Chapter 10:

Chilly War

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The doctor didn’t really expect for Bae Joohyun to hurry up in her fancy dress, that she herself had trouble catching up to her.

But hell hath no fury of a woman scorned.

And Bae Joohyun was very…of that.

She rode her carriage in the dark lonely night, pretending that she didn’t hear the handsome doctor who chased her from the hospital and now in this very streets, where she can hear loud and clear the doctor’s plea for her to talk.

“Y-Yah…Bae Joohyun…Bae Joohyun please open your window…I can explain.” Seungwan who was a bit out of breathe now pleaded again.

It annoyed Joohyun that her carriage drivers who were always so fast, was so slow tonight and was the main reason why the doctor she was upset with, were able to catch up with them.

“Bae Joohyunnnnn.” Seungwan cried again.

Finally the gisaeng opens her window.

Seungwan now fixes her tired back and straightens it as she saw the gisaeng’s dark brown eyes piercing at her.

“Turn back doctor, we are halfway onto the House of The Pink Blossoms…or do you plan to jog until we reach the gisaeng house like this?” She coldly asks.

“J-Joohyun…can you stop the carriage so we can talk?”

“Are you ordering me right now?”

“Yahhh..I’m not ordering you!” The tired Seungwan whined.

“Ah so you’re shouting at me now~ I see.”

The petty gisaeng now turned her head but atleast she didn’t close the window.

“I-I am NOT –ahem, I am not…shouting at you…it’s just I’m really out of breathe and I might pass out…that’s why there’s a bit of frustration in my voice.”

“Then turn back, no one is telling you to follow me until we reached the gisaeng’s house.”

“Joohyun.”

The power of this doctor, just saying her name in such a sweet voice…

Bae Joohyun was melting already, but remembering the beautiful woman allegedly looks like her…on top of that HIS FORMER FIANCE…Joohyun can’t help but feel annoyed and now wonder was she right all along, about distrusting the doctor like she originally plan when they first met?

“Doctor Shon –AH!”

Her carriage that was being carried by the two men now loses its balance, the man who was infront of the carriage now falls on the ground and kneels.

Joohyun rushes out of the carriage to look at the in pain man.

“Are you okay?”

“I-I’m sorry…Miss Bae…I think…I cramped my back….I’m really sorry…please don’t tell Madame Choi, I promise to make it up to you…please.” He cried again and again.

“Let me look at your back.”

The doctor now rushes to check on his back to feel.

“Hmmm…you.”

Seungwan now points to the other man carrying the carriage.

“Take this gold coin, get another carriage by the pedal drivers in the next street and take him to Makdong…Doctor Chanyeol and our nurses will be there to assist you.”

“A-Ah yes, Doctor.”

The man follows the handsome doctor’s orders and now runs to find a carriage for the injured driver, as the gisaeng and doctor wait for the other man, they would spend the few minutes in awkward silence and finally were left by the road as the carriage drivers rush to Makdong Hospital in their own carriage.

“Joohyun let me take you home-“

She didn’t let the doctor finish and now was walking on her own.

“Yah…why are you walking?”

“Should I crawl? Would that please you instead doctor?”

Bae Joohyun was still petty …and it seems like she was determined to make the doctor’s life filled with stressful pettiness all through the night.

Seungwan runs in front of her and suddenly crouches.

“W-What are you doing?”

“Come on, I will carry you back to your residence.”

“Y-YOU WILL NOT!” The red Bae Joohyun shouted.

“Bae Joohyun, your carriage driver is injured, the night is getting darker, even if we are arguing right now…Shon Seungwan wants to take care of you and protect Bae Joohyun.”

“I don’t need protection, I’m very strong I’ll have you know!”

“I know that but, -look whatever you will do to get back to your residence until I see with my own eyes you make it to the House of Pink Blossoms I will follow you.”

The dedication on Seungwan’s eyes were just too strong for the gisaeng, so she finally admits defeat.

“Fine! If you get tired halfway, it’s not my fault, plus don’t try anything funny!” Joohyun finally approaches to ride his back.

“I won’ttttt.”

It’s been a few minutes since the doctor has carried the gisaeng on their back.

Seungwan hasn’t spoken, and Joohyun did the same.

Deep down…

The gisaeng hated it how they are spending their long awaited reunion in cold war instead of loving dovy doos.

She hated how she knew the doctor can just easily ease her jealousy and anger with a good explanation but she can’t even listen.

She hated how she can’t help herself feel this way as she saw how Seungwan looked so happy to talk to that woman! And why would he not tell her all of this and almost go all the way with her?!

She hated how she was technically embracing the doctor and how this was supposed to be romantic that the doctor were carrying them on their back, yet it was nothing but awkwardness mostly…on her part.

She hated how she was smelling the comforting sweet smell the doctor had, but she cannot even romantically let her hands nor nose run on his skin.

Because she was really upset, and she needed to be for Bae Joohyun who has always been a victim of men who played her before…

But Seungwan isn’t like them….

“Right?”

She can’t help herself to doubt the doctor, for many people have exhibited kindness and greatness, but they always fail her one way or another.

“But…Seungwan, isn’t like them.” She repeats to herself again.

Joohyun leans closer to the unware doctor, she wanted to steal some glances but instead takes a deep whiff of the relaxing smell that Seungwan always had, the smell that makes her feel safe and…cared for.

“Bae Joohyun, you’re crazy.” Over a smell she just recognized, it was making her fall all over again with the doctor.

As she was struggling to keep herself together, the doctor finally breaks the ice.

“I just wanna express my appreciation for your efforts to visit the hospital… you must have been tired from the travelling and still you made time for that, thank you Joohyun.”

