Jang-mi: are you ready for mood swings and breakdowns this week

Jeno: always, baby

I have lost the will to live because my uterus is shedding and I can’t wear white pants for a week. 

It’s my time of the month. Seven days in which ice cream is my best friend and the slightest inconvenience makes me bawl like a newborn baby. 

I’ve been walking on a tightrope for the past three days, clutching onto my sanity. 

To make matters worse, I’ve been all on my own because Jeno has been spending all his time at Seoul-Lee Hospital, shadowing medical professionals. 

I sometimes forget how grueling and demanding his major is, and it’s truly impressive that he still manages 

to upkeep a social life.

He’s been trapped in the hospital, night and day, but he texts and calls me like clockwork. Every morning I get a good morning text with a red heart and a selfie of him in freshly washed hair. Every night at ten pm, I get a FaceTime call that lasts exactly five minutes. 

Jeno: Can’t call you tonight baby, I’m going to be observing a cholecystectomy

Jang-mi: a cholecyajdjdjsks what now?

Jeno: I’m gonna watch a surgeon stab stab someone 

Jang-mi: Now you’re talking my language 

Jang-mi: ogey I’ll talk to you tomorrow 

Jeno: Okay, Princess

“Jang-mi, over here!” 

At the sound of my name, I swivel around on my heel and squint at the crowd of students down the hall. 

Soobin jogs towards me, one hand raised so I can easily spot him. 

“Hey,” I greet, giving him a side hug. 

“Ready?” He pants, adjusting the sweater he has tied around his waist. I nod eagerly, flashing him a grateful smile.

“Thanks for taking the time to help me review even though your schedule is packed.”

“No worries.” Soobin shrugs nonchalantly, stealing my backpack and swinging it over his shoulder. On a normal day I would wrestle it back, but today, without the extra weight, I can breathe a little better. “We have about an hour and a half. Then I have an ethics exam.”

Since Soobin just transferred this year, he missed all the core subjects criminology students take as freshmen. Being the annoying big brain genius he is, Soobin decided to double up this semester and sit a test for all the courses he missed. This way, he’ll earn the credit and won’t graduate a year late.

“Were my notes any help?” I question as we weave through the crowd with small steps.

“Massive help,” Soobin reveals, and I wince, coming to an abrupt pause.

Leaning against the lockers, I wrap my arms around my stomach. The pressure I’m adding does little to abate the sudden cramp attack and I squeeze my thighs together.

“Ow, ow, ow, ow,” I whimper, and Soobin grabs the top of my arm to steady my swaying body. 

“Are you okay?” 

“What do you think?” I snipe, scowling at him. He wears a sympathetic expression, tucking my loose hair behind my ear. 

I grumble, shuffling my feet before pushing away from the lockers. 

cramps. I’m a strong woman. I got this.

Marching forward, I try not to wince with every step I take.

Soobin still has a firm grip on my arm. “Are you sure you’re fine? Maybe we should sit down-.”

“I’m fine, totally fine,” I chirp, sticking my hands out to maintain balance.

“Are you sure?”

“Yup, yup, yup. I’m fine, totally fine!” I insist, gritting my teeth. 

I am so not fine. It feels like someone blasted my uterus with a flamethrower and then tossed it into a blender.

Soobin blocks my path and grabs my shoulders. “You’re repeating words, your face is as pale as a vampire, and you look like you’re about to pass out.”

Yeah, maybe I don’t got this.  

in a sharp breath, I allow my eyes to flutter shut. “You might want to catch me,” I warn, and suddenly, the pain is too much to handle and my soul leaves my body. 

Fainting on my period is not an unusual occurrence. 

I’m already anemic. Bleeding for at least four days every month doesn’t make it any better. 

I expect to wake up on a hard mattress at the campus

infirmary, but instead, the pillow under my head is soft. 

Warm, plush, and too comfortable. 

Groaning, I force my heavy eyes open, the blurry world slowly fading in. The ceiling that greets me is unfamiliar, and the air smells oddly sterile. The foreign room makes my heart beat faster, and I hear it a bit too clearly. I raise a hand to rub my face, pausing midair when I find an IV drip stuck in my flesh.

“Hey, how are you feeling?”

A gasp slips from my tongue, and I grumble at the sight of Soobin’s toothy grin. He’s perched on a stool by my hospital bed, an open book propped on his knee.

