October 25th

Hospital 365: Season 2
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Author's note: Just a quick heads up for a couple of potential triggers in the second half  (Jongdae's half) of this chapter: eating issues/weight loss, and non-graphic discussions of child abuse. Stay safe <3

 

 

Minseok wakes up with the rising sun shining in through the blinds and casting the room in a soft orange glow. He rolls over and bumps up against another warm body in the bed. Eunsook mumbles something unintelligible and settles against his chest, her soft hair falling over her cheek. The corners of his lips automatically move upwards into a smile and his fingers dance over the warm skin of her hip. He gently lets his hand run up the curve of her body before it comes to rest on her bare shoulder. He pauses for a second before he lets go of her, only to cradle her sleeping face and lean closer. Her breath is hot on his nose and he wrinkles it, a soft chuckle escaping him. Eunsook’s breath changes slightly as she awakens and when her long eyelashes flutter open Minseok is still smiling.

Over the months since they met, he has only fallen deeper and harder in love. He has freaked out and spoken to friends and feared his own emotions, but here, with Eunsook in his arms like this, waking up with her like it’s the most natural thing in the world, there are no regrets. Two weeks ago, he had finally confessed his feelings to her, stumbling through the words and fumbled with his hands as he admitted he’d fallen irrevocably in love with her. She’d sent him a smile and leaned over to hold his hand and it had been impossible for Minseok not to lean closer and ask for a kiss. A kiss he’d gotten - and a lot more had followed.

Eunsook rearranges herself in the bed, slots her leg between his and presses closer, a soft sigh escaping her as she closes her eyes again. Minseok winds his arms around her and presses his lips to her temple. This is more than he ever imagined he would have again after Ilsung’s death. His life was broken and he was broken in it, and he’d thought it would be like that forever, but now, even though the wounds are still there, they’re slowly starting to heal over.

“Did you tell your friends about me?” Eunsook asks in a tired mumble and opens an eye to look at him. The question catches Minseok off guard and he pulls away slightly to look at her. Eunsook makes a little noise of protest and pulls him closer again, her head resting on his chest. Minseok can feel shame kindle in his chest when he thinks about the question, because although the answer is yes, it’s not in the way she might expect. Minseok had gone on a panic-fueled rant to Yixing in his office when he’d realised he really was in love and it hadn’t been a pretty sight. He sighs.

“I may have slightly freaked out to a good friend when I realised I was falling in love with you,” he says and Eunsook opens an eye again to look at him. Minseok closes his eyes so he doesn’t have to look at her. It’s childish and stupid but Eunsook makes it okay to be childishly in love. She giggles at his reaction and runs a hand through his hair, her fingers playing with the soft hair at his nape. It tickles a little but Minseok lets her continue.

“You’ve fallen in love with me?” she asks in a whisper and Minseok opens his eyes to look at her incredulously. It’s the most ridiculous question. She giggles at his expression and Minseok softens. He pulls his arm from around her and pokes her cheek with a gentle finger.

“I have fallen in love with your soft cheeks and your gentle eyes.” His finger gently runs over her eyelashes and she blinks. “I have fallen in love with your strong shoulders and beautiful voice. I have fallen in love with the bruise on your hip from when you bumped into the table yesterday and your clumsiness when you suddenly drop things out of the blue. I have fallen in love with your incredible intelligence and the sound of your laugh. I have fallen in love with every smile you send my way and everything else. You’re the most wonderful woman in the world, how can I help being head over heels in love with you?” Minseok doesn’t realise how sappy he sounds until he finishes and Eunsook giggles.

“You’re so soft. Who knew our stoic ED chief was like this?” she teases. A relieved sigh escapes Minseok’s lips. Hopefully she won’t forget why she agreed to date him in the first place when he gets all sappy like this.

Eunsook stops playing with his hair and pulls her hands around to rest on his chest. “Can I tell my friends you’re mine?” she asks.

Minseok feels a slight shiver in his chest at the question. If Eunsook tells her friends they’re together, it’s official. The last couple of weeks have been a dream, one that he’d been trying to confirm was real, but by going official, by telling people they know, there’s no mistaking it - this is real. It’s been a long time since he felt this happy. He nods and Eunsook smiles at him before she reaches up to kiss him. It doesn’t take any convincing for him to kiss her back and what started as a soft kiss soon turns into a passionate one.

