Sun-kissed

Chapter 1

The smell of rubbing alcohol and rubber gloves assailed her senses as soon as she stepped into the lobby of Seoul National University Hospital. The lighting inside the building was almost, if not more, blinding than the snow outside due to the white walls and linoleum floors. The corridor and sitting area were busy as usual with patients and visitors as they waited for their names to be called. Amina made her way towards the elevators, hitting the button for the floor that would take her upstairs towards the administrative offices. She quietly yawned and rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes. It was less than 8 hours ago when she left the workplace. Once the elevator reached its destination, Amina took one step out and was engulfed in a bear hug and girly squeals.

"Unnie... Thank you so much for covering my shift!" exclaimed Yuri, jumping up and down, her ponytail bouncing in unison. She hadn't completely outgrown her baby fat yet and her round cheeks were more prominent today as she grinned from ear to ear.

Amina laughed, brushing her hair aside. "It's no problem. It's not every day you get to see Big Bang up close." She shook out the wrinkles in her white lab jacket before putting it on, as they walked towards the Accounting department.

"I know. I can't believe my luck! What were the chances that I would win a pair of Meet & Greet vouchers, concert tickets, plus back-stage passes from a radio show? I mean, it must be one in a few thousands... No, hundreds of thousands..." Yuri proclaimed, lost in her good fortune. 

"Hey now, you better get going. It’s almost noon and you still have to decide what to wear for the Meet & Greet. Who are you taking with you?"

"Ugh, my brother! That little rascal was trying to win tickets too and he heard my voice when I got through. He kept bugging me all morning, I was afraid someone would complain about all the calls I received at work. My mom is making me take him. Otherwise, I thought of bringing you ..." Yuri adored her little brother, but it annoyed her when he claimed to be an even bigger fan than she was. Just because she didn't know their blood type, or what foods they liked to eat in the morning! 

"Thank you Yuri for thinking of me. But I actually have a report to finish writing for Dr. Park tonight, so I wouldn't have been able to attend."

"Really?" Yuri's face crestfallen. "I know you've never seen them in concert before and I promised to take you to your first one someday. If only the tickets weren't sold out so soon earlier this year..."

"It's alright. We can always go next time."

"Ok. But I have to repay you for covering my work today. I'll get you a souvenir from the show. What would you like?" Yuri asked.

"Hmm... How about a piece of Taeyang's shirt after he rips it off on stage?" Amina jokingly responded.

Yuri grinned. "Better be careful what you wish for! With my luck today, your wish may come true. Annyeong unnie!"

"Annyeong!" Amina laughed and headed towards Yuri's desk. Yuri's shift would only last another four hours, but that would also signal the start of her own shift. While Amina was grateful that the workstudy allowed her to work three 12-hour shifts to accommodate her class schedule, there were days like this that didn't make it sound so great. She needed to grab some coffee for the long night ahead. 

Just two more years, thought Amina to herself. She was more than halfway through the medical program and could see the light at the end of the tunnel. More importantly, she would have made it without the aide of her parents, whom she hadn't spoken to in almost six years. She always did as they asked, from the violin lessons and vocal training; to those stupid etiquette sessions for the debutante ball. The Ball. Just thinking of that night when she was seventeen brought fresh stinging tears to her eyes as feelings of betrayal and anger began to resurface. She took a deep breath and willed away the hurt. It was a good thing she was good at hiding her emotions because Dr. Park was making her way back to her office.