Jan Di watched Ji Hoo perform his first surgery through the glass of the observation room. It came as no surprise to her that he was a musician in surgery, too. He was the conductor, and the operating room was his stage. Each surgical tool was a piece in his orchestra and in turn became an extension of his hand. His hands moved over the patient with the precision and care he took with his musical instruments.

Jan Di stood adjacent to Dr. Jang, squeezing her hands together and watching in awe. Ji Hoo wore a light blue surgical gown, cap, surgical mask, and latex gloves. There was an almost celestial glow about him, she thought, but perhaps it was simply the illumination of the pure white room. He was surrounded by a team of four. She listened to him call out for the tools he needed and calmly give instructions over the steady beep of the monitor.

He'd say things like:

"Forceps."

"Clamp."

"Cut."

"Tie."

At this point, a small crowd had formed. Ji Hoo was being observed closely because it was his first surgery. Jan Di noticed that Director Hwang and his daughter had also arrived and stood in the back. Jan Di glanced to Dr. Jang, who had his arms crossed and watched as a tiger ready to pounce if Ji Hoo made any mistake with his patient.

Jan Di realized that she was on the edge of her seat, but she had no idea how it was going because of her lack of knowledge of surgery. She glanced at Dr. Jang again for confirmation that it was going well, but his expression was unreadable. Then she turned back to Ji Hoo in the operating room, and she couldn't take her eyes off him.

She took note of the comments from the crowd and immediately knew that it was going just as smoothly as it appeared to be.

"Did you say this was his first surgery?" someone said.

"Yes," another replied.

"I can't believe it. He's so…methodical…"

"Yeah, and he's fast, too. But not sloppy."

"Yes, despite being a fairly basic surgery, it's rather amazing. Imagine how he'll be when he's more experienced."

"Yes, I guess there was a reason he was promoted so quickly."

"I thought it was just because of his name and donating that wing…or perhaps because of his grandfather."

"I thought so, too, but apparently he's skilled after all."

Jan Di scowled at the not so subtle insult but then smiled proudly once Ji Hoo's skill was acknowledged.

There was one moment when she noticed him falter. It was as subtle as the wind changing direction, and no one other than she would have seen it in him. She saw the wrinkle again and the glint of the tiniest bead of sweat on his forehead illuminated by the operating light, and she knew that he was doubting himself. His eyes flashed to her in that second and she smiled at him. And then it was over. His eyes returned to the patient; the doubt was gone, and he finished cleanly. Ji Hoo bowed to the team and thanked them upon successful completion of the surgery.

Ji Hoo tossed his gloves and surgical attire and washed up. He exited the OR and was greeted by his colleagues, who patted him on the back and congratulated him. He nodded along and thanked them, as he scanned for Jan Di. He noticed her toward the back, beaming at him proudly, and they exchanged a look of pure affection.

"Geum Jan Di," Dr. Jang said, interrupting her visual tryst with Ji Hoo.

"Yes, Seongsangnim?"

"Take an hour lunch," he checked his watch, "Be at my office in 1 hour precisely," he ordered.

"Yes, Seonsaengnim!" she bowed.

Then Dr. Jang approached Ji Hoo. "That was good work, Dr. Yoon," he said simply. Ji Hoo thanked him. Dr. Jang nodded and turned and walked away.

Jan Di held back and allowed the crowd to dissipate. Ji Hoo approached her after everyone had gone, smiling.

Then his face grew stern, "Could I see you in my office immediately?" he attempted to hold the stern expression but couldn't prevent the corners of his mouth from turning upward.

Jan Di nodded and followed him.

Once inside Ji Hoo's office with the door closed Ji Hoo turned to Jan Di and slowly approached her.

"So, Dr. Yoon…" Jan Di grew playfully serious and tilted her head, "Why did you want to see me?"

He revealed a special smile, one she knew well, one reserved only for her…

"Am I in trouble?" she asked coyly.