Eunsook pulls away from the kiss shortly thereafter and it takes a few seconds for Minseok to return mentally to the cream-colored walls of his bedroom. She leans down to press one last kiss to his lips before she rolls out of his embrace and sits on the edge of the bed. She looks over her shoulder and Minseok pulls himself up on his elbow.

“I’m telling them you’re mine,” she says with great determination, and Minseok nods, unable to help smiling at her like the lovestruck idiot he is. Eunsook gets off the bed and disappears into the bathroom and Minseok scrambles from his bed. He throws on the first t-shirt and sweatpants that come to hand and hurries into the kitchen. He’s leaning on the kitchen counter and scrolling through recipes on his cell phone when he feels a pair of hands wrap around his waist and a weight settle on his back.

“Crepes, huh?” There’s a teasing tilt to Eunsook’s voice as if she doesn’t believe Minseok can cook. He wouldn’t brag about his abilities and he’s certainly no Michelin chef, but he has been single for the past seven years and he’s no stranger to cooking.

“Only the best for my girl,” he says and Eunsook pokes his stomach with a finger. “Woman,” he corrects and she laughs. It’s such a beautiful sound. Minseok doesn’t think he could ever get tired of it.

He finds a recipe that looks good and Eunsook lets him go so he can cook. She sits at the breakfast bar, scrolling through her phone and commenting on whatever news she’s reading and Minseok answers her as he prepares their breakfast.

Twenty minutes later he presents a plate with a stack of crepes on it. Eunsook looks up from her phone and sends him a soft smile. They eat in silence for a few minutes before Eunsook’s face falls as she reads a text she’s just received. Her fingers move fast over the screen as she texts the person back and then puts her phone down.

“Anything wrong?” Minseok asks. Eunsook smiles at him and shakes her head, then goes back to eating. Minseok isn’t sure that’s entirely true, but he lets it go. He, too, still has secrets. One day she will tell him what’s bothering her and he will do the same. Fanxing would tell him to open up sooner rather than later. One day. Soon. He will definitely tell her about Ilsung. He just has to be ready.

“When do you get off today?” Eunsook asks. It’s Saturday, but they’re both on shift today. People don’t stop getting sick just because it’s the weekend.

“Six in the evening. Don’t you get off earlier?” Eunsook nods.

“I’ll wait for you, unless you have somewhere else to be after work,” she says. Minseok swallows quickly.

“Why?” he asks, sounding more surprised than he intended. Eunsook laughs, looking at him with soft eyes.

“I thought we could have dinner together.”

Minseok smiles at the thought. Having Eunsook to look forward to will make his day ten times better.

“Are you asking me on a date?” he asks, grinning, and it makes her laugh.

“If you must call it like we’re teenagers, yes, fine. I’m asking you on a date.” She pushes back from the table, grabs her plate and starts cleaning the kitchen. Minseok helps out before they both move back to the bedroom to get dressed for the day. Eunsook borrows a sweatshirt he hasn’t worn in a while and Minseok can’t help smiling to see it. Jangmi had never worn his clothes, but Eunsook wears them so naturally and seeing her in his sweater seems to solidify the fact that they’re a couple, they belong to each other, and what’s his is also hers.

They drive to the hospital, where Minseok parks his car in the basement for employees and they take the elevators to the ground floor, fingers interlaced and smiles on their faces. It arrives at the bustling lobby full of patients and personnel going from A to B. Eunsook follows him out of the elevator and squeezes his fingers. Minseok stops and turns to face her in confusion, but she just chuckles and quickly pecks him on the lips.

“See you later,” she says. Minseok agrees and watches her step back into the elevator. When he turns around, he makes eye contact with the attending neonatologist standing nearby, Dr. Choi Minjung. He’s consulted her a couple of times when they’ve had pregnancy issues or newborns in the emergency department. She gives him a curious look, her big dark eyes sparkling, and Minseok feels himself flush a little as he realises she probably saw Eunsook kissing him. He greets her politely and gets an equally polite greeting in return before Dr. Choi turns to go in another direction, and Minseok tells himself it doesn’t matter. Dr. Choi isn’t in either of their departments anyway.

His good mood can’t be diminished as he heads into the ED with a spring in his step, greeting the employees he sees cheerfully. He can’t stop himself whistling as he starts up his computer, where he gets started on his emails, answering a variety of requests and demands. Who ordered twelve boxes of syringes instead of two? When will the NaCl arrive because they’re getting low? Can Nurse Han take three days off in two weeks to attend her son’s wedding?

