Sohyun has been writing the medical records of the patients for the past two hours, in the office assigned to the interns. It had a large meeting table and the small chairs with no one beside her except some books, papers and many a mess. She had been writing ever since she came back from lunch with Jaeha whom she often bumps into during her visit to cafeteria in the afternoon. He provides the live updates on the plight of Kim’s family, but he was careful enough to not drown her in it and quickly changes the topic.

Living with the family puts Jiwoo under constant check, so she calls or texts Sohyun only when she is away from the house. So, Jaeha became her only bridge.

Since, Sohyun immersed herself in writing so, her sore back reminded her.  She straightened her back and pandiculated as if she had just woken up. Suddenly, the door opened. The sound of the door opening, made her alert. She withdrew her outstretched arms and positioned her back. Someone put their head in through the door and scrutinized the room after looking at Sohyun. He looked familiar, but she couldn’t recollect who he is. He is certainly not one of the doctors or fellow interns or staff. Patient? But, he isn’t wearing his uniform. Guardian?

Sohyun got up from her seat asking, “How may I help you?”

He hesitantly came in and turned to close the door. “It’s alright! You can leave the door open!”, Sohyun’s firm words made him open the door wide. He was handsome with the bubbling youth face and clothed in ocean blue Tee and Rip jeans. He took a few steps in, but he was closer to the door than to Sohyun.

He stood staring at her hands that was holding the pen in one hand and the other resting on the records.

“You are?”, Sohyun questioned.

“My cousin was admitted for some inflammation in the liver, a week ago. I saw you few times while you were on rounds doing the check-up”, he replied softly but, there was a tinge of nervousness in his voice.

“If you are here to enquire about your cousin’s condition, I’m sorry. I’m not authorised to detail the patient’s condition to anyone apart from the legal guardian”, Sohyun calmly explained.

“Not about my cousin…”, he said despondently. “I like you Sohyun-sshi!”, he blurted out. Her eyes widened while, “Huh?!”, escaped . He continued, “I want to stroll through the streets of Myeongdong holding your hand, drive across the Han river on Hangang bridge with you by my side and spend my life with you and raise our two daughters who will resemble you!”

Sohyun couldn’t help but smile at his confession. He stood taking evident breathes. Holding in her laughter Sohyun asked, “What’s your name?”

“Kang Sejun- nimida”, he responded politely.

Sohyun looked at her watch and said, “Sejun-sshi, it hasn’t been two minutes since I met you, yet you want me to be the mother of your two kids?!”

“Are you not gonna tell him, that you are married?”, Jaeha’s voice interrupted them. Sejun turned to find Jaeha standing while leaning on the door and crossing his arms. Jaeha directed his eyes at Sohyun saying, “Didn’t I tell you to wear the ring on the finger?”

Sejun’s eyes darted between Sohyun’s hand and Jaeha’s hand searching for the ring. He walked towards the door with downcast eyes mumbling, “So, the rumours are true!”

On hearing him, Sohyun directed her gaze at Jaeha with puzzled look. Sejun looked at Jaeha who gave him a cold look and at Sohyun who was surprised by Jaeha’s words.  Jaeha shrugged failing to decode Sejun’s words.

After Sejun left the room, Sohyun took her seat and continued writing. She resumed her work casually. Impressed by her nonchalant behaviour, he asked walking towards her, “Looks like you’ve rejected many?”

Sohyun smiled at his question and got back to writing.

“What’s the tally?”, he probed her.

Jaeha was determined not to leave without hearing her answer. After giving it a thought, she gave in with a sarcastic reply, “Mmm…. Twenty-two and a half”

“And a HALF?”, he asked bewildered.

“You are that ‘half’!”, she said slyly.

Jaeha got mixed feelings of laughter and frustrations through her remark. He bit his lips swallowing his anger. She held a victorious smile and sat down to resume her writing.

Bewildered by her passion in writing, Jaeha took his steps towards her piqued by curiosity in the content. Sohyun was lost in her own world of patient records unaware of his steps towards her. He leaned in resting his one hand on the chair and the other on the table observing her writing. When the warmth of his breath her ears, Sohyun jumped back startled. Her widened eyes met with his surprised eyes.

Jaeha realised the shock in her eyes and tried his best to change the subject, “Why the hurry?”

She stopped writing and sighed remembering the reason for her hastiness, “He lost the key! And I promised him that I’ll be back home before him!”

Jaeha’s face shrunk on hearing it. He nodded at her reply and took his leave with short good bye without stating the reason for his visit.

