A liposome-based nanoparticle for delivering drugs in the brain is, admittedly, still too ambitious to conduct in vivo, but Dr Kim made it into the finals with Dr Lee winning the contest.

Of course, Sunny was so confident in proving everyone wrong about fetal surgery in South Korea that she really won the grant and continue working on her prototype for a minimally invasive instrument, a new technique in utero that will certainly get her name on science magazines and history books.

On the other hand, Taeyeon was overjoyed she even made it into the last stage of the contest. This entry was just her testing the waters, to see if she can still redeem her old title and face her past. This competition was humbling, and it gave her the drive to do what she loves again.

Remarkably, her study on developing a safe and efficient way to deliver drugs for glioblastoma multiforme without disrupting the tight junctions of the blood-brain barrier received a number of praises in the field. She was invited to an annual neurosurgery conference in the country as a speaker. As the study was already pre-existing, she only took a jab at it with minor enhancements, yet it still made noise—loud enough to get renowned neurosurgeons to want to assist her in the study or several organizations to literally reach out with their fund money.

Dr Kim was near the end of her fellowship training and she was torn between choosing academic or surgical career. It’s clear that she absolutely loves sharing her studies to future protégés, but so does operating on the nervous system. Surgery is cathartic if you know what you’re doing and it scratches an itch that other jobs can’t reach. And it’s what she chose in the end.

Apart from medicine, Taeyeon also loves her wife.

She leans away from the microscope, having an eyestrain, and rubs her eyelids under her glasses. She erupted in a loud groan inside the lab as she stretches her arms.

“Don’t you have a wife to feed?” Hyoyeon asked jokingly, holding an uncapped whiteboard marker.

“I’m pretty sure she can feed herself,” she laughed.

As if on cue, the doors burst open with Jessica, in her deep blue PGY-6 scrubs, carrying pizza and a large bottle of soda in both hands, which explains the busting-in-with-her-feet part.

“Speaking of the devil,” muttered Hyoyeon.

“I had it delivered since I know you’ll come home late,” explained Jessica, handing the bottle of cola to Hyoyeon and setting the 12” box of pizza on an empty spot in their workspace.

“Thank you,” Taeyeon gaped at the food without its lid flipped open yet. “I thought you’ll be home early, though.” she mused out loud, looking at her scrubs.

“You know, delivery is fast in Korea,” she answered, chuckling.

“Have you eaten yet?”

Jessica shook her head no.

“Then stay with me for a while,” she moped and opened her arms for a hug.

Jessica returned the pout and said, “I can’t. I don’t wanna ruin whatever nanotech you have around.” But she naturally came forward and embraced her, resting their head on each other’s shoulders.

At this point, Hyoyeon was immune to PDA that she just continued writing on the whiteboard and completely muting the whole romcom movie happening behind her back.

Taeyeon pulled away from the hug and stood on her tiptoes to kiss Jessica’s forehead, and the corner of her eyes crinkling in satisfaction seeing the blush. “Call me when you get home, okay?” she said softly, holding her sides together like the world was going to take her away.

“Of course, I will,” she leaned in and planted a short kiss on her wife’s lips before bidding adieu to Hyoyeon and closing the doors. Taeyeon let out a contented sigh and opened the box of pizza.

“Aren’t you going to ask me to eat with you?”

Taeyeon snaps out of her daydream. “Oh yeah, sorry.”

--

It was in that tiny loft apartment, with a new LED television and the latest gaming console, on the very sofa with a familiar turquoise color, that the couple decided to make up their future together in the most imaginative and Disney-esque way.

Continuing their education for four years together brought the two surgeons in a daze after work, nearly every night. Their trainings were progressively becoming more difficult, inducing a broken body clock and restlessness.

They had their morning routines, but a new challenger has appeared: curing insomnia.

Lights dimmed with only the TV playing on mute, with the couple sitting on the sofa, cross-legged and facing each other to simply talk. Talk until one of them yawns first and they have to do the dishes the next morning.

That evening in particular, the topic of their exchange was quote-unquote ‘predicting’ the most impossible future they want to have. Taeyeon already yawned, but the conversation happened to be fun and they continued competing for the best make-believe “and they lived happily ever after” ending.

