Are You Awake Yet

| t h i r t e e n

Thick laughter swirled in her ears, filled with amusement. Dr. Jong flashed a forgiving smile, a set of whites peeking through. Seohyun felt relieved seeing her boss relaxed and in ease. She wanted to learn his secrets, wanted to know how he kept himself cool and collected whenever she saw him. Seohyun could imitate him, but deep down she knew, she was an anxious mess waiting to break down and spill over like a glass of milk. So far from what I'll ever be...

It was just then Dr. Jong furrowed his eyebrows together, lips pursed to hide his perfect smile. "Ah, what happened here?" He lifted his fingers to brush out tufts of hair that framed her face, revealing a bandage taped to the edge of her forehead.

"Oh, I–" Seohyun hung her head low so her hair could curtain the tacky bandaid. Embarrassed, a coral tint colored her rosy cheeks. "I-Its nothing, I swear," she sheepishly replied, rubbing the side of her neck.

"You sure? You're not supposed to hide from a doctor even if you are one," he joked, eliciting a nervous chuckle from her.

"Woah!" Someone had shoved pass Seohyun, pushing her to stagger forward. Dr. Jong cupped her elbows, steadying her from the sudden impact. They both looked towards where the culprit headed off and watched as the man stopped in his tracks. He donned a dark and crisp suit and gripped onto a suitcase.

"Ah, look at me, I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going. Or perhaps you shouldn't block the corridor." Jiwoo turned around to face them. He feigned a pleasant smile that contradicted his sarcastic jab. He eyed them both intently before walking off. 

Seohyun gritted her teeth, feeling her heart shake in rage at his remark. She wanted to chase him down and attack him, scream at him for purposely bumping into her and humiliating her in front of Dr. Jong. I wasn't even standing in the middle of the hallway, what is his problem!?

Jiwoo scoffed under his breath as he paraded down the hallway. Acting all coy in front of that doctor, then being rude to me? I can't even deal with this chick. He despised how the strange man could coerce a reaction out of Seohyun, the way he cast a floating spell above her head to captivate her. Perhaps it wasn't jealousy to yearn for something he didn't have, but sheer selfishness to keep for himself.

Arriving at the reception around the corner, Jiwoo began writing out the forms that were sprawled out on the desk in front of him. He mumbled incoherent curses in a faint whisper as he made a mistake and had to fill up a fresh form. He could only silently thank any divine power that was watching over him, grateful his left arm had been bloodily stabbed rather than his dominant one.

"Prosecutor Lee, another victim has been preyed on. With you handling the serial killer case, has there been any new improvements?"

Jiwoo's ears perked up at the rigid voice of a reporter. He whirled his head up to the tv screen that was situated in the waiting area by the reception desk. Patients alike stopped to take a look at the news unfolding on the screen. Jiwoo observed Eunho's mundane expression. Keeping a guarded face, he succeeded in disguising his anxiety and uneasiness. Even behind a screen, I can tell you're scared as hell.

A small smile pressed on Eunho's face as his eyes shifted slowly from the reporter to the camera. "Nothing to worry, we will indeed catch the criminal behind these horrendous scandals. As for now, the investigation is ongoing and I will not disclose anything at the moment, thank you."

Jiwoo could see through his reassuring words, the grim shadows of fear and pressure that held him hostage by the throat. Eunho was the face of the case, all eyes staring at him, expecting him to reap justice from the thick layers of unsolved mysteries.