[CONTENTID1]Phoenix[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Chapter Twenty-Nine[/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]

Baekhyun and Minhee spent the afternoon at the beach with Jongdae and Sehun. The weather was gorgeous, so Seri was sure they would have fun together. She invited Yeji today since she missed being with her friend—they had both been busy lately and had a lot to catch up on. Yeji had begun working in the only kindergarten on the island, next to Minhee’s school. She felt at ease with her new colleagues and had found her calling with this job.

The women sat in the warm sunlight on Seri’s balcony, enjoying the view. They got a glimpse of the ocean behind the tall buildings separating them from the shore.

“There’s something I wanted to tell you, but I haven’t had an opportunity yet,” Yeji said, fidgeting with her sunglasses. “Ever since Jongin and I moved in together, things have changed between us. A few days ago… we both decided we want to be a couple.”

Seri’s eyes widened. “O-Oh, that’s a great surprise! Congrats, Yeji! I’ve been waiting to hear this!”

“You have?”

“Yes, because it was obvious you’re in love with each other. You got along so well from the start. I think everyone knows.”

“Everyone?!” Yeji groaned. “Have you been gossiping behind my back?”

“Well, Chanyeol and Sehun might have—”

“I should have known! That’s typical; these men act like old hags. What’s up with them?” she ranted and threw her hands up, prompting Seri to chuckle.

“They really do, and when they team up with Jongdae, it’s even worse. They’re chaos incarnate. But enough about them, tell me more about you and Jongin! Who confessed first?”

“It was Jongin. We were at the beach after sunset when he suddenly told me he loves me. It was very sweet… we shared our first kiss that evening.”

“Sounds very romantic; I’m happy for you!” Seri gushed. “Tell me when you have your first date, okay?”

“I’ll keep you updated. It’s probably happening soon!” Her gaze followed a seagull that flew by and headed toward the ocean. “What about you and Baekhyun? Are you making plans for your wedding already?”

“Not exactly,” Seri sighed and raked her hand through her hair. “We had a disagreement recently—I think it was the first time we ever had an actual argument. He kept something from me because he didn’t want me to worry. The military suspects someone is trying to interfere with the development of the vaccine. Important files have been stolen from the hospital in the past, and Wendy has been attacked by someone. That’s why she’s protected by soldiers when she leaves her home. She may have been targeted because she’s immune and participating in Dr. Kwon’s research.”

Horror reflected in Yeji’s gaze as she listened to her friend. She pressed her hand on , visibly cringing. “Are you serious?! I thought Jeju was safe?”

Seri shrugged helplessly. “Well, it’s not. At least not for those who are contributing to the research, and this includes Wendy and me. We can’t leave the house without the company of at least one soldier until we find out who’s responsible.”

“Are there any leads?”

“No… Baekhyun said they don’t have any suspects either.”

Worried, Yeji frowned. “I can see why you’re upset he didn’t tell you. The rest of EX9 should have mentioned it, but he probably asked them not to. It’s better if you’re prepared for the worst, though.”

“Yes.”

“Be careful, Seri, and always stay close to someone from our team. They’re the only people we can trust,” Yeji said, putting her hand on Seri’s arm. “Baekhyun may have made a mistake, but I hope you’ll be reconciled with each other soon.”

“We made up already, and everything’s fine. I know I can trust him, but his stubbornness gets in the way sometimes.”

Relieved, Yeji smiled faintly. “So the wedding is still happening.”

“Yes. We haven’t made detailed plans yet… and I need to find a dress too. Maybe Minhee would like to wear something pretty as well. She’s been interested in princesses ever since I started reading fairy tales to her...”

“Cute,” Yeji giggled. “Let’s visit one of Jeju's old clothing stores when you have time. We will find a wedding dress somewhere on this island!”

“And something nice for my bridesmaid,” Seri winked. “We want to make Jongin blush when he sees you.”

Yeji’s smile was so bright that it rivaled the sun shining in the blue sky. “That sounds like fun,” she chirped. “Speaking of blushing, have you noticed Chanyeol’s behavior these days?! I wanted to bring it up yesterday during dinner but  didn’t want him to hear.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think he has a crush on Wendy! He got flustered when she asked him about his hobby.”

“Right, I remember that! She asked him to play the guitar for her, and his ears turned all red!” Seri slapped her thigh and laughed. “It was hilarious—I think Sehun was about to comment on it. Chanyeol’s lucky he held his tongue.”

“We should keep an eye on them,” Yeji smirked and rubbed her hands. “He teased the hell out of us in the past, so we should return the favor…”

“I like the way you’re thinking,” Seri grinned.

A cool breeze ruffled Seri’s hair, and she shivered slightly. Early mornings tended to be chilly, although it was almost June. It had rained tonight, so Seri brought an umbrella just to be safe. She and Baekhyun dropped off Minhee at school, and he accompanied her to work, entering the hospital behind her. The familiar smell of cleaning agent and sanitizer reached Seri’s nose. She greeted a nurse who headed into the outpatient department and turned to say goodbye to Baekhyun.

“Don’t look at me like that. Considering the hospital is well-guarded, you don’t need to worry.”

“Right,” he replied, brushing his hand through his dark hair. He was wearing his green uniform and sturdy boots, as usual when he went to work, and carried a gun in the holster at his belt. Although he never used it in the safe zone, he insisted it was necessary to be armed in case something unexpected happened.

