“I wanted to invite all of you to my housewarming party.” Chaeyoung stared at the invitation. A nicely decorated piece of cardstock with beautiful handwriting on it. 

“Wow I like the invitation!” Naeun gushed as per expected of her personality. “It’s so pretty. Your handwriting is so cute. How can I not go now?” 

Somehow Naeun always seemed to voice Chaeyoung’s inner thoughts aloud perfectly. Hitting Chaeyoung’s petty inferiority complex right on the mark.

“I’d be happy to go.” Nurse Oh immediately announced holding her hand up. 

“Me too.” Doctor Jin chimed in.

“What about you Nurse Jang?” Jihyo questioned towards the middle aged women whose children often prevented her from attending after-work events.

“I’d love to come. I’ll tell my husband to babysit tonight.” Nurse Jang replied with a soft smile.

Chaeyoung, predicting that their stares would soon settle on her, flashed a wide smile. “I’d love to come Doctor Shin.”

“Thank you Doctor Park.” The beautiful doctor answered with a touched expression. 

“I already invited a few others, but does anyone know where Doctor Yoon is?” Doctor Shin inquired towards all, though her large pupils clearly gravitating to Chaeyoung. 

For once, Chaeyoung had no clue where the hell that idiot was. 

“He’s not in surgery is he?” Nurse Oh wondered aloud.

“Well I have to make my rounds, but if you see him can you give him one too?” Doctor Shin requested handing another invitation to Nurse Lee.

“I didn’t see him in the parking lot this morning but if you’d like I can also—“ Doctor Jin began, but as if on cue the door swung open behind Doctor Shin and in walked— he looked exhausted. And a frown appeared as soon as he saw the lady standing in front of him. 

Honestly Chaeyoung had started to notice. Since that night, he was different. It had been 2 weeks now. His normal extroverted self, it seemed forced. What had happened? It had something to do with Shin Ryujin, didn’t it.

“Good morning Doctor Yoon.” Nurse Lee instantly greeted her superior with a bow.

“Good morning Naeun-ah.” He quickly shifted appearances returning to a more forced grin. He walked straight past a frozen Doctor Shin heading directly towards— well her. 

“Morning sloth.” He yawned as he collapsed next to her on the sofa. His lazy arm resting against her shoulder. 

“Ya!” Chaeyoung quickly elbowed him in the side, staring towards Doctor Shin suspiciously.

But the female doctor had already disappeared through the door. Something felt so suspicious.

He leaned his head away from her sleepily on the top of the cushion. There were black splotches around his eyes, he looked like he hadn’t slept in a day.

“Aigoo, Doctor Yoon did you sleep in your office again?” Nurse Oh chided him.

Taehyung yawned again adjusting his head to the other side of the cushion, now much closer to hers. “Doctor Kim asked if I could take her overnight shift, and I ended up helping in the ER.” 

“Ya! Why would you do that? Doctor Kim’s only a resident.” Chaeyoung couldn’t believe what she was hearing. He had taken the dreaded night shifts from a resident. 

“I agree with Doctor Park, you have a surgery for today at 1. You have to stop overworking yourself.” Nurse Jang commented clearly concerned for him.

“It’s fine, I’ll just have some coffee from downstairs.” Taehyung brushed aside their concerns. But Chaeyoung couldn’t understand it. Why was he like this? 

“Oh, by the way,” it was Naeun’s cheerful voice. “Doctor Shin invited us all to her apartment, she’s hosting a house warming party.”

Taehyung reached forward with his hand idly trying to grab the small piece of paper. 

“If you can’t even grab a paper, how are you supposed to perform a gallbladder removal?” Chaeyoung .

Taehyung finally used some energy and swiped the paper from the hands of Nurse Lee, holding it up to his face before immaturely sticking his tongue at her.

“See?” Taehyung smirked as he glanced at the invitation, immediately leaning right back into the sofa. 

“Who handwrites things anymore huh?” Taehyung mumbled as if berating the hardwork of Doctor Shin.