“…..”

A cold reply that somehow Seungwan knew even if she was not seeing her face, the sulking gisaeng was pouting at her.

“Joohyun…I just wanna make it clear, that I have moved on already from Eunbi, and I’m serious about what we have.”

Her eyes widened.

How lovely it was to be assured by the person she was falling for that she didn’t need to worry about those lingering feelings typically a man has for their former partner-

“I didn’t asked.” Tough words delivered in a whiny cute tone.

The inner tsundere in her was taking control of her and she just had to be petty tonight.

Seungwan knowing she was just still feeling upset, so she exhaled as if she was letting it pass and carefully continue to carry her dearest object of affection silently until they reach the gisaeng house.

The doctor thought they would really reach the gisaeng house in silence when the gisaeng finally broke it again.

“Name?” Joohyun all of a sudden spoke.

“Hmm?”

“What’s her full name?”

“She introduced herself to you right? Her name is Kwon Eunbi.”

“Age?”

“21 years old.”

“Oh she’s younger than me?”

“You’re a YEAR older, Joohyun.”

“Oh I see…I’m older.”  

“Yahhhh, don’t do this.” Seungwan whines as she knew Joohyun was going to be technical at everything she utters yet again.

“Her line?”

“From the House of Kwons, her father is very powerful and rich, their main source of riches are from weapon and armor crafting that even the royal army of the King of Joseon’s Royal Government has been relying for the supply of both.”

Joohyun can’t help but hide a pout again.

That was so unfair.

Eunbi had a clear advantage already since birth.

“Just so you know….I don’t care about statuses.”

“I didn’t ask.”

“I know, I’m just sharing it with you regardless.”

His firm tone of assurance of his unwavering affection regardless of his woman’s status, welp, Joohyun would have melted right then and there.

But she instead pretends to ignores it and clears .

“What else do I need to know?”

“She is a trained nurse for four years, an expert martial artist and also very well-articulated in speaking that her father and mother asks her to read poems for entertainment for their high ranking friends a-and….” Seungwan struggled to utter that last part.

“And?”

“My former fiancé.”

At that moment, Bae Joohyun stopped speaking, the doctor just waited for her to speak as they threaded the lonely streets.

“Why did…you break up?” She leans her chin on the doctor’s shoulder.

Surprisingly she seemed less mad.

“Well….there was something…that came up, family matters, Eunbi and me at that time were just not able to agree on stuff, and she made me choose between her versus the reason why I had to postpone our wedding….and I couldn’t choose her.”

There was a bit of pain as the doctor spoke, and Joohyun sensed it. 

“What was that reason…if I can ask you?”

Seungwan took a bit of time to reply, as if she was thinking hard if she wanted to really reveal this deep part of her.

“You don’t have to…tell me if you don’t want to.”

Joohyun sensing his silence, informs.

“It’s fine…I was already thinking of telling you even before.”

She assures the gisaeng she was carrying.

Joohyun felt so honored.

Yet again, this is why she knew deep down how wrong it was for her to act out that way, Seungwan waited for her and now he was sharing another part of his past to let her know how honest and truthful he was of his intention with her.

“It’s my mother, she has a heart problem that has become worse over the years…even the best doctor my father can afford cannot explain nor resolve her condition, and that’s why…growing up, I studied hard to become a doctor…travelling around Joseon to find for the impossible cure.” Seungwan sarcastically laughed.

The pain in her laughter was very apparent and now Joohyun was feeling guilty and sorry for being such an immature pain in the . 

She wanted to ask further about it, but it looked like it wasn't the right time to ask about Seungwan's mother.

“Yah, you can let me down now…I’m not gonna run away.”  

“I told you it’s fineeee, let me carry you please…I missed you a lot.” She gently squeezes Joohyun’s thigh.  

Joohyun recalls how she hated this kind of sweet talk.

She hated it when the captain and her would have a fight or even some minor bickering, he would switch to being so sweet to her with his words in an attempt to disarm her.

But why is it when it comes to Shon Seungwan.

It was so natural and genuine.

It was so warm and adoring.

It was something she felt that she won’t regret reciprocating.

So she leans her head on the doctor’s shoulder and wraps him as well with her hands.

“I….missed you too…so much.” She cutely says in tiny.

Seungwan can’t help but smile that made her cheeks more prominent behind the woman she was carrying.

“You know I like every side of you Bae Joohyun, but I pretty much like it better…when you show this cuteness to me.”

“Then you should stop making me jealous of countless women sticking by your side, it stresses me out Doctor.”

“I am sorry I’ll do my best to not stress you out like that again, I told you…I only have eyes for you.”

The doctor smiled and turns her head at the woman she was carrying.

As if reaching for a kiss, which made Joohyun become so red in her ears and pulls away quickly.

“A-Anyways! Going back to Eunbi????” She quickly changes the topic. 

“Well, going back to her, she came back here….we talked things through…and I think we kinda had a closure already…except….”

“Except what?”

“For the fact she kinda wants to get back with me.”

“W-What?!”

Joohyun looked like a full of steam kettle knowing more of her motivation now, which was also angering her all over again.

“But…Bae Joohyun…you don’t have to worry about anyone competing over my affection for you, I just told you right?” Seungwan taps the thigh she was carrying again.

“Sure.” She sighed.

That Seungwan sensed something wrong with that tone again.

“What now?”

“You might say that but how about the fact people are saying I look like her….and that you might be just using me as a replacement to her unconsciously or not? A-And…her being chummy with my babyboi Seunghoon?”

Seungwan stopped from walking.

“Alright, get down for a sec please.”