“What in the world happened back there?” Emi asked. “You didn’t come back either. I was so worried. Where have you been? I was ready to organize a search party for you!”

The diatribe began as soon as Yuan opened the door to her apartment only to meet Emi, about to go out and look for her. The latter hugged her first and commented about how cold Yuan felt before talking nonstop. Yuan, on the other hand, couldn’t do anything but keep quiet as she was led to the kitchen, being towed by the hand, and eventually settling for watching Emi bustle about to prepare some coffee, god knows how with her blinged-up acrylic nails.

After setting the coffeemaker, Emi leaned against the counter, eyeing her friend with concern. Yuan has recovered slightly from the shock she got back at the ICU, thanks to the generous café owner and the woman named Jinhye, but she was still out of sorts and feeling a little hollow on the inside. It was true what she said to the woman who took care of her knees, she could never get used to ever witnessing a patient dying, especially not a helpless baby. It rendered her depressed.

“And what’s with that sudden outburst in front of your boss?” Emi prompted, arching a brow at Yuan. The former handed the latter a cup of the steaming beverage she has prepared.

Yuan clutched the cup with both hands as she stared at the dark liquid inside. “It’s just so unfair, Emi,” she began, her eyes, which she thought had dried from all the crying she did earlier, starting to brim with tears again, but then she caught on what Emi said. Looking up from her coffee, Yuan eyed her friend quizzically. “How do you know about that?”

“I was there,” Emi answered with a sigh. “One moment you’re being summoned by Dr. Park, and suddenly, I see you going hysterical in front of your boss. Obviously, he is the reason for all this. What did he do to you?”

As far as Emi was concerned, she has known Yuan to be a calm, reserved person. Well, not as calm since she had the habit of just losing it when something is stressing her out, but most of the time, she’d rather avoid confrontations.

Yuan shrugged. “Remember the baby I told you about? He’s dead, and Dr. Park called me just so I would see it for myself.” Her grip tightened on the cup. “He’s so mean. He really wants to see me suffer. I don’t even know what I did to him.”

The tears she had been holding back finally fell. “I don’t even know what his purpose was for making me witness such a horrible thing. He knew I’ve grown attached to the patient, and he wanted me to see him dying.”

Emi grimaced and hugged Yuan, soothing her back. “There, there.”

“He’s so cruel.”

“He’s gonna get it tomorrow, don’t worry about it. I’ll handle that bastard,” Emi said, anger lacing her tone, but Yuan suddenly struggled against her hold and shook her head. “It’s not like he would care. He owns the hospital, and we’re all his playthings. He’s that kind of person.”

“He should still hear what I have to say to him. He shouldn’t have done that to you.”

Yuan sniffled. “You shouldn’t go to him. He’s really cold-hearted.”

She was calm for a few moments, sipping on her coffee as she assessed the events that happened earlier in the day. She started her day just fine, and was even happy that Emi could come join her for lunch until Jinyoung called her to the ICU.

She shrugged, remembering the mother. Yuan shook her head, shivering slightly, recalling the look on Mrs. Jang’s face. It was as if the woman would never find it in her to smile again. Everything looked bleak. Suddenly, she remembered doing something she didn’t expect herself to do at all.

Yuan almost spat the coffee in when she realized the gravity of her outburst. It wasn’t just about making a scene by crying as she ran to the lobby. It was worse. She stood up, swallowing hard, startling Emi.

“What –”

“I wasn’t imagining it when I hit him, was I?” Yuan shakily breathed out, waiting for the answer. When Emi winced, she knew the answer. “Oh my god! I did not!”

Emi shrugged. “I’d like to tell you otherwise, but you did slap Dr. Park in front of everyone in the lobby.” She huffed. “Serves him right.”

Yuan buried her face in her palms, shaking her head. “Oh no. No, no, no.” She shook her head and looked at Emi with wide eyes. “I assaulted my boss! Emi, what am I gonna do?!” She was in full panic mode as she paced around. “I’m gonna get fired for sure. Oh no!”

“No, you won’t. It was his fault for pushing you.”

“He owns the hospital.”

“He shouldn’t have done that to you.”

“He’s gonna fire me.”

“Calm down –”

“Emi!”

“Yuan!” Emi shot back at the other female who was freaking out over nothing. “I said, calm down.”

“How can I calm down? I’m about to lose my job!”

Emi was torn between chuckling and freaking out as well. “No. You haven’t lost it yet. Stop overthinking. He’s a if he fires you on those grounds.”

“Emi!” she chastised the younger female for saying such things. “Don’t – don’t say that.” A look of pain flashed across her face. “He’s still my boss.”

“Doesn’t make him otherwise,” the other female stated firmly. She rolled her eyes. “God, I wish he didn’t look that hot though. It would be so much easier to hate him that way.”

