The bustling hospital corridors were a constant whirlwind of activity, nurses scurrying past, doctors conferring in hushed tones, and the faint scent of antiseptic lingering in the air. Amidst this organized chaos, 22-year-old Shim Minjeong navigated her way, a determined look on her face as she walked alongside her best friend, Yu Jimin.

The two medical students are heading towards the cafeteria for the long-awaited break. It was their first week of clinical rotation, and the hospital felt a little bit more familiar. The food was surprisingly delicious so they had been looking forward to taking a breather with their fellow students at the cafeteria.  

With the tray of food in their hands, they were scanning for the empty tables at the nearly full cafeteria. Minjeong paused at the two familiar people seated at a table in the far corner, engrossed in a conversation over lunch. Jimin glanced at Minjeong, concern etched on her features. "You okay, Mindoongie?"

Minjeong nodded, though a hint of discomfort flashed in her eyes. "Yeah, just overwhelmed with all this new information and the workload."

“– also stop calling me that, not here in public!” Minjeong whispered and pouted. She regretted taking a call from her mother in front of Jimin and consequently exposed her childhood nickname. Although, weirdly, she secretly fluttered to hear that from Jimin.

Jimin beamed, finding the expression on her best friend beyond adorable. Minjeong always does that to her.  

“So it’s okay to call you Mindoongie if we are in private?” 

Before Minjeong could respond, they saw the other medical students, Ning Yizhuo and Uchinaga Aeri waving animatedly for the two to join their table. Usually, it’s only the four girls having lunch together, but today they were joined by two guys Lee Minhyung and the ever-chatty Lee Donghyuck.

“What’s the tea for today, Donghyuck?” Aeri resumed their conversation as Jimin and Minjeong joined to sit at their table.

Donghyuck, with his penchant for gossip pointedly glanced toward two figures Minjeong had noticed earlier.

“Have you guys noticed how close Dr. Shim and Dr. Kim are?”

Minjeong tensed as the group looked at her parents – the two renowned assistant professors of the university hospital, the esteemed general surgeon Kim Taeyeon, and neurosurgeon Shim Changmin. 

"I heard from the residents that they’ve been divorced for ages, Dr. Shim had remarried recently but isn’t it strange how friendly they are?” Donghyuck chattered, not realizing the girls were exchanging a nervous glance.

“I mean, I wonder why they even divorced if they would still spend time together like that.”  

Minjeong’s mind raced with the uncomfortable realization that her parent's relationship was the subject of hospital gossip. "Yeah, strange," she murmured, trying to quell the rising unease within her.

“His new wife must be jealous if she knows her husband has lunch and dinner with his ex-wife like every day,” Minhyung quipped. 

“They do? Every day?” Minjeong was genuinely surprised. 

Donghyuck nodded, “Yeah, that’s what they said. Also,  I heard his new wife is expecting a baby! I think it’s weird that –“ 

“Lee Donghyuck…” Yizhuo interrupted, she didn’t know how to stop him from making things more awkward. The two guys obviously didn’t realize they were gossiping about Minjeong’s parents. 

“It’s not weird, I guess some couples decided they are better off as friends,” Aeri tried to smooth things out but was unsure if it even helped. 

“Nah, I don’t think there’s no such thing as friendship between men and women,” Minhyung remarked.

“Guys, I don’t think it’s cool to talk about our friend’s parents like that,” Yizhuo said as she sympathetically glanced at Minjeong. The former just wanted to end this awkward topic quickly.

Minhyung and Donghyuck already knew that Minjeong came from a family of doctors, and they were aware that their friend Minjeong also had a relatively rare surname like Professor Shim and a very striking resemblance to Professor Kim. As their brains quickly connected the dots, the realization hit the two guys like a bolt of lightning.

"Wait, Minjeong..." Donghyuck gasped, "They're your parents?” To his defense, Donghyuck heard that the two professors have a daughter, but he assumed the daughter would be much younger given the two assistant professors’ age. 

“Oh, um, sorry I didn’t know… I had no idea” he said, sharing guilty glances with Minhyung. “Uh, I suppose it’s nice to have your parents being friendly like that.”

“Um, and congrats on having a new sibling?” 

Minjeong forced a tight smile. Jimin, ever perceptive, sensed her friend's growing discomfort at the mention of her half-sibling. She placed a comforting hand on Minjeong's while Aeri and Yizhuo offered Minjeong a knowing look and diverted the topic.

Across the room, Shim Changmin nudged his ex-wife, letting her know that their beloved daughter was in the room. When their eyes met Minjeong’s