In My Arms (Hometown Cha Cha Cha fanfiction)

Chapter 1: Interrupted Photographs

Scene: The last scene of Episode 16

Hye Jin's POV

"What!" Du Sik and I both answer our phones respectively.

"You tripped?" He says to the person on the other end of the phone.

"You tore the inside of your mouth?" I gasp at my patient at the end of the line.

Du Sik and I look at each other. Our eyes share the same understanding. Duty calls.

"Come on. Let's go." Du Sik extends a hand to me and I take it.

"We'll take the photos another time, okay?" I ask him.

"Of course." He smiles.

The wind catches into my veil as we run down the hill. I never imagined that I would have had the guts to run down a steep slope with heels on. But somehow, with Du Sik by my side, I'm not afraid of anything.

"I'll see you tonight, okay?" Du Sik says when we reach the end of the hill, which opens into the main road.

"Okay."

He kisses my cheek and smiles before we run off where our duty calls.

~

"Ms Lee, you have an ulcer laceration in your mouth. I'll prescribe some analgesics for you and make sure you try to eat soft foods for the next few days." I instruct my patient.

It was hilarious when I arrived at the clinic to see Ms Lee. Mi Seon gave me a crazy look when I came crashing into the clinic with a wedding dress and veil.

"What are you doing here? Don't tell me you and Chief Hong are taking your wedding photos in a dental clinic?" Mi Seon asked in disbelief.

"No," I try to catch my breath. "I have an urgent case. Du Sik also had an emergency to tend to." I told her.

"Wah... what would Gongjin do without the Yoon-Hong power couple." Mi Seon teased me.

"Did the patient call? What time is she coming?" I asked.

"Oh yes, I scheduled her in already. The documents are on your table." Mi Seon replied.

"Thank you." I said before heading off to the office.

"Wait Hye Jin," Mi Seon said.

"Yes?"

"Shouldn't you get changed first?"

"Have a nice day. We'll see you in a week's time for the review consultation." I wave goodbye to Ms Lee.

"Thank you Dr Yoon!" She beams and exits the clinic.

"Ah, my fingers are cramping from the suturing." I complain to Mi Seon.

"You are the first and only dentist I know who interrupts her wedding photos for a patient." Mi Seon says.

"What could I do? She tore her buccal tissue..." I say quietly.

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing," Mi Seon clarifies. "I'm saying you are," she holds two thumbs up to me. "The best!"

I laugh and happily accept the compliment.

"Ah, that reminds me." I say suddenly.

"Mi Seon ah..." I ask and give her a cheeky smile.

"Why?" Mi Seon eyes me suspiciously.

"I have something very very very important to ask you." I say and clear my throat.

"What? Why do you look so serious? What? Why?" Mi Seon asks.

"Will you do me the honours of," I smile at her. "Being my maid of honour?"

Mi Seon jumps up with a shout of joy.

"Really? REALLY? YES! YES! Of course!" She claps her hands excitedly. "Aish, you little - what took you so long to ask!" Mi Seon jokes. She hugs me happily.

"I'm so excited!" Mi Seon squeals.

Du Sik's POV

"Are you okay?" I run over to the harbour. The phone call was from Ms Mat-i who had slipped and fallen on the slippery floor.

"Aigoo! Chief Hong ah! Help me up, my back is killing me." Ms Mat-i complains and holds out a hand for me to help me up.

"Grandma! How can you walk in this state?" I chide her. "Come on, I'll carry you." I shift my back to her to let me piggyback her.

"Crazy young man!" Ms Mat-i scolds me. "How can you carry me? Aigoo, look at how thin you are. Have you been eating properly?"

I turn to look at her in bewilderment.

"Grandma! Is that all you can think of now? You sprained your back! Come on, I'll take you to the hospital." I coax her.

"Hospital?" Ms Mat-i yelps. "No need for a hospital. That's so troublesome! I just need to put some heat patches on my back." She exclaims.

I give her a look of anguish.

"Then at least let me carry you to your house." I turn my back to her again.

"Aigoo! There's no need." Ms Mat-i hits my back again.

"Ah! Ah! Grandma! That hurts! At this rate I'll be the one who needs the heat patches. Come on!" I beckon her.

Eventually she relents and allows me to carry her.

"Chief Hong, I'm okay. You can put me down now." Ms Mat-i complains a few minutes later.

"It's okay Grandma, I have very strong bones you know?" I laugh.

"Of course. You grew up with Gam-ri's home cooked meals. Of course you would grow up to be big and strong." Ms Mat-i says with a touch of sentiment.

"I did. I remember she would always drag me to her house to eat, until it became such a habit that I'd automatically show up at her house every meal." I smile at the fond memory.

"Grandma," I start.

"Yes?" She replies.

"Make sure you also eat more and grow strong bones." I nag.

"I know, I know. I'll eat lots and lots of meat, okay?" Ms Mat-i says happily.

~

"Ah! That reminds me. Chief Hong, can you take the pot from the stove?" Ms Mat-i asks when she's finally settled down comfortably in bed with a million heat patches.

"Oh? What's this?" I ask her, looking at the thick broth in the pot.

"Sook-ja and I brewed that for you and Dr Yoon as a congratulatory engagement present." Ms Mat-i claps her hands together happily.

"Wah, my stomach is growling already." I thank her. "What's inside the broth?" I ask.

"Oh! They're the best, strongest gaia herbs." Ms Mat-i boasts proudly.

"Wow, it smells good."

"Yes and it's very very VERY good for fertility too." Ms Mat-i says matter-of-factly.

I almost drop the pot.

"What?" I ask, slightly embarrassed.

"Good for FERTILITY!" Ms Mat-i says again, louder this time. "Especially MALE fertility! You know my husband drank gaia herbs everyday. Wow, let me tell you-"

I almost choke on my spit.

"Ah yes! I got it!" I quickly say, not wanting to picture or hear about the intimate details between Ms Mat-i and her husband.

"Thank you for the soup!" I call as I wave goodbye to her.