A knock on his door stops his whistling and he looks up and finds Songmi in the doorway. Her baby bump is visible under her uniform and it’s getting bigger and bigger as the days pass. She looks like she’s in her sixth month, not her fourth, but she glows like only a pregnant woman can. Minseok has seen the look on Yixing’s face whenever they meet each other in the ED and they both look so happy. They deserve it. After the blow they faced in spring, watching them prepare for a small family is everything Minseok wishes for his friends.

“Hey Minseok,” Songmi says and walks into the office. She hands over some papers and Minseok looks down at them. It’s an application for a three-day course on pain management. Minseok scans the paper quickly and tells her she can apply for it, but just as he hands it back, he notices the dates written on the paper. He hesitates to let go when she takes it again.

“It’s in February,” he says and Songmi nods. She pulls gently on the paper so Minseok lets go.

“I know. It’s fine. They aren’t due until late March.”

Minseok’s brain short circuits for a second as he takes in her words. They? He blinks, eyes focusing on her stomach and racks his memory for a conversation with Yixing he might have forgotten, but finds nothing.

“What do you mean they ?” he asks. Songmi laughs happily.

“We’re having twins. I thought Yixing would have told you. Twin boys.”

Minseok gapes like a fish out of water. Yixing hasn’t said anything about twins. He can’t believe he’s hearing this from Songmi and not his best friend since med school. Minseok doesn’t notice he’s pouting until Songmi laughs at him.

“You looked happy when I came in,” she says. There’s a question behind her words and Minseok shifts in his seat.

“That’s because I am happy,” he responds, hoping that she won’t take it any further, but Songmi isn’t so easily deterred.

“What makes you so happy? Is it the woman you brought to Busan?” she asks and Minseok feels like a fish out of water for the second time in the five minutes she’s been in his office. Flustered, he reaches for a pen with the unconscious intention of clicking the top and accidentally knocks it off his desk. He bends down to grab it, then hits his head on the desk edge on the way up.

“Ouch,” he mutters, rubbing the sore spot.

Songmi laughs again. “Be careful, doctor.” She’s still chuckling on her way out and Minseok purses his lips childishly. Why are women like this? How can they read people so easily? He’ll have to find Yixing and congratulate him on having twins. Two newborns at once are going to cause chaos, but it’s the good kind of chaos.

Minseok has just answered all his emails when a trauma alert sounds from the pager in his pocket. He looks it over and decides it’s probably time he goes to see what’s happening in his department. He finds the trauma team assembling in trauma bay one, a nurse writing the first description of trauma mechanism. Shot by arrow in neck, he reads on the large whiteboard. What the , he thinks, and walks closer to inspect it.

“This guy’s been shot by an arrow?” he asks the nurse.

“That’s the first description from the ambulance. Don’t look at me, I don’t know how he managed it,” she chuckles and continues her task of writing down patient information. There is no further information as they wait for the ambulance to arrive. 20-year-old Ha Seunghwan arrives with the arrow deeply embedded in his neck on a downward angle. He’s alert and talking to the paramedics. Minseok turns to one of the paramedics and they take a step back so they don’t stand in the way as the trauma team starts treating Seunghwan.

“What’s the story?” Minseok asks the paramedic.

“He and a couple of his friends were shooting at trees in the forest, and he was looking for a lost arrow when one of the other shots went awry. All three of them confirmed it was accidental.” The paramedic hands the clipboard in his hands to Minseok who signs it absentmindedly, still looking at the patient. The paramedics leave soon after and the anaesthesiologist guides the trauma team through the initial examination. When Minseok takes a second look at the patient, he knows exactly what he needs.

“I need an X-ray of his chest including the arrow first thing,” he calls into the room and walks closer. It doesn’t take long before he’s completely in the zone, swallowed by the trauma case and the professionalism he’s brought forth so many times before. The X-ray shows the arrow embedded downwards through the neck, crossing the big arteries and going into the pleural cavity. There’s fluid in his left lung and it’s most likely blood.

“We need a CT scan of his lungs and we need it sooner rather than later.” Minseok turns to the trauma team member labelled X-ray technician. “Will you ask if they’re ready for us?” He turns to the phlebotomist. “We can wait with blood samples, but I want you to stand by with blood if it becomes necessary for transfusion.”

