The next morning, I met Jong Dae at the main entrance of the hospital.

"Good morning." I gestured and was about to leave but was called by him.

"Dr Seo, shall we have lunch today? I thought of discussing some things with you." he said.

I couldn't seem to spend time alone with him yet, "Sorry Dr Kim, I'm meeting someone else for lunch later. If you need me, I'll be there later at your office. Then pardon me, I shall get to work first." I left and went on ahead.

Jong Dae sensed that there's something amiss but he couldn't specifically point out what was wrong.

I went ahead with making rounds on the patients I've operated on and thankfully, they are not in the critical zone already, "His vitals are normal, sodium and potassium levels as well." A resident reported and Se Hun stepped into the room as well.

I bowed lightly, "Good morning." I said.

He bowed back, "Good morning."

We observed the patient for a while more and then headed out.

"Where do you plan on going now?" Se Hun asked, with a deep, mature voice.

I looked at him, "Heading towards Dr Kim's office." I said and entered the lift first.

He then stepped in, "This early in the morning?"

I pressed the buttons, "He told me to meet him just now, there's something he wanted to discuss with me. Would you like to come along?" I asked.

Se Hun couldn't help it, his feelings have surfaced and he felt that it's going to be a torture if he supressed it further.

"Se Hun, why aren't you (responding)..." I turned and realised Se Hun was just a few inches away, dangerously close to me.

"Se.. Hun?" I looked at him dazed and what happened next was..

The lift door opened and Kim Jong Dae was standing at the door.

We turned and looked at him, I slightly pushed Se Hun away and ran out of the lift..

"Did I just.." Kim Jong Dae wasn't expecting to be witnessing such a scene but he knew he wasn't really happy to see that.

Se Hun showed a cold glare, "Well, Dr Kim, I can see that you really have got good timings."

Kim Jong Dae lets out a dry cough, "Well, I'm sorry if I've interrupted anything but let's get to work."

I wasn't sure what to do but told myself to pick it up and then went into his office too.

There was a complication for one of the patients whom we were soon going to operate on, hence the meeting took place. Initially, I'm going to be incharged of it as it's not a very big tumour and was deemed not dangerous since it wasn't near any huge veins.

However, the MRI scan of the patient that was done yesterday shown that the tumour has shifted to a location which is almost pressing against the veins and I'm not deemed to be suitable for conducting the surgery as the main doctor.

Se Hun expressed his views, "This is not the first time that we operated on a patient with a similar case like this. Plus, I'm assisting on that day, what's the issue?"

"But the hospital doesn't allow a fellow to simply take charge of a critical case like this, it's a little too demanding for a fellow to do this." Jong Dae explained.

There were just rules that we had to follow as well hence I could understand.

"I'm confident of doing this, can't we keep it like this? He's my patient, I should take charge of him." I said.

"That's why I'm calling you in now. I will be the main while you assist me for this surgery." Jong Dae said.

He looked at Se Hun, "Dr Oh, there's a surgery that I was about to take on but I want you to follow up on that one. It's manageable for a fellow hence I'm putting you in charged." 

Se Hun didn't expect that, "So now what? You're telling me that you're gonna be the main for a surgery which was supposed to be done by Dr Seo and I?"

Jong Dae could somehow understand why Se Hun was displeased by it, "Dr Oh, the decision has been made by the upper management. I'm just informing you."

Se Hun clenched his fist till I could see that his knuckles turned white, "Alright, then I guess I'm out of here." he went out after saying it.

I don't really feel good about it as well but I guess I can't help it, "If there isn't anything else, may I excuse myself?" I asked.

Jong Dae came to me, "Min Ah." 

I was startled by how long has it been since he called me by my name... He was standing so close to me that it almost took my breathe away and yet, I'm the only one affected by it.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Jong Dae held onto my hands and his hands are so warm as compared to mine.

"Like always, your hands are cold. Are you sure that you're taking good care of yourself?" He asked with a concerned tone.

And here I am feeling so painful with each and every concern he showed but not with any feelings similar to what I had for him. 

I took my hands away from the warmth that came from him, "I'm okay, you don't have to be concerned. I'll go off now." I said and turned to leave the room.

Jong Dae watched as she left the room, not knowing what to say to her and couldn't seem to find an identity or position to speak as well.

As a senior back then in medical school?

As a superior?

As a.. as someone who watches over her and felt a little pain when he sees her with another man aside from him?

I went to the rooftop so as to cool down myself, letting the breeze blow against me made me calm once again. Focused on work today, there were many patients to follow up with after all. The A&E was as usual, busy and packed with people. 

"Oh hey Dr Seo, nice to meet you here. You came just in time, take a look at this." Park Chan Yeol, the Head of General Surgery happens to be there with a patient whom I took a brief look just now.

The MRI results are back and we realised the patient has a haemorrhage up in his left brain and then a liver injury due to a traffic accident.

"Looks pretty bad on the livers but I can't say that the brain isn't bad enough." I commented, "I'll call Dr Kim over so that we can decide who goes first." 

He nodded, agreeing to my decision and continued looking at the results while going deep into his own thoughts.

I phoned Jong Dae, "Dr Kim, can you come over to the A&E? We have a patient here and will need you to decide whether we go first or the general surgeons." I informed.