He simply grinned at her and moved closer, until they were mere inches apart. Then, without a word he put his hands on her hips, pressing her slightly into the door, and kissed her deeply. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Dr. Yoon!" she whispered breathy after breaking the kiss, as if she were the heroine of a romance novel. She teased, yet she had to admit the impulsive gesture had taken her breath away a little.

This seemed to fuel him further and he pulled her tightly against him. She felt herself sigh pleasurably and close her eyes. They both had to curb themselves from further giving in to their urges. It wasn't exactly the time and place, and there was no guarantee that someone couldn't come through the door at any moment without warning.

"This is hardly professional…," she chastised, though she had to admit that she'd been swept up in the moment.

"You're right, but I just couldn't help myself," he whispered against her ear.

She smiled to herself. "Well, control yourself…this is our workplace," she whispered back slyly.

He chuckled, "I'll try," and he reluctantly brought her to arm's length. He held her arms and smiled affectionately at her. "I wanted to thank you for being my good luck charm today."

"You didn't need me, you were amazing! You looked so cool in there," her eyes were full of admiration.

He smiled. "Seeing you there really gave me courage, so thank you…"

"I was really glad that I was able to watch!" Jan Di smiled lovingly and bounced up and down in excitement. "You did it, your first successful surgery! I knew you could do it! I'm so proud of you!" she squealed and threw herself into his arms again. He smiled widely and picked her up. She wrapped her legs around him and he wrapped both arms tightly around her. He spun her around, both smiling. They exchanged a quick, yet passionate kiss before reluctantly disentangling.

Then they gave a short simultaneous laugh after he set her down. "Guess we got a little caught up in the moment again," Jan Di chuckled, as she smoothed out her scrubs.

"Yea," he smiled and rubbed her arm. They both heard the growl of the familiar monster that lived in her stomach.

"Oh, the otter is hungry," he said with a grin, and she laughed. "Can I take you to lunch?"

She nodded and they headed to the cafeteria.

Ji Hoo and Jan Di sat in the cafeteria having lunch together. "How is your day going?" he asked.

"Well, it's not going so well as yours…you're the superstar, and I'm well…definitely not. I keep making mistakes…and I didn't know a single answer at rounds, and Dr. Jang kept calling on me…it was like he could sense I was the weakest in the herd or something…"

Ji Hoo gazed at her sympathetically, as she picked at her food. He knew that she had to be starving, even if her stomach hadn't given her away. She hadn't been able to eat breakfast either because of nerves.

Ji Hoo reassured her, as only he could, and she felt better. She smiled and finally dug into her lunch hungrily. He smiled and watched her for a moment, relieved to see her appetite return.

Then he began to eat his lunch and they chatted about their day. Ji Hoo heard a beeping and felt a vibration against his hip. "Oh," he picked up his pager. "I'm sorry, I have to go."

He leaned forward to give her a kiss and then stopped. "Oh right," he said, disappointed. "I'll see you later. Don't worry anymore; it's going to be fine! Good luck, Beautiful!"

She smiled. "You too." Ji Hoo gave her a wink and was off.

After lunch, Dr. Jang took the interns to a patient's bed to demonstrate intubation. He briefly instructed them on how to perform the procedure. Dr. Jang crossed his arms and scanned the group for his helpless victim. His eyes stopped on Jan Di.

"Geum Jan Di, get over here," he demanded with his finger.

Jan Di groaned inwardly, Not me again…, but immediately replied, "Yes, Seonsaengnim!" She bowed her head and rushed to Dr. Jang's side.

He handed her the tube and laryngoscope. "Intubate this patient."

Jan Di slowly took the tools and moved to the patient, her hand trembling slightly. Dr. Jang folded his arms once more and looked on as he instructed her.

Ji Hoo had arrived after doing a post-op on his patient. He stopped to watch Jan Di. He crossed his arms. Dr. Jang and Ji Hoo watched intently as Jan Di fumbled with inserting the laryngoscope and tube.

"No, no, no, in the lungs!" Dr. Jang barked.