The X-ray tech reports back a few minutes later that they’re ready to receive them and Minseok takes a second to repeat the plan out loud to everyone in the room.

“Patient is Ha Seunghwan, a 20-year-old man shot in the neck with an arrow, ABC stable. Suspected haemothorax on the CXR. We’re doing a CT scan to get a better view of the injury and to check for active bleeding. Keep blood on standby; every change in condition is reported to me immediately. I want someone to call general surgery and arrange an OR so we can take him there directly after the CT scan.”

The people in the room all respond in confirmation and Minseok turns around to walk out of the room. The team goes with him, wheeling the bed towards the staff elevator that will take them to the first floor and the CT scanner.

It’s like every staff member they pass on the way quiets down and stares. When they get to radiology, the CT techs stare too. They regroup in the viewing room, watching the patient through the window as the scan is in process.

“How did he get an arrow in his neck?” Jisoo asks and Chanmi beside her shrugs.

“Someone probably thought he was a deer.” The sarcastic response comes from behind. Minseok recognizes the voice immediately and turns around to greet his friend.

“Kyungsoo!” Minseok gestures towards the scanner through the window. “Look at the treat I have for you.”

Kyungsoo snorts. “Life is never dull with you around. Did you know I have other things to do than look at your bizarre trauma patients?”

Minseok grins. “Come on man, you’d be so bored without me and my traumas.” He watches Kyungsoo sigh before the other doctor begrudgingly agrees. “How did it go during Chuseok?” he asks. “Is your mother still bothering you?” Kyungsoo’s face shifts into an unreadable expression and Minseok feels worried lines form on his forehead, but before anything else can be said they’re interrupted by Jisoo. The scan has finished and they’re all waiting for Kyungsoo to approve it. Minseok watches his friend turn serious as his fingers skillfully scroll quickly through the pictures, changing window/level settings and furrowing his brows.

“You can move him,” he tells the techs and they both nod, disappearing into the scanner room with a couple of nurses hot their heels. Minseok’s resident joins them with the patient to make sure everything is okay and Minseok stays behind with Kyungsoo. “I have to recheck on my own screen.”

Minseok nods and follows Kyungsoo back to his dark office. The blue light from the computer screen is the only thing lighting up the room and Minseok has to blink a couple of times to adjust his eyes. How Kyungsoo manages to work in an office space so dark and cut-off from any natural light will always be a mystery to him. In the silence with only the clicks on the mouse as a distraction, Minseok soon begins to daydream of Eunsook, planning the evening and how he’s going to introduce her to his friends. His smile grows as he thinks of her and he can’t wait to get off of work to be with her again when it’s all shattered by a man clearing his throat next to him. Minseok ducks his head and apologizes to Kyungsoo for spacing out.

“This guy was crazy lucky,” Kyungsoo says, scrolling through the pictures. “There’s an obvious haemothorax as you already know, but the arrow narrowly missed the subclavian artery. If it had hit, he would have bled to death before even arriving here. It’s hard to tell, but it doesn’t look like there’s any active bleeding either. The surgeon has to be careful not to nick the artery when he pulls the arrow out, but other than that, I think your young archer will live with surprisingly few scars. He should not walk around in more forests with trigger-happy friends, though.”

Minseok laughs. Incredible. That’s the only word that comes to mind. Walking away from being shot in the neck with no more injuries than a blood-filled lung is crazy. Kyungsoo sends him half a smile before he turns back to make sure he’s happy with his initial findings.

“I will tell him that when he gets out of surgery,” Minseok says and then stops to just look at Kyungsoo. “I have something to tell you as well.” The words surprise him as they leave his lips and Kyungsoo turns from his computer to stare at Minseok. He didn’t imagine he would actually tell his friends so soon. He still hasn’t figured out what words to use, even though it should be obvious. There are not a lot of different ways to say ‘I’m dating’. Kyungsoo snorts as he watches Minseok slightly panic.

“It’s that bad?” he asks. Minseok shakes his head. It’s quite the opposite of bad, but that doesn’t make it less embarrassing. He already freaked out in front of Yixing; he doesn’t want to freak out in front of Kyungsoo too. Still, now he can’t really get out of it. He sighs but is interrupted when his phone rings out in the silent office.

“I’ll tell you later,” Minseok says as he checks the caller. Kyungsoo waves him out of the room with a long-suffering shake of his head, and Minseok nods his goodbye as he closes the door behind him.

