Here is a new chapter for you. I'm really sorry for the late update, but please enjoy. Also, thank you for all the comments!

In the chief’s office, Mark is standing still like a statue in front of the huge desk with his head hanging low and his fingers keep fidgeting as a sort of method to ease the tension though it is not working. The chief, Lee Soogeun, who is sitting behind the desk, has been staring at him for God knows how long. This is not the first time Mark has made a mistake, but this one is huge. Mark does not even know what to do, except getting ready to take any blow that is to come. They have been staying silent for 10 minutes or so, until Chief Lee finally breaks the tension.

“I saw the director yesterday,” he says, and Mark lifts up his face dumfounded.

“Excuse me?”

“He asked me about you, so I just said you’re doing really fine,” Chief Lee continues as if he ignores his underling. “He also asked me if I could go out for a drink with you and him this weekend. I’m a bit busy but it’s not nice to refuse the director. So make yourself available too.”

“What?”

“You may leave now. I’m sure you’re very tired.”

“Wait, chief! Just like that?” Mark asks.

“What do you mean?” Chief Lee asks back, and Mark is not sure whether he does not understand or he was playing dumb.

“I should be the one saying that. What happened back there, aren’t you going to punish me or at least scold me?”

“What? Did you come here when I called you in expecting to be scolded?”

“Isn’t it normally like that?”

“I don’t know why you’re doing this, but it’s better if you leave right now. It’s been a long day,” Chief Lee tries to send him off, and at that moment, Mark finally snaps.

“It’s been like this, isn’t it?” he says. “No matter how many times or how bad I make a mistake, you would never scold me or punish me. As the team chief, shouldn’t you be angry to your subordinates so they can learn? But why are you always doing this to me? Why do you treat me so differently? Am I not worth being your subordinate? Or is it because I’m the director’s son?”

“Yes,” Chief Lee replies a bit too fast to Mark’s liking, that he grips his fists so tightly that they turn white. “I think you’re too tired after everything that happened. Take a day off tomorrow,” the chief tells him off before he stands up and gathers his things. Mark takes it as a queue to leave though he still wants to argue some more, he knows the chief would not change his final decision easily. With a really heavy feeling, he bows and steps out of the office.

The next morning, the pediatric ward is having morning examination as usual. However, it surprises Jaebum that the one who comes to check on Youngjae is not Mark, but some weird doctor that introduces himself as Dr Takada.

“Er, where’s the skinny and pretty doctor that’s supposed to be my son’s doctor?” Jaebum asks as Takada has just finished examining Youngjae.

“You mean Dr Tuan? He takes on emergency leave today,” Takada reply while writing something on Youngjae’s record.

“Emergency leave?”

“They said that, but I don’t think that’s the case. Yesterday’s event was really a disaster. Normally toward the other staffs, the chief would suspend anyone who makes mistakes for a week, two weeks at most. But Mark got it out again for only a day. That’s a big change. He might have asked for a punishment himself, but the chief won’t dare going as far as punishing the next hospital’s director.”

“The next director?”

“Ah, of course you won’t know. He’s the director’s son, his family owns this hospital. Anyway, your son’s condition has improved a bit. The treatment is doing well. So you don’t have to worry,” Takada tells him.

Jaebum release a sigh of relief and glances at his son who is still deep in sleep. Since the crazy thing that happened last night, the nurses had been coming in and out of his room, changing his IV drips and taking other tests as well. Chief Lee also came sometime in the midnight and explained to him that his son would get better. He also mentioned something about the illness that Youngjae has is common to be mistaken as a mere cold, because dengue fever takes 3-7 days to get detected. Youngjae is lucky to be treated in his early stage, and Jaebum was so relief when he was told that Youngjae will be fine in no time. But then, he felt guilty for not realizing it earlier.

“Of course, it’s always my fault,” he says to himself. “My parents too, and Jinyoung too, it’s my fault that they’re all leaving me behind. Youngjae got sick is also my fault…”

Meanwhile, in the hospital’s cafeteria that is located at the lobby, Mark and Jackson are sitting face to face, with Mark staring at the other guy with an annoyed look while Jackson looking at him with such an enthusiastic smile that it really annoys Mark to no end.

“And?” Mark starts. “Would you care to tell me what’s going on? You texted me and insisted to meet up. You do know that I’ve the day off today right? If you’ve anything to say, spill it now.”

Jackson sneers that it irritates Mark even more. “I got the information that you need,” he says.

“What information?”

“About Im Jaebum. Your patient’s father,” Jackson replies. His huge smile has not disappeared from his face.

“I don’t need any information about him and I don’t wanna know.”

“Yes, you are. You’re obviously interested in him,” Jackson teases.

“I don’t!” Mark argues, but it does not stop the younger guy from proceeding.

“I know what you feel after the incident last night, but just hear me out, okay? Jaebum-shi has a perfect reason for his rude behavior last night.”