Ji Hoo tightened his jaw, not appreciating Dr. Jang's tone.

Jan Di continued to struggle.

Dr. Jang snatched the tube from her. "Like this, watch," he snapped at her. Jan Di blinked and nodded. Ji Hoo's chest began to rise and fall heavily.

Jan Di watched Dr. Jang place the tube. Then he leaned toward her and looked her in the eye. "It's that easy. Got it?"

She nodded nervously.

Ji Hoo exhaled sharply and clutched his arms tighter around himself. He felt a pang as he watched Jan Di shuffle back to the group with her head down. Ji Hoo took a step forward but decided it best to not embarrass her by going over. He watched Mi-Nyu pat Jan Di's shoulder comfortingly and whisper something to her.

Dr. Jang took the group aside, as Ji Hoo looked on. "Now, take notes…" Jan Di pulled out her pad and listened. Dr. Jang explained the next steps in the procedure.

"Now, for your next lesson… And listen up because this is important," Dr. Jang continued. Jan Di gave her full attention. "…The day is going to come for all of you that you will make a mistake, and that will ultimately lead to the death of a patient…for some, that day will come sooner than for others…" Dr. Jang shot a not so subtle glance to Jan Di. Jan Di looked down at the floor.

Ji Hoo didn't miss this jab, and his hand tightened into a fist at his side. He was inches from rushing over, but managed to restrain himself somehow... He stood there, fuming silently instead.

Jan Di turned briefly to see Ji Hoo behind her. She looked at him dejectedly and his expression softened. He gave her a loving, reassuring smile and she smiled back weakly.

"But don't worry because it happens to us all," Dr. Jang went on with his speech, "…Even as doctors, we are not perfect, so you are eventually going to lose a patient. But you need to make every possible effort to ensure that doesn't happen, so it is important to work hard and be very attentive to every detail. ...And don't be afraid to rely on me if you need help," Dr. Jang added as an aside.

The group was instructed to follow Dr. Jang down the hall. Jan Di and Ji Hoo exchanged a last glance, as she turned and followed. Dr. Jang stopped suddenly and pulled out a dummy from a nearby closet. He took Jan Di by the wrist into the on-call room. "Geum Jan Di, you're going to practice intubation until I come back."

She nodded. "Yes, Seonsaengnim." He put the dummy and instruments down beside her.

"I'll be back later," he said and took his leave.

Jan Di took a deep breath and began practicing the procedure.

Ji Hoo prepared to follow but was paged away.

Later, Ji Hoo knocked on Dr. Jang's office door. "Come in," Dr. Jang called from inside.

Ji Hoo approached Dr. Jang's desk, and he looked up from his paperwork. "Dr. Yoon," he said simply.

Ji Hoo bowed politely. "Dr. Jang, could I have a word with you?"

"What can I do for you?" he went back to his paperwork.

"Well, first of all, I'd like to say that I'm sorry about the tension over the clinic. And I wanted you to know that I respect you and look up to you a great deal as a physician…"

Dr. Jang nodded. "Thank you, Dr. Yoon. I have respect for you, as well. Particularly after seeing you in surgery today. I must say, you performed well…for someone so inexperienced," he added at the end.

Ji Hoo bowed his head. "Thank you." Ji Hoo sighed and shoved his hands into the pockets of his pure white coat.

"Was there something else, Dr. Yoon?" Dr. Jang asked, as he signed papers.

Ji Hoo sighed. "Yes. I wanted to talk to you about Geum Jan Di..."

Dr. Jang paused. "What about her?" he asked, still not looking up.

"Well, I have a favor to ask."

"A favor?" Dr. Jang smirked and then continued to sign documents.

"Yes. I wondered if you could perhaps…lighten up on her...," Ji Hoo said.

Dr. Jang put his pen down and leaned back in his chair, giving Ji Hoo his full attention. He raised his brow in…amusement or intrigue…Ji Hoo wasn't really sure which.

