Having a best friend is one of the best gifts ever. You can be dramatic, funny, silly, and senseless, without the hurtful judgments, we usually get. You don’t even have to worry about being alone because you’re sure someone will come to save you from lonely days.

It doesn’t matter who your best friend is; girl, boy, gay, lesbian – fat, skinny, tall, short, white, black, brown, WHO CARES? For as long as you go well together, be together! I’m telling you, your life will have a lot more colors to it.

“Why are you so early?” I asked upon opening the door for him.

It’s only seven o’clock in the morning. I just got out of bed, about to start my daily routine with a workout.

He walked in, headed straight to the living room and dropped his body on the couch. “Do whatever” he turned his head to me “I’ll sleep while waiting”.

Jiyong perfectly knows my routine. We usually go to the gym together, either he’ll take me to the YG gym or the one on the first floor of this residential building, but because he’s really not into sweating and fitness, he said pass, that I didn’t protest to.

Looking at him with his feet dangling because the couch is too small for him, I smiled. “My bed is much comfortable than that stinky couch. If you want, you can sleep there” I said then laughed, “Just don’t drool on my pillow”

He sat up and threw the Tweety bird stuffed toy at me. “I don’t droll in my sleep!”

“Really? I folded my arms on my chest. I’m suddenly in the mood to . “Isn’t that the reason why Omma always need to change your pillow cases?”

The moment I saw him move, as if standing up, I hurried to the door, laughing. I’m sure he’s going to torture me with a headlock. Yeah, Jiyong sometimes forgets that I’m a girl. He wrestles me until I can’t take no more (I cried so many times in the past because of his Hulk Hogan moves).

Working out is one of my ways to release stress. I feel so relaxed after. However, Kwon Omma and even Jiyong, is not that good with it, saying that I don’t have to go all out exercising and just eat healthy. Truth is, my Physician who is also a friend of mine, is not advising me to work out because I’m underweight, instead I have to eat, to at least meet my standard weight.

Sweaty and starving, I reached my apartment and smelled the sweet aroma of my favorite coffee. I heard sizzling sounds in the kitchen and found Jiyong wearing an apron, cooking.

“What’s for breakfast?” I asked, sitting on the tall stool in front of the counter island. He jumped up and turned to me with a hand on his chest. “Yah!” he yelled. “Why do you have to pop out all of a sudden?”

I can’t stop laughing. He looked like he’s already about to poop in his pants in shock. “Bacon and egg. Nice!” I leaned forward and savored the smell. In no time, we’re eating.

This is what I’m talking about in having another human, I mean, a partner, in the house. Yeah. Not every man is like Jiyong who cooks even though he’s not really good at it, but the mere fact that he’s trying is really touching.

“How nice is it to have someone cooking for you?” I said while he’s putting bacons and egg on my plate. He settled on the tall stool across mine and smirked. “I don’t know, you tell me, since I always cook for you”

“Jiyongie” I called in the sweetest way I know and reached out for his hand, “Thank you”. He hissed. “I know that I haven’t cooked for you in years, but you’re not even taking it on me”

He sighed heavily. “How can I take it on you when you cannot even cook for yourself?” he said and I just smiled. Holding my hand, he squeezed it lightly with a sweet smile on his face. “There’s no need to thank me because I’m doing this asking NOTHING in return. I’m happy seeing you eat what I cook, and that is more than enough”

All of a sudden, he stopped talking and just stared at our hands. Did he suddenly thought of some lyrics? Usually, whenever he zones out, his head is filled with lyrics and he’s arranging them in it as well. There are a lot from Big Bang’s ultimate hits that were written and arranged in his head.

After a while, “I get really happy doing this small thing for you” he stated. I was speechless.

There’s something in his voice that made me feel weird. I don’t know what it is, but I found it awkward to look at him.

He jerked up, as if playing another mood. “What the heck am I saying?”

Still a bit awkward, I chuckled. “You’re being mushy and it doesn’t suit you”

He leaned forward, left arm out, and pushed my forehead using his index finger. “Stop talking ”

Though we don’t admit it, Jiyong and I can sometimes be cheesy to each other and it always happens whenever we’re showing affection or being grateful.

After breakfast, I prepared for work already while he’s watching television. We’re minutes behind schedule and I’m freaking out because my assistant just texted me that I already have five patients listed for check-up this morning.

In a hurry, “Show me what this car can do” I told him after settling on the passenger’s seat. He smirked. “Better hold on to your seat”, and we dashed out.