Sohyun finished her work and boarded the train earlier than she thought. So, she planned to buy the groceries for the dinner at the supermarket near their station.

While billing, she received a message from Seungho that he has reached home. She rushed back after buying ingredients to prepare his favourite spicy noodles. She smiled while imagining his happy face on seeing the dish that she was going to prepare.

On climbing the stairs, Sohyun saw him scrolling through his phone while waiting for her in the landing platform. On hearing the footsteps, he turned towards her.

The instance her saw her, “I have been waiting for the last fifteen minutes forty seconds!”, he said showing his displease. She looked at him with pleading look, “Sorry! Lost track of time while buying the vegetables…”. He averted his gaze to the bag she was carrying and fetched it from her. On climbing the other flight of stairs, he said with sullen look, “That’s why I asked you to leave the key with me!”

“I got a little late, and you’re pouring out your anger for that!”, She asked while walking through the courtyard with him following behind.

“You’ll come late as you wish, and I should be the one waiting outside?”, he asked her who was rummaging through her handbag to get the key.

“Did I leave for a holiday trip? I came late fetching the things to cook for you!”, she said inflamed.

“Who told you not to go? Why are you making me wait outside like a security guard!”, he said venting out his frustrations.

While unlocking the door, “Didn’t you wait for two hours in the station for me, before marriage? Now, can’t you wait for fifteen minutes?”, she asked him wondering what made him bitter now.

“That’s different”, he said with his volume curtailed.

She stopped unlocking the door and asked in stupor, “What do you mean ‘different’?”

“That was before, while we were dating”, he said without giving it a thought.

“Now, after marriage? That’s everything, isn’t it?”, she asked knitting her brows in disappointment.

“Who said anything about ‘now’?”, he said feigning innocence.

“Now you said it!”

“Sohyun-ah, open the door”, he pleaded.

“Don’t change the topic!”, she said hiding the key behind her, demanding the answer.

“Sohyun-ah… the key…”, he tried to get the key from her with one hand while holding the bag in the other.

“Why did you say like that?”, she questioned him.

He got the key from her and opened the door saying softly, “Let’s not stand outside! Come in, I’ll tell you!”

He entered the house, dragging her in. After placing their footwear in the shoe rack, she grabbed the grocery bag from him annoyed. He locked the door and went behind her.

“Do you know, how long was I waiting for this?”, he said wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and lifting her up in a swirl.

Though the smile crept in, her temper curtailed it. “Let me down!”, she said firmly.

“Ok!”, he said and gently put her down still locking her with his arms around her waist. He blew away the hair on her shoulders revealing the crook of her neck and pressed his lips in the crook and while tightening his hold around her.

“Leave me!”, she said wriggling.

“I will not!”, he replied strongly and bit her shoulder. She elbowed him in pain.

“Not now!”, she said angrily breaking off from his hold.

“Why?”, he asked turning her around and gazing into her eyes.

“You are hugging me after fighting with me?”, she told him walking away.

“To have an intimate reunion, a fight is necessary”, he said hugging her again.

She shoved him away shouting, “I didn’t even take bath after returning home from the hospital!”

“So?”, he said stealing a peck from her lips.

“NO!”, she told him firmly and took a pen from her handbag; went near the calendar dragging him by hand and circled the date.

“What’s that?”, he asked her.

“I’m marking the days we fight”

“Why?!”

“To show how big deal a marriage is!”, she said and went to take her bath.

The night has fallen and the house was quiet, having him in the living room with his laptop and her in the room with the books. He knew that she is still upset at him for slipping out the words in anger. He wanted to talk it out but, by the time he finished his project work in his laptop, he found her in bay window sleeping with the books by her side that has left her hands and got dropped to the floor when she fell into sleep. He arranged the books and lifted her in his arms with great care without disturbing her sleep and placed her on the mattress while resting her head on the pillow. When she adjusted her head in sleep struggling to find the comfort, he gently removed the band on her ponytail and the hair away from her face to aid her convenience. He lay down beside her. He watched her sleeping quietly. She looked tired; drained, but still lovely. He pulled her gently into embrace, carefully resting her head on his chest, placing her hands around him and slept hugging her.