“Have a good day and see you later,” she smiled, about to leave, then paused. “Wait, I got a favor to ask of you! Would you train with me this evening? We haven’t sparred in a while and don’t want to get rusty.”

His eyes lit up at the idea. “Good idea, I’ll look forward to it. Maybe you won’t lose to me this time,” he teased.

“Huh, what do you mean? I don’t even know what losing means,” she joked and nudged him. “I’ll make sure to give you a hard time, Captain.”

“We’ll see about that, Doc,” he smirked and leaned in to kiss her. “Be safe and have a good day at work. I’ll see you later.”

“Bye!” she called and waved at him as she made her way into the outpatient department. She entered her office and grabbed her white coat, putting it on. After checking the schedule, she headed to one of the consultation rooms, and it wasn’t long before a nurse sent in the first patient from the waiting room, handing Seri the corresponding file. She briefly skimmed over its contents and welcomed the man with a smile.

“Good morning, Mr. Jung. Please take a seat,” she said and sat behind her desk. According to her colleagues’ notes in his file, he had been struggling with chest pain and had visited the hospital several times in the last weeks. He was 36 and seemed friendly.

“Thank you,” he glanced at the name badge on her white coat, “Dr. Gwan.”

“What can I help you with?”

He gave her a description of his symptoms—mainly pain in the chest—and she listened while glancing at his file. Her colleagues had already eliminated an issue concerning his lungs, which would have been her first thought considering he reeked of cigarette smoke. Seri hadn’t smelled this odor since before the pandemic and wondered where in the world he had found a pack of cigarettes. Maybe one of the abandoned shops still had some to offer. It was none of her business, so she didn’t ask and focused on her job.

“Do you have palpitations or dizziness?” she asked, to which he shook his head.

Since her colleagues had already done several tests—among them a blood test, an EKG, and an X-ray of his chest—without finding a cause for his issue, Seri wondered what else she could do. They didn’t have as many options as they would have had without the RABV-12 pandemic… She speculated if his concern could be psychological instead of physical since she couldn’t find anything abnormal in the test results. Scrunching her brows, she met his eyes. He was watching her intently, and it seemed as though he set his hopes on her since her colleagues had been unable to help.

“By the way, are you new on the island? I haven’t seen you around before,” Mr. Jung asked, adjusting the neckline of his shirt and casually leaning back in his seat.

“Yes, I only just arrived about two weeks ago and haven’t worked here for long.”

“You must be relieved to be rid of these creatures,” he said, curling his lips in distaste as if merely speaking the word caused him physical pain. “Did you have a few close calls out there too?”

She exhaled and put her pen on the table, closing his file. “Yes, you could say that… I think you need a lot of luck to survive. One wrong move, and it’s over.”

“It’s insane. I was almost bitten once; it was scary,” Mr. Jung grimaced. “I don’t even want to think about getting infected. It must be horrible, and a zombie bite probably hurts like hell. What do you think, Dr. Gwan?”

“I would imagine that it hurts the same as an animal bite,” she answered, folding her hands on the desk. The motion caught his attention, causing him to spot the silver ring on her finger. Interest sparked in his eyes, and his lips curved up.

“Is that an engagement ring?” he asked, promptly biting his lip. “Sorry, that’s none of my business.”

Seri gave a laugh and shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. Yes, you’re right, I’m engaged and planning to marry soon.”

“Oh, so your fiancé made it to Jeju as well? Congratulations on your engagement then.”

“Thank you, Mr. Jung,” she said with a glance at the clock on the wall behind him. She usually didn’t mind small talk with patients, but only when she could afford it. Right now, other people were waiting for a consultation with her as well. “About your sym—”

“Is your fiancé working in the hospital too?”

She sighed inwardly. Now she could be sure—this guy was the talkative kind of person. Patients like him tended to be friendly but time-consuming, and she was on a tight schedule this morning. Seri tapped her foot on the ground and shifted in her chair.

“No, he’s in the military,” she replied curtly.

Unfortunately, her answer fueled the man’s curiosity. He leaned forward. “A soldier? Wow, that’s convenient, huh? The military calls the shots on this island, so you’re probably allowed to live in their designated buildings. Must be great; I heard these apartments are particularly comfortable,” he rambled on.

“Mr. Jung, let’s focus on why you’re here,” she said, taking control of the conversation. He frowned but nodded and crossed his arms. “The results of prior tests don’t show any cause for concern. You did not have a heart attack, and there are no indications of any other issues. If you want, we could do a CT scan to be absolutely sure there’s nothing wrong. Should I schedule an appointment for you?”

“Uh… yes. Yes, that would be nice.”

“Please follow me,” she put on a strained smile and guided him to the registration desk where Wendy currently worked. “Wendy, Mr. Jung needs an appointment for a CT scan.”

Wendy nodded and took over from there. Seri quickly said goodbye to the patient and returned to the consultation room, opening a window to get rid of the cigarette stench. She heaved a sigh and fixed her white coat before she moved on to the next patient—hopefully, this one wasn’t as talkative…

Many hours later, Seri stepped into the sunlight and drew fresh air into her lungs. She zipped up her light jacket and walked next to Baekhyun, leaving the hospital behind for the day. The ocean breeze ruffled Baekhyun’s black hair, but he was unbothered by it and glanced at Seri as she told him about her exhausting day at work.

“It’s been a rough day, but I would still take you up on the offer from this morning. Let’s do some sparring later,” she said as she