“He is my husband, Lee Min Ho.”

Husband?

Shock was an understatement to describe Jang Geun Suk’s feeling now. It felt more like a bombshell that suddenly dropped onto him. He first met Shin Hye in Daegu University many years ago before she moved to Seoul and he left to UK to further his studies. He couldn’t contain his excitement when he met her again after he was transferred to Seoul National University Hospital few months ago. He thought their reunion was a fate and there will be a chance for them to take a step further in their relationship. But he didn’t know she has already… married. His dream has completely vanished now.

Although it was just a quick and tiny change of expression on his face, but Min Ho still noticed it. He smirked at the shocked expression etched across Jang Geun Suk’s face the moment Shin Hye introduced him as her husband. For the first time he felt so good to be introduced as this position. Childish… yes, he admit he is childish but he just couldn’t help but feel good. He was right. This man is very interested in his wife. Interesting.

To everyone’s surprise, Min Ho took the initiative to shake Geun Suk’s hand first. “Nice meeting you, Doctor Jang. It was my rudeness for not introducing myself for the first time we meet. Thank you so much for taking good care of Dae Hyun…” He paused as moved closer to Shin Hye. “… and my wife.”

Shin Hye held her breath at Min Ho’s last word and felt a shiver ran down her spine. Maybe no one in the room could hear the strangeness in his words but she could clearly hear the difference. She stole a sideway glance at him, and although he looked polite and calm, she could still recognized the dangerous gaze in his eyes. Something is not right.

Min Ho turned his head slightly to look at Shin Hye and smirked at her unnatural expression. She is nervous, he can feel it by just standing close to her. Looking back at Geun Suk again, he let out a small smile. “I heard Shin Hye said you are her senior in the medical school. Are you from Seoul National University? I’m from there too but I don’t remember seeing you before.”

A sharp breath escaped Shin Hye’s breath upon hearing Min Ho’s question. So, this is the main reason for the whole thing.

“I’m not from Seoul National University.” Geun Suk shook his head as he glanced at Shin Hye. “We met at Daegu University. I was in my final year when Doctor Park just entered the medical school. She then moved to Seoul and I went to UK to further my studies. We meet again after I joined this hospital few months ago.”

Almost for an instant, Min Ho’s face darkened and the smile slowly faded away. “So… you were the one.” He said in a deep and soft whisper, but loud enough for Shin Hye to hear it. Her heart raced tremendously and she knows another misunderstanding rises again.

“I… beg your pardon.” Geun Suk looked at Min Ho, couldn’t hear what he said.

Min Ho faked a smile and shook his head. “Nothing.” Taking a deep breath, he continued again. “There are so many hospitals in Seoul but both of you could still ended up and reunion in the same hospital. It must be fate, right?”

As if understand the meaning behind those words, Geun Suk let out an embarrassed smile and took a quick glance at Shin Hye, who looked uneasy too. To prevent the awkward atmosphere to continue, he turned to Soo Young. “Take a good rest for another one night and I’ll sign the paper for Dae Hyun to discharge tomorrow.”

Soo Young bowed politely at Geun Suk, a gesture showing her appreciation for him. “Thank you very much, Doctor Jang.”

“You are welcome. This is my job.” Geun Suk returned her smile before glancing at his watch. “I need to go now. I still need to make rounds for other patients.”

“Goodbye, Jang seonsaeng.” Dae Hyun waved his hand.

“Goodbye, Dae Hyun.” Geun Suk smiled at him before he looked back at Min Ho and Shin Hye. He gave them a soft nod and quickly exited the room.

The tense atmosphere didn’t return back to normal even after Geun Suk left the room. Shin Hye doesn’t dare to look at Min Ho, knowing he is must be misunderstood her relationship with Geun Suk. Fortunately her break time is almost over and she can use it as an excuse to leave too.

Shin Hye turned to look at Soo Young, who was now sitting on the bed with Dae Hyun. “My break time is over. I need to go back to work.” She walked closer to the bed and gave Dae Hyun’s cheek a gentle caress. “I’ll come to see you again before you discharge tomorrow. Take a good rest, arasso?”

Dae Hyun smiled at her and nodded. “Thank you seonsaeng-nim.”

“Thank you for coming, Shin Hye.” Soo Young thanks her with a warm smile.