When Minseok comes back to the ED, he learns from Aecha that Seunghwan has been taken to surgery and a woman is waiting in his office. Aecha sends him a kind smile as she tells him the woman looks absolutely pissed. Minseok can’t recall having angered any family to warrant a personal meeting, and he doesn’t think he’s heard of any of his residents or attendings causing such a ruckus either. After he let Dr. Mae go, the staff have been extremely competent.

The woman in his office is sitting on his couch, arms folded, one leg crossed over the other. She’s wearing a pinstriped suit that looks tailored underneath her white doctor’s coat and her golden hair brushes her shoulders. She looks up as he enters, and the stilettos on her feet start bouncing in an agitated rhythm. Minseok shrinks under her glare. He has never met this doctor before, but she doesn’t look like a woman you want to cross.

“Are you Kim Minseok?” she asks as she stands up. Her heels click on the floor as she walks towards him, back straight and intimidating. Minseok stops in the middle of the room and agrees that he is. The woman stops in front of him. She’s a little shorter than Minseok even in her heels, but the way she nails him a direct stare makes Minseok feel like he’s the smaller one. “Am I correct when I say you’re dating Lee Eunsook?”

She says it so matter-of-factly that Minseok almost chokes on his saliva. He takes a step backward and turns his head to clear his throat so that he’s not doing so into her face. She watches him, arms folded impatiently.

“I’m not sure I got your name?” Minseok asks politely, hoping not to offend her. She blinks and raises an eyebrow.

“That’s not important. Answer my question.” There’s a finality in her voice, one that Minseok hasn’t heard in a long time. It’s almost parental in a way. He’s so confused by this whole interaction.

“Yes,” he admits. “I am.” To his surprise, it feels amazing to admit it officially. A small smile creeps onto his lips. He’s dating Lee Eunsook. The smile is immediately wiped from his face when a hard, pointy shoe is kicked directly into his shin.

“Ow!” he yelps, jumping back from the woman and bending down to rub his shin. That ing hurt. He looks up to make bewildered eye contact with the other doctor, but she doesn’t seem bothered at all by the fact that she’s just kicked the chief of the emergency department. What on earth has he done to her?

“This was just a small taste of what will happen if you ever hurt Eunsook,” she tells him. “If this is just a game, a fun fling, you will see my wrath and I won’t go easy on you. If I ever see her cry because of you, I will castrate you and throw you to the wolves. Don’t doubt my words, I will end you.” Her voice is cold as ice and it sends a shiver down Minseok’s spine that takes his mind off his sore shin. This is a threat if he ever heard one. There is no doubt that the woman in front of him is serious. Minseok takes a deep breath before straightens up and he meets her gaze right on.

“I won’t hurt her. I love her.”

It’s true. Even though they haven’t been together for long, Minseok knows that he’s not just liking Eunsook, he’s not just attracted to her - he loves her. Everything that is Eunsook, the good and the bad - he wants it all. The woman in front of him narrows her eyes at him.

“Mark my words, I will find you if you ever hurt her.”

They stare at each other, Minseok still startled, his opponent fierce, until they’re interrupted by someone else bursting into the office. The newcomer gasps for air like they’ve been running a million miles and Minseok turns to see it’s Eunsook.

“Gwiboon!” Eunsook cries. She grabs the other doctor and pulls her a few steps from Minseok. “What are you doing?”

Gwiboon breaks her challenging stare and turns to look at Eunsook, and her entire demeanor changes. It takes Minseok by surprise to see the intimidating woman turn into a pouting little girl.

“I’m just making sure your boyfriend knows what will happen if he messes with you,” Gwiboon says and her pout deepens. Minseok takes another step back. It’s like he’s a fly on the wall of his own office, watching Eunsook react to Gwiboon calling him her boyfriend. It feels good to hear it said out loud by a stranger. His heart beats in his chest as he watches Eunsook relax and sigh.

“Who told you I am dating Minseok?” Eunsook asks and Minseok’s heart skips a tiny beat at the innocent mention of dating. It’s such a small thing but it still makes him incredibly happy.

“Minjungie. She said she saw you kissing in the lobby,” Gwiboon answers. “It took a little research to figure out who you were kissing, but Junghee recognized Minjung’s useless description.” Eunsook blinks twice, then snorts in laughter. It evolves into full-on laughter and Minseok automatically smiles at the sound. He might have just been kicked in the shin by a stranger, but Eunsook’s laughter makes it all better.

