Jongkook threw his latex gloves away and immediately brushed his hair away. He had just finished operating that should've finished earlier, if not for the sudden failure during the patient's brain surgery. The phone that he had left on his locker had shown the notification of supposedly picking up Jihyo at the airport but it must've slipped his mind and got mixed up with the schedule of his surgery.

Taking a sit on one of the sofa in his office had him wincing. His back had really gotten worse for the past year, the status of his herniated disc cannot take more than hours of having his back just staying in one position. Oftentimes, he can't even feel his back anymore after a long surgery. 

His sunbae, Jaesuk, walks into the room with a coffee in his hand. "Oh, great, you're here!" He brightly greeted him, "You'll never guess who I bumped into!"

"Who?" He closed his eyes and leaned his head on the cushion.

"Jihyo's back." Jaesuk stated, waiting for his reply.

"I know." Jongkook nonchalantly replied, "I was supposed to pick her up earlier after my surgery but it took too long to finish." He said, "I'll make it up to her tomorrow."

"Huh," The older man wondered. "Well, anyway. I guess she'll be busy tomorrow, good luck on making plans with her, Kookjong-ah."

Jongkook let himself fully rest on the sofa. "That's alright, whenever she's free then."

"Are you not going home?"

"I will when I get up from here." He said, "If I get up."

"How's your back?" Jaesuk asked, as a concerned sunbae who had seen all of his struggle, his disc was a constant trouble of his. "It's been awhile since you got treated."

"I can handle it." Jongkook determinedly responded. "It'll just take a couple of hours of sleep."

"I'm worried about you, Kookjong-ah."

"Don't be, hyung." He waved his hand dismissively, "It's just a little pain. Nothing that I cannot handle."

"Little pain? I'll continue to worry until the pain that you're talking about is completely gone." Jaesuk furrowed his eyebrows. "Now that Jihyo's back, maybe you can take a break as well."

His sentence made him open his eyes wide. "What, no!" Jongkook begrudgingly sat up from his position, his back screaming but didn't let it show on his face. "I don't need a break. There's a new set of interns coming in next week, there's not enough attending, if I'll be gone."

"You know very well that we'll handle it just fine, if you took a leave of absence to rest, Kim Jongkook." Jaesuk insisted. "You're always welcome to do so, no one is going to hold it against you, if you want to rest."

"You're crazy for even thinking that, hyung." Jongkook shook his head and laid down on his previous position. "Turn off the lights on your way out." He said, wanting to close the topic of his absence for the meantime.

Jaesuk sighed as he stood up, "Just listen for once, Jongkook. Your leave of absence will be good for you and your health. Come to my office when you want to take up that offer, it's a chance for you to get better." He left the office in a different mood the first time that he went in.

Jongkook's mind was clouded once again with full of thoughts, thinking about his career or his health. Which one of the two that he should pick, in order for his life to get longer and better. Soon enough, he was slacked against the cushion and lets himself be immersed in a fully deserve good night sleep.

The annoyingly loud sound that came from an alarm made him want to go deaf. He had forgotten to shut the curtains before going to sleep last night and now, the sun shone directly on his face, not giving him another minute of sleep. The time shown on the clock had given him two hours before his next schedule surgery. For today, he had only two and the rest of the day, he'll take a breather and get out of the hospital as soon as possible.

His second surgery ended in a late afternoon and he was already ready to get out, wanting to quicken his steps and just go. Jongkook pulled out his phone and dialed Jihyo's familiar phone number. "Yah! Eodiya!" He said on the phone.

"Let me guess, Jaesuk oppa told you?" She sighed deeply. "That man just talks and talks."

"When are you coming back to work?" He asked, he had seen all the faces of her friends in the hospital but not hers.

"Not until for a few days, oppa. Wae? You miss me?"

"Okay, arasseo. Dongwan isn't much of a help here, you know!" That was a lie. Dongwan was super helpful in times of need, but he doesn't need Dongwan.

"Oppa, some things just came up unexpectedly that I have to handle." He could hear Jihyo doing something over the phone, hearing some crumble.

"Are you in trouble, Jihyo-ah?" Worry was laced in Jongkook's voice. "You just got back and you're already up to no good?"

"Yah, Kim Jongkook!" Jongkook chuckled when Jihyo's pitched got higher. "I'm not always up to trouble, you know that." She added, "I guess Jaesuk isn't much of a talked himself."

"Why? Does hyung know anything? Why didn't you tell me?" He rambled, thinking that she was mad that he didn't make it to the airport last night.

"I'm hanging up, oppa. See you in a few days." Jihyo said and indefinitely hung up the phone on him.

A beeping sound is what he heard after her saying goodbye. He just now noticed the picture that Jihyo sent to him this morning. Siwoo? He immediately texted her after. I'm coming later. Let's have dinner, I'm buying. I want to meet Siwoo.

On his way out of the hospital lobby, he was ambushed by his colleagues. "Is it true?" She said, "Jihyo's back?"

"Aren't you the first one that's supposed to know, Nara-yah?" He smirked at Jang Nara.