Five minutes before time, we arrived. Jiyong broke the speed limit once (good thing we weren’t caught).

“Good Morning Doctor Jeong” my assistant greeted, “and Mr. Kwon” she added upon seeing him behind me. He bowed at her. “Good Morning”

It’s not that surprising seeing him with me anymore, because he’s my regular visitor for so many years now. I even got him to change his Physician, trusting my friend who is also my Doctor.

My office is colorful. It’s child friendly (of course). Divided in two: the resting area where Jiyong will stay while waiting for me, and the main office where I accept patients.

“Wow!” I am in awe after seeing the list of patients. Curious, Jiyong peeked over my shoulder “TEN, just for this morning” he said. I turned my head at him and forced a smile. “What time will your clinic stop accepting patients?” he asked. I sighed. “After lunch…hmm…” I looked at my watch “Twelve-thirty. After that, I’ll do my duty at the ICU and Pediatric ward, that’s the time we’ll roll as superheroes”.

All he can do is listen to me. After all, there’s nothing he can do to lessen my workload. You see, when you’re in this profession, time is not really in your hands. We work more than eight hours a day, sometimes going over twenty. We don’t man desks, we use our hands to check on a patient, our feet to do rounds, run if there’s an emergency and stand for long hours in front of the operating table. Rest, usually lasts for thirty minutes only. We’re already lucky to have an hour. Nonetheless, we are happy to save lives.

DOCTOR JEONG AREUM IS ON A ROLL! Patients go in and out of my office. My ears, though used to it, is ringing because of the infants’ cries. I had three babies for immunization shots who nearly ripped my eardrums. I have to endure it.

“Done” I slumped at the white mustard yellow single couch in the resting area. Jiyong wasn’t able to take a nap because of the noise coming from my office, but was able to finish the song he’s been writing since last week.

Jiyong let me read the lyrics and as always, he wrote a good one.

 

“My heart is strongly beating for you

It shouts your name, loudly

Baby, what do I do?

I shouldn’t be feeling this way, I shouldn’t

Tell me, what to do?”

“Confess. That’s all you got to do” I said after reading it, placing the piece of paper down on the center table. He looked at me like a deer caught in headlights, then swallowed hard. “What are you talking about?” he asked, looking nervous. I don’t know what’s going on with him, what’s running in his mind.

With a chuckle, “I’m just reacting to the lyrics. Gosh! You’re suddenly too serious!” I exclaimed, making him smirk.

His weird actions these past few weeks gets me sometimes. Is there really a girl he’s eyeing? The one he said is a stranger but is constantly in his mind? If she really exists, I’m more than willing to help him get her.

“Oh, I forgot!” I covered my mouth with my hand and giggled. “You’re not the confessing type of guy” I teased. “You’re the “figure it out” type that women find so appealing and annoying at the same time”. I defined and out of nowhere, a throw pillow came right to my face.

I squeaked and he laughed his off. Jiyong is in denial but he really is not a confessing type of guy. I cannot even remember a time when he confronted a girl he likes. It’s always him, hiding his true feelings, only dropping hints. It’s already up to the girl to figure things out.

“Why did I even think of this?” I asked, already wearing my Super Girl costume.

Originally, Super Girl’s costume is revealing, but mine is not as flashy. Though too tight to breathe normally, I can keep up with it for an hour and a half. Good thing its cape is reaching under my , I don’t have to walk around the hospital showing everyone my that is forcefully shaped.

“Oh…my…effin…!!!!”

Jiyong is beyond funny in a Thor’s costume. He’s got the hammer, fake foam muscles, and get this, a blonde wig that he messed up, while putting it on. Every part of him is on point, in a funny way.

I’m having second thoughts about this Superhero surprise because I’m afraid that once we’re done, my best friend and I will lose our careers. No , Jiyong in a ed up Thor costume is massive than his dating scandals.

Coming closer to me. “Are you breathing or what?”

I sighed. “I am, but not too much” I show him how I do it, putting his hand on my stomach. “UGH! Why do you have to buy a size smaller than my size? Like, for real?” I dropped his hand and take in limited air. He laughed. “That’s free size”.

Seriously?

“Free size” I walked closer to him, so close, our faces are just a few inches away from each other. “Kid’s section” I pushed him, full force. Poor Thor, he nearly smashed his on the floor.

“Deal with it” he said, grabbing my cape and bringing it to my face.