"Alright, I got it." Kim Jong Dae instructed the residents and came to us as soon as he can.

He glanced through all the results and said, "We will have to go first. The haemorrhage is pretty bad, at least we got to drain the excess blood out first." Jong Dae said.

Chan Yeol nodded, "Alright, I thought so too but we are rushing for time as well. Keep it to two hours at most on your side." he said and left the room.

Jong Dae turned and looked at me, "You'll be assisting, alright?"

I nodded, "I'll get the theatre ready." I said and left the room.

Jong Dae watched her back view as she walked out of the room, when did the both of us become like this?

Both of us entered the theatre, the surgery started and thankfully, we managed to drain it out in time for the general surgeons to take over. Soo Ah got assigned to assist Chan Yeol for the follow up surgery, I got to at least see her for a few seconds before she enters.

After that, I cleaned up and went out.

Jong Dae ran and came to my side, "Why didn't you wait a while for me like you always do?" he asked.

I didn't know what to say to him, "I.. I just thought you'd be busy so I left on my own first." I replied.

Jong Dae doubted, "Is that so? Why am I getting the feeling that you are trying to avoid me?"

Ever since early morning, Kim Jong Dae has been having this feeling, this irritating feeling that she has been avoiding him and he couldn't understand why.  He just doesn't like it.

"What are you talking about? I'm not avoiding you or anything. Just that I've got work to do as well." I said.

Jong Dae grabbed me by my wrist, "Is that so? Then look at me when you are talking to me."

Don't you know that your eyes are always so mesmerising that enchants me every single time?

I looked up at him and his gaze fixed upon me, just how long has it been since he looks at me in such a way as though I'm the only one in his world, which makes me feel special and I almost forgot that..

We were nothing to start with.

Tears rolled down my cheeks without any prior notice, I didn't realise till Jong Dae gently wiped them off and hugged me close to his warm embrace.

"Don't cry, you should know by now that I can't do a single thing if you cried.." His soothing, deep voice resounded by my ear and I can't help but to hold on to him even more.

Thankfully, there wasn't too much of a human flow at this time, if not it wouldn't have been good.

Jong Dae held onto my hand, "Let's talk somewhere else." he said.

I nodded and followed him into the lift, down to the carpark and went to his car.

When I got into his car, I can't help but to get flashbacks of that lady yesterday, I wonder if she also got into Jong Dae's car, sitting at the same seat as me right now?

Jong Dae noticed that I was in deep thoughts, he called, "Min Ah? What are you thinking about?"

I looked at him, "Do you have a girlfriend?" I asked.

Jong Dae's eyes were slightly enlarged upon that, I looked down, "You are currently dating aren't you?" I asked.

Jong Dae then realised what might have been the misunderstanding about, he held my hands together with his warm, huge hands as compared to mine, "Why are you asking?" He asked.

I looked up at him, his face is so close to me and that smile of his, gosh.. how can he do this to my poor heart.. Just with a simple smile like this, my heart went thumping like crazy.

"I.. I saw your girlfriend yesterday, she's beautiful, I can see that you like her a lot." I said.

Brows knit upon hearing, "Who on earth is this girlfriend of mine whom you've met yesterday?" He asked.

I took my hands off him but he grabbed onto it once again, "Hey.. I saw.. I saw both of you having dinner together yesterday at the restaurant just down the streets. So let go of my hands now, it's not good."  I said.

Jong Dae then did something which I didn't expect him to do so at all..

He left a soft kiss on my cheek, "Who taught you to assume that if a lady hangs out with me then she's my girlfriend?"

I looked at him, not knowing how to respond, I felt like my heart stopped for a moment and then now it's just thumping so fast.

"What did you.."

Jong Dae let out a soft laugh, "That's to punish you for assuming things on your own and then avoiding me the whole day like I'm some kind of flu virus."

I blushed, I swear I look like a tomato right now, "Why did you even... how could you do that.." I'm just all so flustered by his random kiss and doesn't know what to do.

Jong Dae hugged me, "Min Ah, that's not my girlfriend, I'm not seeing anyone else." he said, deliberately in a slower pace just so to make sure that I've got everything heard.

Then he let go off me slightly just so that we can look at each other in the eyes, "I like you." he said.

I took a while to react to that, "I.. what is this.." I'm blushing so hard, my heart can't seem to stop beating so fast, I just..

Jong Dae smiled, "Look at you being so adorable on your own, just what are you doing to my poor heart right here?" he said and took my hand , placing it over his chest and I can actually sense his heart beating very strongly.

"Jong Dae.. was what you said for real?" I asked.

Jong Dae gently soothe me with his hand on my head, "Since when did I lie to you?" he said.

I smiled and hugged him, "Is it okay that I take a while to think about this?" I asked.

Jong Dae pulled apart, looking seemingly displeased, pouting a little, "You mean after  all these years, you still got to give this a thought?" He asked.

I smiled and cupped his face with both hands, "That's why I have to give it a thought first." I said.

Jong Dae my nose bridge with his long, sleek finger, gently across it, "Cheeky." he said and we left the hospital to drop by a nearby restaurant for lunch.

Come to think of it, it has been a really long time since we have known each other. From our medical school days, till us working together in the same hospital, all of this feels like a dream even now. 

I was a year one while he was already going to graduate from medical school and we met each other in a pretty unique situation.