"Cut the , oppa." Nara snarked.

"She's back?" Another female colleague came up to them, "My cousin's back?"

"Last night, Hyekyo." Jongkook responded to her, "Again, aren't you two supposed to know that?"

"She's not exactly into texting, you know." Nara rolled her eyes at him. "Are you on your way to her?"

"I'm bringing dinner." He replied, "Buy some food before coming to her place."

Hyekyo smirked at him, a sudden glint on her eyes was present. "You like my cousin, don't you?"

"Who likes who?" Another female voice was added into the background, "Oh, Jongkook oppa. Did you know that Jihyo's back?"

"Yes, Eugene-ah. I know." Jongkook sighed, there was one more missing and he was already good to go. "Where's Jihyun?"

"She's here." The woman in question came into view dressed in sweats. "And before you question my choice of clothing, just know that I don't care about what you say." She warned them, "Oh, by the way. Jaesuk oppa said that Jihyo's back!" She informed them, as if they already didn't know.

"Aren't you going to leave yet?" Nara asked him. "You've been standing here way too long for someone that's buying dinner for Jihyo."

"Shut up, Nara-yah." He grumbled, making the woman chuckle at him. "Hyekyo, Eugene, Jihyun, please excuse me. I'm going to meet the woman of the hour." Jongkook tried to leave but kept hearing their voice as he walked away.

"Tell her to stop resting!"

"She needs to go back to work!"

"Is he wooing her?"

Jihyo's friends was a lot chattier than she is. As a bunch back in medical school, the five of them were always the talk of the town. Especially when two of them are cousins and daughters coming from a long line of family of doctors. Jongkook was a few years older but he got into medical school late, making them his batchmates as well. His friends were doctors too, but they graduated a year ahead of him.

A text notification came from his phone and a text message from Eugene was shown. Tell her that we said hi. He rolled his eyes as if they didn't have their own group chat, but nevertheless, he'll pass their message to Jihyo anyway.

On his way to Mapo-gu, he dropped by to a place where they frequently eating even years back and made sure to order her favorite dishes. He was also mindful of the kid that might be still with Jihyo, wondering whose kid it is.

The basement parking was the same as usual, considering that he hadn't come by for the past year and immediately recognized Jihyo's car and parked right next to it. While carrying the take outs in his hands, he nodded his recognition to the nightshift guard that was on duty, noticing that he hadn't changed as well. A long time might've passed but some things haven't changed at all.

Jongkook rang the doorbell and patiently waited to be let him. He could've just punched the passcode to the door himself but out of courtesy to the owner, he didn't. It's been a year since he last saw her and the first thing he does is anger her by invading her privacy? Nope, he didn't have a death wish. "You're not allowed to come in, Kim Jongkook-ssi." Her voice came from the monitor.

"I know your passcode. Me ringing the doorbell was just a formality." He chuckled, "I brought fried chicken and buddaejigae with ice cream, your favorite flavor. If you won't let me in, I'll just go home then." He walked slowly away from her door to let her know that he was going and smiled to himself when he heard the beeping sound of her door opening.

Jihyo came to his view when he let himself in and was in the process of taking off his shoes when he saw her carrying a little boy on her hip. "Hey," he greeted. "Long time, no see, stranger."

"Hey, oppa." Jihyo happily greeted him, reaching her free hand towards him to help with the takeout bags but Jongkook didn't let her carry anything else.

"I can do it, Jihyo-ah," He said, walking into her kitchen and placing the bags on the counter.

Jihyo had seen all of the dishes that he ordered and immediately placed Siwoo on one of the stools to help him prepare the food by grabbing plates and utensils. It was silent but comfortable, the sound of the animation movie was heard in the background along with the occasional 'clang' sound from the plates.

"Cha, dinner is served." Jongkook announced after placing all of the foods on the kitchen table. He sees Jihyo and the little Siwoo holding the collar of her shirt too tight, "I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself." He apologized. "My name is Jongkook, I am Jihyo's friend."

Siwoo made no noise to acknowledge him and instead, looked at Jihyo's face only. "Oppa, this is Siwoo." Jihyo introduced the kid to him, "He can't talk but he can understand you."

"He can't talk?" Jongkook's eyebrows furrowed. "How old is he?"

"He's six years old, oppa." Jihyo responded, "His social worker doesn't know if he's mute or not, but he swears that he had heard him talk before." She added, "It's unusual for his age but if it's delayed speech, that might be the cause."

"Have you checked with Jihyun?" He questioned, "She's a pediatrician. She can help you diagnose Siwoo and know the cause of his delayed speech."

"Let's eat for now, oppa." Jihyo decided to drop the subject, even if Siwoo can't talk, he can understand what they are talking about and knows that it was about him. "Let's talk after dinner."

Jongkook looked at the little boy. He didn't know that he had a smile present on his face while staring at Siwoo, he admits that his delicate face was good to look at. Like an innocent angel was sitting on Jihyo's lap while she feeds him. "How was sabbatical?" He asked her.

A grin appeared on Jihyo's face. "It was