Yuan just stared at Emi. “I’m about to lose my job and you still have it in you to say things like that?”

“I’ll hire you as my personal nutritionist, dammit. Stop freaking out.” Emi shook her head. “But really, don’t you think so? If he’s just a bit kinder then surely, there would be many girls chasing after him. I mean, come on, have you seen those eyes. They’re goddamn beautiful! Yum!”

Yuan nodded, not knowing whether she should laugh or go hysterical for agreeing. “He’s that nasty but he still manages to lure women in. He’s really very handsome,” she said absently.

Emi stared at her with a cheeky grin plastered on her face. “Really?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

Yuan noticed the way her friend was looking at her. “What?!”

Emi chuckled and shook her head as she crossed her arms. “Nothing.”

Yuan narrowed her eyes at Emi. “What are you implying?” she demanded.

Feigning innocence, Emi shook her head. “What do you mean?”

Yuan didn’t say anything and walked over to the fridge, knowing exactly what Emi was getting at. “Go study or something. I’m making dinner.”

“Whatever you say.” Emi left the room snickering, leaving Yuan annoyed in her wake.

**

Yuan nervously made her way to work the following day, hesitating by the doors of the hospital again. It was like going back to the time when she first came to work for Park Medical. Nervousness wouldn’t cut the way she felt that moment, still unable to believe that she did that to her superior, and the owner of the hospital at that.

As she was entering the hospital grounds, she saw several familiar faces coming in for the morning as well, all of them giving her looks. Some even had the audacity to whisper amongst each other as they passed her by.

“Is that her?” one nurse asked her companions.

“Yeah. She slapped Ice King Park!” another answered with a giggle.

“She has a lot of nerve coming back after what she did to Dr. Park,” one of them said, her tone turning whimsical as she said Jinyoung’s title. That’s exactly what Yuan meant when she told Emi that Jinyoung manages to attract women despite his cold attitude.

“Maybe she’s just here to get her stuff.”

Yuan scowled at their direction. She wasn’t even fired yet and they were already assuming what she had expected the previous night when it all came back to her. She was usually a pacifist and she didn’t know what possessed her to have done that to Jinyoung, but whenever she would hear someone talking about her, she suddenly sees red.

“Heard they were dating,” someone said.

Having had enough of what others had to say about her, she snapped and turned towards the person. “No, we’re not! Jesus!” she quipped angrily, causing the group talking about her to hurry and walk ahead of her towards the doors.

She was on the verge of tears when they left, just standing rooted on her spot, contemplating on her life. She wondered what she did so wrong in the past that she had to go through something like that involving the insufferable owner of the hospital. Of all the people she could get involved with, it had to be Park Jinyoung.

She stomped her feet all the way to the door before stopping, looking quite demented, at least she thinks so, as she peered through the glass doors. Again, she saw the people inside eyeing her with meaningful looks. Some were openly snickering while others just looked shocked. She was torn between just walking in and turning back to retrace her steps to her apartment.

“You’re obstructing the entrance,” someone suddenly said from behind her.

Yuan’s eyes almost bugged out when she heard the words, something that Jinyoung was likely to say to her. She was about to just run away when she realized that there was something off with the way he sounded. When she turned around, relief washed through her when she saw Bambam, not Jinyoung. Swallowing hard, she clutched her chest and shook her head.

“I thought you were someone else,” she whispered, thinking herself silly for panicking for no reason at all.

Bambam ran his hand through his hair while his other hand clutched on her strap of his backpack. “We’re you expecting someone else?” he asked with a mischievous smile. Yuan shook her head, but the intern said, “Dr. Park?”

“No!” Yuan shrieked defensively, even backing away from her charge. “I-I w-wasn’t expecting that p-person,” she spluttered. Frustration overwhelmed her so much so that she felt her eyes stinging.

The intern chuckled and patted her shoulder, bending over to her height. He smiled brightly at her, enhancing his already good looks. “Relax, will you? I’m just pulling your leg.”

She made a face at him. “Why would you immediately assume that I’m expecting Dr. Park?” she demanded petulantly, brushing his hand off of her shoulder.

Before Bambam could answer, another voice spoke from behind him. “Because you struck me on the face in front of everyone?” There was no mistaking that voice. She’ll know it anywhere even if she was blind, and her frustration morphed into full blown anger.

Yuan’s blood ran cold.

Upon noticing it, Bambam turned around to face Jinyoung, looking immaculate in his suit as usual. He heard what Yuan did the previous day, but did not believe it. Now that he had the confirmation, he wasn’t about to take the hospital owner’s side. Instead, he stood between Jinyoung and Yuan, covering the latter defensively.

“Dr. Park,” he said, acknowledging their superio