ten.
Before YouTEN.
Sumin heard footsteps coming from the roof top entrace, making her gulp and quickly think of an excuse to why she was there at such an ungodly hour.
"Su?" She breathed out a sigh in relief, recognizing the deep yet childlike voice she was used to hearing everyday. She stood up from her spot and headed toward a nearby beam of light where Taehyung immediately spotted her using his flashlight.
"I'm here, Tae," Sumin responded.
Taehyung gave her a small smile and slowly moved forward. "Are you okay? I was walking around the hallway when I saw you run out of Sehun's office. Do you want to talk about it?"
Sumin hesitated, making Taehyung sigh.
"Come on, Su," He said. "I'm your friend. Besides, it will only get worse if you hold it all in."
Sumin paused for a moment before nodding. They both sat on the ground and looked at the starry sky that overlooked the city of Seoul, slowly falling asleep as night falls and dawn rises.
"Dr. Oh kissed me," Sumin spoke up. "And he told me he loved me."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Taehyung questioned. "I mean, when you were gone, all he's been bugging me about is you."
"That's not it, Tae," Sumin shook her head. "The thing is... I met up with his ex-fiancé. She talked to me about Sehun."
"And what happened?" Taehyung asked curiously.
"S-She told me to stay away," Sumin answered. "Sehun still loves her. That's why when she came back, he broke up with me. It all makes sense, Tae! Why would he settle for me? And he said so himself, he was bored and was just using me all this time. And now he's telling me loves me? What gave him the right to with my feelings, Tae?"
Taehyung did not say anything else. Instead, he just pulled the girl close and gently rubbed her back as she sobbed on his shoulder. He looked around to see if they were alone, afraid that if Sehun saw him, he would be murdered alive. He looked at Sumin sadly.
"Su... you know," Taehyung started slowly. "He said something to me when you left.. He was looking for you. I don't know what the hell happened but he begged me, begged me, Su. He was asking where you were."
Sumin was silent and Taehyung took this opportunity to continue. "The look in his eyes. He looked like he was on the brink of death if I didn't tell him. He loves you, Su. He told me himself, and I know it may seem hard to believe but he really does."
"But Joohyun-" Taehyung did not bother let Sumin finish.
"Do you really think that would tell you the truth?" Taehyung snapped. "She came here, Su, to get Sehun back but there you are, the woman Sehun loves. Of course she would lie to you, tear you both apart. She would do anything to get him."
Sumin sighed and Taehyung patted her head.
"You love him, don't you?" Taehyung asked. "I know it hurts to admit, but you know what kind of person Sehun is. Do you think he's capable of being that cruel without reason?"
Sumin shook her head and leaned against Taehyung's shoulders, letting herself engage into her thoughts. She knew what she felt for Sehun, her heart wore it on her sleeve. But all of Sehun's words, and Joohyun's, who would she believe?
In the months she had worked in the hospital, she had grown to know her boss and who he really was on the inside. Was she really going to let this stranger, one who was once Oh Sehun's fiancé who claimed that he was still madly in love with her, get to her, ruin their relationship, let Sehun slip away from her?
No.
"Su," Taehyung spoke once again. "I think you know Oh Sehun better than most of us. As crazy as it gets, you have to believe in what you think is true. You have to know where your heart is."
And so bless Kim Taehyung, for he had given his friend an epiphany to herself and to the one she loves.
Han Sumin finally knew where her heart was.
When Taehyung noticed that Sumin was asleep in the break room, he snuck out and slowly headed to Sehun's office. Him and his entire team had been in the hospital for nearly 24 hours.
When Taehyung saw the light still on, he figured that it was an ideal time to talk.
Taehyung slowly knocked and when he heard a soft 'come in', he opened the door and saw Sehun laying on the couch.
"Dr. Oh," Taehyung coughed.
Sehun sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Oh, it's just you, Taehyung. What can I do for you?"
Taehyung saw how lifeless he seemed, eyes dark and exhaustion evident on Sehun's face. It was the first time Taehyung saw Sehun, not as the arrogant, intellectual doctor, but simply a man going through heartache like a normal human being.
Taehyung nodded. "Dr. Oh, I talked to Sumin. I think I know one of the reasons why she's pushing you away."
"Enlighten me," Sehun moved closer, suddenly interested in what Taehyung was about to say.
