“New bandage?” He raised his eyebrows in question of it.

“Yes, so wear it from now on.” Namjoo keenly smiled as if proud of herself.

Luhan glanced at the ribbon again then to her, “What are you going to do about it when it starts getting old?”

“I’ll just get you a new one,” she replied and they smiled at each other.

“What did you bring?” His eyes skimmed over the bags.

Dinner came and went unlike the long hours he spent at work. In just another hour Namjoo had left after their meal and he was back with his usual companion: the silence.

It wasn’t quite the same as the silence Chae Yoon had abandoned him with. This kind of silence wasn’t heavy nor did it chant cloudy words into the back of his mind. He wasn’t uncomfortable with this silence because it’d come to him like a summer breeze, warm and welcoming. This silence was intangible and friendly. Luhan felt good when alone with it unlike the dreaded silence Chae Yoon gave him. He was content and he was well.

Feeling worn out and ready for bed, he stepped into the bathroom to wash up. While he let the water run he suddenly stared at the ribbon on his wrist. It made him gush up, not the kind of way in which his heart fluttered but in the way that he felt warm and whole.

A new bandage, Namjoo had called it.

A brisk smile entered his face. Pulling his sleeve over it in order to keep it dry from getting wet he leaned over to grab his toothbrush.

“=====”

A shady light of the sun ray drifted into the staff room through half opened blinds. The digital clock sitting on the side of the night table read 8:00. Of the two twin beds in the night staff room only one of them had been occupied during the night.

Lanky doctor Lee Ki Chan jolted awake the mere second his phone started ringing. Sitting up with his back arched forward he allowed for his neck to lazily droop forward. Raising a hand up he rubbed the back of his head while struggling to gather his senses. The phone still hadn’t stopped ringing just yet.

Lazily flinging his arm out for it he answered in a dry voice, “Hello?”

“Ki Chan, have some time for coffee?” He immediately recognized Chae Yoon’s voice.

Of all the persons who would call him in the early mornings for coffee was only Chae Yoon. He’d taken it by now that she was a caffeine addict and there was no helping being her accompiment to the usual café.

Forcing himself up he walked out of the hospital after brushing and washing up. Sleep was still in his eyes due to a tiring night shift. If they were still somewhat bloodshot red he’d forgo Chae Yoon’s morning complaints and return to sleep in the night staff room.

Chae Yoon was already waiting for him with her own cup of coffee that morning. As usual he’d have to take to buying his own cup. Sometimes he wondered why she wouldn’t take to treating him.

“My, you look horrible,” Chae Yoon commented upon seeing him. “How are you supposed to catch any lady’s eyes like that?”

“I’m so tired,” he moaned, stretching back into his seat.

“Does Namjoo work today?” Chae Yoon wondered.

“Not sure.” Ki Chan rubbed his eyes; still exhausted from the shifts he’d been assigned.

Chae Yoon smiled with a quiet spur as if to prod his attention.

“You haven’t heard from her I’m guessing?”

He shook his head still unable to wake up. Even as the tasty scent of coffee drifted up to coat his nostrils he still couldn’t gather his senses. Locking his fingers together he leaned his head forward to close his eyes.

“You know that resort you talked about?” Chae Yoon started.

“Why? What about it?”

“It should be finished soon, right?”

“I think so,” he replied nodding into his hands.

Chae Yoon smugly smiled and tilted her head as she looked into Ki Chan’s head, “Lets head out there. You, me, Namjoo, and her friend.”

He almost drifted into a slumber if not for what Chae Yoon next said.

“Aren’t you curious about that man?” Chae Yoon purposely instigated. “They spent a few nights together.”

Lifting his head up he stared into Chae Yoon’s triggering eyes.

“Don’t you think she got too close to him too fast? I mean, compared to you who she’s known for quite a few years.”

An alert button was going off inside his head as he glanced at her cup of Americano, but he couldn’t think of anything to say. He suddenly glanced up into her face as if waiting for her to say anything, something.

“Lets get to know him and evaluate him,” Chae Yoon continued. “See what kind of person he is; if he’s really as good a person as she says he is.”

Ki Chan was barely swayed before he caught himself, “Why? It’s her life. Namjoo’s a smart person; she can make her own judgements.”

“Aren’t you worried?” Chae Yoon tried again. “You should be a little jealous at least. I mean, look at how long you’ve been waiting for her.”