"She's very passionate about being a doctor, and she's very hard-working," Ji Hoo continued, "..I wondered if you could look out for her, help her out a bit, and make sure she succeeds. I think that once you get to know her you'll realize how dedicated she is. And though she is inexperienced, I think you'll see that she has great potential."

Dr. Jang rubbed his chin. "That's a rather impassioned speech, Dr. Yoon."

"Yes, well, she's a dear friend of mine, so…do you think you could do this for me?"

Dr. Jang seemed to ponder this. "I'll see what I can do, Dr. Yoon," Dr. Jang went back to his paperwork.

Ji Hoo nodded, "Thank you for your time," and he bowed and left.

Dr. Jang looked up as Ji Hoo walked out the door. He wasn't exactly thrilled about Ji Hoo questioning his methods. As if he wouldn't do all in his power to see his students succeed! And who was Dr. Yoon to ask a favor of him anyway? Name and status aside, he was still his junior and subordinate.

"Donate the money for a wing of the hospital and you think you can go around dictating how I teach my students?" He scoffed.

After speaking with Dr. Jang, Ji Hoo looked for Jan Di and finally found her in the on-call room practicing intubation on a dummy. She was so engrossed in the task that she didn't notice him come in and sit beside her on the bed.

"Oh, Sunbae," she finally said after he touched her shoulder.

"Hey, how are you?" He rubbed her shoulder lightly with his thumb.

Jan Di sighed. "I'm fine…kind of embarrassed that you and everyone else saw that…guess I'm not doing so well, huh?"

"You're doing just fine," Ji Hoo retorted. "First days are always tough, and that procedure was really too complex to force you to do so early on anyway. I guarantee that most of the other interns have no idea how to do that…and since you've been practicing you're probably way ahead."

"Thanks, Sunbae," she smiled weakly.

He ran his hand lightly up and down her arm. "There's so much to know. It takes time. Experience is a big part of medicine. You're going to get better, and you're doing just fine, so don't be discouraged."

He smiled at her, and she returned the smile, as she continued to do the procedure for the 100th time that day.

"Jan Di, stop." Ji Hoo put a hand over hers. "You don't have to keep doing that. He was just hazing you."

"No, Sunbae. I do have to. Seongsangnim told me to keep practicing until he returned, and that's what I'm going to do."

"OK," he nodded, tightening his mouth. "You're going to be really good at it."

Jan Di sighed. "Do you really think I can do this, Sunbae? Be a doctor?" Ji Hoo felt the heat of his anger rising within him at the thought of Dr. Jang making her question herself.

"Of course I do." He turned her to face him. "You are the hardest working person I've ever known, and this is your passion, so I know you'll make it through."

She smiled. "But what if I can't, no matter how hard I try? What if I fail?"

"I won't let that happen," he assured her, and something in his eyes was so convincing.

"Thank you, Sunbae," she smiled tenderly and returned to practicing.

"OK, well I'll see you later then." Ji Hoo squeezed her arm and rose. He turned to leave.

Dr. Jang arrived and stood in the doorway, his arms crossed. She's actually still practicing the procedure… Most others would have made up some excuse to stop by now…

Dr. Jang and Ji Hoo exchanged a glance as Ji Hoo exited. They stepped aside and turned to each other, simply staring tensely for a moment.

Dr. Jang finally spoke, "Dr. Yoon, I considered your words. And believe it or not I do want to help the girl and see her succeed, as I do with all my students."

Ji Hoo nodded.

"You may not agree with my methods, but I believe they are effective. I am forcing her to learn and get better."

"I don't dispute your method of encouraging practice. It's rather the harsh manner in which you went about it that bothered me. I apologize for my rudeness, though. I know it's not my place to question you."

Dr. Jang sighed. "I'm not in the habit of babying my students. Your method of holding her hand and coddling her is not going to work, Dr. Yoon. If you do that, she'll fail."

Ji Hoo tightened his jaw and remained silent.

