“I expected this to happen but–what?! You’re dating?!” I covered Minyoung’s mouth for speaking so loudly because anyone who was passing by my room could hear her and I didn’t want that to happen. Although my parents and brother weren't here and Erin was still probably sleeping, it was better to stay vigilant.

It was a Sunday and she came by because she can’t study well at home. She also didn’t feel like going to a café so she asked if she could stay over. She arrived too early that she was the one who woke me up. I didn’t mind it at all because I had to catch up on my backlogs but here we were gossiping about me. That man surely ruined my schedule.

I figured it was always better to tell Minyoung first about my life events because as much as she was THAT around us, she still gave the best advices. I can’t hide anything from her. The guys can find out later after I prepared myself for Seojun and Jongsuk’s over-reactions. As they always did.

“Don’t you think it’s too fast, though? I mean–we’ve only known each other for less than two months.”

She grabbed the bag of chips on the bed beside me and opened it, pouring it in the bowl. We had just finished eating breakfast and were just kind of chilling before reading. “Why would you give a timeline in liking someone? You’re dating because you like each other. What’s wrong with that?”

“But he ignored me for weeks, though.”

Minyoung straightened up her back and faced me, looking at me with her usual look of annoyance. “He ignored you because that prick Park Seojun told him you hated dating doctors when he went for an interview for his residency application.”

What she said made me instantly sit up from my supine position on my bed. “I KNEW IT!”

I took my phone out and showed her Seojun’s message notification from last night that I hadn’t read yet. He said he was sorry. Although he didn’t say what he was sorry for, I already understood what he meant. Minyoung provided me the context that she studied with Seojun last night and she opened up to him about what happened at their office when Dr. Kim came. That was how he said it was he who told Dr. Kim about it because he asked what kind of men I liked.

He asked what kind of men I liked. Wow.

I just typed in a reply, saying it was fine and that although I had a hunch about it, I wasn’t really planning on taking it out against him. I still didn’t tell him about last night, though. Perhaps when I’d see him around next week because he was finally starting tomorrow.

“Get out of that ideology of yours that it’s still too early to date. You’re entitled to your own feelings. You like him, he likes you, end of story.”

Minyoung was right. I also was at the age when beating around the bush wasn’t too pleasing anymore, like why hesitate when you were already so sure of what your heart truly felt? Indeed, it was a good idea to open up to her because she knew the right words to say, having the ability to relieve myself of my apprehension.

After setting up the study table for Minyoung and I, my phone lit up. It was a message from Dr. Kim.

[Dr. Kim: Baby]

I excused myself from her, saying I had to go to the bathroom. But truth was, I just couldn’t hide the huge smile on my face because of just ONE word I received. I had that swift disbelief at myself for being this giddy, which really wasn’t the usual Kang Hanna but the butterflies tingling in my stomach couldn’t and shouldn’t be ignored.

His contact name remained the same because I wasn’t so sure how I should address him now that we were dating. I wonder if he changed mine?

I sat at the edge of my bathtub, letting both of my thumbs hover above my screen as I thought of a good-enough reply to his one-word text. Should I call him the same, too? Should I change his contact name? Jesus, as much as this made my day a whole lot better, it kind of stressed me out as well because I suddenly got shy!

Kang Hanna, get a ing grip.

[Hanna: Babies are at the hospital nursery.]

We talked about texting when he sent me home last night, saying I shouldn’t expect he could text me from time to time. I wasn’t really expecting, though, because we both had the same habit. But I really liked the fact that he brought it up, knowing how crucial communication was in a relationship. I also liked how we understood that we had lives to live, showing that we respected each other’s privacy and boundaries.

[Dr. Kim: Mine is at her house]

[Hanna: Stop it]

[Dr. Kim: You like it]

[Hanna: I don’t]

[Dr. Kim: You do]

“Yah Kang Hanna! Did the toilet flush you out or what?!”

I was shaken off my fantasy when I heard Minyoung scream from the door so I sent in a quick reply to him, saying I had to study. He wished me luck and that was how our conversation ended because he had to hit the gym too.

In the middle of reading, Minyoung looked at me and brought her phone out. “Should we tell the guys we’re together?”

I didn’t stop scribbling and answered without looking at her. “Yeah sure. Ask them if they’re sleeping over.”

We used to do this a lot back when we were still students – sleeping over at each other’s places. My dad was against it at first when he found out, but along the way he became fine with it after meeting all my friends. He just had to know that he can trust them all.

As much as Minyoung and I were very thankful for them for keeping us safe, we should keep in mind that we shouldn’t praise men for doing the bare minimum, as in, respecting women.

“KANG HANNA PARK MINYOUNG I MISSED YOU!!!” I closed my eyes in frustration up