Second Waltz

The sound of the intercom from the Incheon Airport just informed the travelers about the upcoming flights. One of the announcements was about the Japanese flight which just landed on South Korean land. The passengers were all in hurry but one of them was definitely enjoying every step. She was a seemingly rich woman, maybe in her mid twenties, who didn’t seem to care at all about the stares she was attracting. She was dressed simply but very classy and feminine. Her eyes were undetectable because of the big sunglasses she had on her nose. Everything about her was screaming: unapproachable.

She was a woman who didn’t care about anything; or so it seemed. She took off her glasses and inspected the airport. There were a lot of people coming in and out of it yet none held a familiar face. She sighed and walked out of the airport. There was a black Mustang among the common looking cars. Women and men were amazed by the car but, moreover, by the young handsome man who was leaning against it. He was dressed stylishly but his hair was messy. His eyes were covered by a pair of glasses.

The unapproachable woman didn’t seem fazed by the rich car. She walked straight to him and grabbed the glasses off his eyes. He smiled sheepishly. The same smile she had seen ever since she was young.

“Are you done showing off?” Joon Myeon rubbed the back of his head and opened the door for her. She rolled her eyes and entered without any other word.

“So, how was your business trip, Mi Rae?” He asked after he got on the driver’s seat. He the engine and started to drive at quite a slow pace. He wasn’t in a hurry.

“Fine. I explained to them in detail and they agreed to begin the construction of a new hospital. It should be ready sometime next year or so” Joon Myeon raised an eyebrow and chuckled at her perfect response. That wasn’t the matter he was interested in.

“I didn’t have any doubt about that. But I was talking about the other business” She placed her arm against the window and leaned her head on it. She was exhausted. Her eyes stared blankly at her friend.

“It went well” Her response was objective and monotone. She wasn’t in the mood to give more details.

“Your father got killed because of Yakuza and you ended up making a deal with them. Who’d have imagined?” He was amused.

She was the opposite of her father and she had different ways to approach her targets. She was smoother.

“I am not my father” Suddenly, she remembered something. “How is my brother?” Joon Myeon started to laugh loudly.

“Not as good as you. The department heads are trying to make him give up on his position but he is very persuasive” She chuckled and turned her head to the window. She had been gone for almost two months for different matters. It felt nice to be home.  

“What about my hospital?” Joon Myeon rolled his eyes.

Ever since she rehabilitated that old and worn out hospital, she couldn’t help but always think about it.

“The hospital is doing fine” She turned her head and stared intensely at Joon Myeon. That wasn’t an answer for her.

She wanted to know exactly what was going on in her hospital. Joon Myeon sighed and turned the wheel. He wasn’t going to take her wherever she wanted to. He was going to drive her home.

“The doctors aren’t as many as I want to. There are a lot of patients waiting for someone to save their lives or care for their health. I created it with a purpose” She took care to accentuate every word she found vital. Joon Myeon didn’t have the power to fight with her. She became very good at speaking; rarely someone would beat her at her own game.

She became exactly what her father wished and she hated it. That was the sole purpose for her hospital line. She wanted to save lives and cure those who needed it; but she also wanted to deceive her father. She wanted to be a savior not a killer. She finished the Medicine School in Australia but after she came back to South Korea, she decided to open up her own business. She hired young doctors and nurses and she, personally, instructed them. However, they weren’t enough. She needed more doctors.

“Did you listen to my advice and spread the word about my need?” She made it sound like she was actually talking about different matters.

But Joon Myeon knew her well and knew what she meant. He turned the wheel again, making the car turn drastically. He stopped at a red light and turned fully to her.

“As a matter of fact yes, I did. We have 4 doctors and each doctor will get 4 interns. At the end, each doctor will remain with one intern. That way we can suddenly hire 4 doctors from one shot” The strategy was good. “The interns who won’t make it until the end will get to choose. They can stay or they can leave, but they can’t become heads” Joon Myeon ended his small speech and the engine.

“Good. We need perfection, not losers” Joon Myeon chuckled. She definitely took her father’s personality. But as soon as someone would tell her that, she would make him feel like the biggest scum in the world. He had been there; he knew.  

“You should relax a little. Why don’t we go out tonight?” She raised an eyebrow and smirked.

“Are you inviting me on a date?” He shrugged. He chose to keep his eyes on the road instead of feeling the intense gaze she had on him.

“Do you want to?” Her eyes softened considerably and her cocky smirk transformed into a soft smile.

“Maybe” Joon Myeon smiled unconsciously. They were very close to her apartment building. He needed her to make out her mind quickly.

She didn’t utter another word about the supposedly date. She kept silent for the rest of 5 minutes.

“So, are we going out tonight or not?” He was partially nervous and partially amused. She loved to .

She glanced at him over her shoulder and chuckled.

“Maybe” That was the answer he needed. After he left, Mi Rae started to laugh softly while entering the building. It was good to be home.

That night, around 8 o’clock, Joon Myeon didn’t even dare wait for her at the restaurant. He knew her enough to know she was going to be late. He drove straight to her apartment and rang for a few times until she responded. She wasn’t even half done. She had make-up applied on her face and her hair was curled, but she wasn’t dressed.