And I dealt with it. Jiyong and I shamelessly walked to the Pediatric ward in our costumes. The kids’ reactions are more than what I expected. Their eyes are almost popping out of its sockets. Super Girl and Thor are in front of them, though not exactly the way they originally look, but at least, with the same impact.

“Doctor Areum” Jin ah, the little girl battling Cancer, stage three, tugged my cape. I turned to her and smiled. “Yes, beautiful?”

She is truly a beauty. If only she’s got hair, a glowing healthy face, rosy cheeks and sparkly eyes, she’s going to be spotless. Chemotherapy really got the best of her.

With a weak smile on her face. “You’re Super Girl!” she squeaked and I felt excited all of a sudden, I forgot about who I really am and played the role I’m supposed to play. Going here I thought I looked ugly and silly, but looking through the children’s eyes, I see a real superhero.

“Kids!” I shouted lively in the middle of the room, making them and their parents to look at me. “I have another surprise for all of you”. Thrilled, I called out, “The Korean…THOR!” and Jiyong, in character, arm up holding the hammer, shouted, “I’m the Mighty Thor!”

I walked backwards to him and whispered, “You’re the Korean Thor, not Mighty Thor”. He gave me a questioning look. “Korean Thor?”

Smiling widely, “Yes” I replied. He looked at me with narrow, annoyed eyes. “What the!”

Giggling, I whispered in his ear again. “Just deal with it”

Not wanting to spoil the moment and make the children wait for another second to have a close encounter with the “superheroes”, Jiyong went back to his character again and greeted the kids saying, “I am KHOR!”

The children shrieked in excitement. I cannot believe that they are buying Khor – the Korean version of Thor.

When work and fun jell together, you’ll feel so wonderful. Seeing these sick children being so happy, forgetting the pain they’re feeling even just for a while, is priceless.

There’s nothing Jiyong can’t really do. Aside from his talents that we know so well, he can be a storyteller too. Sitting on the floor, surrounded by the children, he reads and act, and make funny voices. After that, he convinced a little boy to have an injection, then talked to the parents who are as emotional as I am, seeing their sick little ones having fun. He encouraged each one of them, telling how wonderful they are for being strong. Aside from that, he also promised to give financial assistance for Jang Woo’s medication.

All I can say is, he’s really good with children. Well, he’s always been. I remember when we were in high school, we randomly talked about how we want our future will be like. I told him that I don’t want to think about it yet. He told me, “I have a clear picture of what I want my future to be like. I will be a successful artist, with a wife that I’ll be loving more than myself, and about three to five children who I will give the rest of my life to”.

“Are you together Doctor Areum?” Mrs. Lee, the mother of Jin ah, asked me while I’m checking her daughter’s IV drops. I chuckled and shook my head. “No Ma’am” I told her. Her face falls. “I thought you are. You really look good together”

A hand landed on my shoulder. “We’re best friends Ma’am, more like siblings” Jiyong butted in. I looked at him, confused on whether to smile or not. I decided to fake a smile. “Yes. That’s right”

This always happen. We are always mistaken as lovers, asking what’s the real “score” between us, telling that we look mushier than most couples out there, and that our spark is so intriguing, it’s too good to not be true.

We hate being mistaken though. We just don’t feel good with people shoving us in each other’s throats. Yes, we are too close to JUST be the best of friends, but that’s what we truly are.

Time passed by so fast. Jiyong and I finished the rounds without feeling exhausted even if it really is. In another ward, he was playfully shot by the kids with their finger-guns for a million times, and was nearly punched in the gut by one kid. He played with them so well, I did nothing but check the children.

“We’re done!” I dropped on the couch, feeling every inch of my body aching.

“Einstein and Jiyongie’s mission…” he said, and I looked at him, “SUCCESS!” we both shouted.

Starving, we head down to the hospital’s cafeteria where Jiyong will have a taste of my food life.

“Good Afternoon Doctor Jeong” the ajhumma who is treating me so well ever since I started working here, greeted. “The usual?” she asked, and Jiyong looked at me curiously.

I looked at him with a small smile on my face, and whispered, “Oatmeal”

Rolling his eyes, he shook his head. Leaning over the counter, “We’ll have…kkakduji (radish kimchi), Doenjang jigae (soybean paste soup with potatoes, mushrooms, and green pumpkin), and bulgogi steaks, please”

“Woah!” I’m in total shock. “Is this our last day on Earth? You realize you just ordered a full meal” I said to him and he ignored me. “We only have twenty minutes to eat. Well, I do” I followed, but he just continued ignoring me.

