What are we now?

Doctor Kyuhyun’s voice was ringing in my ears. Three whole days have gone by since he confessed to me and three whole days have gone by since I’ve been turning that question over and over in my mind like a music C.D. on repeat. I couldn’t reply him with an answer. How could I when I’m not sure about it myself? Like really, all my life, I’ve been as straight as a pole and I’m sure I’m now too. But…

Why did I like his kisses?

Why did I let him kiss me again?

Why did my heart skip beats and flutter uncontrollably with that confession of his three days back?

And most importantly, why did I kiss him back?

I never felt this way for any other male around me. What is happening to me?

“Sungminnie, open your mouth and eat this piece of orange.” Nari-ssi’s voice broke my chain of thoughts. She was somehow too excited for her normal self.

I parted my lips and welcomed the sweet piece of orange in my mouth, letting the sweet taste linger on the taste buds of my tongue.

Whenever I think about sweet taste, all that comes to my rational mind are the multiple kisses Doctor Kyuhyun gave me.

For once, I was the one feeling like kissing him once again.

It’s been three whole days since we have kissed too…

“Sungminnie, what are you thinking about? Don’t tell me you are daydreaming about being all naughty naughty with our handsome Kyuhyunnie!” she happily exclaimed as she grabbed my right hand.

“Nari-ssi, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something.” I politely asked her, slightly nervous if she would listen to me normally.

However, her eyes softened as soon as she registered my words and her hold on my hand turned gentle, warmth passing from her soft hand to mine.

“You can talk to me about anything as long as you want to.” She smiled and placed the plate and knife back on the overbed table and patted my blonde hair tenderly.

“I don’t know how to talk about this.” I began and noticed her smile turning even softer than before.

“You want to talk about Kyuhyun-ah, right?” I just nodded at that. Maybe I’m too obvious. Or else how did she figure it out without me even telling about it yet? “Don’t be nervous. Tell me all about it. And don’t worry; I will not let my fangirl side take over me.” I sighed at that last sentence, “For now at least. I can fangirl later.” She jokingly added.

I heaved a cold sigh, “We kissed.” Her smile was too wide to ignore.

“I know.”

“And he asked me what we are now after that.” I looked at her earnestly, “And I don’t know what to answer.” I timorously admitted. “I don’t know what I’m feeling at the moment.” I could hear my own voice shaking.

Her smile faltered a little but it was still there. She just toned it down a little and lightly smoothened her right palm on my healing left cheek. “You’re scared, right?” she soothingly asked. All I could do to acknowledge it was to nod my head a few times unhurriedly. Her smile reminded me of umma all of a sudden. The smile that used to make me feel loved and cared by a mother.

“Are you scared because it is your preceptor who you experienced that kiss from? Or is it because you were kissed by a person of the same gender as yours, a male? Or is it because it is your first time coming across emotions like that?” she gently asked me.

“I… I really don’t k-know, Nari-ssi.”

“Then, why don’t you try to find it out?” her hand moved to my hair.

“How do I do that? I’m so new to all this that I don’t even know what I actually feel about the whole thing. I’m very confused.”

“Then, why don’t you give him a chance? Why don’t you try spending more time with him and let your heart do the work for you?” I’m really tempted to call her ‘Umma’ at the moment.

“I…” I heaved another breathy, heavy sigh. “I think I should do that.” And I smiled at her. Maybe, I could give it a try. Maybe, I should notice Doctor Kyuhyun more.

She softly pat my face twice, “Very well then. Now don’t pressurize your mind so that you can heal sooner and return back to your internship, and… so that you can evaluate your preceptor and score him for a change. How cool is that! An intern will be evaluating their preceptor for the first time in the history!” her chirpy self was back. Somehow, it feels good and light to my heart now that I’ve shared my concern with her.

She got off the chair and ruffled my hair playfully. “Now rest my beautiful baby boy and I’ll go and look after that five-year old son of mine trapped in an adult’s body. And no matter how much I adore him being hot with his handsome Hyukkie, his health is more important so I better check on those two.” She chuckled.

Just when she was about to leave the room completely, she craned her head to my direction and that gentle smile was lingering on her lips, “You can call me Nari umma instead of Nari-ssi, if you want to, that is.” So it’s true what they say. A mother can actually understand her child better than anyone else even without words being told. I couldn’t help but smile back at her.

“Thank you, Nari umma.” Her smile brightened up at that and she happily left for the room across mine where Donghae was —I’m so sure— heavily making out with Doctor Hyukjae. That boy recovered faster than one could possibly imagine.

It was mid-afternoon and I was going through a scientific website where I was checking a few drug interactions I had a doubt about when going through a case that Doctor Kyuhyun had wanted me to work on but I couldn’t since I got involved in this mess.

Thinking about that day, I wonder how Siwon-ah is. I have not heard of or seen Siwon-ah since the incident. Is his headache still so bad? Or did he fall sick yet again? I can’t even call and check on him since I lost my phone and bag back then in the alley. Nari-ssi told that the police are looking for the goons who attacked us but they have not gained any success so far.

I was too busy thinking about Siwon-ah to really notice anything about my surroundings when a faint, “Ahm, ahm” broke my concentration from the laptop screen that I was unconsciously staring at on the overbed table in front of me.

I looked up and found Heechul-ssi standing at the doorway of my hospital room with his signature smirk on. His hands were holding a beautiful bouquet of orchids in his hands. “Hey beautiful, can I come in?” he questioned. I couldn’t help but pout at the term he used to describe me. I’m not supposed to be called beautiful!

My left leg wasn’t dangling in a sling anymore and was instead placed on my bed since the doctor told that it has started healing already. So when Heechul-ssi approached me, he settled on the space of the bed near my plastered leg instead of taking a seat on the chair near the bed.

He gently poked my plastered leg with his right hand’s index finger. “How did this happen? Did they kick you on your ankle or what?” he frowned. I just smiled softly and shook my head left to right and back to left. I remember how I exactly injured it.

“I gave one of them a flying kick actually.” Now that I rethink about it, I’m actually proud to have pulled that stunt out albeit it was done on the spur of the moment by my subconscious mind.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t come earlier.” He meekly apologized as he looked at my face with an apologetic smile. I returned his smile with my own as a way to say that it was alright.

“Heechul-ssi—”

“You can call me hyung.” He cut me off.

“Heechul hyung, I was wondering, how is Siwon-ah doing now? Is his headache still too bad?” I couldn’t hide the worry in my tone. His expression somehow faltered from smiling to sad but his previous expression returned back on his face lik