“Then we get on our private jet and elope in Europe,” Jessica concluded with a pleased grin. She suddenly had an epiphany and added, “Wait, that’s not a bad idea.” she says, pulling her.

“What is?”

“Let’s elope!” she shouted and threw her hands up like she just cured cancer.

“Uh, I think your mom deserves to know about your plans in marriage,” Taeyeon replied.

“Okay, then we’ll just hold a small wedding with the people we love.”

“We still have to pay for their trips,” she reminds, dejected.

“So, what do you suggest then?” Jessica gave in.

“I—Uh…” she stretches the vowel and furrows her eyebrows with a sheepish smile. “A virtual wedding in Zoom is just as fun?” her voice raised a little by the end, revealing how much of a cheapskate she is.

Jessica could not be more disappointed and she gave a long, miserable, sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “This is why I make the final decisions.”

“I really tried, Sica, I’m sorry,” Taeyeon sandwiched her hand in hers, begging for forgiveness by being irresistibly cute.

“It’s fine,” she playfully waved it off. “So, you’re really on board to marry me, too?” she eagerly placed her hand on top of hers.

“Always, babe,” she sincerely answered.

“I’m sorry I don’t have rings.”

“I don’t have them, either,” Taeyeon gave an airy laugh.

“It’s okay. I’m glad you feel the same about me,” Jessica gave her a quick peck on the lips.

“Those feelings will never change,” she quickly said, then proceeded to return the kiss, except it was the sweetest and the most tender kiss they had ever tasted.

They wed in Tuscany as planned.

Jessica already knows that cardiothoracic was the right subspecialty for her, and so they arranged the wedding after passing PGY-5, which were mostly general surgery, before she can take the remaining years of residency in cardio. During that time, Taeyeon was also in her final year in fellowship, specifically, cerebrovascular. The timing was right: they’re advancing to the next step in their career, and celebrating the milestone couldn’t be more perfect with finally marrying the love of their life.

Using their precious vacation, they held the wedding at a dreamy castle that they managed to book, thanks to Mr Jung helping with the expenses. Frankly, Jessica’s whining had her father take out his wallet and grant his eldest daughter her last favor from him like a fairy godmother. And of course, he’s forced to attend to walk her down the aisle.

Taeyeon saved up for her family’s flight to Italy. She hadn’t visited them in a very long time since she started residency, and this was the first time they’ll see her not in a white coat, but a white wedding gown. Her dad shed a tear in the fitting room yet he kept denying it when the bride’s siblings the entire ride home.

It was like their fantasies from that evening. The Disney-inspired decoration, their loved ones present in the most important day of their lives, and the two princesses who gave their vows and kissed in front of the people they trust and love.

In throwing the bouquet, Seohyun caught the flowers. The food was mostly of Korean origin and mixed with famous cuisines of Italy, which Tiffany and Yoona enjoyed a lot. Hyoyeon and Sunny almost arrived late because they went on a road trip, hours prior, but ended up in traffic. Sooyoung came with her boyfriend who was really nice and clumsy, so her friends approved of him by collectively giving a thumbs up while stuffing themselves with appetizers before the ceremony. As for Yuri, she got lost finding the castle that she bumped into Sunny and Hyoyeon, and the three went in together as soon as the music started.

--

Taeyeon came home in their new and spacious studio loft (once again) apartment. Most of the lights were on but Jessica was, she assumed, probably studying on their bed upstairs and/or drooling on her notebook. And as she predicted, she saw her wife asleep and snoring sitting up while clutching a worn-out hardbound textbook on cardio surgery. Taeyeon carefully moved the studying materials on the top of their low cabinet by the wall, mentally reminding herself to put them somewhere else later.

She gently lay a snoring Jessica on her back and uncrossing her legs to let her sleep in a comfortable position. Taeyeon fixated on the beautiful sight, fighting the urge to cuddle when she just came home from work and still need to shower.

Ignoring her thoughts, she climbed in, and for once, she became the big spoon. Leaning her forehead on Jessica’s back and hugging her like there was no tomorrow. Her wife’s sweet fragrance overpowered her senses and slowly felt her eyelids grew heavy, getting their deserved rest for another day of saving lives together.