that…I’m sorry for giving your address to Seulgi without permission, Irene. I suppose it went alright because Seulgi is…well…Seulgi, but that doesn’t change the fact that I should respect my patients’ privacy and protect their confidential information. I won’t do it again. I promise.”

“Oh no, no. It’s fine!” Irene shakes her head. She appreciates Sooyoung’s honesty and apology, although she didn’t feel wronged in any way.

 “It’s okay. I was the one who let Seulgi into the house even if she insisted to stay out…. and besides, she’s a huge help at home. She watches over Ahreum when I’m busy and she’s good at fixing things. The other day, she volunteered to assemble the small cabinet I bought from a depot.

“I see.” The doctor lets out a sigh of relief. “It’s good to hear that Seulgi’s been treating you nicely. She’s always been good with her hands - drawing, doing crafts, but a little withdrawn towards people.”

“Really? Then, how did she end up in –“

Riiiiiiing, riiiiiing. A shrilly notification tone barges in on the conversation.

Sooyoung bows her head apologetically. “Sorry. I have to take this call. Might be important…yes - hello? Right now? Okay, okay…I’m coming. Give me 10 minutes. Okay, bye.”

“Duty calls?” Irene asks when Sooyoung looks up from her phone.

The doctor nods, frowning. “I want to stay and talk, but they need help at the Health Service now. Tons of faculty checked in to get examined for fitness for employment.”

Sooyoung slings the cloth bag over her shoulder coolly. “Thank you so much for visiting and thinking of us. I’ll make sure Seulgi and Seungwan know these are from you.”

“Thanks, Sooyoung.” Irene beams at the figure in front of her. “You’re my angel.”

The younger girl nods and bolts to the opposite direction, but she stops before she reaches a corner.  Did she forget something? Irene wonders, scanning her surroundings.

“Ya, Irene-unnie!” Sooyoung calls out.

“Yeah?” The latter yells back nervously. Everyone passing the hallway seemed to have stopped to look at the sudden commotion. 

“Even if there’s Seulgi, I’m still your favorite doctor, right?”, the physician asks aloud like a jealous child.

“What are you talking about?” Irene’s cackles ring in the halls. Sooyoung’s unexpected charms really take her aback sometimes. She holds her hand over mouth like a megaphone. “Of course you are!” 

“Good!” The newbie resident’s fingers form an okay sign. Pleased, she digs her hands into her white coat and grins smugly. “I’ll be mad if I weren’t!”

Sooyoung waves like a beauty queen - stiff wrist, slow turn and all. Then, she disappears.

--------

“Those aren’t poisoned.” Sooyoung deadpans. “They won’t kill you.”

The ’94 liners stop inspecting Irene’s lunchboxes like a CSI team.

“Y-yeah yeah, o-of course.” Seungwan says, abandoning the fork she used as a makeshift probe. “We just can’t believe you brought us food and they actually look edible.”

Sooyoung crosses her arms.

“And not only edible, but appetizing.”, the blonde doctor adds. Her eyes glaze over their usual cafeteria spot now occupied by the essentials of a Korean lunchbox - gungjung tteokbokki, mandus, hotteok and sweet and sour pork.

Seulgi shoots the latter a look that says: Stop talking.

“When did you find time to cook these, Sooyoung?” The brunette doctor casually joins the conversation. She’s particularly baffled by the tupperwares’ bold colors and the cartoon animal illustrations on the lids.  “Also…out of curiosity, does the family medicine department have a zoo-themed kitchen?”

Seungwan elbows her same age friend. She mouths I think it’s you who should stop talking.

“Alright, wise-asses.” Sooyoung glares at the two toxicologists. “As much as I enjoy your paranoia over food poisoning, I’m obligated to tell you I did not make these.  Somebody else gave them to me.”

Seungwan’s pupils dilate in  astonishment. “You mean you guys have friends other than the two other people here?”

“Wait...” Seulgi starts, and the former catches her drift.

“Irene?”

“Bingo.” With a flourish, the youngest of the trio stabs at one of the golden, crispy dumplings. “She came to the hospital earlier, said she wanted to give these to Seulgi, but you guys got pulled out by the fellows.”

Seungwan meaningfully glances at Sooyoung. And now they’re smiling at each other. They did that often – talking without talking. It might be in Seulgi’s imagination, but they were probably thinking “She’s finally made a friend.” 

“Soooo…I was thinking she deserves a hearty gratitude, mmhm?” Sooyoung prods, passing Seulgi her chopsticks.

“I’ll send her a message.” The latter snaps the wood in half. “Can I please have some pork?”

Seungwan swipes the box first, but instead of passing it to the brunette, she slides some meat into her plate first. “Seulgi, it takes you 54 keystrokes to type Hello.”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“Yes, it does.” Seungwan says, nudging the sweet and sour pork box towards her 11-day older friend. “I can see you trying to text Irene at work. You should be more discreet, you know? I think they only let you off because they think the fellow assigned to you is giving you errands through text...”

 “Right, sorry.” A bit of the orange sauce dribbles from Seulgi’s chin and she covers , embarrassed. “I just – it’s just that every time I speak I feel like I’m in the mindsweeper game, trying to avoid all the mines. Clicking slowly, blindly, hoping I don’t say something that makes everything explode.”

