"...you should not fall in love with him."

My uncle's kind, yet firm voice hangs in the air.

"Who are you talking about, exactly?"

I ask him innocently. My uncle knits his eyebrows together and asks back...

"Daehyun? Don't tell me you... you're already interested in someone here?!"

"O-Of course not! It's way too early for that anyway. But the way you said that warning made me think you had someone specific in mind."

"Good point...and you might be right. Ahaha! Oh, look at me! Straight into serious-mode. Eew. I shouldn't worry so much, right?"

"Yeah. You shouldn't. So...were you talking about anyone in particular?"

"You wanna know the answer?"

My uncle asks, putting on a mysterious grin. He leans in close to me and says,

"Too bad. Nah-ah! Not telling."

"Huh? But... now I wanna know even more!"

"I shouldn't have to tell you. You and him will be working together. You'll notice soon enough. Like a sixth sense. This sense will tell you, 'Don't fall for this guy!'"

"Now you're just messing with me. Come on, Uncle Heechul. Just tell me!"

"Nope! A secret is a secret!"

"Oh, Heenim, you're impossible!"

I smile, slapping my uncle's shoulder. But I'm secretly relieved.

(The instant he told me I wasn't allowed to fall in love for some reason, I imagined his face. Even though I never thought of him that way before...)

Just as I'm thinking this, as if on cue, there's a knock on the hospital door and it opens.

"Mr. Bang!"

The very man whose face I was picturing. My heart lurches in surprise.

"Hi there, Gukkie! What perfect timing you've got."

"Looks like you told her most of what she needs to know. Wanna go back?"

"Huh...?"

Yongguk is already picking up my bag on the chair like it's a completely normal thing to do.