Three

Hours might be going by, but Donghae doesn’t feel them. Time is a notion he has forgotten. Somewhere above the reception counter, he can see the hands of a clock moving and yet doesn’t understand what it means.

All he knows—all he’s certain of—is that sometimes, Hyukjae comes out of his office in passing, most probably to take another patient in. Those brief seconds of seeing him are some of the best of his life. It’s like his world have been covered in sad greys which then fade into bright, warm colors whenever he’s near, prompting him to gasp mutely under his breath. Seated in one of the waiting area’s chairs, Donghae finds himself tensing and sliding to its very edge each time his soulmate comes near him.

In-between greeting his new patient and inviting them to head to his office, Hyukjae would send him a quick, nervous glance. It would then always be followed by a hesitant little grin—a sight that never fails to make his heartbeat speed up delightedly.

Soulmate! Hyukjae would murmur excitedly into his mind, and Donghae’s chest would clench happily in response. Sorry—soon, I—… Soulmate! Soulmate, soulmate—is Donghae! Mine! Oh, wait, is this—Mrs. Joon should—… her second child, and— …Soulmate!

It’s okay! Donghae would think back really hard. I don’t mind! I’ll be waiting for you.

Donghae doesn’t even remember why he came here in the first place. He doesn’t even know where he is. But, honestly, he’s just glad he decided to come at all.

If his phone keeps buzzing in the pocket of his coat, he doesn’t notice it.

“Hello!” Hyukjae nearly runs to him about three or four hours after he first stepped in the ward. He looks a little breathless, as if he rushed out of his office to come and see him. “There were a lot of patients today, and I—… I mean, it is my job, so—…”

“I—It’s okay!” Donghae hurries to reassure him as he jumps on his feet. He almost reaches a hand out to touch him, to do something, but drops it quickly when he realizes he would seem too hasty. “Are you—I mean, am I—… you know, bothering you?” 

His soulmate shakes his head no almost immediately, dark strands of hair flying wildly around his face, and Donghae can’t help but find him adorable. The sight prompts him to grin softly, momentarily distracted. It’s only when Hyukjae falters and starts blushing furiously that he remembers they can hear some of each other’s thoughts.

“Oh, uh… I mean,” Donghae grins a little sheepishly. “You really are, you know? Adorable.”

He’s not sure it’s the best way to break the ice and get to know someone, but his dark blush intensifies even more, and somehow, he doesn’t feel too guilty about it.

Obviously embarrassed, Hyukjae adverts his eyes away and clears his throat. Thank you, he mumbles, and Donghae feels oddly satisfied with himself.  

Gathering his courage, he’s about to say something else, maybe propose him to go and grab a cup of coffee—it’s something he’s rather good at, after all—, when a familiar voice calls him from the other end of a nearby corridor. From the corner of the eyes, he sees the secretary and a nurse at the reception huff at the unnecessary noise, and he’s almost tempted to agree with them. Not only is it bothering the patients, but he’s also a bit busy at the moment.

“Donghae? Donghae!” it says. “I’ve been trying to call you for hours!”

When Donghae finally turns around, confused and a little annoyed at the interruption, he gasps in horror upon seeing his older brother run towards him.

“Where the hell were you?” the latter insists frantically. “I was worried for you! With Yoojung about to give birth, that’s really more stress I don’t need!”

“Donghwa-hyung!” he exclaims with a high-pitched voice. So that was the reason why he came here in the first place. “Oh, my God, I completely—… I met Hyukjae, and I just—… What about—what about Yoojung-noona? Is she okay? Has she given birth yet?!”

Next to him, hands put away in the pockets of his white coat, Hyukjae blinks in confusion under the assault of his messy thoughts. Yoojung? he wonders. Donghwa? Who? And then a small, cute, Soulmate.

“She’s my sister-in-law,” Donghae explains to him excitedly. “She’s pregnant! With my baby niece! And she’s… due today, actually.”

He pauses, frowns, and then starts worrying again. “Oh, my God! Where’s she? Where’s my niece?! Hyung!”

As he continues to panic along with his older brother—she started having contractions, she did!—, Donghae thinks he hears Hyukjae whisper something in his mind.

You, too—cute.

*

The room Lee Yoojung has bee