1

"Stop whining already, will you?"  Wonyoung, irritated, ordered her friend, Yujin, to stop whining about her aching tooth. It has been days since the latter started complaining about it and...

"I told you, go visit the dental clinic."  This isn't the first time she said this to the patient.

"Seriously, if you're not my officemate, I would've kicked you out three days ago already."  Wonyoung sat on her office chair and watched Yujin make sour expression.

"It's better to visit now and get that checked than letting your tooth die slowly. It's not normal anymore that you continuously feel that painful sensation whenever we eat, well, it was never right to feel that. There's something wrong, and you need to go now or you'll lose that perfect smile of yours."  A bit exaggerated, Wonyoung stated, pushing her friend with her best to go to the dental clinic.

"But I can't go alone, I mean... I've never visited that dental clinic at all."  Wonyoung rolled her eyes, she's not sure if Yujin is just being the secret introvert that she is, or is just having fears of the dentist.

"I'll go with you, of course, Yujin."  Wonyoung stood up, leaving the cup of coffee on the table before grabbing her coat and bag.

While there's Yujin, lazily standing up, about to follow Wonyoung to the dental clinic.

"Don't worry, she's really a good dentist. She's the one who I worked with my retainers."  Wonyoung stopped the car right in front of the clinic, and Yujin scanned the outside of it.

The facility seems to be, not that big, but the design is modern. The front walls are made up of thick glass, clear glass that allows the lounge, waiting area and front desk of the clinic to be displayed for everyone outside to see. Both the inside and out is clean, clean white.

"There are a few of dentists, but I'll request for the director herself to have you."  Wonyoung unbuckled her seatbelt, and was about to open the door beside her wen Yujin stopped her by grasping on her forearm.

"Wait..."  Wonyoung can see the fear, and that answers her question earlier, making her laugh a bit. Yujin seems to be both shy and frightened of what's inside the clinic.

Well, it's normal to feel a bit terrified when going on a medical or dental clinic. It's usual to think of what if questions, and it frightens a person to be a patient whenever a result of an examination or a check-up will be released. It's common to feel your nerves shaking whenever you'll enter the clinic, since all you can think of at that moment, is you're going there because you know something is wrong with your body.

But of course, without letting yourself get checked-up, the condition will only get worse, so...

"Let's go inside, Yujin, we still have thirty minutes before they limit the line of patients coming in."  Wonyoung, with calmer tone, convinced the latter, who just nodded weakly in response.

Taking a deep breathe, Yujin went out of the car and followed Wonyoung inside. As her steps bring her closer to the clinic, the more she can feel her soul being out of her body. She felt her muscles getting weaker by the moment they entered the glass door, the silence and the coldness of the air inside are killing.

"Hi,"  Wonyoung greeted the person at the front desk as the employee bowed at her slightly with a wide smile, warmly greeting them.

"You came here few days ago, Miss Jang, any problem?"  The employee asked and Wonyoung glanced at Yujin who's like a puppy examining the new place she's currently in.

"No, I'm fine, but my friend here is not. Will it be okay to request for the director herself to check her?"  Wonyoung asked and the employee on the front desk looked at the schedule on her computer.

"Let me see..."

"There's one more patent inside the director's clinic, it has been almost two hours since they started, is it okay if you'll wait a bit more? The patient in, is supposedly the last patient of the director for today."  Wonyoung gave a guilty expression upon hearing the last sentence.

"It's fine, we'll wait."

"Okay, I'll let the doctor know that you're here. Name of the patient, please?"

"Ahn Yujin."

"Please tell the director, we're sorry for coming without an appointment."  The employee nodded and bowed before going on her way.

"Hey, Yujin, let's sit there for a while."  Wonyoung dragged her friend to the steel chairs and sat there with her.

"Why is it so cold in here?"  It's cold, yes, but it's even colder because she's feeling nervous.

"It's okay, Yujin, you don't have to be nervous. I'm sure you'll wish to come here more once you finished your session for today."  Wonyoung patted the knee of the patient and grinned. Yujin can only give a distorted face.

They waited patiently for about thirty more minutes until Yujin's name was called.

"Are you not really coming with me?"  Other people are already eyeing them as Yujin kept on asking Wonyoung to come with her, while Wonyoung is laughing her off at the sight of her friend wanting a companion inside the dentist's clinic.

"Yujin, you're a grown up woman, you're twenty-one, why would I go with you inside? Plus, only patients can go inside, now go. It's okay, you'll be fine."  Wonyoung laughed even more when she saw the other people and other employees trying to contain their laughs not to embarrass Yujin.

"Ma'am? Shall we?"  An assistant from that particular clinic room attended to Yujin and warmly invited her in.

Yujin walked with heavy steps, her left hand touching her cheek where that aching tooth is, but her devastation is not about the pain, but about her friend not coming with her inside, and just letting her go alone, when they both know that she's new to this.

"You go first, Ma'am."  The assistant on her green uniform, signalled Yujin to go inside first. And as soon as the door clicked close...

"Good afternoon, Ahn... Yujin-sii?"  The doctor greeted her with that deep, calming, soothing and attracting voice. Yujin searched for the owner and in a second landed her eyes on a woman who's wearing a white coat ad a mask.

"Yes, I-ah, good afternoon."  Yujin malfunctioned a little, but no one is sure of what may the reason be.

The doctor chuckled... which Yujinfound too captivating for a simple chuckle.

"I heard you're with Miss Jang? You're new to our clinic, I hope you'll come more after this."  The doctor is sanitizing her hand with an alcohol, and the scent of that disinfectant never smelled so good for Yujin until now.

"Yes."  Was the only word that came out of Yujin's mouth.

"Okay, then um, let's start?"  The clinical assistant told Yujin to sit in the dental chair, gave her a several folds of tissue, and clipped a disposable dental towel around her neck and above her shirt.

"By the way..."  The doctor is drying her hands, but faced her and asked for her attention...

"I am Kim Minjoo, I almost forgot to introduce myself since you're new. I am a licensed orthodontist and the director of this clinic."  Behind the mask, is a friendly smile formed which Yujin can see just by looking at the eyes of the doctor.

"Nice to meet you, Doctor Kim."  Yujin replied with the same level of warmth and slightly bowed her head to the doctor.

Minjoo nodded and wore a new pair of disposable gloves and sat on a chair beside Yujin.

"Okay, let me see."  Yujin rested her head on the support of the dental chair, tried to relax her body and opened for the doctor to see the problem. The dentist moved the lights accurately where Yujin's mouth is and started checking each tooth...

"Okay, I saw it already..."

"It's your second molar, the second to the last tooth on your left side."  Minjoo assured by raising both of her brows which were answered by a nod from Yujin.

"It kept aching whenever I'll eat, especially when drinking hot or cold drinks."   Yujin informed and the dentist nodded.

"Is it serious?"  Minjoo smiled behind the masks she's wearing and shook her head faintly.

"Not that serious, but we can't really say, how many days has it been sin