“I cannot believe you. Stop ruining my relationship with your ridiculous threats,” she says when her laughter dies down. Gwiboon gives an affronted scoff and crosses her arms over her chest.

“I’m not ruining your relationship, I’m making sure he really likes you,” she says. “If a man can’t take a good kick to the shins, he doesn’t deserve you.”

Eunsook’s jaw drops. “Gwi, please tell me you didn’t actually kick him.”

“She did,” Minseok says. It’s the first thing he’s said ever since Eunsook entered the room, and their attention turns to him. Eunsook narrows her eyes at her friend before she walks over to Minseok.

“I’m fine,” he tells her, smiling to reassure her that it’s true, but Eunsook grabs his hand and turns to send Gwiboon a glare. Gwiboon looks back at them, her arms still crossed over her chest, still pouting like a little girl who’s been unfairly scolded.

“Okay, fine. I won’t hurt him as long as you’re happy.” She looks up to get eye contact with Minseok and the icy glare is back in her eyes. “If you hurt her, though, remember me.” Having gotten the last word, Gwiboon flounces around, white coat flaring dramatically, and leaves the office.

Eunsook groans. “I’m so sorry,” she says. Minseok shakes his head and unlinks their hands so he can wrap his arm around her waist instead. “I was going to tell them on Monday when Minjung and Junghee were there to calm her down. She’s a good friend but a bit overprotective of me.” She looks at him. “I can’t believe she kicked you. Did it hurt?”

Minseok shakes his head, laughing. “No, it’s nothing. I was more surprised than anything.” That’s a white lie. His shin is still sore. Gwiboon’s stilettos were sharp and she was not holding back, but he’ll survive a little bruise, and he doesn’t want Eunsook to feel bad. It’s not her fault her friends want to protect her. In fact, he kind of understands. He wants to protect her too.

“I really am sorry,” Eunsook repeats. Minseok squeezes her waist and leans over to press his lips to her forehead.

“Don’t worry about it. You go back to work and I’ll be right here when you get off. Come down and spend some time in the office until I finish if you want.” She nods and Minseok presses another kiss to her forehead. She leaves the office and Minseok turns around to face the open door, only to find Aecha looking at him with a knowing smirk and Songmi with two thumbs up above her head as she turns around to walk down the hallway she came from. He groans and closes the door. Honestly, do the people in this hospital have nothing better to do than track his love life?

Minseok busies himself the entire afternoon. He avoids Songmi and Aecha like the plague as he goes through broken wrists, sprained knees, torn ACLs and appendicitis cases. Every time he gets eye contact with one of them he ducks out of sight and hurries on to the next case. Two hours before his shift ends he hides in his office again. He’s gotten a couple of emails he has to respond to, a meeting he has to prepare for on Tuesday with the other department heads and another meeting with his head nurse. He looks through the statistics he’s just received for October and the HR department has contacted him regarding a reference for an employee who left during summer.

He’s busy with a phone call with the chief of orthopaedics when a knock on his door makes him look up. Nurse Han sends him a soft smile and opens the door wider to reveal Eunbi beside her. Minseok smiles and waves her in as he continues speaking to the orthopaedics chief. Eunbi flops down on his couch, wiggles out of her shoes and pulls her knees against her chest. She looks upset, Minseok thinks, and worry kindles inside him until he can barely focus on his call with the orthopaedics chief. He finishes up as quickly as he can, then hurries from his desk and sits next to his daughter. He notices there are wet tracks down her cheeks and his heart sinks as he gives her a hug.

“What’s the matter, princess?” he asks. Eunbi wraps her arms around him and buries her head in his chest and Minseok hears her start to cry. He rocks her gently, worry and dismay mixing inside him. He doesn’t know what is wrong and he knows he’ll have to wait for her to finish crying before she can properly tell him, but if there’s anything he can do to make it better, he will. He’d fight Heaven and Hell to make his daughter happy again.

Minseok would like to think he would have had the same reaction if he’d seen her cry three years ago, but he’s not sure he would have been able to handle the unadulterated sadness. He wouldn’t have known what to do with tears that he couldn’t hand off to one of his nurses. In spite of how often he curses at Fanxing for bringing him in touch with his emotions and the grief he’d hidden so far deep down it had been hard to access, he also knows that he would have never gotten to where he is right now if not for the therapist.