“Somehow, I knew you will come” She was joking.

She knew he wasn’t patient at all and he would end up at her door, telling her to hurry up. It happened before.

He entered without a single problem. He was already accustomed to her apartment. Her living room was very clean, surprisingly. She was running from her room to her bathroom and vice versa. Joon Myeon rolled his eyes and grabbed a few files from his briefcase. He needed to inspect the people who applied for the job.

“You don’t have to do work while you are here. You make me feel like a bad boss”

It had been approximately half an hour later when Mi Rae was finally ready. She placed her arms on each of his shoulders and squeezed slightly. He looked at her and closed the files.

“You are not my boss. I am a lawyer for your hospital because I am your friend. Besides, I still feel bad that I left you alone when you needed me the most”

He was referring to the last year of high school. She frowned. She didn’t like to talk about the past. It still haunted her.

“Let’s not talk about that and just go on a date” Joon Myeon’s frown changed into a bright smile in an instant. He grabbed her hand and promised her a good and fun night.

The next morning, Mi Rae woke up first. She rubbed her eyes and rolled a few times on the bed. She didn’t feel like going out at all. It was only after she got hungry that she got out of bed. She entered the living room and rubbed her stomach. She walked straight into the kitchen and the rice cooker. Next, she grabbed a pan from the sideboard and poured oil in it. She waited for the oil to heat up and started to cook Japanese omelets.

After she was done making breakfast, she walked back in the living room. She rolled her eyes when she heard a soft snoring. Last night, Joon Myeon drank too much red wine. He insisted to drive her back home and she was sure that he wasn’t going to leave. A drunken Joon Myeon was a sorrowful Joon Myeon. He started to talk about the times he hadn’t been a good friend to her, the times he hadn’t been a good son, etcetera. After he was done confessing his miserable life, he fell asleep.

“Wake up, sleeping beauty” He stirred but didn’t wake up. She scoffed and pulled the pillow off him. He groaned and rolled on his side. She leaned on her knees and titled her head to the side.

She grabbed the pillow and with a bright smirk, she pulled it harshly.

“Wake up Dorothy! You’re not in Kansas anymore!” It ended up with a groaning and fussy Dong Hyun on the floor. “Come on. I’m taking you to the dark side” She was amused by how much he must have hated her in that moment. It was rather obvious he was swearing at her in his mind.

“You didn’t have to be so harsh”

After she woke Joon Myeon up, they ate breakfast while trying to mend his bump. When he fell from the couch, he hit his head pretty hard. Besides that, he fell asleep in an uncomfortable position and his back hurt.

Joon Myeon was in a poor state. His disheveled appearance made him look like he just had a one night stand. That wasn’t the case, of course. He was a loyal young man, dedicated to his job. There was only one woman he felt affection for. Unfortunately, that one woman was too oblivious to notice.

From the moment they entered his car and he started the engine, Mi Rae was sure that day will progress very slowly. Firstly, the traffic was horrible. She had a tight schedule that day and the Universe was against her. 

“I won’t apologize for something I’m not sorry for” She was a bad woman. She enjoyed seeing him rub his head and back like an old man. She even made jokes about him.

“For your information, I’m going to the gym lately” She rolled her eyes and hid her bemused smile. One look at Joon Myeon’s body and anyone would notice he doesn’t like sports. “Anyway,” He had to change the subject rapidly. “The interns will come today. I know how much you want to see them” She nodded.

“I’m curious about the teams. We have three amazing medical heads with different PhDs. I want to see on what criterions they will choose their interns”

In TolBom Hospital, there were three distinctive places for the patients.

 Firstly, there was the Emergency Room where most doctors and nurses didn’t know what a free day meant. They were always on alert for all kind of cases. They weren’t allowed to make mistakes, therefore Mi Rae advised them to be careful. She created a schedule upon which everyone had breaks and work. If one was to go against that schedule, the consequences were quite morbid. Thankfully, no one ever broke her rules. The Emergency Room was led by doctor Park Chanyeol. He had a PhD in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine.

Secondly, there was the second level which held the General Surgery, among other departments. The head of it was a young man who sincerely didn’t seem to have any connection with the medical world. He was a ladies’ man, he loved to drink; he loved to do anything as long as it was going to induce adrenaline. That was doctor Kris Wu. He had a PhD in Bioengineering, surprisingly enough.

Lastly, there was a wing especially created for the patients who were in need of occupational therapy. There was a large number of patience on that particular place and the reason was the head of that department. Doctor Song Ji Eun was a talented and beautiful woman. She had great patience and a great personality. She had a PhD in Psychology.

Therefore, the three heads were quite different from each other. While Chanyeol was the perfect son-in-law, Kris was the perfect troublemaker. As a woman with high responsibility and status, Ji Eun had to hold the façade of a kind woman. They were all putting on a mask when they were around their patients. Mi Rae knew how they were in reality and that was the main reason why she chose them.

“You shouldn’t have high hopes this time around. You were lucky enough to find them, the last time” She chuckled and started to play with her seatbelt.

“There’s always someone worthy” He rolled his eyes and made a turn. They were close to the hospital.