13: Obstacle

          Suzy opened her eyes, staring at the wallpaper peeling off the ceiling.

     She leaned against her bedboard and saw everyone else around her sleeping, with Saeron always reading a book on her bed as usual. Suzy washed and got changed, walking downstairs to the common room where the room was completely void of people.

She liked this silence, because she could forget about the fact that she was going to a game of death. 

I'll do it. Friends.

Zico's words echoed in her head as she sat on the sofa and stared at the wall. 

No matter how much she thought, she couldn't believe it. Zico was such a beast, it was so hard to imagine that a gentleman lay inside that rough boy.

Suzy shuddered and sneezed as the cold wind gushed through the window. She had been feeling a bit ill last night, probably because she stayed out on the rooftop without a jacket on. Despite it being hot 99% of the time in Rubicon, Suzy was that 1% who always caught a summer cold, even in this universe.

"Why is it so cold-"

Suzy coughed as a thick jacket landed on her head.

"What-" she threw the jacket off and stared in surprise as Zico lied down on the sofa opposite Suzy, dressed in sweats and a thin shirt.

"Isn't it a little hot?" Zico muttered as he curled up into a ball.

Suzy stared at the cold wind gushing through the window and glanced back at Zico.

"Why're you sleeping out here?" Suzy asked. "I'm sure your bed is more comfortable."

"Too much snoring," he shrugged. 

     Suzy grinned weakly and looked down at Zico's jacket, staring at the tag on the inside. She ran her thumb over the rough tag that had Woo Taewoon scribbled on it, the ink nearly fading away. 

"Where are you going?" Zico asked as Suzy got up.

"I have to fill my Department hours," she said. "At least 10 hours during Game season or Myungsoo said I will be drafted to some other department."

"Let's go together."

"What?"

"I'm behind on my hours too." Zico said as he checked the clock, thinking about the 10 hours he already filled.

     Suzy walked outside, watching as Zico unlocked his bike from the rack and got on, slowly cycling toward Suzy. He stopped infront of her and slipped out an extra seat, gesturing for her to sit behind him. 

"It's ok," Suzy refused unwillingly. "I can walk.."

"It's pretty far," he shrugged with a snort. "And the day isn't getting any cooler."

"I can just walk-"

"Let's go together," Joohyuk pulled up with his bike just behind Zico. "I know you can't even walk a mile."

"Joohyuk oppa," her face lit up as Joohyuk smiled back at her. "Isn't this the bike you had back at home? How did you-"

"I didn't tell you huh," he chuckled. "I was on my bike when I collided with a taxi so this baby came with me." he pat his bike twice. 

"Give me a ride Joohyuk," she smiled. "My legs are aching anyway-"

     "I don't know why you keep intruding," Zico sighed and grabbed Suzy's wrist. "But we have some important business." Zico forced Suzy on the seat behind him and cycled off before Suzy could say another word, snickering as he watched Joohyuk stare at them through the side mirror.

"What are you doing?" Suzy slapped his back.

"Are you discriminating?" 

"What?"

"Do you think his bike is a bike from the heavens while mine's painted with acid?"

"What's your big deal?" Suzy grumbled. "You never give me a ride on your bike anyway."

"We're friends now," he said. "It's different."

Suzy stared at Zico's head, surprised at his change of behavior. She grabbed onto his waist as he began speeding. 

Like the time they were escaping from the Midnight circus, she could feel his warm pulse once again. 

     Zico parked the bike in the racks and the two walked into the hospital, up to their office. 

     She smiled as she saw Taehyung sitting in the office, studying with a bunch of textbooks strewn all over his desk. He smiled as he saw Suzy walk into the office and took off his glasses, standing up to greet her.

"You're here for department hours right?" 

"Yeah," Suzy shrugged. "I don't understand why it's only our department that needs to fill them during game season."

"Part of regulations," Taehyung chuckled. "They don't want us to lose the senses on our hands for operations."

"We're not going to lose our senses in that period of time," she sighed.

Taehyung glared at Zico who laid on the bed and closed his eyes. "What's he doing here?"

"He said he needed to fill his Department hours."

"But he's been here every night for al-"

"It's good to see you in the office again my friend," Zico laughed awkwardly as he wrapped his arms around Taehyung and blocked his mouth. 

"Get that dirty hand off me," Taehyung slapped his hands off. "Anyway, I heard there's going to be a new resident in our sector today."

"New resident already?"

"Right?" Taehyung said in fascination. "Neurosurgeon residents are rare."

     The three came to a silence as the Head director walked into their office with Joohyuk behind him.

What's he doing here?

"You guys have a new addition to your team," the director said as he glanced at Joohyuk with an impressed smile. "He's the best one yet." 

Zico watched as Suzy's face lit up with excitement, feeling something die down in his heart. 

The head director gave Taehyung the file with Joohyuk's examination results and walked out, leaving Joohyuk with the three.

"I'm assuming you're a med-student?" Taehyung asked as he flipped through the papers. "You've passed all the hard operations."

"Yeah," Joohyuk nodded. "4th year resident."

"Your desk is over here," Taehyung took off all of Zico's trash on the empty desk next to Suzy's. 

"Don't kick off my stuff," Zico roared. 

"Is this office yours," Taehyung smacked Zico on the head. 

"Thank you," Joohyuk smiled and walked over to the desk, unpacking his belongings. 

"Oppa," Suzy skipped over to Joohyuk. "I'm so glad you're here. It's just like back home."

"Right?" He chuckled as he pat her head. 

"Can you guys get a room?" Zico glared at Joohyuk who glared right back at him.

"Oh yeah," Joohyuk said out loud. "Since we're in the same department, you can take my bike every morning."

"Sure," Suzy smiled. 

Joohyuk snorted in mockery, glaring at Zico before returning to Suzy with a ginger look.   

     Zico stood infront of the vending machine, picking out a drink.

"You can take my bike every morning?" Zico scoffed. "Who does he think he is?" 

     Zico picked out two orange juices and waited for it to drop. He looked to the side and saw Joohyuk slipping in his coins into the machine, picking out two honey waters from the machine. Joohyuk glanced to the side and smiled at Zico.

Zico ignored him and took out the two juices from the machine.

Suzy walked out from the office and walked toward the vending machine with a bunch of coins in her hand.

"Here," Zico and Joohyuk both said in unison as they stuck out their drinks toward Suzy. 

"Uh," she laughed. "What's this for?"

"You have a sore throat," Joohyuk pushed in. "It's important to drink honey water."

"Thanks Joohyuk," she smiled gingerly and took the honey water from him, staring at Zico and the juice in his hand.

"Thank-" Suzy's was about to take the juice when Zico snatched the juice away.

"Pay for your own," Zico spat as he walked past Suzy, running into the office.

"What's with him?" Joohyuk asked.

"He's always like that," Suzy sighed. "He's just a little kid."

     Zico slammed the juice down on Taehyung's desk and threw himself onto his bed, screaming.

"Did you poison this?" Taehyung held up the juice.

"SHUT UP," Zico snapped. "I'm so pissed off right now."

"Um," Taehyung raised an eyebrow. "Were you ever not pissed off?"

Zico threw a cushion at Taehyung's face and sighed, glaring at the ceiling.

"He wants to play games huh," Zico muttered. "Fine then."

Zico stood up and took off his doctor's gown.

"Challenge accepted."