"hey," you heard her greeting so suddenly that the plate you're holding slips from your hand when you turn to face her in shock. it didn't crash into tiny pieces all over your kitchen floor however, as she catches it deftly on its way down. "oop, careful."

you give her a stern glare as she hands you the plate back. "could you please not prowl so quietly in my house? make some noise when you move around, i can't take anymore of these surprises..."

she chuckles, shifting on her feet, testing the sound they make, or rather the lack of it, against your floorboards. "you've hit your daily limit?"

instead of entertaining her, you issue a strict command. "sit down, you must be hungry."

"starving." she corrects you, her legs quickly making her way to the tall seat on your counter.

you watch her go, appreciating the way your shirt is filled just nicely when she wears it. you set the plate of the instant black bean noodles in front of her, and then places another serving for you. "it's a tight fit, right?"

"what's that? oh, the shirt? yeah, but that's probably because you're much too tiny and cute."

"you know i could kick your right now." if there's one thing you truly hate, it's people teasing you about your small stature.

strangely you're not as angry about it now when you hear her answer to your little threat.

"oh, i know, and i would probably let you," she grins cheerfully before saying her thanks for the food and digging in. maybe you should save the kicking for after the both of you finish eating. "but if you want to really fit in this shirt, maybe not eating just instant stuffs would help. i found nothing but these things in your cupboards when i was searching for some meds. i'd tell you you need proper nutrition and all that but i figured you probably know better than me, it's your field."

"i take supplements, so i'm fine. instant food is very convenient, i can store them for a long time and they're easy to make," you try to reason, looking around the small and rather bare kitchen. "i don't spend a lot of time in this place, either."

"just to sleep?"

"mostly," you give a small nod. "maybe not even that, i spend more nights sleeping at the doctor's mess in the hospital."

she twirls the noodles around her chopsticks, possibly pondering on something. "i was surprised when i read your address. it's not located in a, well, in a very good neighbourhood... i thought a lavished serviced condominium in the luxurious upstate location would be a better choice. you can easily afford one."

"this place might be cheap but it's more than enough because i live by myself, and it's close to the hospital. i could just walk there or make a short drive. i don't need much more than that, really."

she chews as she thinks, and you can feel her gaze on you. it takes her a while to say, "i've never known anyone like you."

you look up from your plate, finally meeting her gaze. "is that a good thing?"

she smiles a little. "i don't know yet."

"is there anything that you actually know about your own feelings?"

she lets out a happy tune as she chews. "when it comes to you, not a lot. but i'm willing to stick around to find out."

you don't say anything after that, just watching her pretty much inhaling her noodles. when she notices you watching her eating like there is no tomorrow, she flushes slightly. "sorry, i did say i was starving, didn't i?"

"you sure did. do you want me to cook you another pack?"

"is that okay? i don't want to impose."

"after everything you've done, i think you've earn the right to eat whatever instant food i have stocked here." you let a small smile form on your lips, a little exasperated, but grateful nonetheless. you leave your seat, letting your own half eaten noodles to rest first so that she doesn't have to wait a long time for her very much well deserved second serving.

the two of you eat in comfortable silence after that. with a full day ahead, you're not in a hurry to unravel the mystery of this woman who have done so much for you in such a little time.

most importantly though, you don't want her to talk while she's chewing her food.

she finishes her second plate of noodles faster than you could with your only serving, and she waits for you patiently before beating you to the sink first and snatching your plate to wash it together with hers.

you let her do what she wants.

-----

"i don't think i've asked for your name."

"i would happily go as your nameless saviour if you don't ever ask," she chuckles good-naturedly, swapping the channel to the news, all sprawled out and comfortable on your couch as she channel surfs. "but it's seulgi."

"seulgi," you say, barely audible at first, testing it, liking the way it easily rolls off your tongue. and then you say it louder. "seulgi."

"yes?" she turns her head in heed to your call to find you folding your laundry neatly. it's about time you get around to do this since you actually washed this certain batch like a week ago, you remember it well as it is your favourite activity - it was just as clear as day.

"mm, nothing," you hum as you put away another work dress shirt. "and i suppose you already know who i am?"

"i'm getting there. what i know as of now though, is that you have a wonderful name."

"really now?"

"bae juhyun," she says, beaming. "it's pretty."

you give her a soft, grateful gaze. "thank you, my mother named me."

"oh, well she has a great taste."

"had," you correct her. "i lost her so many years ago. she was involved in a fatal accident."

she turns her body fully now, giving you all of her attention. "i'm so sorry to hear that."

"it's alright, and thank you. it's something that won't ever fully heal, i'm sure, but i think i'm getting better."

"that's amazing. i really admire your strength," she murmurs, as if in awe. but then her eyes shift, looking around the small apartment, she settles on the single family portrait you keep in a small photo frame placed on your television shelf, a picture of you and your mother taken all those years ago. after a short while her gaze sets back on you, a little urgent and curious. "and... i guess your father isn't in the picture?"