Eunbi’s crying slowly turns into sobs and she hiccups her way through the last few before she pulls her head away and goes to wipe her eyes and nose on her sleeve. Minseok catches her wrist to stop her, reaching for the tissues on the table to wipe her face and make her blow her nose. He hopes she doesn’t get mad at him for babying her, but to his relief she doesn’t seem to mind.

“Want to tell me what happened?” he asks.

Eunbi pulls her knees back up against her chest.

“I was hanging out with Joohyun and Bora at the park when Iseul came.” she pauses and Minseok notes the quiver in her voice when she mentions Iseul’s name. Definitely not a friend, then. “Iseul...she’s...” She sighs and looks up to get eye contact with him. “I think she hates me. She says mean things about me. Joohyun and Bora laughed at me too, so I ran away.”

She waits for his reaction but doesn’t get the one she fears so she continues. Minseok barely contains his emotion from showing on his face. The more she tells him, the angrier he gets. Iseul sounds like a nasty piece of work, and the girls Eunbi thought were her friends just went along with her. Anger boils right under the surface but he can’t show her how mad he is. That isn’t right. Eunbi doesn’t need him cursing her friends out, she needs him to comfort her and love her.

“I know I shouldn’t bother you at work, dad, but didn’t know where else to go,” Eunbi concludes her story. “Mom says I’m not allowed to take the subway home alone and the hospital was close enough to walk, and you work all the time so I knew you’d be here.” Minseok reaches over to put stray hair behind her ears, feeling a pang in his chest at her mentioning his work schedule in that way. He’s done better with that lately too, but the years of him constantly working instead of being with his daughters won’t disappear so easily.

“No, it’s fine. You can always come to find me any time you need me, okay? And if I’m not here, you can call me. I’ll never be mad about that. Understand?” Eunbi nods, and Minseok smiles at her. “Want another hug?” he asks and Eunbi nods again. They sit on his couch, arms around each other for another thirty seconds before he lets go. “I’ll take you home when I’m off work, but I still have to work for a little while. Are you okay to stay here?”

“Yeah,” Eunbi says, changing her position on the couch so she leans against the arm rest and looking around for the first time. “I like your office, dad,” she says.

“Thank you.” Minseok smiles at how polite she is. There’s not really a lot in here to like, it’s pretty utilitarian. “Text your mom and tell her you’re with me and that I’ll bring you home.”

As she does so, he gets off the couch and gets back to his computer and while he answers emails, he asks Eunbi about her cello lessons and school. She tells him all about the new piece she’s learning, about the birthday party she’s planning with grandma and grandpa and how mom’s going to help her bake a beautiful cake. She tells him about acing her math test and becoming number one in the entire school and when Minseok looks up to watch her from over his screen, she sends him a smile. She looks exactly like Jangmi did in her childhood photos. The same smile, the same silky black hair, the same tall, skinny build. She’s an exact replica of her mother, but it doesn’t hurt to see it. Not anymore.

They’re interrupted by a knock on the door and Eunsook looks her head in with a smile. She blinks in surprise at the sight of a child in Minseok’s office before she softens back into her smile.

“Oh, hey Eunbi. I didn’t know you were here,” she says.

“Eunbi stopped by to say hello,” Minseok tells her, and Eunbi nods, her face lighting up as she greets Eunsook. Eunsook sits down on the couch next to his daughter and starts to chat to her. Minseok watches them for a few seconds before another call comes through to him. He focuses back on work and only occasionally glances at them. They’ve been getting along since they first met when Minseok brought both Eunsook and the girls with him to Busan, though he’d told them she was a friend from work - which at that stage, she had been. Eunbi and Eunsook are discussing their favourite flavours of icecream when Minseok finally puts the phone down and calls it a day. He changes out of his doctor’s coat and back into his jacket.

“Ready to go?” he asks, and Eunbi turns to look at her father, then Eunsook, then back at her father.

“Is Eunsook coming with us?” she asks. Her eyes sparkle like there are secrets inside. Minseok nods and Eunbi giggles. “Okay!” She’s off the couch and putting on her shoes in a flash and Eunsook sends Minseok a knowing smile. As they walk out of the emergency department and take the elevators down, Eunbi grabs his hand and pulls him down to her level.

“Dad and Eunsook should get married,” she whispers in his ear and when Minseok turns around to gape at her she giggles.

“We should?” he whispers back. Eunbi beams at him.