“Chae Yoon…”

“Think about it. You should at the very least be worried.” Chae Yoon deepened her tone to an emphasis as if to get him to second think everything.

Well…of course he was worried. He was worried about any kind of man Namjoo befriened; if their intentions toward her were good or not; if they just wanted to approach her because her family was rich or if they really sincerely cared about her. Ki Chan was very well aware he couldn’t take or decide Namjoo’s happiness for her. He cared about her the most and he just wanted her to be comfortable and smiling. He wouldn’t ever dare to jeopardize anything that made her happy.

“Alright,” he gave him. “Luhan, right?”

Chae Yoon nodded.

As he walked back to the hospital he tried to remember how that man had looked like. Ki Chan had last seen him at Kai’s birthday party. Luhan seemed like a durable man, but he didn’t think he could remember Luhan’s face correctly. He trusted though, that if Namjoo said Luhan was a good person, he indeed was.

Namjoo was just in the second he walked into the hospital. After catching Bo Young he headed up to the third floor to find Namjoo in the nurses’ quarters gathering her clipboard and a pen.

“Ki Chan!” She excitedly greeted. “Wow, you look really exhausted. Are you ok?”

He smiled upon seeing her. Just the very sight of her made his grayest days brighter.

“I’m fine,” he nodded. “I heard you went on a trip.”

“Ah…” she fiddled with the pen between her fingers and nodded. “Yes, something like that.”

Ki Chan pulled on a smile taking note of what Chae Yoon had told him was true. Namjoo had spent a night with Luhan. He didn’t want to think about what could have happened and he felt guilty toward her for even have the mere thought of it.

“Anyway, my uncle’s about done with the resort in Haenam. Do you want to go?”

“Haenam?” Namjoo’s brows shot up.

He nodded, “Haenam. The one I mentioned at your brother’s birthday party.”

A kind of silence befell her before she smiled, “That sounds fun.”

“So, is that a yes?” He felt his heart palpitate a little faster as he anxiously waited for her to verify it.

“Sure,” Namjoo nodded. “It’s cost free there, right?”

Ki Chan laiughed joyfully, but he was mostly relieved, “Yes.”

“I’ll go.”

“Oh…about your friend,” he couldn’t forget, “Luhan, his name right?”

“Luhan?” Namjoo repeated surprised by the sudden mention of him.

“Yes,” Ki Chan nodded. “Would he like to go too? You should ask him.”

Namjoo seemed to glance at him for a long second before nodding. Ki Chan felt himself smack his chest in cautious victory. It was going just as planned.

“=====”

Namjoo still couldn’t help, but check to see if Kai had called her every night. She’d forgotten the long emptiness that came with waiting. Every time she returned to her apartment she’d think of when she found Kai standing in front of her door, and she couldn’t help but think he might be standing there again waiting to surprise her. Her heart would sink shen she realized it wouldn’t happen because it was already over.

Was she still grieving the loss of what they never had? Or was she living in a sense of denial and stupitidy?

She finally left her cage that weekend. In a part, she was glad Luhan had suggested for a picnic. Namjoo realized all those hours cooped up at work weren’t helping her forget. She’d still return home and ponder over her loss. This picnic with Luhan was suddenly something she looked forward to. There was something to do, a view to enjoy, and other happy lives to look upon. There was something to keep herself busy with and out of her apartment where the memories of saying farewell to Kai lingered.

It was a nightmare there.

Namjoo had risen around early dawn and set to cooking a few dishes and some snacks; had even gone out for some new napkins and plates, spoons and forks. When she arrived at their meeting place Luhan was waiting for her at a bench with a few containers of packed food. All of them were simplistic recipes, which was just like him. Namjoo on the other hand had a mat strung over her arm, soda, and a large basket stuffed with food and other necessities.

“Lets go sit over there,” Namjoo pointed to a grand oak tree with overflowing branches and vines of greens.

“Are you moving somewhere?” Luhan walked over and took the heavy basket from her. “Gosh, what do you have in here? Cow’s head?”

Namjoo made a face at him, “Only the things you can’t make.”

Luhan snorted and made a face back at her. She dropped the soda onto the ground to which Luhan screamed about how it might pop open and spray soda all over them. Shooting him a long stare about how he was overreacting she laid down the mat and sat down.

“You’re a nagger, aren’t you?” Namjoo asked pulling the soda up.