“What reason?” Mark asks, looking uninterested but actually very curious in the inside.

“You wondered about his wife before, right? Well, I happened to gossip around and guess what I heard. Youngjae was also born in this hospital 7 years ago, and apparently, his mother died right after his birth.”

“You mean…” Mark trails off, but then Jackson continues.

“That’s right! That explains his behavior last night!” he says. “He just felt a little insecure, I guess, having to experience the lost of his wife, he must be scared to lose someone again. Can you understand what I’m saying, hyung?”

Mark does not give any reply. He holds his head down and thinks back to the incident last night. He hates to admit it, but Jackson might be right. Although his first impression of Jaebum is very bad, he thinks that there is more to the older man’s story. To be honest, Mark even thought that whenever he looked at Jaebum, his eyes were filled with sadness and hurt. Even when Jaebum looked at Youngjae so lovingly, his smile looked so lonely. Mark thinks that perhaps, there was some bad things other than his wife’s death had happened in his life.

After having the short conversation with Jackson, Mark goes to the pediatric ward to visit Youngjae as well as to meet Jaebum. He even brings a huge stuffed gorilla as a get-well gift. However when he opens the door, Jaebum is not there, and Mark cannot help but feel a little disappointed. He walks in anyway and puts the stuffed animal on Youngjae’s bedside. The little boy is still fast asleep, and Mark unconsciously caresses his hair softly. Youngjae must have felt it in his sleep that he responds a bit by mumbling some incoherent words, and it makes Mark’s lips curl into a small smile.

“What are you doing?” Mark jumps in surprise when he heard a hoarse voice suddenly calls out to him. He quickly turns and sees Jaebum standing right behind him that he falls backward out of shock. If not for Jaebum saving him by wrapping his arms around Mark’s back, he would really have fell. The surrounding suddenly becomes quiet with only the sound of their breathing and a thumping heartbeat could be heard. Mark is sure that it is his heart that is beating so loudly and he could only pray that Jaebum could not hear it, because he will feel really embarrass if he could.

“That’s one loud heartbeat,” Jaebum says, and apparently, he does hear it. Mark could feel a rush of heat rises to his face and he hastily pushes Jaebum away from him. He moves to the other side of the bed with a red face, but unbeknownst to him, Jaebum realizes it though he does not ask it any further. Jaebum shifts his gaze toward Youngjae, then he notices the stuffed gorilla on the bedside table that was not there before.

“Did you bring that?” Jaebum asks. Mark nods, understands to what Jaebum was referring to. Why a gorilla though? Jaebum thinks.

“Thanks,” he says. Hearing that, Mark’s face lights up but it quickly fades when Jaebum continues, “But I’ll be more thankful if you can bring it back. If it’s an apology that you wanna ask, I already forgive you. But if it’s for sympathy, I don’t need it. So you better take it back and leave.”

Mark frowns. The result was expected that Jaebum would refuse the gift, but this kind of outcome is a surprise. Mark wonders, is that what he really thinks about me?

“It…it’s neither for apology nor sympathy,” Mark says. “I don’t know what you had experienced before that you’re so hard toward other people, but don’t think that everyone’s approach is out of sympathy. Is it wrong for me to give a present to my own patient? Do you think that by secluding yourself from other people can make your life any better? Then go on and keep living in loneliness!”

He could feel that his eyes are burning up. If he does not know any better, he would not realize that he is crying. He does not even understand himself as to why he is crying because of Jaebum of all people. He just feels so painful in his heart. He looks at Jaebum, and the taller guy is staring at him with wide eyes. Mark could tell that Jaebum is surprised at his sudden outburst, but he could not hold it back anymore. He quickly moves his feet to leave, but when he reaches the door, he turns to look at Jaebum whose back is facing him, and says in a shaking voice, “Please keep it. You can throw it away if you want, I don’t care anymore.”

As soon as Mark steps out of the room, he leans back on the door and huffs. He has never imagined that he would lose his temper back there. But Jaebum’s behavior was so irritating and it hurt him that the other guy was so cold. He only tried to approach him with kindness because he thought that Jaebum would need some company while his son is sick, though it does not seem to be the case.

I don’t care anymore, Mark says to himself. He pushes his own body away from the door and walks with heavy step. Suddenly he stops. Right in front of him, there is a very beautiful and gentle-looking guy wearing only in white button-up shirt and pants. The guy is staring at him so blankly that Mark stares back looking confused. He tries to speak up and asks the guy if he has something to say, but the guy does not say a word. He walks passes Mark and makes his way to a room that Mark recognizes as Youngjae’s room. Is he a relative? Mark thinks, but decides to not think about it any further. However, even after he leaves the pediatric, the faint smell of lily that he noticed came from the beautiful guy earlier, he could still smell it so clearly, that it scares him.