Please forgive my errors.

Have fun reading!

Dara sat nervously in front of the imposing man she met earlier. She wondered how everything came to this.

‘It was supposed to be a normal day! I simply need to drink coffee and eat my croissant and then go back to my hospital shift,’ Dara agonised silently.

“I know that this will be too much to ask of you,” Dara raised her head to look at the man that is Jaehyun’s father as he finally broke the silence, “It seems like my son, Jaehyun, really took a liking of you, that’s why, will you marry me?”

Dara gaped at the man in front of her before pinching her arm and wondering if somehow she's been trapped in a nightmare or travelled into a different universe. She flinched on her self-inflicted pain and accepted the reality of the situation. Though she has accepted it, it still doesn’t mean that she has to like it.

“I’m sorry. I have to decline,” she said, turning him down and immediately ran like a scalded dog out of that— that infuriating man’s office, to the point of even not hearing Jaehyun’s calls of “Dr. Dara.”

“It’s good to see you again, Doctor,”

Dr. Dara sighed when she heard the now familiar voice of one Kim Jaejoong. Weeks after their awkward first meeting, Dara found herself being courted by the annoyingly arrogant man. A bouquet of flowers waiting for her every morning, invitations for dinner and sometimes even car rides to and fro work.

“Good Day, Mr. Kim. Is there any problem with Jaehyun? His appointment is still next month,” the man simply smiled at her and made himself comfortable by sitting in the patient’s chair in front of Dr. Dara’s table.

“I really do think that we’re past those kinds of formalities, love. I’ve been telling you to call me Jaejoong or Jae for four weeks now,”

The doctor ignored his flirting and proceeded to give him a critical look, one that the doctor reserves for her difficult patients.

“What can I do for you today, Mr. Kim?” Dr. Dara said with all the seriousness that she could muster.

“I’m taking you out for lunch, Dr. Dara. You’ve been refusing my dinner offers,” he replied while taking the doctor’s hand into his. Dr. Dara subtly removed her hand from his grasp and proceeded to decline him, “I’m sorry. My schedule is quite full today, Mr. Kim. I won’t be able to have lunch with you,”

Instead of being disappointed though, Kim Jaejoong gave her a winning smirk, “Well, I’m afraid you won’t be able to decline today, love. I asked the nurse in the reception area and she told me that you’re free for the rest of the day,”

Dr. Dara swallowed an annoyed groan and noted in her head to scold the nurse later, “I’m currently on duty, Mr. Kim. I might get called for emergency,”

“There are already two doctors on call in the paediatric department today, love. You’re free to go. Plus the fact that you’ve been running on an 18-hour shift already,” upon hearing those words, Dr. Dara felt all the tiredness that the last few hours of her work caused her body. She sighed and submitted to the powerful man’s whims.

Taking her silence as a sign of resignation, Jaejoong stood up and offered  his hand to the doctor. She took her bag and stuffed a couple her patients’ documents that she needed to review at home. The two then walked together, hand in hand, out of the hospital.

Jaejoong opened the car door for Dr. Dara, who offered him a tired smile and immediately went inside and settled herself without a fight. The car ride was silent the whole time. Jaejoong glanced briefly to the person beside him and can’t help but smile as he watched her try to fight off her sleepiness. A few more minutes later, Dr. Dara finally fell asleep. He smiled adoringly at her before changing gears and took a turn in a different direction  than they were originally intended to.

The tasty smell of something cooking was the thing that prompted Dr. Dara to leave her dreamworld behind. Looking around, Dr. Dara found herself in the familiar pale shade of lavender that was the colour of her room. Trying to recall everything that happened, Dr. Dara jumped out of her bed upon realising that she was not alone inside her apartment. Waiting for the dizziness to pass that was caused by her sudden movement, Dr. Dara immediately took the baseball bat she placed under the bed just for occasions like this.

Opening her door slowly as to not make any noise, the now wide awake doctor started to make her way to the kitchen silently. Ignoring the grumbling of her stomach, caused by the tasty smell of the food, Dr. Dara raised the baseball bat, ready to hit the intruder. All of her efforts were for naught though, when the voice of Mr. Kim Jaejoong reverberated from the kitchen counter.

“You’re finally awake. I prepared some corn soup and chicken picatta  for dinner. You missed lunch and I didn’t wake you up because I know how tired you are,” Kim Jaejoong said while placing the dish he prepared on the dining table.

Dr. Dara only stared agape, her baseball bat still raised. But the sight of the food immediately took the doctor’s attention. Lowering the bat beside her, Dr. Dara started helping herself with the food that Mr. Kim Jaejoong prepared.

Jaejoong only smiled and sat across her, watching her eat with gusto. Remembering something, Jaejoong stood up and went t