3rd

Haneul sat in front of Jaehwan that afternoon in the hospital's cafeteria. The guy kept on rambling about this and that whereas she could only stare ahead, her mind full of things. 

"Yah,are you even listening?!" He complained as he banged his fists on the table, successfully catching Haneul's attention with a flinch. She glared at him, "what do I care about this new intern?" 

Jaehwan cover his mouth using both hands, "you did not just said that!" He accused. She quirked one brow at him, "oh yes. I did said that."

"Just when did you became insensitive?" He asked, eyes wide. The latter just rolled her eyes at him before grabbing her yoghurt milk on the table. 

She has been acting strange lately, this the guy could tell. Ever since what happened days ago, he had noticed her odd behaviour during their shift. 

P.S. He's not liking it one bit. 

"Did you two fight?" He asked out of the blue causing the girl to cough out her drink at him. 

He closed his eyes shut in annoyance, trying his best to calm his nerves. Nobody dares disrespect Hematology Section's best Medtech. Gritting his teeth, he opened his eyes again, smiling sarcastically at him. 

"Sorry," Haneul mouthed uneasily.

--

"So you two really did fought?" Jaehwan asked as he splashed water on his fringe, occasionally combing it using his fingers. He raised his brows at her reflection on the mirror in front, urging her to answer. 

The girl behind him just raised one brow at him, her arms crossed atop her chest. "Come on," he urged. "You can tell me anything."

At this, Yong Haneul finally let out a sigh of frustration. "You just won't drop it, would you?"

Jaehwan smiled cheekily at her, "you know me so well." Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he turned to ruffle to fringe this time. Haneul frowned. 

Wasn't he combing his hair earlier?

"You wouldn't want to speak to me about the intern anyway, right? So tell me something more interesting like maybe," he pretended to think about something. "Your love life?" He teased as he wiggled his brows tauntingly at her. 

She scoffed at him, "why? Got a more interesting story to tell?" She challenged. He nodded. 

"Yup, the intern!"

--

"Haneulie," Chief Medtech Kwon called her the moment she stepped inside their department. She responded with a him before approaching the older's desk. 

"Yes?"

"Could you please deliver this result to Dr. So's office?" The younger get the files from the Ms Kwon's hand, bowing slightly. "Should I just leave it there?" 

Ms Kwon nodded. "Yep, if he's not there, just leave it on top of his desk, with a note."

Haneul took her time studying the files inside the folder, before she answered. "Okay!"

--

"Dr So?" A knock. 

"Dr So?" Another knock. 

When she got no response at all, Haneul pressed her ear to the office's door, trying her best to hear if there are movements behind the door.

"What are you doing?"

Hearing a soft voice very close to her left ear caused Haneul to panic. Quickly turning around, she immediately aimed the folder at the violated if he didn't leaned away from her immediately, raising his arms in defense. 

Her eyes blinked repeatedly the moment she saw his face. Soon a frown followed after as she tilted her head slightly. 

Omo, the smoking guy!

"What are you doing here?!" She asked him incredulously. 

"I believe I should be the one to ask you that."

Haneul shook her head lightly. "Why? You're not Dr So," she stated. "Right?" She followed unsure. 

The tall guy scoffed lightly, looking way past her in disbelief. "You're right," he regarded her a look this time, as if judging her existence. "But I'm his intern, so you can concern me  with his business. So if you would tell me, what brought you here miss..."

He trailed off as he squinted his eyes at somewhere in her chest, leaning slightly. "...Yong Haneul."

Intern. 

Intern.

Dr So's...

Intern?!

Haneul stared at the guy with wide eyes, gaping open. "Are you the intern, Jung Taekwoon?!" 

--

"Yong Haneul-ssi?" 

Haneul quickly approached the counter upon hearing her name, regarding the clerk behind with a small bow.

"I've finished the files about the unit you've purchased. Everything will be under your name without any problem now. You should be good as moving your things now." The clerk explained kindly as she handed the former the necessary documents about the purchase. 

Right after thanking the personnel, Yong Haneul fished out her phone from her pocket the moment she heard the familiar ringtone, proceeding out of the real estate agency. 

"Hello?"

"I'm off work early. Are you still at the hospital? Should I fetch you?"

