Note: Eunha's role has changed to Mina, Eunha is now introduced as a new character. 

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A libido contributes to the fundamental human need to engage in ual .

Meaning, even without an intimate bond like you’d have with a lover, given just enough stimulation it is possible for you to have with them. 

Love and , though they may seem to come as a pair, doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t be separated. 

———

I opened my apartment door ready to crash, it had been such a long day and I had spent the whole night at my regular club. It was inevitable that I would play with the people I found there but it was too much effort deal with the consequences of them waking up and asking for my contact details. I only want to keep the one’s I need to. I looked at my phone: 6:30. 

I really went overboard last night huh?

I flopped onto my bed using my pillow to break my fall hoping that the hospital wouldn’t call me for an urgent case. I really needed my day off this time. It wasn’t long before I drifted off to sleep and was woken up soon after.

Another case? I thought as I woke up realising only 10 minutes had passed but then realised that it wasn’t my phone that woke me up, but the knocking of my door. A lost pizza delivery man?

After deciding not to answer the door, I struggled to fall back into my state of unconsciousness as the knocking only proceeded to get louder. I eventually grabbed my pillow and pulled it over my head so that it would cover both of my ears and yelled as loud as I could in extreme annoyance. “You’ve got the wrong room! I didn’t order any pizza, so go and bother someone else!” 

The knocking though didn’t stop. It was likely they didn’t hear me due to their own loud knocking. I begrudgingly got out of my bed which I had only entered 15 minutes ago and reached for the door “Well, there goes for my nap.. I swear, if i find out who this is..” 

It was as if all of my fatigue and anger dissipated into thin air and I was left with utter confusion and pleasant surprise. Sana was smiling at me with her usual grin as if she hadn’t been knocking on my door repeatedly for 5 minutes straight. 

“Nayeon-ah! Good morning! Hope it’s not too early to bother you!” Sana beamed as I opened the door. 

“Sana? How did you get here?” I asked oblivious to the large pink bag she held between her hands. “And why are you here? Are you not feeling well?” 

“What are you talking about? I’m moving in obviously!” Sana pushed her way past my and dropped her pink bag on the couch in the living room. “You took me up on my challenge remember?” Sana turned to look at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “If i’m gonna make you love me, then i’ll have to be as close as I can to you at all times!” 

It took me by surprise to see Sana’s determination but there was something that bothered me. “How can you trust me to live with me? What about your family?” 

“Oh don’t worry about that. I already have their permission. My aunt’s met you before too!” Sana exclaimed as she looked around the house as if she were ready to settle in. 

“But we just met? Aren’t they warming up to me a little too quickly?” I tried wrapping my head around the whole situation. 

“She say’s it’s fine cause you’re a doctor” Sana ginned with excitement “Or would you prefer I rent my own room here? Besides! Your apartment’s so close to the hospital I could probably walk there if I had to, and being in the heart fo the city means i’ll have a short commute.” 

It finally sunk in that Sana was going to move into my apartment and her family had no qualms about it. “Wait, How did you know where to find me?” 

“I heard you tell the text driver after you took me home” Sana said innocently 

“Wait a minute, this is getting overwhelming” I put my hands up to my head in confusion “Okay, I agreed to that bet. That part’s fine, but it wasn’t an invitation for you to come and live with me!” 

It’s not like I hated the idea, in fact I loved the idea but it was crossing the line of a patient and a doctor. “You’re not exactly the epitome of health Sana. I don’t have time to look after you all day. What if your condition flares up when i’m not around? I can’t just sit here and take care of you 24/7-” Sana had walked off and plumped herself onto my couch taking something out of her back “Are you even listening to me? This is serious Sana!” I couldn’t understand why Sana was so carefree about this. She knows her condition better than anyone else having lived with it, but it was so frustrating to see how she didn’t take care of herself. 

“You don’t have to worry about that. I’m an adult, I know how to take care of myself. I don’t need someone catering me 24/7 the way you think I do.” Sana said annoyed at my comment and lifting up the device she took out of her bag “And besides.. i’ve got this” Sana held up the device like a triumph card that held much more power than you’d think. It was a small remote with a large red button attached to a lanyard. 

Just as I was about to ask what it was, Sana pressed down on the button and there was a deafening silence. My confusion for the device grew even more as Sana started counting and as she reached number 3, I heard heavy footsteps running through the hallway outside my apartment. “Sana are you okay? What happened?” Mina came barging through my apartment door startling me as I fell onto the couch. “Doesn’t the doctor live here?”

I stood up again as Sana signalled towards her flustered sister “See? Nothing to worry about” 

“Wait you’re okay right? Why did the alarm go off?” Mina said between heavy breaths. 

“Sorry accident” Sana chuckled “But you were off by two seconds Mina, there goes your record.” 

“Seriously Sana, no more jokes okay? I almost had a heart attack.” Mina complained but relived at the lack of emergency.

I watched as the bickering between the two sisters continued on in a new profound amusement. Mina really did care about Sana’s wellbeing and I could tell that Sana was extremely grateful for her too. 

“And there you have it!” Sana said as she kicked Mina out of the apartment and handed me a similar device. “This thing’s called and emergency call. It sends out an alarm with just the push of a button!” 

“This one’s for your doctor.” I looked at the small remote that had a heart shaped light that would light up when activated. “If the alarm goes off for too long, then an ambulance will be called immediately to my location.” 

I immediately realised the weight of my actions with the device being placed into my hands. “This isn’t funny Sana.” I thought about Sana’s wellbeing and health “All of this, just for a silly little bet..” 

