Yuri And The Kwons.

"I'm bored."

Yuri fluidly unfolds herself from balasana, a yoga position that is also known as child pose. Sitting on the purple mattress, she turns her head to look at Taeyeon who's now brooding on the bench by the toolshed. The sky is bright. The backyard is cool and shady under the huge canopy of one elm tree. Taeyeon's mood is completely the opposite of such a beautiful morning.

"Just a few more days. You just got out of surgery."

"I need to go to work. If I'm in the hospital I can at least snoop around and find where Jiyong is. There must be a trace of him somewhere."

"Exactly." Yuri sighs, moving into a bridge pose. Inhaling and exhaling methodically, she thinks of a way to drive Taeyeon away from this issue. "You'll just bust your knee once more."

"What if Jiyong is dead?"

"Taeyeon!" Yuri falls onto the mattress, glaring at Taeyeon. How dear she voices out such bleak theory?

"I meant, what if something made Kwon Jiyoon covers his death. I've googled it. The whole family is surrounded by conspiracy theories. Do you know that Kwon Jiyoon's secret husband was allegedly a Japanese general? The family business isn't exactly clean too. We're talking lawsuits and suspicious incidents here."

"Geez, Tae. You have too much free time in your hands" Giving up on resuming Yoga, Yuri stretches one arm over her head to cool down.

"Agreed. I need to get back to work soon."

"Okay, listen. You almost lost a knee to a fluid built up and infection. Do you want to be a handicapped surgeon so bad?"

"I want to know if Jiyong is okay, Yuri. Don't you feel curious at all? Aren't you even a little bit worried? We live here in his house while he is somewhere out there dying of an open head wound and burn."

"I doubt it. If he's in Jessica's grandmother's care. He's probably surrounded by the best medical practitioners at the moment." Yuri stands up, grabbing her bottle of infused water and sits by Taeyeon's side.

"Didn't you said you and Jessica had a surgery scheduled today?"

"Kim Taeyeon. No."

"Please, Yuri. Please."

"You know how cold and scary Jung Jessica is at work. Family talk doesn't seem to be her favorite subject either."

"Ask her when you both are out of work then. Ask her when you guys have lunch together like you did the last time. Didn't you say she's the nicest when you two are alone?"

"No. Haven't I told you? I don't even know what's going on between me and Jessica. I'm not sure I want to be alone with her anymore."

"Not even to help your best friend here?"

Yuri stares helplessly at Taeyeon. The girl is still wearing the same T-shirt and pajama pants from three days ago. Her hair is unkempt. Her eyes are bleary. That's how Taeyeon is. She can't have stuff bothering her mind without going completely mad about it.

"Never mind, I'll just drop Yunho a call and ask him to find out." Taeyeon stands up. "Didn't you say he's been asking about me?"

Yuri groans. Taeyeon knows her too well. "Alright. Alright. You win."

"Thank you, Yuree-yah."

"Wipe that grin off your face and make me some power breakfast." Kicking Taeyeon's , Yuri drinks her water and frowns. "I can't possibly pry information from the ice princess on empty stomach."

"I can't stand too long in the kitchen, Yuri. My knee hurts. I just got out of surgery, remember?" Taeyeon grins, sashaying into the house right when Yuri is about to kick her once more.

"How is Taeyeon?"

Yuri looks up from the open chest in front of her, finding Yunho's face laced with concern. "She's fine."

"Can you tell her-"

"Not a messenger."

"I can't-"

"Agreed. You can't come close to her."

"This is not about-"

"Hey, lovebirds! Take the lovers quarrel outside or pay attention to the ongoing procedure. You can't do both in my OR." Doctor Park, the cardiologist, stare down at the two eternal enemies. 

"We're not lovebirds." Yuri immediately sets the fact straight. "I hate him with every fiber in my body."

"I'm sorry, doctor Park." Yunho apologies from behind the surgery mask, glancing at Yuri. "It's my fault."

"Whatever. Move that damn suction!"

Yuri moves the suction in her hand, focusing back at the wonder laid before her eyes. There, inside the open chest, is a beating heart ready to be removed then transplanted to another patient.

"Careful," Jessica warns softly as Yuri enters the adjacent OR room bringing the heart in a stainless bowl. Carefully putting the bowl on the tray, Yuri steps aside as doctor Park takes the position by the surgery bed.

"Nice work opening for me, Jess. You were flawless as an intern and even better as a resident." Doctor Park changes her gloves with the help of a scrub nurse, looking down into the thoracic cavity that's being held open by a steel refractor. "Now all we need to do is removing this diseased heart. Wanna do it?"

"Can Yuri try?" Jessica glances at Yuri. "She's good."

That compliment and the chance Jessica passes over almost give Yuri a heart attack. She looks up at doctor Park, trying her best to look smart and reliable.

"Okay, who are you?" Doctor Park retrieves a pair of straight iris scissors from the scrub nurse. "Yunho seems so restless around you and the Jessica I know will never pass on a chance to learn. You must be someone very special."

"Hi, doctor Park." Yuri smiles, realizing that the surgery mask hides her attempt to look friendly. "I'm Kwon Yuri."

"She's a promising intern." Jessica supplies, grabbing the suction. "And you already let me remove a useless heart so many times before. I want to try reattaching a healthy one this time."

Doctor Park throws her head back in a laugh. "Now that's the Jessica I know.  Monkey Jessi who won't let go of a branch until she's already holding another."

"You meant pretty monkey Jessi right?" Jessica's eyes are glinting with a smile.

