The One He Tried To Forget | 18+ |

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NOTICE

This story was previously published on Kate's main account as Driving His Ex but she was compelled to remove it due to spiteful comments and unpleasant encounters with malicious readers.

The original book cover still remains (because Kate created it and she loves it very much) but the book title has changed.

Kate has also made some adjustments but she hasn't wandered far from the original narrative. She has simply added bits from her original drafts that were deliberately omitted from the first publication.

Last but not least, there are some ground rules so do take a moment to review the following...

* Rule #1: This is a work of fiction and the story is intended for a mature audience. If you are under 18, please exit now.

* Rule #2: We DO NOT CONSENT to anyone translating this story, and we DO NOT CONSENT to anyone other than the author herself copying or republishing this story here on Wattpad or on other websites. Plagiarism is dishonest and illegal.

* Rule #3: When commenting, kindly limit it to this story and its characters. Any comment deviating from this and/or any remarks that bashes the writer for personal reasons will be deleted and the reader shall be blocked immediately.

* Rule #4: Do not ask for updates because you are impatient. We are working adults and we have obligations outside of this platform. Please respect our time accordingly.

* Rule #5: There is no Rule #5 other than for you to relax and we hope you enjoy this story which begins in 3... 2... 1...

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They called him "the only living heart surgeon without a heart" because he never showed any emotion. No empathy for his patients, no sympathy for the grieving families, and no joy after a successful operation.

When he first arrived at med school ten years ago, almost all of the students in his course fell in love with him and wanted to be his partner. As he began spending time outside of his studies and beyond the uni campus, his fame spread, and soon he was collecting posse after posse of unwanted followers and groupies, forcing him to move out of his dorm for safety and some peace of mind.

He knew the cause for such dedicated devotion was his physique and a face that could look innocent one moment and sultry the next. Add to the fact that he seemed to come from unlimited wealth as evidenced by the apparels he wore or carried, his top of the line sporty SUV, and his lavish beachfront condo, it made him quite appealing to the masses.

But he didn't care for such shallow admiration and would often casually reject expensive gifts or deliberately walk past grandiose declarations of love. The gestures were like noisy irritating insects, and every romantic word spoken out loud rang hollow and superficial. He also had no qualms about putting labels on those that he considered gold diggers, and he never hesitated to say it to their faces whenever they crossed the line.

Despite this dickish attitude, many still willingly did anything to get his attention, no matter how fleeting his focus on them may be. Sometimes he would grant it by taking a lucky guy or girl to a swish hotel for sex but he never stayed the night with them and he never slept with the same person twice. He also didn't sleep around as much as the rumours said he did.

During clinical rotations in his third and fourth year of med school, he ignored all attempts by classmates and teaching staff alike to woo him into a monogamous relationship because he had no interest in anyone, plus his interest laid elsewhere. He had an end goal, a purpose, and he didn't let anyone derail his plan.

By the time he graduated and was on the path to pursue his chosen specialty, he had gained a reputation for being cold and heartless towards others. Even his professors and the medical team that he worked with during his residency were concerned about his seemingly lack of compassion for others.

Nevertheless, no one could deny that he was a brilliant physician and an even more amazing surgeon who performed miracles which made his colleagues determined to find the humanity they believed was hidden under his thick icy facade. Because to believe otherwise would be a shame for one so talented and good-looking.

But Jeon Jung Kook didn't care for any of his colleagues and acquaintances' attempts to make him more human. Those basic emotions meant nothing to him because he didn't have any. None.

Even non-basic emotions were a stranger to him. Because his feelings died a long time ago. His limbic system fallen into ruin and decay from lack of use, and from one person's skilled assassination. Killed by the one man he hoped never to see again until they were both gone from this world.

And if they should ever be reincarnated at the same time, he prayed that he would retain enough memories to recognise the other so he would know to avoid him. The man who ripped his heart out and then extinguished all light from his world.

So when his cousin called last year to demand that he return home for good, he had refused and fought hard to remain abroad in his current place. But his cousin had raised him from the time he was in middle school when he lost his parents in a tragic crash so the man knew which buttons to push to ensure his compliance.

On his last night before he flew home the following day, Jung Kook met his longtime mentor for a farewell dinner. The man was the sole person whom Jung Kook trusted outside of his immediate family. He was also the only one who had seen Jung Kook at his lowest besides Jung Kook's cousin. The mess that Jung Kook had been when he first arrived in the country -- dishevelled, heartbroken, confused, and angry.

His mentor had gifted him a beautifully crafted Pinocchio marionette at the end of the dinner with a reminder to "find your humanity again, Jung Kook. It would not do to lose it if your only reason to throw it away is because someone hurt you, and you're trying to forget. Be happy, Jung Kook. Please try to be happy."

But Jung Kook deliberately left the gift behind, hidden away in the back of a seldom used drawer at his condo, because such sentimentalities were lost on him. And when he started working at his cousin's hospital, he disregarded his mentor's advice and quickly reaffirmed his stature as "the only living heart surgeon without a heart".

Because Kim Seok Jin -- the man he was trying to forget -- had taught him that love is fickle, and the one who loved is easily forgotten by the one who was loved.