Different World, Jinjoo

Chapter 13 - Exhausted

Yujin's POV

"Yujin-ssi, finish up." I took over the suturing, standing where the lead surgeon was.

The whole time I was observing, all I did was stare at the clock. We're almost done with the replacement of a skull for this patient.

My hands were working fine till they started to tremble slightly. I controlled them, not knowing why this is happening when I'd done this many times.

"What are you doing?" Hyewon whispered. Perhaps she noticed.

She swiftly took over when I started to space out. Why do I feel so tired?

"What's wrong with you?" she asks, hands skillfully stitching up the patient's laceration. "You've been out of it recently. Why, has someone rejected you?"

"No..."

She shook her head in disappointment. "I'll get going first."

"Why the rush?"

I had the nurses take off everything. "I have something to do." I quickly walked out the door and washed my hands.

I need to talk to her. And by her, I mean Chaewon. I need to know what's happening on her side based on Minju's words.

She saw whatever she did, it only confirms everything.

But why would Chaewon do this? It's not who she is, that's not the Chaewon I know.

She studied so hard to become who she is now without the help of anyone. She wanted to be a doctor who was authentic, who saves lives despite the patient's status.

If there were two patients who came in the ER at the same time, one VIP and one not, she would help the one who's in a more critical situation even though there's a policy that VIP patient's come first.

But why? Why is she the one doing this to Minju?

I took one final breath before knocking on her office door. Throughout the whole surgery earlier, I was distracted by the potential reasons Chaewon is doing all this.

I heard her voice before entering. "Don't you have surgery?" she glanced at the clock.

I sat on the chair in front of her desk. "I came to talk to you unnie."

"Talk to me? What do we have to talk about?" she's acting really weird now. Every time I enter her office, she'll be open to questions or anything I bring up.

"Why are you doing this?" I breathed out.

"Doing what?"

"Be honest with me unnie." I leaned forward just a little, examining her body posture.

"About what?" she chuckles, fingers reaching for the pen beside her notebook.

She has to hold onto something whenever she's nervous. I must say, she's great at acting, but not so much for someone who has known her for at least five years.

"You know what I'm talking about."

"I don't." Her phone started ringing and she anxiously silenced it.

"Did he ask you to do this?"

"I didn't do anything to her."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Her? So you—"

"Ahn Yujin."

"You clearly know who I'm talking about without me saying anything." I tried calming down, gripping onto the armrest so I won't do anything to her.

Not that I would.

"I didn't—"

"Unnie. I trusted you. How can you do something like this?! You became a doctor to save lives, not put lives in danger. This isn't you."

"Listen to me."

"What else can you say other than trying to kill Minju slowly huh?"

"Why do you care so much about her?" She spoke in the most monotonous way possible just like how she was when I first met her.

All cold and aloof. It took time for everything to warm up.

"From the first day you started assisting Dr Jang, you wrapped your head around her as if you were in charge of her. I only gave you permission because I know you wanted to learn. But why are you digging into things unnecessarily as if you know her?"

"Because we're talking about a life unnie."

"If I don't do what I'm doing, where do you think your paycheck comes from, hm? It doesn't just magically fall from the sky."

We got interrupted by a knock on the door. Chaewon didn't say a word but it opened, revealing the mastermind behind whatever scheme he has in mind.

He looks at me. "I knew you'd be in here." I realised I haven't got his name.

He's better off as an idiot.

"Dean's list, First in Neuroscience Competition, Excellence in Medicine and endless scholarships. You had everything but you just had to poke your nose into other people's business." He stops beside me, looking down with arms crossed.

"Chaewon-ssi," he calls, shifting his gaze onto her. "Didn't I tell you to do things quietly?" he hums for an answer but Chaewon swallowed her words.

She sounded as if she were doing it for herself, but there seemed to be traces of threat with the way she was acting in front of him.

He straightens his blazer, fumbling with the cuff of his sleeves. He inhales. "It's okay. There's nothing you can do anyway." he turns to me.

"Since you know everything and what I'm doing to her." he comes closer to me.

"Don't go any nearer, Mingyu-ssi," Chaewon warns him.

So that's his name. A narcissistic asshole who should get his pretty face run over by a cement truck. I feel bad for whoever he left Minju for. Why did he ever have to come back?

He chuckles. "I won't do anything to her, Dr Kim."

He was about a foot away when I suddenly felt a strong drain in energy as if I'd spent the whole day walking. Things are getting dizzy.

His hand gripped the back of my chair. "Don't try to stop me." He grits his teeth. "Or I'll do exactly what I've been doing to you." 

He slowly leans back up and smiles as if nothing happened.

"Why are you here?" I heard a slight tremble in Chaewon's voice.

He looks at me again. Why does he like looking at me? It's annoying.

"To ask you to speed up the process."

And that's when I fell into a deep, never-ending black hole. The last thing I brought with me was his stupid face.