✓ sweetheart. [jake]

nine

The surgery of removing tumours on the patient went successfully, as Professor Kim leads the surgery with having Aein to assist him.

Aein wearily took off her surgical mask. She had just come out from the operating room. It was a long surgery in which she was on her feet for almost four hours. What was supposed to be a straightforward procedure developed into a complication halfway through the surgery.

When she was in the operating room, her adrenaline would kick in, and she would lose herself in her work. Hours could pass by without her feeling tired as she would be completely engulfed in her task.

Only after the surgery is finished she could feels all the tiredness eats her up.

Aein straightened up, strecthed all her aches away and quickly washed her hands, dumped her scrubs in the bin, and headed out to the doctor's room.

Sliding her phone inside her pocket, without caring to check on it. As she reached her office, her phone started to ring.

She took her phone out of her pocket and checked on the dialer name, showing up the contact named 'mom'.

Sighing lazily before she picks it up.

"Hello, mom,"

"My daughter, my friend suggested you to date his son! so I'm happily agreed to it."

"Wait mom, what?!"

"But of course, before setting up the wedding, I want you to meet him first!"

"No, wait. I have no plan in getting marry mom, I am a busy woman. You can't just randomly call me and suddenly tell me you arrange my marriage." Aein angered,

"I set the blind date meet at here Busan, so please make time to meet him, and oh! he willing to pay for the train tickets too!!"

"Mom, im not going."

"No, you will,"

"If he wants to marry me, he was the one who should come and meet me here. not me. "

"He was busy with meetings, so spare him." Her mother insisted.

"Then what about me? I'm a busy person too!!"

"NAM AEIN! CAN YOU STOP BEING STUBBORN TO YOUR MOTHER FOR ONCE?"

"IM NOT GOING, THAT'S THE FINAL. AND PLEASE, DO NOT ARRANGE MY MARRIAGE OR ANY BLIND DATE ANYMORE WITHOUT TELLING ME FIRST, IF YOU DID THAT AGAIN, I WON'T CALL YOU MY MOTHER EVER."

"NAM AEIN!! HE IS A GOOD PERSON, HE GOT MONEY, AND WILL SETTLE IN FOR YOU. SO PLEASE–"

"MOM, PLEASE STOP." Aein grip tighten on the phone as her angered boiled in her.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU AEIN. YOU'RE ALMOST 30 YEARS OLD ALREADY, DO YOU WANT TO BE A SINGLE OLD WOMAN THROUGHOUT YOUR WHOLE LIFE?"

Why did everyone keep mentioning that.

Aein wipes her tears harshly before ending the call. This is what it meant when her relationship with her mother wasn't that good. That's why she was never close to her mother, not even once.

She didn't even realise that tears were falling down her cheeks. She went to her work desk and laid her head down to only cries silently.

Jihye, who randomly comes inside Aein office, stops her way to the cookies and coffee section as soon as she heard sobs from where Aein was sitting.

She knew something was wrong. Jihye knew Aein wasn't the type to cry easily, but when Aein did cry, she knew right away it was only for one reason.. her mom.

Instead of asking why she cried, Jihye went towards Aein and hugged her instead. Aein, on the other hand, hugs her back. Resting her chin on Jihye's shoulder. They stayed like that for 3 minutes before Aein finally calmed down.

"Thank you,"

"I'm the friend that gives you a shoulder if you need someone to rely on. Remember that always." Jihye said, and Aein nodded.

"My mom–

"Shush, it's fine. I won't ask about it. Only if you insisted or are ready to tell me, then okay. "

"I want to get rid of it off my chest," Aein muttered lowly,

"Okay, let it out then."

With that, Aein tells everything about how her mother wanted to arrange a marriage for her and ask her to randomly meet up a guy that far away from her.

"I don't even know who the guy was,"

"and it's also unfair when she said he was busy and can't meet me here, while I was the one who’s a lot more busy."

"Saving people lives was a lot more beneficial than going to a sudden meet-up,"

Aein complaints,

"Your mom hasn't changed at all. She still is forcing you to get married," Jihye said and Aein just shrugged,

"I don't know why she did this to me while she never did that to Aera. Like all this forcing is too much for me,"

"it's okay. You just have to find someone who truly wants you and gets married right away to prove your mom wrongs and make her stop doing this to you,"

Aein slightly nodded, "But what if i really don't have time for these?"

Jihye grinned, "You should give it a try first,
when the opportunity comes to you. then, you understand it okay?" she suggested,

Sighing lowly, Aein decided to agree, "Fine, i'll try."

Out of the blue, someone flung the door open again.

"There are you two, i finally found you girls after searching everywhere in the possibility," Jay said, coming inside the room.

Then he saw Aein's lowkey puffy eyes. He studied the atmosphere and understood it right away, "Your mom again?"

Aein nodded,

"Awe my girl, you want ice cream?"

"Mhm, sounds good."

During your lowest time, the person you needed most was the one who stays with you, comforts you, and accompanies you rather than the one who keeps asking, gaslighting you.

This is what wr called, 'A friend in need is a friend indeed.'

"I want ice cream too!!" Jihye jumped excitedly,

Jay rolled his eyes playfully, "Sure sure, let's go grab an ice cream then."

With that, they go out for an ice cream. It was their resting time, so why not.