.5.

Was it coincidence or fate?

Jaehyun didn’t know where to settle between the two when she saw her the minute Dr. Kang called her from his office. He thought that he was dreaming as he never expected her to see her again after last night, but she was here, standing right in front of him having the same expression, looking more surprised than him. He was stunned, unable to process the thought of Haru, at his workplace, in a blue scrubs.

He caught sight of her eyes as it met with his for a few seconds but she immediately looked away as he noticed how her eyebrows knitted in confusion but she kept her attention to Dr. Kang.

“Miss Haru, this is one of our residents, Dr. Jung Yoonoh.”

He saw how her body became still as she slowly looked at his direction. This time, it was different, she kept her eyes on him a bit too long as it bored holes into his head. He matched it with hers, analyzing her next actions, how she would react at their sudden encounter but what she did was beyond his expectations.

“Nice to meet you, Dr. Jung.” She bowed, giving him a small smile.

It took him a second to respond and all he could do was return her greetings. Haru left to tend to her patients as he proceeded inside Dr. Kang’s office. Dr. Kang gave him his weekly assignments and endorsements of his patients as he tried his best to listen intently but his mind seems to wander off somewhere else.

Jaehyun thought endlessly all the possible reasons why Haru completely addressed him like he was some kind of stranger she just met just now. He was a hundred percent sure that it was Haru who she met and drove home last night. They even talked along the way. Didn’t she remember him? He got his hopes up that Haru would notice him but he didn’t expect this sudden turn of events.

He heaved a sigh as he just stared at the pile papers right in front of him. He was supposed to sort them out into their right folders but his mind was a bit preoccupied. Just as he thought his day wouldn’t get any worse, Taeil entered the lounge, noticing Jaehyun’s gloomy state.

“What happened to you?” Taeil took a seat across from him which made him regain his focus.

“It’s nothing.” He reached for the papers laid out on the table as he started reading them, distracting himself from Taeil.

Taeil snorted, “Yah! I can’t believe you! I’m your senior! I’m like your older brother here. I can help you!” Jaehyun just glanced at him, contemplating if he should trust this person, but instead he proceeded with his work, completely ignoring Taeil.

His junior’s cold-shoulder wasn’t much of a surprised to him at all as he knew Jaehyun most of his life since they were in middle school. They had worked together since they were always likely to get pick as their class representatives that they would often see each other during meetings. Jaehyun didn’t talk much back then, even now, but Taeil was really persistent in being friends with him even though Jaehyun hasn’t shown any interest at all. Jaehyun was amazed and annoyed at his determination that he thought in order for him stop annoying him is that he would just accept his offer in hanging out after school which he did.

After that, Jaehyun thought he wasn’t that bad at all, Taeil was just a social butterfly but sometimes he gets a little too bothersome for Jaehyun that’s why he would give him the silent treatment instead, a cue for him that he wasn’t in the mood to talk to him. When Jaehyun took Biology as his pre-med course, he was glad that Taeil was there, at least he knew someone he could talk to and that was enough for him to survive the rest of his college life.

“Hey, how about we grab a drink after our shift?” Taeil said enthusiastically.

Jaehyun hesitated for a moment as he answered, “I’ll pass.”

His shoulders depleted in disappointment as he pouted like baby. Jaehyun looked at him as he scoffed at the grown man showing such childish gestures, “You look stupid right now.”

“And you’re a buzzkill.” Taeil retorted. He could only shake his head at him, before continuing his work again, disregarding his presence for the rest of the shift.

8:57pm. There was only three minutes left before he could go home. Jaehyun let out a yawn, stretching his arms and legs out from the chair. He have finished his work just on time as he started fixing them up on a one pile before bringing it to charting room. There were still a few people left in the longue, some were coming for their night duty. Taeil was nowhere to be seen, who probably went off to annoy someone else since Jaehyun didn’t