IV. Be Proud Of Me
On A Rainy Day
"Watch carefully, this may the only time you watch such a performance," Our teacher said as she looked back at us. My eyes fixed on the neurosurgeon in front of me, who worked on the operation as if it were a delicate piece of sculpture that needed fixing. Doctor Lee Kang Hoon was a top-notch doctor in Seoul National University Hospital. Since Ewha and Seoul National were close in the medical department, we were aloud to come here.
It was an open brain surgery, and Doctor Lee Kang Hoon was the one in charge. It was my first time watching him, in person of course, and I admiredhow swift and careful he was with the brain. We could hear their talking behind the glass with the small televisions in the corner, which also helped us see what they were doing to the brain. I paid close attention, jolting down small notes on the journal on my lap. Only two weeks since I began medical school, and I have loved it. It wasn't just courses and boring lectures, it was hand on hand action with a few patients and students from the school.
"What happened?!" someone yelled. I turned my head back to the screen to see a big amount of blood coming from the brain. People began to mutter things, making me groan silently and press my fingers to the bridge of my nose. Weren't they medical students? They were supposed to know things like this would happen during an operation.
"Too much pressure on the artery caused it to rupture," I mumbled out loud as I jolted it down on my notes. I looked back up at the screen and leaned forward. "He can't find where it ruptured, so it's an emergency. The patient's life is now in their hands." Blood was brought by one of the other accompanying doctors as I jolting down everything they were doing.
"Very good, Jung Mo Ne." The teacher nodded and jolted something down in her clipboard, making me smile. Of course I was going to pay attention to the surgery.
After the four hour surgery, it was all a success and we were dismissed. One of the girls that was present during the operation began to speak to me, commenting on how much I knew about this surgery. I smiled, telling her that it was just because I pay attention to my classes. "I'm Im Jin Ae," she pulled out her hand from the coat pocket and smiled. I took her hand, smiling and slowly shook it. It was informal to do so, but I guessed that she wanted to be friends without formalities.
"Jung Mo Ne," I introduced myself with a grin. "When is your birthday?" I asked.
"March 2nd, 1985." She announced with a proud grin. "I guess you're my dongsaeng?" I nodded, bowing and chuckling softly.
"Ne." I ran a hand through my hair, then placed it on top of my stomach. Jinae unnie chuckled, and wrapped an arm around mine. She began to pull me away from hospital and straight to her car. "Oh, where are you taking me?" I laughed.
"I'm taking you to a cafe," she answered. "I want to treat my smart dongsaeng to a good lunch. It's not everyday that I find girls that pay attention to a neurosurgery, Mone yah. I think I'd like for you to be my hoobae."
"Jjeongmal?!" I wide grin began to grow on my lips. "In Seoul National University Hospital? Me, be your hoobae? Unnie~" She laughed as she her car, and patted my head.
"I can sense your excitement," she chuckled. "I'll tell you the details over our lunch." We arrived at a nice small cafe quite far from the hospital, called Mindeulleyeongto, also known as Minto. Jinae unnie decided to order, and pay, for me. A nice sandwich with salad and an iced tea. She got something similar for herself, although hers had a big plate of fries. She began to tell about what would I do as her hoobae - including the getting her lunch sometimes part. She was going to allow me to be with her during surgeries, when she's checking patients, and the rest of the things she did around the hospital. I would be there as an intern, but since I would also be working I was going to get payed a nurses wage. I couldn't be happier, and I couldn't wait to tell Yongguk about it.
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"Oh," Jinae mumbled as she dropped a fry to her plate. "I thought they would only be in Gangnam, not here." she hissed. She looked down and bit her lip, causing me to raise a brow in confusion.
"Unnie, is everything alright?" I adverted my eyes towards where she was looking, and surprise hit me. Four boys that I knew quite well strutted inside the cafe, and immediately sat down at a table. One of them surveyed around the cafe, his eyes landing on me and a small smile forming on his lips. I bowed slowly, smiling at him and the rest of the boys who looked towards me.
"You know them?!" Jinae hissed softly. "Oh god! You're one of them! How the hell could I have known that I was getting one of them to be my hoobae?" She kept rambling on while looking at her food them up at me, at her phone then up at me.
"One of them?" I raised a brow and shook my head. "Aniyo, unnie. I just know them, that's it."
"By your face right now, I can tell that you're confused." She sighed and ran a hand through her her. "Listen to me, Mone. Don't get too cozy with them, they're not good."
"Eung," I hummed, peeking back at the four boys. Yongguk sat opposite of Himchan, meanwhile Daehyun and Youngjae sat besides them. Yongguk looked backed at me, and sent me his famous gummy smile.
"Jung Mone!" Jinae yelled. I looked back at her and bit my lip. "I mean it. Don't get close to them, stay as far away from them as you can. They're not your average flower boys." Flower boys? I can guarantee her that Yongguk didn't look like the normal flower boy, although some attributes of him stood out as that. The most flower boy in that group would be Himchan, and none of the boys could deny so.
