Minjeong watches with wide eyes as she’s huddled around a cadaver, Dr. Im at her side, and Soojin on the other side of their attending. 

 

“This patient died of a ruptured aneurysm, which led to a hemorrhagic . You can tell by this ruptured artery. Which artery is this?” Dr. Im glances at both of them and smirks, “first to answer gets a treat.” 

 

“Middle cerebral artery!” They both respond in unison, eyes wide and features bellowing with their need to win. 

 

“Hm,” Dr. Im hums, smirk widening into a grin. “Smart cookies.”

 

“Which location in the brain does aneurysms often occur in?” 

 

“Anterior communicating artery!” 

 

Dr. Im chuckles as the two interns once again simultaneously yell the answer enthusiastically. 

 

Soojin catches Minjeong’s eyes and squints at her, gaze sharp like a knife. The latter blinks in confusion, frowning and confused at Soojin’s look of annoyance. Was she surprised? No. They were still very much indifferent to each other. Well, Soojin was indifferent to her because she saw Minjeong as a threat to her career. Competition. 

 

But Minjeong, she just wanted to be friendly with everyone. 

 

“Maybe I’m feeling a little generous today.” Dr. Im mutters to herself, “both of you can scrub in tomorrow. We’re removing a brain tumor in the frontal lobe. That’s my treat.” She grins, “a brain tumor.” She hands the scalpel to Minjeong, bumping shoulders with the both of them. “Better get cozy with Mr. Cadaver and start preparing.” 

 

Minjeong glances at Soojin who has a hint of a smile on her face.

 

“And practice your teamwork. Get to know each other.” Dr. Im motions between them. “I sense a bit of tension, and I do not want that in my OR.” 

 

The smile soon drops from Soojin’s face as she looks at Minjeong with a blank face. 

 

“Am I clear?” Dr. Im says, brows raised, and waiting for an answer.

 

“Yes, Dr. Im.” Minjeong responds first. 

 

Soojin sighs, before nodding. 

 

With that, Dr. Im walks out of the room with a proud grin. The first sight she sees is Jimin filling out a few papers at the nurses station at the cardiovascular ICU. 

 

“Ah, the person I wanted to see.” She slides towards Jimin, stopping until their hips bump. 

 

Jimin snorts, and flips a page on the clipboard. “And why did you want to see me?” 

 

“Because you’re pretty.” Dr. Im rests her chin on folded arms as she leans against the counter. She bounces her brows in greeting at Ryujin who was behind a computer, charting. 

 

Jimin rolls her eyes, ignoring Dr. Im’s playful comment. 

 

“Careful, Nayeon.” Ryujin comments, never taking her eyes off the screen in front of her. “Jimin has a very scary admirer.” 

 

Dr. Im scoffs, chuckling. “I see her more like a pouty puppy. There’s nothing scary about puppies.” 

 

Jimin hides her smile, giving the consent forms for one of Ryujin’s patients back to her. “If anyone’s the admirer, it’s me.” 

 

Ryujin makes a sound of feigned disgust, and Dr. Im chuckles, raising her brows at the nurse. “It’s actually cute seeing her like this. Don’t be a hater.” 

 

“I’m not being a hater.” Ryujin shakes her head, “I’m being a friend. I’m supposed to . It’s textbook code.”

 

Dr. Im plays along, “ah, so I’m not being a very good friend, now am I?” She turns to Jimin with mischief, “you simp.” 

 

Jimin rolls her eyes, “I hate you guys.” 

 

When Mark walks up to their huddle, Jimin gives him a blank stare. His eyes grow bigger and he swerves, turning his steps so he’s in direction to go behind the nurses desk where he’s put himself in good length from Jimin’s wrath. Which, to his valid defense, Mark doesn’t think he’s done anything today that would piss her off. It’s too early into his shift. 

 

“Guess what I did.” Dr. Im nudges Jimin and nods her head towards Mark. 

 

Jimin squints her eyes at her, “what?” 

 

“I forced Minjeong and Soojin into the skills lab by themselves. Together. ” She says with a proud smile. 

 

“You what?” Mark’s eyes were wide and a scandalous look on his face. 

 

“She said she locked your friends in a room with a dead body.” Ryujin repeats in very different words. 