“You’ve been spending most of your free time at Irene’s house and you haven’t made anything explode, Seulgi. You can be yourself.” Seungwan assures, wiping grease off her thumb with a tissue. She hands the rest of the roll to the former. “Irene already likes you. Just like how we like you. As a friend.”

“…Or as the repair girl.” Sooyoung jeers, alluding to her previous conversation to teacher Bae herself.

“Very funny, Sooyoung.” Seulgi grumbles. “So what do you, guys, suggest I do to thank her? Since I’m not exactly the most eloquent person in the world…”

They eat in the quiet for a moment, but Sooyoung’s crafty mind was obviously at work. The younger girl was collecting the lids of the lunchboxes. If she could look past her skull, Seulgi might see her brain throbbing.

“How about a picture then?” The black-haired girl finally throws the question. “A picture paints a thousand words.”

“Oooooh, we’re taking a selfie with the lunchbox lids? That would be really cute! Plus, Seulgi’s really good at taking pictures!” Seungwan asks, already understanding Sooyoung’s plan through telepathy. As Seulgi had said, it’s talking without talking.

“I’ll hold the green chick lunchbox and Seulgi, here.” Sooyoung hands out the yellow one with a bear on it. “A lot of people do think you resemble a bear.”

“But that leaves me with…!” Seungwan eyes the lone blue lunchbox in her clutches. “Why would Irene think of me as a squirrel?!”

“I think you should just be thankful Irene thought of you at all.” Seulgi quips.

The blonde doctor glowers. “Put your long arms to good use, Seulgi, before I break them.”

The latter toggles with her phone camera and raises it at an angle that captures them perfectly.

“Okay, everyone, smiiiiiile!” Sooyoung says through her teeth.

The trio behave for the three seconds Seulgi took to snap the picture. It came out well – close-up, personal, friendly.

“Okay, now what do you say?” The youngest doctor snoops at Seulgi’s phone screen. The latter types in Irene’s chatbox. Thanks for the meal. We’ll eat it well.

“Uh huh, dry…but very Seulgi. Send it.” Sooyoung orders, like she has the older girl’s head at gunpoint.  

The messaging app makes a whoosh sound, indicating the text and photo were sent.

Pop. Irene has seen the message.

Krrrrrring, krrrrring…

“Guys, she’s…I think she’s…”

Krrrrrring, krrrrring…

“Video calling?!”  Seulgi shouts, her voice unsteady.

“That’s good. That means she likes what you said.” Seungwan says, taking a bite.

“Yeah, but -

“But what? What are you waiting for? Let’s answer it!” Sooyoung pokes her finger on the green phone icon on the screen. Seulgi’s phone immediately goes Connecting…

“Ya! Sooyoung-ah!” Seulgi turns to the tall figure. “I’m not ready!"

"You don't have to be! She likes you as you are!" 

"She what - "

Seulgi's voice falters. Irene has appeared on the screen. Her hair was in an unkempt bun and a green kitchen apron was hung on her neck. The video quality was a little grainy but Irene’s features were clear as a Blu-ray movie. Seulgi had to remind herself to breathe.

“Oh.” She said in a small voice. “You called.”

Irene’s laugh sounds like a melody. Even with ty reception. “I wanted to see your face.”

“R-really?” Seulgi gulps, smoothing over her ponytailed hair subtly. She hasn’t looked in a mirror today. Or yesterday. But she knew she definitely didn’t look like a face Irene would want to see.

“Yeah…like if you got surprised or something.” Irene adds.

“Oh, yeah…right.”  Seulgi murmurs, realizing she was getting way ahead of herself. A clinking sound punctuates her speech. By the looks of the background, Irene must be washing some dishes. “I was surprised! I mean - in a good way - of course, because the food is amazing. Thank you.”

“Uh huh.” Irene folds her arms. “…but the picture you sent me told me you have the fewest vegetables on your plate though.”

“Eh? You must have seen wrong.” Seulgi stalls as she shoves some of the greens on her plate and cherry picks a handful of carrots – the thinnest slices she could find. 

“See?” She says, showing Irene her plate through the flipped camera. The doctor even tries some of the carrots and suppresses a cringe. Why do they always have to taste like rubber? She washes her palate with water.

"The vegetables are good for you, you know?” Irene wags a soapy spoon at the screen.

“I know.” Seulgi says, smiling anxiously. She couldn’t think of a time she’d argued with Irene and won.

"Well, that's the only reason I called." Irene says, coming closer to the camera. 

“To check if I’m eating vegetables or to see my shocked face?”

“The second.” Irene giggles. “…but I’m satisfied to have seen both.”

“I think this is just my work-is-done-can-i-go-to-bed-now face though.” Seulgi jokingly replies, rubbing her chin.

“It’s okay. Sooyoung’s right anyway.” Irene says, direct and her jaw set.  “I like you as you are.”

“YOU HEARD?!”

END OF CHAPTER FIVE

a/n: Hey, any WIZ*ONEs out here? Surprise, surprise! Irene’s kindergarten students are IZ*ONE members :P I’ve watched them since Produce 48 and most of them were my bets so I’m happy they debuted! Anyway, I updated because I’m on my summer break but, I’ll be going back to med school soon. If you wanna give me a tip or help me fund my medical education, I put up a crowdfund page and set up a paypal link at : PayPal.Me/shinyjoy

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