"A very pretty monkey." Doctor Park's eyes glint too. "Right, Yuri?"

"Right." Yuri glances at Jessica but the pretty resident is in the middle of a gazing game with the cardiologist. For a moment Yuri feels like she's stuck between the two. Something stirs at her heart. Something akin to jealousy. What is this? Why does she feel this way?

"Alright. I'm in teaching mood today. Yuri can learn to remove this diseased heart and Jessica can help me replace it with the healthy one."

Yuri nods,  not even trying to hide the enthusiastic thank you slipping out of .

"Ready, Yuri? " Jessica nudges Yuri with her elbow. "Do you know what to do first?"

Yuri nods, retrieving the iris scissors from Doctor Park's hand. "Yes. I do."

"God." Yuri bents over the sink, heaving. She feels dizzy. Happily so. The thrill of cutting into the thick aorta. The feeling of holding a human heart in her hands. The wonder of watching a heart transplant performed so skilfully by doctor Park. All feel too surreal.

Splashing water onto her face, she can't help the blooming smile. She used to think that her choice of career is mostly affected by Taeyeon's choice. That this was nothing but a mix of guilt and sisterly bond. Now Yuri knows her way. She's certain of her future. She wants to be a cardiologist.

"Please, Yuri. Can we talk?"

"This is a female restroom." Yuri glances at the reflection of Yunho she sees in the mirror.

"Is Taeyeon's knee healing well?"

"Don't you know how to read? I'm sure you can find her record lying around somewhere in this hospital."

Yunho sighs. "I've been asking to meet her but she doesn't reply to my texts and keep on ignoring my calls."

"Good for her." Yuri turns around, narrowing her eyes at the attending. For a second, a tiny bit of pity nudges her heart. Yunho looks troubled. It seems like the man hasn't shaved for days. His eye bags are the size of a baseball.

"Why do you think she doesn't respond? She's fine before the incident. " Yunho reaches the sink, washing his face then gazes at the mirror. "Is she okay?"

Holding back from spitting another curt reply, Yuri just takes a deep sigh. "She's Taeyeon. She needs time to be okay."

"Should you, I meant us, refer her to a therapist? Don't you think she needs one?"

The word pulls an invisible trigger connected to Yuri's anger. She turns around, staring into Yunho's eyes through the mirror. "So saint of you to think about her mental well-being now. Where was this caring Yunho when she broke down five years ago? You dumped her like garbage. Did you know how many therapy sessions that action cost her? One too many!"

The way Yunho's pupils dilate in shock doesn't stop Yuri from seething. "You said you were weak. You implied that your decision was your step-mother's call. Bull. You were a grown man. You could at least tell her in the face instead of turning her into someone who perceived herself as a worthless human being. Did you know that I had to pull her out of suicidal thoughts more than once because of you? Did you even care back then?"

"Yuri, I didn't know-"

"Taeyeon can be a little clueless in this department but I'm not. I asked around. You're still married! So stop trying to ruin her life once more. Stop!"

Yunho gapes, clearly want to say something but the door of a cubicle pops open. Jessica comes out of it clearing . "Didn't mean to eavesdrop but damn, Kwon Yuri, you sounded so hot screaming like that."

"Not exactly the perfect time for flirting, little sis." Yunho turns around right when Jessica throws him a demeaning smirk.

"Not a perfect place for you to push personal agenda too," Jessica replies coldly. "Male restroom is across this room, brother."

The way Jessica stares at Yunho seems to stop him from saying whatever he wants to say. He sighs, leaving the room in a defeated glance.

"You okay?" Jessica washes her hands in the sink, turning her head to look at Yuri.

"I'm fine." Standing straight and sighs, Yuri smiles. "Thank you for saving me from Yunho, doctor Jung. He can be-"

"Not interested in talking about my brother. Thank me for giving you a chance to cut out a beating heart instead."

"Thank you so much for the opportunity." Yuri pushes Yunho away from her mind, focusing on the pretty woman in front of her. "I owe you so much."

"You're welcome. Let's talk about paying up."

Yuri gulps. What has she gotten into this time?

"Do you have any dress?"

"Huh?"

"Dress. The article of clothes girl often wears to look pretty."

"Umm...." Yuri tries to recall the inside of her closet back home. She has one long black dress assigned for a funeral, one navy midi for a formal event, and one summer dress she never actually wears anymore. "I think I have a few."

"Tsk." Jessica sighs, scanning Yuri from head to toes. "What size are you? Eight?"

"Seven. I don't really do dress though."

"Oh for a dinner with my grandma you have to do dress. She likes simple yet elegant stuff. What's your favorite color?"

"What?"

"Nevermind. I'll send a few to your house right now." Jessica picks up her phone, typing quickly. "You can try them tonight and pick one for this Friday."

"Friday?" Yuri gapes like a fish out of water. "I'm on call  Friday night. Max promises to teach me doing a burr hole in the afternoon too."

"You call him Max now?"

Gulping, Yuri tries to challenge Jessica's curious stare. "Point is, I can't have dinner with you on Friday, doctor Jung. I'm sorry."

"Can't or won't?"

Yuri can't even answer. Those eyes, why are they so beautiful even when the owner is so annoying like this?

"My driver will be at your door by six on Friday." Jessica turns on her heels. "Be ready."

"Wait!"

Jessica doesn't even turn around, standing there with each hand in the lab coat pockets, waiting for Yuri to speaks.

"I'll receive this invitation only if you help me find out