Shin Hye nodded and with a brief glance at Min Ho, she quickly walked to the door and stepped out from the room.

After she has left, Soo Young looked at Min Ho and smiled. “After so many years, she is still so scared of you. I think you really have to review yourself as a husband.”

Min Ho turned to her and let out a soft chuckle. “What is there to review? You have known me for so long. You should already know that I’m not a good husband material. And moreover, nobody force her to marry me. She should know this will happen the moment she decided to step into this marriage.”

“I can see how much she love you by the way she look at you.” Soo Young said. “No matter how both of you started, you should at least give her a chance, give yourself a chance. Shin Hye is a good woman.”

Min Ho smirked sarcastically. “She is not as innocent as you thought. I can try to like a person that I don’t love… but I will not accept a scheming and manipulative woman who claimed she love me.”

Soo Young shook her head and heaved a deep, helpless sigh. It’s useless to talk with a stubborn cow like him.

“Eomma…” Dae Hyun grasped her hand.

“Yes?” Soo Young turned to him and saw a stethoscope in his tiny hands.

“Seonsaeng-nim left this here.”

Soo Young took the stethoscope from him and looked back at Min Ho again. “You have to return this back to her since you are the one who scare her away.”

“Aish…” Min Ho grabbed it from her hand and growled in annoyance. “Stupid woman.” He scolded before walking away.

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After Shin Hye came out from Dae Hyun’s room, she let out a deep sigh of relief before making her way back to her office. She walked in a fast pace, worried that Min Ho will come out to agitate and make things difficult for her. As she walked past the corridor at the same level where Dae Hyun’s ward was located, she bumped into Geun Suk again, who just came out from a patient’s room. They were both looking at each other with an awkward gaze.

Shin Hye cleared and broke the silence first. “I… I’m sorry for what happened in the room just now.” She apologized.

“Sorry for what?” Geun Suk smiled. “Although it was kind of awkward to meet your husband that way but to be honest, I’m more surprise to know that you are married. I didn’t hear anybody say about it in the hospital and I assume that… you are still single.”

“I was married seven years ago and… I have a daughter. She is five years old now.” Shin Hye said a sweet smile slowly curled up onto her lips when Yeo Jin’s beautiful face appeared in her mind. “You just came here for three months. And I don’t usually talk about my family with the people in the hospital. Actually not many people here have met him and my daughter before, except for some very close friends.” In fact, it’s only Yuri. “So, it’s not surprise that you are not aware about it.”

Seven years.

Geun Suk felt even more surprised to know that she got married so early. But… he didn’t ask further. Knowing that she has now belongs to another man; he can’t help but feel disappointed.

As he continued to stare at her, he noticed her stethoscope was missing. She used to hang it around her neck. There is nothing in the pocket of her doctor’s gown either.

“Where is your stethoscope?” He asked.

Shin Hye touched around her neck and was shocked to find it missing. It was still there when she visited Dae Hyun just now. “Ah…” Her lips parted slightly as she recalled that she took it off and put it down on Dae Hyun’s bed. “I think I left it in Dae Hyun’s room. I need to go back to collect it.”

After they say their goodbyes, Shin Hye quickly walked to the opposite side, wanted to rush back to Dae Hyun’s room. But before she could make another step further, she was startled to see Min Ho standing at the end of the corridor, not far away from her. His hand was holding her stethoscope. His eyes were not looking at her but someone behind her. She turned around and saw Geun Suk nodded his head politely at Min Ho before walking away.

Great! He must have seen them together or worse yet, he even heard their conversation too. Feeling the speed of her heart increased again, she took a deep breath before turning back to look at Min Ho again. She slowly walked towards his direction and stopped in front of him. Their eyes were not locked at each other and Min Ho maintained his silence. He just stared at her with an unreadable and his usual dangerous gaze.

After a long moment, he finally broke the silence as he spoke and held the stethoscope up to her eye level. “I thought this is a very important took that a doctor should never forget.” He paused and smirked sarcastically. “Ah… it must be your ‘first love’ that make you lost your mind.”

Shin Hye let out a helpless sigh, hearing how he emphasized the word ‘first love’ was within what she expect from him.

