Call My Name by the Stars

CHAPTER 23- Memories Stay

"Hypotension... also known as low blood pressure... IV for...," Hyerim mumbled with her head resting on the notes stacked neatly on the table in the GS department of the hospital she works at.

Daehyun's face glimmered from her hazy tired view, "Intern Geum Hyerim," his voice nice and gentle.

"Intern Geum Hyerim, there's someone waiting for you," the voice called again, but they sound different. They sound more... womanly? Even his... or her... face was blurring...?

"Intern Geum Hyerim?," loud and clear, Hyerim quickly shot up before her consciousness even came back. She'd been dreaming about Daehyun.

The person talking to her, another intern from a different college, sighed in relief, "You have a visitor. It's the same one who's been coming everyday. Is he your boyfriend? How lucky that you still get to date. And he's really understanding, finding time to meet you even this late."

"What? Oh... he's not my boyfriend, Intern Kim," definitely it's the person who showed up in her dream.

The other intern covered her mouth with her hand, "Really? There's nothing going on? Then, can you introduce me to him? I couldn't see what he looks like as he's all covered up, but from his voice, it feels like he's handsome. So can you?," she squinted her eyes in "pretty please".

Hyerim wasn't even looking nor listening fully, as she packed up her things in a rush, thinking of what Daehyun might want to tell her this time around. She patted the intern's shoulder and opened the door, "No. He likes me."

Daehyun stood under the canopies of trees in the hospital's garden. He was alone, staring at the leaves swaying slowly. Hyerim stopped, admiring his side view. If she didn't know Thurzday and were to pass by him at that moment, she wouldn't have known he was secretly a member of a boyband. He wore thin silver spectacles, a maroon checkered outer shirt over a white tee, and his eyebrows brushed over his bangs, before the small gradients of brown emerging from the roots of his marmalade hair.

Just then, he turned his head as if he had sensed it, and smiled excitedly upon seeing it was her, waving his hands slightly to not grab unwanted attention, "Hi Hyerim."

Hyerim looked at her sides as if she were to cross the road, and walked up to him, tucking her hands in her hospital gown, "You really do keep your word. I thought you weren't coming today."

He put his hand on the back of his neck and chuckled, "Sorry, Kitae was really strict in the recording room. I couldn't get my vocal delivery right. Were you waiting for me?"

She was, until she ended up falling asleep from exhaustion, "No. I mean, yes. But not for that long. There was an emergency surgery I had to attend anyway. It was from OB-GYN. A baby was just greeted by the world today," she smiled beautifully.

He returned the smile, looking at her eyes, before his gaze trailed to a strand of string stuck on her hair, "It must've been hectic. See, even a string follows you around," he reached his hands to the side of her head, carefully picking out the strand with two fingers as Hyerim stood completely still looking at her feet instead when his hand was hovering next to her flushing ear. She didn't know whether she was regretting or finding it a blessing to not having gone to check the mirror quickly before meeting Daehyun.

But either way, Daehyun who has also turned shy cleared his throat and then sat himself on the long garden stool, and Hyerim joined him, "It must've been a magical experience for you. How was it?"

"The what?," she asked in confusion, thinking he was referring to the string-picking.

"T-the baby."
"Oh! Right. Of course it was. I was trying hard not to panic even if I was only watching," she giggled, "The professor and nurses were really serious. It was a difficult case and they even had several discussions over the birth method previously with the Pediatric department. The situation was dire, I didn't even know how I managed to spectate. But it was a success, and it really was beautiful. The mother was crying, the father was holding the mother's hand, and the baby was crying healthily," she went on excitedly while Daehyun listened. It was like the old days in the payphone.