Panicking, Haneul almost cut him off immediately, "no, no! I'm fine." She laughed uneasily, "I'm on my way home already. I'll be fine on my own." She held her breath when Hakyeon didn't answer right away.

"Ow...Kay? Why do you sound so panicky? Also, if you're on your way home then that should be good, I'll meet you halfway. Where are you now? Are you off to the bus stop?"

No. No.

"W-well..." She trailed off. He shouldn't know what she's doing. "I'm on an errand!"

"Huh? I thought you're going home!"

"Yes! E-exactly! I was tasked to run some errand outside of the hospital before going home, so yeah..." She answered nervously, hoping that he wouldn't see through her lies.

This would be one of rarest times when she lied to him. 

"You sure you'd be fine by yourself?"

"Of course!" She boasted. "Everybody in Daegu feared the name Yong Haneul!" She laughed a little. "I'm wearing my name plate, by the way..." She whispered before giggling a little at her own silliness. 

On the other end, Hakyeon could only smile at his girlfriend, his eyes focused on the road. "Okay, just be careful on your way home. Don't tire yourself too much. I love you!"

"Got it gramps. I love you!" She answered in a much more longer way and he cracked up. "I'll hang up now," he said one last time before he turned the call off.

He turned to the small blue velvet box in one of his compartments, smiling as he imagined how she would react when he asked her about it.

Nine years into their relationship, and he was sure of it. 

He was sure he'd never ask for anything more than Yong Haneul.

And he knows that she feels the same way. 

Getting his attention back to the road, his eyes widened immediately when he caught sight of someone very familiar on his peripheral. 

Someone he was talking to just a few seconds ago on the phone. 

But, the strange thing was, she was walking away from a real estate agency, a handful of documents on her right hand.

--

I love you.

Three words. 

Three words that he rarely says. So every time he did, it was always doing wonders to her soul. Just like now, when he spoke of those words, Yong Haneul felt like crying all over again and she's starting to regret her decision. 

But then, she couldn't be any more selfish, right?

Come to think of think, memories of him during those eight years is enough to last her a lifetime. She's afraid that if she succumb to her feelings once more, then she'll be more selfish to the point that she wouldn't be able to let him go. 

Feeling tears b her eyes, Haneul closed her eyes shut as she breathed in and out slowly, trying her best to calm down. If letting him go means giving him a life better than she could ever give, then just this time, she will force the feeling of selfishness away. 

"Haneul-ah!" Quickly, turning to her right, Haneul was surprised to be met with a smiling Hakyeon few meters away as he waved at her using both hands, obviously happy to see her.

As he jogged towards her place, she could only gawk at him and think about how precious he was to be kept all alone for herself. 

He doesn't deserve me. He deserves so much better. 

"I thought you're running some errands?" He asked her, leaning down to level his gaze with hers. When she didn't answer and was busy staring at him, he waved his hands in front of her face, "what's this? Did you miss me that much?"

Successfully regaining back her focus, Haneul lightly shook her head, looking down to avoid his teasing stare. "I-I-I'm fine," she muttered.

No, I'm not. 

Hakyeon nodded. "What are those, though?" He pointed at the documents she's holding and the girl put more effort in hiding it to him. She opened her bag then placed the files inside, quickly zipping it up. 

"I was asked to run some errands, so yeah..." She trailed off. "Really? But I saw coming out of a real estate agency? It doesn't have anything to do with being a medtech, right?" Hakyeon asked innocently, but for her, it was like being caught cheating. "Are you trying to purchase another unit?"

"That's right, I lied!" She exclaimed, surprising her boyfriend. She huffed a few times before she spoke again. "Ms Kwon asked me to pay her loan in the real estate agency. Is it convincing enough?" She glared at him. 

He frowned. "Why are you getting mad? I was just asking," he answered defensively. 

Haneul just 'tsked' before walking away from him. 

"Let's just go home," she muttered. 

--

"Haneul..." No response.

"Haneul-ah..." No response.

Hakyeon sulked like a kid, lying on their bed at the morning of their anniversary day. He kept on pounding the mattress lightly as he looked at her back figure, combing her hair as she looked at his reflection in the mirror.