“Well if you had handwriting that nice, then I’m sure you would.” Nurse Oh teased holding up a patient file of his. Despite his precise and smooth procedures, his handwriting was barely legible. 

“Who wrote that?” Taehyung questioned sarcastically. Eyeing it in a joking manner. "Someone has to continue on the stereotypes."

Chaeyoung sighed as she stood up. It seemed crazy to her. How did she find this lovable loser attractive? She headed towards the door to clear her head.

“Hey Sloth.”

Chaeyoung stopped by the door. Gritting her teeth. What now? After making a fool of himself? What now?

“Coffee?”

Chaeyoung was about to turn around and yell at him, but she held back. “Americano?”

“Of course.” 

“How can you make her go get coffee like that? Huh?” Nurse Jang could be heard scolding him in the background.

Clenching her fists in frustration, Chaeyoung headed through the VIP wing towards the elevator when she saw her. 

She was talking with an older patient. Calmly assuring a weeping mother as she seemed to be clenching her hand around the doctor’s arm, screaming in frustration about something. She had a gentle smile on her lips as she seemed to be unfazed by the patient’s unfair accusations.

“That Doctor Shin, isn’t she an angel?” She overhead some other residents talking. 

“How can she just let that crazy woman talk to her like that?”

“I thought she was got in through connections like some other doctors… but she really was scouted from China for a reason.” 

Chaeyoung sighed as she continued towards the elevator. With all these comparisons, she wished she could hate the doctor. She wished the feelings of inferiority would sprout into loathing instead of petty jealousy. But after talking to her, it just seemed impossible. 

“Hold the elevator.” Chaeyoung quickly poked the bottom button, and the glass doors slid back open. 

Doctor Shin was rushing towards her and began panting as she entered. 

As the doors closed, she glanced at Chaeyoung. “Thank you, I really could use some coffee right about now. Is that where you’re headed?”

Chaeyoung nodded, her smile. . Why did she have such a kind smile? Innocent eyes that bore right into her. Perhaps Chaeyoung might’ve fallen for her.  “Ah, yes.” 

“You can come right?” Another question Chaeyoung didn’t want to answer.

“Ah… yes.” 

Before she could react, Doctor Shin had grabbed her arm. “I might be overthinking things, but I really hope we can be close friends. I would love for us to work together more often.”

Chaeyoung nodded hesitantly. She didn’t understand. This was the doctor who had corrected her several times in the operating room. The elevator reached the lobby and the doors opened for them, they exited together heading towards the small yet crowded coffee shop in the center of the hospital. 

“Aren’t you disappointed by me. I mean I messed up during the surgery that day.” Chaeyoung inquired as they both joined into the long line.

Doctor Shin shook her head adamently. "You were just distracted, and with what was going on in the other room, it was hard to concentrate. And for some reason, I guess I just trust you,” she grinned as she led them closer in line.  

“Thank you.” Somehow her words, it felt similar to the way Taehyung gave his own assurances. It confused Chaeyoung, it made her feel guilty for her jealousy.

When they had both ordered and gotten their coffee, Chaeyoung followed her back to the elevator. She could feel the gazes of several other residents and patients on both of them.

“Aren’t they actresses not doctors?”

“Why do only pretty girls get to work in the VIP wing?” 

"Their visuals are not a joke, I heard they're both single now as well."

“Why did you want to become a doctor?” Chaeyoung was somewhat startled by the question. Her attention focused on the whispers she heard around her.

“What?”

“Why did you want to become a doctor?” Doctor Shin repeated gazing at her full of interest.

“A doctor?” They entered the elevator once again, Chaeyoung couldn’t resist staring back at the doelike eyes completely drawn in. “Um… because I wanted to get away from my family.”

Chaeyoung could barely believe she had just said it aloud. She had never told anyone.

“I see.” 

“I mean, I really like helping people too.” Chaeyoung instantly clarified. “I feel like my existence was pointless, so I wanted to have a reason.” 

“That’s a nice reason.” It sounded almost condescending the way she said it.