"I think... it may have something to do with your ex-fiancé," Taehyung replied. "Joohyun, was it? She said some things to, Su... and well, I think she took it to heart."
Sehun should have known. Leave it to Joohyun to be shady about these kinds of things. Of course, Sumin was going to be dragged into it.
"Damn it," Sehun muttered. "I should've known better."
"I don't think many people did," Taehyung said. "But I tried talking to Su.. it's just a little bit, but I think I may have put some sense into her. Why don't you guys try talking things out now?"
"But how?" Sehun asked helplessly. "She won't listen to me and... after what happened today, I doubt she would want anything to do with me."
"She will," Taehyung said, determination evident in his voice. "She loves you, doesn't she? You can see right through Sumin. You know how much she cares and loves you. You just have to let her know you feel the same and that you won't give up, even if she feels like she's not enough."
"You think so?" Sehun looked at him hopefully.
"I know so," Taehyung nodded. "So stop moping around and thinking whether or not you could do this. Just get out there and let her know that you love her even when she thinks otherwise."
Change was not even enough to describe what happened in the hospital in the next few days.
Sumin still received roses on her desk but that was simply it and when she would run into Sehun in the hallways, she made no effort in avoiding him the same way he made no effort in approaching her.
They both appreciated that. Time was the only one that could heal them, after everything that had happened.
And when they both feel that they were ready, they would finally face each other.
They had been acting as though nothing had happened, working and maintaining the professional relationship of a doctor-intern.
For the first time in days, Sehun and Sumin felt at peace.
But that was not enough. Something was missing and they both knew. They just needed to wait a bit lomger.
Give it time, Kim Taehyung constantly reminded them on the days they were both questioning the wait. They knew they loved each other, but they needed to wait for the perfect approach.
And it happened. On a fateful rainy night, when all the doctors were out and only a couple of interns were on duty.
"Emergency!" Someone yelled out.
Sumin looked away from the reception desk to see a stretcher hurriedly being wheeled inside. She immediately rushed to approach the paramedics that as they stopped in front of her.
Laying on the bed was a woman, most likely to be in her late twenties to mid-thirties, unconscious. She was drenched in rain and blood was splattered all over her clothes and on her head, making Sumin gasp.
And that was when she heard a loud wail and turned to see that behind the paramedics was a child not older than the age of 8, crying and screaming for her mother. That was when Sumin deduced that it was the unconscious woman's daughter.
"What happened?" Sumin asked one of the paramedics wheeling her.
"Dr. Han," The paramedic responded. "This woman and child were crossing the street when a car was moving beyond speed limit. It was raining so hard that neither the car nor both them anticipated that. At last minute, the mother noticed and was able to push her daughter to the sidewalk but she was hit in the process and was found 10 feet away from the vehicle."
Sumin's eyes widened and nodded. She immediately grabbed a flashlight from her pocket and peeked through the woman's pupils. She used the stethoscope around her to listen to her heartbeat which was slightly weak compared to a normal one's.
Sumin waved her hand.
"Ma'am," She called out. "Can you hear me? My name is Dr. Han Sumin and you are in Shinhwa General Hospital. If you can here me, please move your fingers from your right hand."
No response.
"Mommy!" The little girl wailed.
"Send her to the intensive care unit," Sumin told the paramedics. "There's--"
"There's not much time left," One of the paramedics interrupted her. "The woman suffered severe bleeding on the way here. Another hemorrhage is at risk if we send her to the ICU. She needs to get an operation quickly!"
"But there's no surgeon on duty!" Sumin reasoned. "Dr. Kim and Dr. Oh are off, and it's going to be difficult to go through with this weather and-"
"Mommy!!" The same girl wailed from the side and Sumin noticed the scrapes on her hands and feet.
"Dr. Han, please," One of the paramedics pleaded. "You're the only one who can help now."
Sumin looked at the girl and felt her heart break as the child cried for her mother. She would feel the exact same way if it had been hers.
Sumin took a deep breath and nodded.
After many experiences of damned surgeries, Sumin was going to admit that she was scared but she had to do what she had to do. Someone's life was at stake in that moment.
"I'm going to try my best to call Dr. Oh," She told the paramedics. "If there's any other surgical intern available, tell them to rush to the ER. We're going to slow the bleeding until one of the surgeons arrive."
The paramedics nodded and they quickly wheeled the woman to the emergency room, but the woman's daughter screamed louder. Sumin gasped and hurriedly rushed to her.
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