"Arasseo," I finally mumbled, looking back at the other half of my sandwich. She didn't have to know that I lived a few doors down from them, of course not! She didn't have to know that I sometimes sent text to the boys when I wondered if they have eaten. She didn't need to know that I would keep in contact with them.
"Good," Jinae sighed. "I'm just saying this because of your own good." She then continued eating before taking my phone and writing something. "There's my number in case you need me." I nodded, and took back my phone. It vibrated seconds after I put it on my lap.
Bang Yongguk
너 괜찮아?
(are you okay?)
I looked up at his table, and immediately collided with his eyes. I smiled and nodded, putting my phone back in my pocket before Jinae unnie figured out what I was doing.
"Kansahamnida, unnie." I smiled while bowing my head. "I wish I could repay you, for the lunch and the job!"
"Come with me tomorrow," she smiled. "We'll go shopping, not as colleagues but as friends." I nodded, and like that I had my first female friend in Seoul. She left me to walk home, due to an emergency call that she got from the hospital. I didn't live quite far, since I could just take the bus home.
"It seems that you have a tendency to walk home alone at night," A voice that I have become accustomed too said. I chuckled and turned my head, seeing the same gummy smile I saw at the cafe. "but it's luckily around three in the afternoon this time."
"I guess so," I chuckled. "It seems that you have a tendency to pick me up whenever I have no way of getting home." He grinned and opened the passenger door, letting me in to his car. The white car seemed so familiar to me ever since the first night he took me home.
"So, what were you talking about with that doctor?" he asked. I looked over at him and gave him a big grin. He raised a brow at me before looking back at the road. "Did something good happen?"
"You should be proud of me, oppa." It felt weird calling him oppa, but I enjoyed it. By his face, he didn't mind. "I got a job at the Seoul National University Hospital, although it's not the lead surgeon but it's still in the surgery department. It's not really a job, but more like an internship."
"Chincha?!" Yongguk laughed and took my hand from my lap, giving it a tight squeeze. "Congratulations, Mone!" He looked over at me, giving me that breathtaking gummy smile. "Should I address you as Doctor Jung Mo-Ne from now on?" I playfully hit his arm with my free hand, giggling like a child.
"Oppa!" He chuckled and stopped the car and leaned back on the seat, looking at me with a soft smile on his lips.
"Chukahamnida, Mone." he softly said. "I'm proud of you."
"That sounds like something my father would say," I chuckled. "Kansahamnida, oppa."
"Now," He opened the door and got off the car with a big smile on his face. I did the same, immediately seeing him over the roof with a smile on his face as his arms propped on the roof. "I did tell you we were going to celebrate, right? Come on." I looked around and noticed that we were in on top of a parking garage.
I immediately ran over to Yongguk and grabbed his hand, smiling like a child up at him. He looked surprised, but smiled back. He pulled me towards the street, chuckling as a bunch of people crowded our way. Kids, ahjummas, teenagers, ahjussis, parents, and couples were all around us. A few ahjummas stopped and stared at us for a few seconds, commenting something to their friend and then continuing towards wherever they were heading. I didn't blame them; Yongguk looked as if he just stepped out of an action movie with the suit he was wearing. Of course, he looked like an extremely attractive movie star.
"Oppa," I mumbled low enough for only him to hear. "Where are you exactly taking me?"
"Just around here," he chuckled. "Hongdae is a nice place to just walk around, y'know." I looked around the street, seeing many small kiosks selling jewelry and clothes. There were a few places scattered around selling street food, then a few cafes scattered around in between the shops. "Come one." He pulled me to a small shop, grinning like a fool and putting a few shirts to my chest as I crossed my arms and shook my head. It went on like this throughout the rest of the time. He would pull out some shirt, I would shake my head or do an 'X' with my arms.
After the whole Hongdae experience, Yongguk vouched that he would take me there once again very soon. I had about two bags of clothes, and one bag filled with small things that we bought around. I bit my lip and looked down at my feet as I noticed that Yongguk had the bag in his hands, the bag which held the few shirts I bought for him. It was weird how it felt as if we were on a date.
"I'll see you tomorrow?" Yongguk asked as we stopped in front of the door.
"I have to go out with Jinae unnie," I mumbled while looking down. "I'll cook you dinner! I think Junhong and Jongup might enjoy my cooking. After all, all they've eaten is take out." I chuckled. He laughed, and nodded before pulling me to him with his free hand.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow," His lips collided with my forehead, and my eyes went wide with surprise. He pulled away a few seconds later and smiled, letting go of my head and stepping back. "Jalja, Mone."
I am sincerely sorry that I haven't updated in quite some time. Honestly, I had a bit of writer's block but I had some inspiration come to me now.
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