TIME AFTER TIME ; jjk

1

"I'm not asking you to settle down or anything. But you're not getting any younger and you haven't yet introduced a woman to us in years. It's high time you get into a relationship. I don't want to pressurize you, though."

I nodded as if I was considering his words. "Like what you're doing right now."

"No, it's not like that. But Jungkook, your mother is starting to think that maybe you are gay."

"What?" I raised my brows and laughed heartily, far from being offended. I had heard a few similar rumors and I couldn't pinpoint whatever the signs I insinuated to make others think like that.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Anything is possible."

"So, what if I am?" I challenged my Dad, sounding a little humorless. I had the urge to throw my head back and laugh when I sensed he made an opaque flinch as if he didn't see it coming at all. I'd be surprised, too, if I were him, only not completely. Before, I usually joked about having few of my guy friends as my boyfriend. My poor best friend since Med school, Taehyung, was my usual target, although he always expressed he hated to be the subject of my silly fables. Dad didn't clearly look pleased with the idea, but he denoted to be contemplating to regard the possibility with care and understanding. I watched in amusement as he avoided my gaze and took a sip of his espresso instead. The wrinkle forming in his forehead came off as skin-deep that I almost missed it.

"It's your life... Still, you should tell us."

"I'm not gay, at least for the time being. Taehyung could be a good prospect for a boyfriend, don't you think so?"

A deep sigh escaped him. "Oh no, not that one. I hate that young man's guts."

I laughed at his reaction. It didn't bother me. Dad disliked people in general.

He continued, "You are going to give me a heart attack if you keep acting like this. For once, take me seriously."

"I do. Just don't worry about me being single. I myself don't even take it as a big deal. We'll get there..."

The next minutes involved Dad complaining about the dog Mom took in, his insomnia, and his petty arguments with my mother. I couldn't understand his side, but I just listened. I missed Dad nagging at me. When I was still living with my parents, he used to yell at me just to get me out of the bed every schoolday. It was really true that you'd miss having them around once you're older and living by yourself.

I walked Dad to the parking lot outside the hospital and stayed until he had climbed into his car and sped off. I looked curiously at Taehyung when I saw him again in the hallways on my way back to the on-call room. He handed out a Starbucks coffee to me. "Is this free?"

"Of course not."

I smiled. "Thanks." It must be a gift from heavens that he also happened to take orthopedics as his specialty for the residency program. We were so inseparable I wished I'd have a day off without him.

I prepared for my pre-rounding, dressing myself in my doctor's coat and wearing my I.D. I rushed out when I knew it was time for work before I would hear Doctor Won yelling for my name. I smiled at the other residents in my team when we gathered and took the charts of our assigned patients.

"Doctor Min, having a great day so far?" I asked Doctor Min Yoongi, third-year surgical resident. He was the first person I got comfortable with when Doctor Won took me under his wing. One thing we also shared together - annoyance towards our attending.

"I'm always having a great day I want to quit," he sarcastically responded.

Enjoying it so much, I laughed until I heard someone cough deliberately behind me. I stiffened. He always appeared intimidating.

"And why is everyone happy? Move! We don't have all the time in this world, do we?" Each one of us was startled before we greeted our boss who was looking at us over the rim of his eyeglasses. The rest quickly finished and proceeded to go while I did the same.

"And you, Doctor Jeon, stay here and wait for me. I'll go and get something first. I have a task for you." I was held back. I turned to him and gave him a questioning glance.

"But, Sir, I have to get my pre-rounding done by eight."

"This won't take much of your time, pretty boy. Are you going against me?" Here we go again. I did my best not to sigh in frustration under his watch. My mother gave me a name for a purpose! I didn't ask to be called pretty boy or whatsoever to feed his bruised ego.

"No, Sir."

I dropped heavily into the chair outside his office. I waited painfully, itching to go. Gazing down at my wristwatch, I counted every second. I tapped on the patients' charts piled up on my lap.

I only lifted my gaze when I heard someone talking. I recognized the voice. It was Doctor Lee, a professor in cardiothoracic surgery. We suddenly met gazes, and the corner of his mouth curled upwards. He knew me, of course. I was one of the lucky people who topped the KMLE in my batch, that was why. I noticed a woman on his side. A new face, though I might be wrong.

"Doctor Jeon, how are you?" He walked to me.

"I'm good, Professor. How about you?" I asked back.

"I'm grand. Have you seen Doctor Bae?"

I stood up politely. I shifted my gaze to the stranger next to him. She was already staring intently at me, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes. I nodded to her direction and offered her a small smile. She wore a pantsuit, a folder in her hands.

I observed her quietly.

I stood nearly six feet; she was just a few inches shorter than me. She was too pretty, that was to be noticed right off the bat. This would have left me in awe had I not already seen a lot of beautiful faces like hers, especially when I had a few modelling jobs back in med school.

Professor Lee and I began to talk about my training. But I preferred not to overlook the discomfort on the face of the woman I didn't know. In the end, I introduced myself to her so that she wouldn't feel out of place. "Hi, I'm Doctor Jeon Jungkook. Second-year orthopedic surgery resident." I held out my hand for a handshake.

I found it strange when she stared at my hand for a few seconds before gingerly taking it as if she was disgusted. I didn't know if it was the right word. But certainly,  it repulsed me.

Then she smiled back at me. A confident smile, to be exact.

We shook hands as she said in a formal tone, "I'm Doctor Park Soohyun, a transfer resident in cardiothoracic surgery department. Nice to meet you, Doctor Jeon."

》AUTHOR'S NOTE《

And that's all for the first chapter!

I have so much to write for this book. I hope I can write the scenes the way I imagined them in my mind.

Thank you for reading. I hope you like it. :)

- lynn