“I am not.”

Namjoo took one glance at him before laughing a breathless laugh.

“What?” He exclaimed. “I am not.”

“Just wait till I record you one of these days.”

Reaching into her basket she laid out all the food she’d cooked that morning.

“Jesus,” he commented staring at the variety of foods on the mat, “this is a picnic, not a buffet. I can barely sit on here.”

“Comparing mine to yours, mine looks tastier,” Namjoo pointed to hers then to his.

“Hey,” he brushed her hand away. “It still tastes just as good.”

“Anything new?” Namjoo asked before stuffing .

“Nothing’s ever new.”

“Yea, same.”

“You work at a hospital,” he pointed out as if to say something happened everyday.

“Doesn’t mean some crazy patient wields a knife at us everyday,” Namjoo bluntly stated. “I mean we get rude patients here and now, but I also bet you get them too.”

“Well…” he thought about it before momentarily shrugging, “yea.”

Namjoo shot a smile before stuffing again.

“You eve been in the surgery room?”

“Luhan,” she called as if to scold him, “I’m a nurse.”

He looked confused, “So that has nothing to do with the surgery room?”

“I take care of the ward patients after the surgery,” Namjoo explained, “to make sure they’re recovering.”

“Oh…”

Once she’d eaten her fill she pushed everything to the side so that she could drop back onto the blanket. The clouds were moving by in a blur, so slowly as if they had all the time given in the world. When the yellow orb in the sky became visible after their passing Namjoo closed her eyes. There was a sense of peace in this feeling; calm, elusion, tranquility. Namjoo could feel and hear her heart beating, every single blood cell pulsating through her veins as it carried each breath and oxygen through her whole. It was almost as if her body was telling her she was still whole and well.

How very ironic, because she didn’t feel whole or well at all, but here she was – whole and well.

Namjoo could almost envision inside her head an imagery of her and Kai running along a golden field of wheat. None of their siblings had taken interest in the play, so the field belonged to only the two of them for the whole hour. That field had been their world full of laughter and joy. How they’d chased, discovered insects, watched the wind sway the wheats in various directions; their voices drowning into each other’s as they called out.

They’d once been so innocent that holding hands would be seen as child’s play. The memories held deep within would probably stay with her forever.

“I’m so full!” Luhan exclaimed throwing himself down beside her.

Her eyes opened when she felt his hand accidentally touch hers. With mind still blank from the sudden imagery from earlier she only stared up at the clouds that were passing by in blurs again – so slowly as if they had all the time in the world.

Luhan turned to glance at her, but Namjoo hadn’t taken notice of it. When he inched his hand away and placed it on his stomach he heaved a loud sigh.

“That was good,” he commented. “You know staring up at the sun can blind you?”

“I know.” Namjoo closed her eyes again and opened them again a second later. Twisting her head she glanced at him, “Want to go to Haenam?”

She watched his eyes widen a bit.

“You remember Ki Chan, right?” Namjoo asked. “His uncle’s almost done with construction there. Want to go?”

“Me?”

“Of course,” Namjoo almost wanted to laugh at how dumbfounded he suddenly was, “who else would I be talking to?”

Luhan didn’t add anything.

“As a little vacation,” Namjoo went on. “You haven’t been to Haenam, have you?”

“No.”

“Then lets go.” Namjoo urged.

“But I don’t know Ki Chan. It’s kind of awkward, don’t you think?”

“That’s why you can go and get to know them,” Namjoo suggested. “Chae Yoon’s going too. You’re awkward with her too, right? Get to know them.”

“I don’t know…” Luhan muttered.

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Namjoo asked. “It’s just to enjoy yourself. When are you ever going to get a chance like this again? All you have to worry about is how to get there; food, necessities, utilities, and beds are all provided – free of charge!”

She hoped she was sounding persuasive. Namjoo had never been known to be quite a speaker. That was mostly Chae Yoon’s role.

“Are you sure it’s ok?”

Namjoo nodded, “I’m telling you Ki Chan asked me to tell you to come. It’ll be fun. It’ll be like…a trip you won’t forget.” 

***Ok, I apologise guys. I would have updated sooner, but I had an accident along the trip back home and suffered from scrapes and a light concussion. But I'm feeling better so here's an update! :D

***As you see Chae Yoon is trying to trick Ki Chan over to her side. Lets see if her tricks work.