“Thank you…” She lifted her hand up as their eyes were still looking at each other. She doesn’t want to waste time to explain the same thing over and over again because she knows it’s useless. He will not believe her and will never understand. But just when she wanted to take the stethoscope from his hand, he was faster and grabbed her wrist, pulling her into the emergency exit nearby.

Immediately after they went in, Min Ho turned her around and pinned her against the wall. It was so sudden that she doesn’t even have the time to scream and startle. Her eyes connected with his and she could clearly see the rage in his darkened gaze.

Min Ho wasn’t sure what really got into him but when he came out from Dae Hyun’s room, looking for Shin Hye to return the stethoscope and saw her talking with Jang Geun Suk, anger instantly swamped his senses. At first, he just wanted to attack her with his harsh words but instead of her emotions got provoked by him; he was the one who was angered by her indifferent and unconcerned reaction.

It was less than ten minutes after she left the room and she already can’t wait to see Jang Geun Suk again. How dare she flirt with another man right in front his eyes?

Trying not to show her fear, Shin Hye braved herself to look straight into his eyes. “Let go of me. This is a hospital.” She reminded him.

To be honest, she was quite surprised by his unusual behaviour. Except for that time when he woke up sleeping beside her six years ago, this was the first time she saw him like this. He seldom reacted like this. Whenever they see each other in the past, he always reacted very coldly and almost didn’t talk to her. But why is he behaving so strange lately? He wouldn’t behave like this unless he needs to satisfy his physical needs at night.

“Wae?” Min Ho asked, smirking inwardly. “Worried that your ‘first love’ will see us like this?” He continued again when she didn’t reply him. “You still haven’t answer my question yet. He said he was from Daegu University and met you there. Is he the one?”

Shin Hye bit her lower lip, trying to keep her voice steady and calm. “Will you believe me if I say no?” Instead of answering him, she asked him back.

“You can try.” Min Ho said.

Shin Hye shook her head softly. “No, he is not. He is just a colleague and we are barely friends. We just happened to work in the same hospital and that’s it.”

“Barely friends?” Min Ho narrowed his eyes sceptically. “Both of you were literally flirting right in front of me.”

Flirting? Shin Hye let out a smile of disbelief. “You see… even if I answer honestly, you will still not believe me.” She paused and heaved a deep sigh. “If this is your definition of flirting, then I have nothing to say anymore.”

Shin Hye looked away as she reached out to take back her stethoscope from him. But before she could even touch it, Min Ho tucked the stethoscope into the pocket of his coat and both his hands rose to her face, cradling her jaw firmly in place. Without giving her a chance to react, he pressed her further against the wall and seized her top lip between his.

A soft gasp escaped her parted lips as her eyes widened in shock. She was completely startled by the sudden kiss and doesn’t know how to react at all. She just stood there, letting the man who is her husband, slowly snaking one of his hands to the back of her neck and another one framing the side of her face as he deepened the kiss. Her mind went blank instantly, unable to think at all.

She knows very clearly where they are now and should be frantically analysing the threat of someone might see them. But… she just couldn’t move a single muscle and just froze in place. Sometimes she really hate herself for not be able to push him away whenever he kiss her. She also knows he doesn’t love her but she just couldn’t stop herself from desiring his closeness.

Min Ho slowly opened his eyes, as his lips were still moving against hers fervently. He looked at her half-lidded eyes that were heavy and dazed by the intensity of his kiss as her familiar, intoxicating scent keep indulging his senses. He knows he was once again loses his control because of her.

He doesn’t love her… but he doesn’t know why he got so angry at the thought of her being with another man. Is that his ego or he being possessive over something that belongs to him? He seriously doesn’t understand and hate himself for being like this.

Then, after what seemed like an eternity, he finally broke away from the kiss and slowly pulled out of the embrace just far enough to look her in the eye. Her face flushed a pretty shade of pink as her lips looked alluringly swollen and glistening. It took every ounce of his self-control not to lose his control not to kiss her again. 

Taking a sharp inhale of breath, he spoke again in a deep and hoarse voice. “Don’t forget your position and who you are. Our families’ reputation couldn’t bear to be tarnished by a secret love affair. I can’t control what you did in the past but I’m definitely at the right position to control it now.”

Shin Hye sank her teeth into her lower lip upon hearing what he said. Secret love affair? Did he just accuse her for having a secret love affair with Jang