After a while, he sighed. “You need food. NORMAL HUMAN FOOD”

Here comes Mr. Pushy again.

Of course, he won. I walked to an empty table, calculating how much food I should shove in my mouth in a matter of fifteen minutes.

With trays full of “Normal Human Food”, we dig in. This is one of the few times I sit here with so much on the table.

“Those kids are so precious” he said in the middle of our meal. I sighed heavily. “They are. I wish I can save all of them” I said, feeling emotional.

He gave out a smile. He knows my struggle as a Doctor, the emotional roller coaster I ride every single day.

To lighten the mood, “Have you ever wondered what kind of parent you’ll be like in the near future?” I asked, randomly.

Amongst the two of us, Jiyong is the marriage/parent material. He just knows how to handle both a partner, and a child, like he got it all figured out since day one.

My question got him thinking. It took me one and a half Bulgogi steaks before he answered, “I want to be a cool Father, but with limitations”. He’s thinking really hard. “It actually depends if I’ll have a daughter or son. To my daughter, I will be protective but not to the point that she’s suffocated already. I’ll probably spoil her, but not to the point of being a brat. I will impose rules that are specifically just for her, rules that doesn’t hurt or hold her by the neck”. He smiled by the thought of it. “To my son, I’ll guide him with a looser leash. I’ll show him how to be a boy, a guy, and a man. I will tell him every mistake I made, even the most foolish and evil. Most of all…” He take in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, “I will teach him how to respect women that I’ll start by showing him how I love and treasure his Mother”.

WELL SAID, Jiyongie!

I wonder how many Jiyongs are there left in the ocean. I hope there’s still one for me.

Shifting in a more comfortable position on his chair, “How about you?” he asked.

I froze. For some strange reason, my heart skipped a beat. I don’t know what’s with me.

Getting over it, I swallowed hard. “Well, just like before, I still cannot picture what my future will be like. I cannot imagine myself as a Mother yet. I don’t know, maybe because I haven’t been totally in-love to even imagine being married. It actually alarms me to think that I only have a few years to be a Mother. It’s not like I want to have a child over forty”

It’s his first time hearing this from me. I never get bothered about marriage and children, until now. 

I smirked. “If I don’t get the chance to be a Mother, then I’ll just borrow your kids. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of them” I joked, and he laughed.

“Seems like I don’t have to think about getting nannies anymore. Not just that, there’s no hassle in finding a Pediatrician for them as well” He jumps in the joke.

In serious mode, “I hope your future wife will be fine with me around you and your family”. My voice is a little shaky saying this.

One of the things Jiyong hates is when I talk about us, separating. Truth is, I tried distancing myself from him in the past, because I don’t want his “then” girlfriend to feel weird, and to not cause any misunderstandings between them. At first he didn’t notice. He thought I’m just too busy to hangout, but the moment he knew, he break into my house, raging in anger, and confronted me….

                “Like seriously, what the are you doing?”

                This baffled me. I don’t have a clue on what he’s talking about.

                Confused. “Hi Jiyong!” I greeted nicely. “What’s with you and the cursing?”

                He smirked. “Since when are you going to be a stupid ?” His use of words really got me.

                “Look Jiyong”. I kept my chill, a key whenever he’s in flame. “I don’t know what the heck are you talking about. You come here, raging for some reason                  I know not, and called me a stupid . Why don’t you just tell me what turned you into a monster, to get this over with?”

                I’m not the type to flare up without a reason, but with the way things are going, my patience has run dry.

              “Why are you running away from me?”

               BOOM! BUSTED!

             “If not for Na young, I wouldn’t know”. He is so angry, his voice is so loud. “What’s up with you? Are you doing this because…”

              I cut him off. “Yes. I’m keeping my distance because I don’t want to wreck your relationship by our closeness. This isn’t a good idea, but I’m just trying to              help. I want your relationship to work out because I know it’s making you happy, that I will do everything for it to happen”.

           He calmed down a bit. “Stop it”, then he gripped my shoulders. “You’ve been in my life longer than her, longer than most people around me now. There’s           nothing to worry about. She knows your place in my life, whether she likes it or not, she cannot do anything about it. So please, stop with your bull”

         That statement ended it. Jiyong’s relationship went well (secretly), with me not getting in the way. Thing is, it didn’t work out the way I wanted it to be. Oh                well.

Back to the present…

Jiyong sighed heavily, “You and I” he pointed at me and himself. “We’re a package. Where one is, the other will be there as well. What one has, the other will have too. No one can separate us”

                                                                                *****