“How long have I been out?” I breathe, easing myself into an upright position.

“Three years,” Soobin deadpans and I playfully roll my eyes.

“Ha. Ha.”

He chuckles, running his fingers through his hair. “A little over three hours.”

“Great,” I mumble, fiddling with the tube attached to my wrist. I sneak a glance at Soobin’s calm demeanor. “Thanks for taking me here and sticking around.”

His lips curl into a meek smile. “Oh, I just got here,” he reveals, chin dipping like a guilty child who just got caught stealing candy.

“Huh?” I tilt my head to the side, hair falling over my eyes. 

“I rode with you in the ambulance then I left to take my exam after he showed up.” Soobin bops his head as he speaks.

I blink at him. “He, who?”

My classmate shifts to the side and jabs a finger at the corner of the room. On the long couch, my boyfriend is snoring with headphones on. He’s curled under a white lab coat, wearing scrubs with a student badge stitched on the front chest pocket. 

“Oh.” I nibble on my bottom lip to stifle a smile.

“Should I wake him?” Soobin offers. Although I itch to be in his arms, I shake my head. 

“Let him sleep a while longer, he must be exhausted.”

“Yeah, he looked like a ghost when he was running up to you,” Soobin snorts, sliding off the chair. “I’m going to tell the doctor you’re awake and grab you some vending machine snacks.”

My stomach growls at the thought of food. “Thanks, Soobinie.”

“I got you.”

Once he’s out the door, I roll onto my side, careful not to mess up the IV.

Tucking my hands under my cheek, like an absolute creep, I watch Jeno sleep. He’s serene, his sweet face relaxed as he inhales and exhales deeply. My boy is so handsome. 

I eventually grow restless, impatient, and needy. Acting on an impulse, I grab my pillow and chuck it in his direction. It smacks him on the head and Jeno gasps awake, tearing off his headphones.

Taking a moment to pinch his nose bridge and mumble something incoherent under his breath, he glances my way.

My arms open invitingly and my bottom lip quivers. The corner of his mouth twists into a tired smile and he stumbles off the couch. 

“Oh, my baby,” he sighs groggily, climbing in beside me and dropping a kiss on my forehead. “You okay?”

“Never better,” I squeak, nuzzling my face into his neck. 

He’s warm, borderline feverish. Jeno tucks my head under his chin, playing with my hair. I press a soft kiss on his throat.

He shivers, his voice husky when he asks. “Is this my shirt?”

Jeno smooths a hand down my back, tugging the fabric of the black oversized T-shirt. 

My cheeks flush and I mumble. “Maybe.”

“I’ve been looking for it.”

“Well, it’s mine now,” I declare and he chuckles, angling my chin up for a swift peck on the lips.

I like this shirt. It smells fresh and sweet, just like him. 

“Looks better on you anyways,” Jeno admits, and I swipe my thumb over his prominent dark circles.

“Have you been getting any sleep?” 

“Sleep? What’s that?” Jeno snorts and I make a face at him.

“Please tell me you’ve been eating well,” I plead.

“I’ve been having a big serving of air for breakfast and lunch these past three days,” Jeno informs me and I slam a fist on his chest.

“And you call yourself a future doctor?” I gasp. 

Before I get the chance to further berate him for improper body maintenance, Jeno grabs me by the base of my neck and shoves his tongue down my throat.

I release a moan into his mouth and cling to his shoulders, all the period pain replaced with ticklish pleasure.

“Mm, I missed you,” Jeno whispers against my lips, and my stomach flutters. “My bed is cold without you.”

“Heaters exist, you know,” I jest and he tweaks the tip of my nose. 

“I missed you,” he repeats firmly, and I trace his jawline with my pointer finger. 

“I missed you too,” I confess. 

He crushes me against his chest. “I’m taking you far far away this weekend. Somewhere secluded, only the two of us. How does that sound, baby girl?”

“Are you planning to murder me?” I joke and Jeno laughs softly.

“No, I plan to rail you until you can't walk,” he says and I choke on my saliva.

Nervously fiddling with my IV, I scrunch up my face. “Where exactly are you planning to take me?”

“I own a yacht.”

“Of course you do,” I bark out a scoff. “Rich .”