Next day, Seungho offered to drop Sohyun for having enjoyed the spicy noodles despite complaining about the grocery shopping yesterday. On reaching the hospital, Seungho halted the car and looked at Sohyun who was sitting beside him. Those expectant eyes, expressing love, adoring his love, gazed into hers hoping it would make her forgive him. Sohyun gave him a warm smile. She leaned in, kissed him softly on his warm lips. Her tender and smooth lips told him that it was her sign of forgiveness. Smile never left his lips even after she left her seat. While making the U-turn, he saw something slipping on the seat. He found her phone that was forgotten behind and was left with no other way but to hand over the phone in person. After parking the car, he made his way towards her floor.

While placing her things in the locker, Sohyun found her phone missing. She rushed to the information desk to make a call to Seungho.

When Seungho reached her floor, he saw her talking to the lady on the information desk. He could hear that she wants to make a call. It induced a smile on him. When he took a step towards her, he was stopped by Jaeha’s greeting, “Seungo-sshi! Long-time no see!”

Seungho looked at Jaeha who was in the doctor mode, so professional but with the smile of oppa-next-door. “How have you been?”, Seungho asked.

“I’m good and Sohyun told me you’re doing good too, I hope it’s true!”

He chuckled on the outside, nodding. But, to Seungho, his words rhymed like ‘I’m close with Sohyun’. He pondered on the fact that he needn’t have to mention ‘Sohyun told me’, when he can just ask ‘how are you’. Because, technically ‘how are you’ is shorter than that.

“What-”, before Jaeha could finish his sentence, both turned towards the voice, “Sohyun-sshi, you can use mine to make a call”.

Jaeha smirked at the sight of him. He realized that Seungho is wearing a puzzled expression about the smirk, so he explained, “That guy named Sejun, who is now offering his phone to Sohyun, offered his heart before!”

“What?”, Seungho knitted his brows.

“Actually, I told him that she is married…”

Seungho cut him pouring out his rage, “He is still trying to flirt with MY WIFE?!”

Jaeha glanced Seungho at the mention of ‘my wife’ and said with a straight expression, looking back at her, “For your information, our country had decriminalized affairs”.

 Seungho faked a smile but clenched his jaw at his remark. “What was his name again?”

“Kang Sejun. Why?”

“Just because”, Seungho replied while looking at Sejun.

With Seungho, Sohyun usually shares the love letters she received in school and college but, mostly the letters would be anonymous. But, she used to be careful with the confessions she got, because she knows his temper. Somehow, those guys never appeared before her again. He knows that she strolls in the dreams of many, but, he took pride in her confession that, if there was ever a man in her dreams it would be him.

Sohyun who was trying her best to refuse Sejun’s help, was alarmed by the lady’s statement, “Your husband is giving you a death glare”. Sohyun immediately looked around to find Seungho. She also noticed Jaeha standing beside him.

She gave Seungho a warm smile while walking towards him. Her smile made his blazing vigour to slumber into tiny sparks. She gave a head bow at Jaeha greeting him and arched her brow at Seungho asking him the purpose of the visit. Seungho handed the phone to her smiling. When she outstretched her hand to receive it, he held her hand in his’ and gripped it softly before letting it go. He didn’t say another word and left the scene.

On the way back to the parking lot, he was induced with ‘I give up’ smile while swinging his head sideward. He was struck by the enlightenment, ‘She is my salvation and my torment’.

After Seungho left, Sohyun excused herself to do her work.

Jaeha approached Sejun who was still shock, and patted on his shoulder saying, “Are you wiling to become a patient for her?” and took his leave. His cold eyes and words sent down the chills in Sejun.

The lady at the information desk who was witnessing everything, though she couldn’t hear their conversation, told Sejun, “You are the one who told us that Jaeha-sshi and Sohyun-sshi are married, how can you flirt with her in front of him?”. Sejun who is still swimming in cold water poured by Jaeha, turned and looked at her in daze. She added, “Young men these days…”, and sighed.

Author’s note:

Hi! Hello! Annyeounghaseyo! Just a day more to weekend!! Hope everyone is doing good :) Thank you for reading :) Hope you are enjoying the story.

It was supposed to be a tom and jerry fight in this chapter but, once I saw this video by ssohyn.k titled 'Yoo Seungho, the man who can't be moved' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSVpCpCEX-0) , I planned to redesign this chapter! I really loved the song, captions, behind the scenes, zoomed in expressions highlighted in it! Wonderfully done video! After watching it, I couldn’t bring myself to imagine a fight! ‘Let’s take it slowly’, that’s what I told to convince myself. Hope it works on you too ;)

Chapter Cover:  credits in the pic wow_marian_rivera (WOW! - The only word that escaped by mouth when I saw the pic)