“Yes! I like her and you like her! And I think she likes you too!” She wiggles her eyebrows and Minseok lets go of her hand, completely baffled. Eunbi isn’t fazed in the least and when the elevator arrives at the basement, she walks out ahead of them. Eunsook pokes his arm and he follows, still a little dazed.

As they drive through the city, Minseok’s daze turns into apprehension at having to unexpectedly see his ex-wife. He and Jangmi had conversations since the joint therapy sessions, none of which were very exciting, but at least she’s trusted him enough to give him a second chance with weekend sleepovers. It’s a privilege he’s going to work hard not to lose. Eunbi bounces out of the car when he parks and he gets out too as he watches how his daughter makes her way inside. He takes a few steps forward when Jangmi suddenly stands in the doorway. They look at each other, Minseok’s nerves tightening in his stomach and his throat goes dry. He sends Jangmi a small smile.

“Eunbi said she wasn't allowed to take the subway alone, so I brought her home,” he says, and Jangmi nods. There’s silence between them and it feels like hours.

“Thank you,” Jangmi finally says, and Minseok blinks. It’s been a long time since Jangmi thanked him. She sends him a smile before she takes a step back. “Have a nice evening, Minseok.” She closes the front door and Minseok is distracted by his thoughts by a knock on the front room window. Eunbi and Nayoung are behind it, waving and grinning, and he chuckles, waving back and blowing two kisses.

“Do you think we should tell the girls?” Eunsook asks when he gets back into the car. Minseok looks back towards the house. His daughters are no longer in the window. He turns back to look at Eunsook.

“I think Eunbi might have figured us out already,” he answers and laughs, but he doesn’t repeat what she told him. Bringing up marriage with a woman he’s only just gotten together with, even if only as a funny thing a child has said, feels like stepping from firm ground onto quicksand.

The drive home to his apartment is only twenty minutes. There’s a small convenience store next to his apartment block and he grabs Eunsook’s hand to stop her from walking ahead. He nods his head towards the store when she looks at him.

“Want anything special for dinner?” he asks and Eunsook purses her lips in thought.

“Eunbi has been singing the praises of birthday cake flavoured ice cream,” she says. “Which sounds kind of strange to me, because aren’t birthday cakes a whole lot of different flavours? - but I need to try it so I can give her my honest opinion.”

Minseok laughs his agreement, and hand-in hand they walk into the store.

 

---

 

Jongdae has a carload of children in his white 7-seater Kia Sorento, but only four of the five are actually minors. In the back row are Chorong and one of her taekwondo teammates, another 7-year-old called Jisung. Both girls have their hair in French braids plaited with red ribbons to match the club colours, courtesy of Ahreum. In the middle are Bodeul, Mari in her booster seat, and Baekhyun, who is currently leading all four of the actual children in a complicated game Jongdae can’t follow while driving, but involves an awful lot of shrieking and laughter.

Chorong, Jisung and Bodeul are already in their white taekwondo doboks, coloured belts tied around their w

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MissMinew
Please note that due to recent circumstances, the character played by Wu Yifan in season 1 has been recast to an OC named Wei Fanxing for season 2, as the authors prefer not to use his name and persona in an ongoing work.

Comments

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Rshinichi
#1
Chapter 11: Has it been discontinued? 😭
KeemNoona #2
Chapter 11: I love how minseok’s relationship is progressing and I wonder what jongdae will do next. Super love the OR nurse!
rantypanda #3
Chapter 10: Hope Sehun and Baek will be okay 🥺🤗
atengreveluv
#4
😭😭💗
Vampirella77 #5
Chapter 10: I love the characters of baekhyun and sehun. This story is really really good.
Agent_K
#6
Chapter 10: I knew there was something goin on with sehun. God I wish things will end well for everyone.
KeemNoona #7
Chapter 10: I want to give sehun and baekhyun a big hug!
KeemNoona #8
Chapter 9: Is sehun having a bit of trouble in paradise? I hope junmyeon will be able to overcome this ordeal. 😢
blossomgalz
#9
Chapter 9: Augh ttt I knew this was going to happen the moment joonmyeon started arguing with the icu doctor! That was like 'impending doom' written all over it in black ink. I really hope they have proof of him trying to talk sense into that doctor and prove that it wasn't joonmyeon's fault and that nurse better tell the truth about what happened or im gonna go for their necks >:(( why ohhhh why... it's not joonmyeon's fault, dammit I need to kick something lol