 

“Oh, you are such a badass.” Mark looks at Dr. Im with heart eyes. “Maybe they’ll stop ripping at each other's heads if they get some quality time with each other. That would make my life so much easier.” 

 

Jimin snorts, “I’m pretty sure that’s illegal.” 

 

“I didn’t actually lock them in there.” Dr. Im rolls her eyes, “more so… provided an incentive if they act right. Something they really want.” 

 

“Badass.” Mark repeats. 

 

Dr. Im tilts her head at Jimin, “you should be thanking me. I’m helping your lovergirl make new friends.” She grins, eyebrows bouncing in mischief, before waving at the three and taking her leave. 

 

Jimin shakes her head and sighs, “tone it down with the teasing when Minjeong is around, okay? I don’t want to make her uncomfortable.” She tells Ryujin and Mark with a seriousness in her voice. 

 

Ryujin and Mark look at her like children getting in trouble with their teacher. 

 

“Understood?” 

 

They both nod, Mark even giving her the salute just to make Jimin roll her eyes. “Yes, boss.” 

 

Jimin gives them an unimpressed look before walking towards the skills lab. She peeks into the little window on the door and sees Minjeong and Soojin working together on the cadaver’s brain. 

 

She smiles to herself, before walking away and getting ready to do rounds. 

 

_

 

“Why do you hate me so much?” 

 

Soojin glances at her, but doesn’t say anything for a while. 

 

“I didn’t do anything.” Minjeong continues, and her voice doesn’t carry any sort of malice. She remained calm, carrying a simple conversation that was a result of her curiosity. 

 

“I don’t hate you.” Soojin mutters, “hate is a strong word.” She adds and snorts to herself. “Even I know that.” 

 

“Then?” Minjeong questions. 

 

Soojin sighs and lowers the scalpel from her hands, straightening her posture. She turns to Minjeong with a blank look, “aren’t we supposed to be preparing for our surgery tomorrow?” 

 

“Dr. Im said to learn how to work together.” 

 

“I know how to be a team player without having to be buddies with everyone I work with, Dr. Kim.” 

 

Minjeong blinks at her, “and if I say I want to be your friend?” 

 

Soojin looks at her, a little startled. She glances away, back to the brain in front of her. “Why? I’m horrible to you.” 

 

Minjeong’s eyes follow Soojin’s movements, and she senses Soojin’s uncomfortable demeanor. 

 

“Maybe… but I know you’re not a horrible person.” Minjeong shrugs, taking a peek at Soojin’s face that seems to have faltered from her regular cold facade. 

 

“Do you?” 

 

Smiling to herself, Minjeong nods. She picks up the scalpel that Soojin had put down, handing it back to her. “Dr. Yeh says otherwise.” She smirks when she sees the faint blush on Soojin’s cheeks. 

 

“Don’t believe anything she says.” 

 

Minjeong snorts. “Why? Because everything she sees about you is completely different to how you present yourself?” 

 

Soojin turns to glare at her. 

 

“We’re pretty similar in some aspects, Soojin.” Minjeong says with a kind smile. 

 

“I think we’re pretty different.” 

 

“How do you know? We’ve never actually had a proper conversation before.” 

 

Soojin snorts, rolling her eyes. “You’re one to talk. You’re making assumptions too.” 

 

“The only difference is I want to find out whether my assumptions are right or wrong. What are you afraid of?” Minjeong says, brows furrowed and curiosity bellowing on her features. 

 

Groaning, Soojin's eyes roll in frustration. She steps away from the cadaver and takes off her gloves, tossing it in the trash. 

 

“I’m just not great at making friends, okay?” Soojin throws her hands in the air, “I don’t want to be distracted from what I’m here to do, which is to build a career for myself and do what I love to do. I don’t have time to make friends or be in a relationship. I just need to be focused.” 

 

Minjeong blinks at her, surprised. 

 

“Yeah,” she mutters to herself, “we’re definitely similar.” 

 

A glare is thrown her way. 

 

“Do you want to grab lunch together?” 

 

Soojin stares at her in disbelief, but when Minjeong smiles at her despite everything she had just said, the cold ice walls start to melt away. 

 

“So?” Minjeong raises a brow. 

 

Soojin scoffs. “You’re paying.” 

 

_

 

“Have we…entered another dimension?” 

Shuhua turns her head to see Mark looking at the same thing that she just been ogling over. She snorts when Mark meets her am