“Who says i’m joking?” Sana said confidently not taking the situation as a joke “I believe that i’ll be able to find the fragments of love that are still in your heart Nayeon-ah. Regardless of what they may be buried under… and i’m still dead set on making you my heart surgeon.”

Sana’s confidence fuelled a fire inside of me which I don’t know when was lit, but I knew that I wasn’t going to stop myself from what I was about to do. “Well if you’re that sure, allow me to repeat myself. If you’re serious about wanting to win this game… i’m going to make sure you play by my rules.” 

It was only a short moment that Sana stood still, but it was enough. I utilised the small space between us to pull my right arm around her waist and pull her towards me body, catching her flailing arm with my other hand and moving into her personal space. Sana’s torso bent backwards in her position as she didn’t try to get away, but wanted to keep a small amount of distance. There was a blush in her face as she looked away from my eyes as I continued “Shall we begin?” I moved my lips forward making it clear of what I was doing “Let’s see if your heart can handle this Sana” 

I moved my lips forwards closing my eyes as I knew I had Sana locked in place. Her body was stiff with fear and I knew that I was going to win this bet. As my lips inched closer by the second the moment my lips should’ve reached hers, they were met with a cold plastic-like material that covered my face. 

I opened my eyes to find white filling my view before registering that a bundle of papers were separating me and Sana’s lips. “What are you doing?” I asked annoyed. I hated getting stopped form my kisses and it wasn’t everyday that you would get stopped with a bundle of papers. 

“Not so fast Nayeon-ah” Sana said hiding behind the papers in embarrassment “You have your rules, so it’s fair that I have mine. Here are my terms and conditions. I want you to read through them” I pulled my head backwards enough to look at the printed lettering of ‘Terms and Conditions’. 

“A contract?” I took the papers into my hand flicking through the uncanny amount of papers. 

“Yep! You thought I was just gonna take your word for something like this?” Sana said proudly her hands on her hips “I can’t have you breaking your promise on me! Make sure to sign after you read the fine print.” Sana have a smug smile. 

“1!” Sana started reciting as I looked through the conditions. “No resorting to force. If anything ual happens it’ll only be once both participants are willing. 2! You have to spend time with me for at least..” 

I cut Sana off with her prideful listing as I threw the papers at her and flung myself onto my bed. “I don’t care anymore! I’m going to bed. Do whatever you want with your stupid contract!” I overreacted to the situation and heard Sana chuckle at my lifeless body as she walked into her room. 

“Hmm” I woke up looking at the clock besides me “At least I finally got some well-deserved rest” I got out of bed half expecting Sana to pop up somewhere, but by the time I got to the kitchen I realised she had already left upon seeing the note left on the fridge. 

I made you a sandwich, it’s in the fridge - Sana 

I sighed upon reading the message and opened the fridge to find the sandwich sitting on the top shelf. I still didn’t think it was a good idea to have her stay at my house and my attempt to get it over and done with before failed miserably. I walked into the old spare room, which now is claimed by Sana and noticed the folded clothing on the edge of her bed. 

She’s really going to move in? Just like that?

I surveyed the room once again looking at the clothes in the wardrobe, the suitcase sitting next to her bed and then finally I saw a photo frame with two people. Presumably her mother and father with their warm smiles but it was a photo without Sana in it. I looked at the time. There was still quite a while till my next shift, but I had nothing to do so I prepared my outfit ready to get on my motorcycle. A letter jacket over the top of a white shirt and some jeans paired with boots. It was truly one of my most worn outfits but I didn’t care. Remembering to bring my helmet I made my way down to the entrance of the apartment building heading towards my parked bike before being interrupted by someone I didn’t expect. 

“Doctor Im?” I turned around to find Mina looking at me desperately “Could I have a bit of your time?” 

I immediately agreed to meet with her once I took in her whole demeanour. She looked as if she were about to break from anxiety. Once we sat on a nearby park bench, Mina started to speak “I’m really sorry about my sister’s behaviour doctor.. I can see she’s taken quite the liking to you and it’s honestly a bit surprising. She’s rarely this friendly with anyone.” 

This took me by surprise as well. It was confusing how Sana was able to act this comfortably around me when she isn’t normally so extroverted with other people. “Sana seems confident enough but, are you certain this is a good idea? Letting her live with me?” I took this opportunity to voice out my doubts about the situation. 

“That’s why I have to ask this of you.. I’m really sorry Doctor Im.” Mina suddenly stood and gave a 90 degree bow. “But if this is what’ll make her agree to the surgery.. then I would ask or your support through this.” 

I smiled, it was heart touching how sincere her request was. It wasn’t as if I was going to kick her out of my apartment, but it made me get rid of all my doubts. “Well” I chucked “I’d expect nothing less from an older sister like you.” 

As Mina realised what I meant, she smiled to herself as she sat back down. “Sana’s still young and she might be a little low on the waiting list, but two years is still enough to give us some hope. I understand what it must be like for her to give up treatment, but she’s never had a chance at life like other girls. I want to respect her choice, especially if this will be one of the few things in life she gets to decide for herself.” 

I looked to Mina as she seemed to glow in the sun “But if there’s even a slimmer of hope, I would still want her to undergo the operation.” 

“I understand” I stood up “Rest assured, no matter what it takes I’ll do what I can to make her agree to the operation.” 

Mina thanked me excessively as I granted her wish and bid me goodbye on my way to work. It really was such a blessing Sana had to have a sister like that. Though there was something that did bother me. 

If Sana really didn’t feel the need to stay on earth any longer, who was I to intervene? 

I worke