Yujin's POV

I knocked on Minju's room door, opening it slightly. "Kim Minju," I called out while opening it a little wider. She wasn't near her bed.

"Here." I turned to the wardrobe.

"What are you doing?" I walked in, watching her flip through her stuff. Mostly clothes.

"I'm sick of being in a hospital gown," she said.

I chuckled and went beside her. "You could've done this sooner."

"Didn't find the need to." She pulls out a white crop top and shorts.

"Who are you trying to impress? No one can see you. Only me."

"Exactly." She swapped the shorts for skinny jeans.

I don't know what she meant by that.

"Aren't you tired of bringing a patient around with you? Wearing this stupid thing all day." she tugs on her shirt.

I leaned against the table. "I didn't see you as a patient."

She looks at me. "Then what do you see me as?"

Am I supposed to answer that question? She probably got the wrong idea.

"I mean, I just see you as you. It didn't matter what you wear." I shrugged.

She points her finger at me. "This is why you're single." she shakes her head.

"What's that—How does that even..."

"You basically just said you won't notice if your girlfriend makes an effort to dress up for you. She'll be sad." She warns me. Why is she even telling me this as if she cared about what I think?

"You wouldn't know what my girlfriend would think." I folded my arms, ignoring whatever she said.

"That's if you manage to get one."

Oh, I just want to kill her myself. Why am I even doing all this in the first place? Now she's treating me like some kid, teasing me whenever she likes.

"You're just going to sit there?" She closes the wardrobe with clothes in her hands.

"What?"

She lifts her arms hands slightly. Ah, she wants to change.

"Just do it here. Who wants to look at you?" She just stares at me. "Fine, I'll close my eyes."

I did what I said and waited for her to be done. Honestly, I just looked at the ground. Serves the same purpose. Why is she so concerned anyway?

"I can hear you," she said.

That's when I realise my heart was pounding against my chest. Do I have heart disease? It has been happening way too often.

"Just hurry up."

"I'm done." That was fast.

I lifted my head to see her not wearing a hospital gown. That's a first. She's right, hospital gowns are a little—they remind me too much of the hospital.

I probably just didn't mind her wearing them because I thought she couldn't change out.

Not saying this isn't nice.

I didn't realise she was standing right in front of me when she said, "You're pretty red."

"You're pretty." I softly gasped out without thinking. "Oh—wait." Did I say that?

She snickers. "I know I'm pretty, but are you okay?" she tries reaching for my face but I held onto her wrist.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. I was going to say you're pretty insane for wearing this. You going to a club or what? Why do you have to wear a crop top? Who are you trying to attract?"

"Yah, why do you care what I wear? You said no one can see me anyway."

Right, why do I care?

"I...I don't know." I quickly stood back up and shoved an oversized cardigan to her.

"Are we leaving yet? The sun's about to set and there'll be no point going to the beach if we're going there to catch the sunset." I walked away as fast as my feet could.

I can't believe I just did all that. My mouth really has a mind of its own. Why does it have to say all those?

This is irritating.

"Why are you running?!" Minju shouted.

—

We're now on the bus, as usual. She came to like it the more she takes it. Not sure why when she was a pure hater of public transport.

"Why are you sitting so far?"

I looked at the gap between us. "Am I?"

She tugs on my arm. "Come here."

"No."

"Why?"

"Fine." I shifted nearer to her, hoping my heart will not try to multiply itself by its own means.

I don't want to set off fireworks in her head.

She traces her finger along the lines of my palm. What's wrong with her? This is giving me goosebumps. I don't like it.

"What's with this scar?" She asks, touching the end of the line that goes south of my palm.

I realised I have a few scars on my hand. And that includes the time I nearly got my finger cut off.

"Scalpel. During my practical days." Those things are sharp.

I have to admit I was really scared of blood before entering this field. Let alone cutting things up. I'd puke when they let us practice on actual dead bodies that are donated to science.

An accident happened because of that. I tried cutting open the skull, but got scared and end up cutting myself.

I admit it's a little stupid.

"Does it hurt?"

"You're asking an obvious question. Of course it hurt."

She taps on my palm. "At least you'll live longer now. You've extended your lifeline." she smiles.

"You believe in that?"

"Don't you? I'm living proof that these superstitions are real."

"Fair enough."

She goes back to intertwining her fingers with mine. "Do you have to hold my hand like this?"

"Why? How else would you hold someone's hand?"

"I mean..." I hesitated. Intertwining your fingers with someone means you're with them, in a relationship.

It's just what I think, and how I would perceive things. But this is an exception.

I held onto her hand normally. "Like this."

She gave me an uncomfortable look. "I don't feel safe." Her fingers laced back with mine, palms touching.

"This way you won't let go of me."

"I won't let go of you."

"You always threaten to." She argues.

"I was joking."

"Didn't sound like a joke to me."

I tightened my grip. "Have I ever let go of you willingly?" She looks me straight in the eyes. I couldn't tell if she forgot what she wanted to say or if she was just doing her thing.

She probably just likes staring at me. She always does without saying a word.

"I only did that one time. It was an accident. I won't do it again. I won't let go of you." I assured her. She must still have that slight trauma from that incident at the carnival.

"I trust you." she firmly said.

—

Walking along the shores is probably one of the things I like to do. I always come alone whenever I have breaks in shifts or when I'm on the way home.

It's nearby anyway.

But never did I imagine walking alongside someone here. The atmosphere feels different. Very different.

"You come here often?" Minju asked, kicking the shells in her way. I wonder how this whole no footsteps thing works for her when she's able to do that.

I hummed in response. "Alone?" I nodded.

"Must be nice." she stretches her arm out, enjoying the breeze. "It's been so long since I came to the beach."

"We could've come the other time, but you said you were tired."

She chuckles and starts swinging my arm. "How long before the surgery? I've never been to the operation theatre before. Is it scary?" she spoke so fast that I could barely catch what she was saying.

"You'd be asleep throughout and not feel a thing. You're not even conscious now, what are you so afraid of?" I laughed amusingly.

"But once we managed to flush the drug out of your system, you'll be waking up in no time."

"You sound so excited." She looks at me. Do I sound excited? I mean, she'll be the first coma patient I'll see waking up after a long time.

It's thrilling.

"Will you be the one doing my surgery?"

I shook my head. "Specialist from America. If I do it, you'll probably die." She broke out into laughter.

"But I'll wait for you." She looks at me for a good five seconds with the golden hour hitting her face.

I don't know much about art but she looks like art to me. How every ray of the sun curves against her smooth skin.

She smiled and hummed. "Do you want to go there?" I looked at where she was looking. A small store by the shore. They serve nice soup.

"How much can you drink?" she asked me.

"Drink?" she nods. I thought for a while. I'm not a big drinker.

I don't really like the feeling of being drunk, but certain situations require that feeling.

"One bottle of soju?" I tilted my head.

She smiles and makes me walk a little faster. "But not today. I have a shift tomorrow morning."

"When do you not have a shift? Just drink with me."

We arrived at the restaurant and took the outdoor seats. She sat on my left.

I ordered whatever goes with alcohol, not too mu