"Dr. Bae!"

"Yes?" Joohyun turns around impatiently to the voice calling her. Her fellow surgeon who usually dresses in scrubs is wearing an office shirt with a tie.

"They're about to do a demonstration for the new equipment for laparoscopic surgery, would you like to join?" He asks, reminding her of a regular visit from their trusted medical device company that she honestly couldn't care less about right this second.

"No, can't do. Just got out of a 8-hour surgery. Gotta pee!" She says as she power-walks away from her colleague straight to the nearest bathroom.

She does her business, goes to the vending machine to grab a caffeinated drink and enters her office to check her emails. She slumps down into her chair, feeling her whole body aching after standing still for a complicated surgery that requires her full concentration. She scrolls through her mailbox and sees nothing of significant importance, at least not something that has to be taken care of immediately that day. She then checks her trusted news site, making sure that nothing major happened while she was in surgery, like a nuclear test from their neighbouring country or another UK Prime Minister resigning after a few weeks in the office. Nothing. The whole world was fine while she was stuck in the operating room. 

She finishes her drink, stands up and does a little stretching before going out again to check if her patient has emerged from anesthesia. After making sure everything is okay post-surgery, she goes to the waiting room to talk to the son of her patient, informing him of the successful operation, explaining briefly what went on and telling him that he will be able to see his mother once she has been moved to the recovery room.

Joohyun then contemplates if she should go have an early dinner at the cafetaria upstairs, but she decides not to as she feels like going home early today. She walks back to the office to type her operative report, almost dozing off in the middle of it. She quickly finishes it up and goes to take a shower. She always takes a shower at work after a surgery because she doesn't live alone and she doesn't want to bring any unwanted bacteria home.

One last thing to do before going home is visiting the recovery room to check her patient's vitals and urine output. She stares at the nurse in charge that day, unable to recognize her because of the mask she's wearing. The nurse shifts uncomfortably under her inquiring eyes.

"Are you new?" She checks, receiving a nod and an introduction from the young woman. She hates it. New nurse means having to get them to learn her way of working and her preferences again. "I need you to keep an eye on this one." She hands the tablet back to the nurse, showing her patient's record. "I'm going home so don't page me unless she's dying. If something happens, get one of the residents working night shift today."

"Understood, Dr. Bae."

Joohyun flashes her a smile and runs her hands through her silky brunette hair for an extra measure to charm her. It's her strategy to get any new staff on her side before the other attendings could. To be the nurses' favourite is always a profitable thing.

She is done for the day and happily exits the hospital. It might be tiring physically after doing this for more than a decade but the thrill she gets from performing a surgery and succeeding in it keeps her going.

-

Seulgi opens her eyes, waking up from her nap. She sits up carefully and stays still for a moment, wanting to check if her head is still throbbing. It no longer does. The aspirins she got from a pharmacy during her recent trip to Japan really do wonders. 

She gets up and goes to the fridge to get an orange flavour vitamin drink that she likes before going to the study to catch up on her abandoned work. It takes her about 20 minutes before she puts what she has to do aside, not really feeling like forcing her brain to do hardwork for the rest of the day. 

She's in the kitchen when she hears the door beeping and she shoves back the packet of cheese ramyun she has just pulled out deep inside the cupboard. Her housemate is home and that person does not like seeing her eat junk.

"Oh hey, you're home early." Seulgi greets with a shout from the kitchen when Joohyun appears from behind the door.

The surgeon looks up, only realizing that the apartment is not empty as she thought it would be. "You are home early." She shoots back, shutting the door and putting her stuff down. "We are home early. Did the sun rise from the west today?" She adds with a smirk.

Seulgi chuckles at the comment, closing the cupboard and walking toward Joohyun.

"So, why are you home already?" Joohyun enquires.

"I got a headache earlier so I just called it a day."

"Oh no. How are you now? Have you taken aspirins yet? You don't have a fever, do you?" She asks, putting the back of her hand on Seulgi's forehead to check her temperature.

"Much better now after I got some sleep. I've taken an aspirin and no, I don't have a fever." Seulgi answers each of the question with a grin on her face, always liking every little attention she could get from the person she shares an apartment with.

"Good." Joohyun pats her shoulder. "Have you eaten dinner?"

"Not yet."

"I don't think we have anymore leftovers." Joohyun says, moving to check the fridge and confirms that there really is not much in there. "I'll go there later. What do you want to eat?" She says, pointing to the window, which means the Chinese takeout place opposite their apartment building. "But I need to take a long, warm bath first."

Seulgi hums for a few seconds and decides to try her luck. "How about.. we just eat some ramyun instead?" She her head to the cupboard where they store food. "I'll cook."

"No." Joohyun answers without hesitation.

"Come on! Just this once."

"You always say that."

"Because you always say no."

"You're sick. You shouldn't be eating instant noodles. Come on, what do you want? Tangsuyuk?" Joohyun immediately tries to shift her attention away from those red packets of devil's creations.

"I was sick. It was just a headache anyway. Also, those Chinese takeouts are not as healthy as you imagine, Hyun." Seulgi stays stubborn. She was so close to eating what she wanted just now. Of all days, Joohyun chose to come home early today.

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