A smug smirk slithers up his face. “Babe, boats are fun. Sunbathing, day drinking, barbecue, and the best part? They rock, back and forth. All we have to do is lay there and the boat will do all the work while we .”

“Boat ,” I muse, testing out its flavor. I like how it sounds and the thought of it is enough to make my insides melt. 

“Boat. .” Jeno nods firmly and I giggle, absentmindedly picking at my wrist.

Without warning, Jeno smacks the side of my head. “Ow!” I whine.

“Stop messing with your IV.”

I rub my temple, mumbling. “You could have just asked.”

He grabs my wrist to inspect it. “I administered this,” he reveals. 

“You did?” 

Jeno nods with pride. “Yup. It was either me or the student nurse. I didn't want  Mr. Butter fingers to hurt you.”

“You hurt me,” I hiss, playfully shooting him a glare. 

He grunts dismissively the moment the door swings open. 

Soobin ambles in with a female doctor who has the brightest eye smile I’ve ever seen. She doesn’t look a day over thirty, her features sharp yet elegant, friendly yet intimidating. 

“Rise and shine for the anemic!” She sings, swiping her wavy black hair over her shoulder. 

Clutching a yellow clipboard to her side, she narrows her almond eyes at us. “Jeno. It’s not professional to cuddle with the patients,” she chides.

Jeno doesn’t reply, but he obediently leaves my side. The woman wags an authoritative finger in his face, then throws her attention solely on me.

“Hello, Jang-mi dear. I’m Doctor Lee. How are we feeling today?”

“Faint,” I reply like an idiot. I meant to say, I’m feeling faint, but half my focus is scrutinizing the fact that Jeno and Doctor Lee share identical mannerisms. 

They both shift their weight onto their left leg, air in through their teeth.  

“That you sure did!” Doctor Lee giggles, a fairly-like tune. She whips out her clipboard. “Now, it says here in your record that you’re anemic. Iron-deficiency anemia is a common contributing factor to fainting during periods, so it’s nothing severe.”

She pauses to sneak a glance at Jeno, as if to confirm he’s reading along with her. Sure enough, Jeno’s mouthing the words as he reads over her shoulder.

“When you are anemic, the amount of oxygen that your blood can carry is lower, and when the brain senses even the slightest drop in oxygen levels, it triggers the changes that may lead to fainting,” Doctor Lee explains and I nod along as if her words aren’t going in one ear and out the other. 

“Alright, with that said, Jeno will explain your medication.” She pats his shoulder and without missing a beat, Jeno elaborates.

“Iron helps your body make hemoglobin, the part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen. Your medication will simply be iron pills and some ibuprofen for your cramps.”

“C-cool,” I blurt, not knowing how to reply to that. 

Doctor Lee lights up like a firecracker, ruffling Jeno’s hair. “Good job, kid,” I hear her compliment in a hushed voice.

Jeno lowers his head in an attempt to keep their conversation private. A very failed attempt. 

“Thanks, noona,” he mumbles and the puzzle pieces click into place.

Doctor Lee flashes me a warm smile and tells me to rest up. She hands Soobin my discharge papers since he was the one who admitted me and when I ask about the hospital bill, she says not to worry about it. 

After I thank her, she adjusts her white coat and turns to the door. Jeno’s about to return to my side, but she grabs his wrist and whispers. 

“Don’t forget to call dad back and don’t be late to the OR.”

“Yes, noona.”

“Okay. Noona loves you.”

Jeno shakes her off him, but his expression is tender. “Go save lives.”

She salutes him and is out the door. Then Soobin leaves to submit my paperwork and grab my medication.

When he’s gone, I sit up straight and blurt. “That was your older sister, right?”

For some reason, Jeno shifts awkwardly, crossing his arms over his chest. He nods wordlessly and my jaw drops. 

Jeno breathes a loud sigh, walking over to the amenity table. 

He pours a glass of water. “‘That was my eldest sister,” he says. 

“She’s so pretty,” I remark, trailing him with a curious gaze as he moves to sit on the edge of the bed. 

“She takes after our mother.”

“And your other sister. Is she also a doctor?” I ask, remembering how he once said his entire family works in the healthcare industry.

Jeno shakes his head. “No. Ari Noona is a medical lawyer.”

“That’s so cool!” I