"no, no he wasn't," you sigh, thinking back on the many times you were bullied for not having a paternal figure. "my mother got pregnant out of wedlock, and her boyfriend, my father, wanted to get rid of me, thinking only of his reputation as conceiving without a marriage tie was very frowned upon then, it is still now, i suppose, but now as much as in the past. i don't even know his name. my mother protected me, fought for my life, left him and raised me all by herself."

"your mother would be so proud of you now," she comments, leaving the couch and heading closer to you. "do you think i could give you a hug?"

"i don't even know why i'm telling you all of this," you chuckle lightly as she spreads her arms wide, grinning still. "but i'll take you up on your offer."

"come 'ere!" she pretty much scoops you up into her arms, and you let out a relieved sigh as you rest your head on her shoulders. "i'm grateful that you told me this. i feel a lot closer to you now."

"don't make a habit of it," you mutter against her shoulder. "a woman needs to have her secrets."

she laughs as she sways you a little, and you're both kind of in a very slow dance around your little living room now. "trust me, i know that very well."

there is no music, but the beating of her heart against her chest that you could feel and hear is enough to accompany this little impromptu arrangement of a slow, calming dance.

-----

"you said you'd give me a hug."

"i did, didn't i?"

"no, no, what you gave me was a slow dance."

"oh yeah, is there something wrong with my steps? i can take constructive criticism."

"that's not exactly the point."

she laughs heartily at your complaint. "i understand. i'm sorry if i stepped over my boundaries, i was only thinking of comforting you."

you let out a small sigh. she didn't have to apologize for it. "you didn't, i was just... taken aback."

"why?"

"i don't... i don't know."

"oh, how the tables have turned."

you fiddle with your fingers nervously. "it just seemed very... intimate."

"okay, never mind, so you do know why," she chuckles. "did i rob you off your first slow dance?"

"yes, but no, it doesn't matter. i... i don't do these things, you know. i've never had... this kind of intimacy."

"i'll step back and leave you alone if that's what you want from me."

"no!" you almost yell, out of control of your own body and feelings. she seems surprised at your outburst, nonetheless, and you figured you owe her an explanation. "no, it's just... i don't know what to do. i've never done this before."

"pardon my bluntness, but do you have friends?"

"i guess? there's two nurses that often joins me in my surgeries and says hi to me when we pass each other in the hospital... other coworkers, they don't usually bother me. does that count?"

"not exactly, but close," she says, thinking. "do you want to be close to them?"

"yes, they're always so kind to me."

"okay, then do more than just saying hi."

"do more?"

"yeah! maybe you can do the easy things first like... asking them about their day... sit down with them for a meal... ask them if they want some coffee when you go for your coffee runs... something like that."

"i'll try." you say with a small nod.

"you were home schooled, weren't you?"

you blink, a little surprised at her accurate guess. "yes, i went to a public school for a few months, but little me couldn't fit in very well and was singled out for not having a father. i transferred schools a few times, but even at a new place, i couldn't..." you trail off, not finishing your sentence, but she seems to understand you already, as she is nodding a little. "my mother thought i would be better off getting home schooled. i was mostly by myself during medical school too."

"well, you are better off now by like, a lot," she laughs again. "baby steps, juhyun."

"thank you."

"you're welcome," she replies, before giving you a knowing smile. "people could be put off with your silence, thinking that you're a cold person like you were with me before, it doesn't help in the slightest that you're so pretty, so you appear to be a lot more unreachable, but truthfully you're just kind of socially awkward, aren't you?"

you flush red, both from feeling exposed and also from hearing her unabashed compliments.

"maybe you should get those two nurses to join you for a drink, that seems to work with me, we went from 1 to 100 real quick."

"oh my god, shut up seulgi."

she laughs again, the sound perhaps even more soothing than a wind bell chime.

-----

"you take care of yourself now," she says, pausing before entering her sleek black car. "don't get any sudden urge to throw yourself in front of a bus when i'm not around, or i'll definitely curse you with my every living breath, that's a promise that you know i'll keep."

"this sounds awfully close to a threat."

"it is meant to be."

"i can promise you that i won't throw myself in front of a bus, but cars are free game, right?"

"damn you, juhyun, i'll run you over myself." she spits, and you smile at her contorted face, already missing this bit of banter the two of you have going on.

"go. you shouldn't keep your ceo's daughter waiting."

she grumbles at that as she settles on the driver's leather seat. "what part of 'i'm sick so i'm taking a sick leave' do they not understand..."

"i can only guess that they trust you, seulgi," you comment, shoving the last bit of her head poked out of the now opened window into the car. "come back for your shirt, alright?"

"i'll come back even without my shirt."

"don't. please be properly dressed when you come back."

in response, she mutters lowly, "i suddenly miss your withdrawn silence and resting face, juhyun."

you allow a small grin to form on your lips. "see you, seulgi."

-----