Dr. Jang glanced back into the room. Jan Di was still absorbed in the task. Dr. Jang smiled ever so slightly. "I will say one thing. Her tenacity impresses me."

Ji Hoo looked in on Jan Di alongside Dr. Jang. "Yes, she certainly is impressive," Ji Hoo said with a smile.

Dr. Jang smirked and turned to Ji Hoo. "You sound like you're her biggest fan."

"Yes, you could say that..."

Dr. Jang shook his head then slapped Ji Hoo on the back. "Well, I'm going to go tell the kiddo she can stop now."

Dr. Jang kept tabs on Jan Di off and on throughout the rest of the day. Ji Hoo had made him realize that he had been picking on her quite a bit, and he mused on why that could be. He attempted to cut her some slack. After all, he didn't want to scare her off. But she didn't seem like the type who could be.

He caught himself yelling at her once more that day, "Geum Jan Di, do it right!" She'd visibly flinched. Immediately, his expression softened, and he sighed. "Like this," he said more gently, as he came up beside her and guided her hand-over-hand through placing an IV. Then he stepped back a few feet and allowed her to try it again.

As Dr. Jang looked on, one of his colleagues approached.

"How are the interns doing?" the slightly older Dr. Chu asked.

"Well, they're progressing bit by bit, I suppose," Dr. Jang replied.

"How is the new group?"

"A couple with potential."

Dr. Chu looked to Jan Di. "This one here…She just tries so damn hard, doesn't she?"

Dr. Jang smirked. "Yes, she does." He watched her finally complete the procedure correctly and smile widely at her small success. He felt the corners of his mouth tugging at him, and he gave in and smiled. "It's kind of like watching a baby deer learn how to walk," Dr. Jang quipped, "…It's rather endearing."

Dr. Chu chuckled, "That's one way of putting it."

"Though her knowledge and technical skills aren't the best, she does try harder than all the other interns combined. And she has a certain good bedside manner with the patients. I watched her perform a couple of exams, and she really had a way with them. I think with a lot of intense training and experience she could be an exceptional physician…"

Dr. Chu nodded. "And are you taking it upon yourself to train her properly then?"

Dr. Jang was silent, as he thought about that question. He made eye contact with Jan Di and gave her the slightest nod of approval. He smirked at his colleague and then turned his eyes back to Jan Di.

Alright Dr. Yoon, I'll watch out for her for you… This should be interesting…

Jan Di finished her scut work and then checked in with Dr. Jang. She asked if there was anything more to be done.

"No, that's it," he said, without looking up from his clipboard. "Go home, Geum Jan Di."

"Thank you for all your help today. Goodnight, Seongsangnim," she smiled and bowed to him.

She's thanking me? He briefly acknowledged her with his eyes and then went back to his clipboard. "Goodnight, Geum Jan Di," Dr. Jang mumbled without looking at her.

She turned to leave, and he looked up and watched her walk away. He grinned and shook his head. "I'll see you tomorrow, Kiddo…"

Jan Di met up with Ji Hoo and they walked out together to the car. "How was the rest of your day, sweetheart?" he asked, having been too busy to check in on her again. No one they knew seemed to be around, so she hugged his arm and leaned her head lightly against it as they walked.

"A little bit better. I got yelled at again by Dr. Jang, but then the weirdest thing happened… He actually started being nicer to me."

Ji Hoo nodded. "Well, that's good. I'm glad."

"How was the rest of your day, Ji Hoo-yah?"

"Busy, but good. I have to admit I was worried about you, though. I'm so sorry I couldn't get back to check on you again."

She smiled. "It's OK. You don't always have to check on me, but I appreciate it. Oh, and thanks for the sweet text." She recalled him sending her a heart with an I love you.

"My pleasure." He opened the door for her, and she slid into the car.

Jan Di yawned.

"The otter is sleepy…," Ji Hoo commented.

"Yes, she is. I think the otter is going to pass out right after dinner….," Jan Di laughed.

"Me too," Ji Hoo smiled at her, and they drove off for home.