Of the half dozen or so thank you letters that Chaewon managed to sneak a peek of, the one that intrigued her the most was the one addressed to "PGHNICU."
"We're heading to the Pledis General Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit on the third floor," Yunjin spells out the acronym for Chaewon as they wait for the receptionist to print their visitor wristbands.
Chaewon nervously peers down at Yunjin's bag. It's been about an hour since Yunjin has slipped a treat through Shiro's "breathing hole" and needless to say, the dog is getting a little hangry. Shiro whacks his tail against the inner walls of the bag in order to get his point across. Yunjin shushes him and zips the bag another centimeter closed. Shiro retaliates by beginning to chew a way out.
"Yunjin," Chaewon hisses, eyes darting all around in fear that someone will notice (or already has noticed) their canine contraband, "I don't think he should be here."
A multigenerational family, complete with in-laws, third cousins, and creepy uncles, lines up behind Yunjin and Chaewon.
The couple can't help but overhear the youngest member ask her mother if she thinks Grandpa will wake up today.
Chaewon cringes.
"I don't think we should be here," Chaewon adds.
Yunjin skirts her arm around Chaewon's lower back as a show of comfort and reassurance and Chaewon's heart does that thing again-no, it doesn't skip a beat, nor does it thump uncontrollably like Nicholas Sparks and many other chick flick/chick lit writers have led us to believe it should.
Chaewon's heart beats with more... purpose... if that makes a lick of sense.
It beats as if it's sustaining not just one life, but two.
There's the boring Chaewon: former financial adviser at Hybe Corporations, irons her doormat on a weekly basis, orders a salad at a burger joint, and labels today's music as "noise" and then there's the completely separate fun Chaewon: the easy-going Chaewon who saves unfinished tasks for the next day, the bold Chaewon who isn't afraid to stand up to those who have wronged her, the spontaneous Chaewon who wastes no time calculating risks before she takes them-she just takes them.
The better Chaewon, the improved Chaewon, the Chaewon who is everything Yunjin made her: happier.
"We'll be fine, relax," says Yunjin in a way that makes you just want to believe even the most ridiculous thing that could come out of her mouth, "We'll be quick. We just can't not go here. I have something uber important to show you. This is my biggest gesture yet!"
"Really? Even more bigger and more important than Shiro and the time you introduced me to him?"
"Are you talking about the little meet-cute stunt that Fourth Date Yunjin pulled? Pah! Fourth Date Yunjin is a pissant." Yunjin scoffs at herself. "Lameass Fourth Date Yunjin who thought she was the shit."
Chaewon laughs at this with her whole mind, body, and spirit.
"Yunjin's only competition is herself," Yunjin continues speaking in the third person. "Present Yunjin tops Past Yunjin and tonight, baby, Future Yunjin is going to top you-"
"Here you go, ladies!" The receptionist dangles neon green visitor wristbands in front of the pair.
Yunjin gleefully accepts hers, even going so far as taking a picture of it, posting it on her Instagram story with the caption "Visiting my first home 🐣," and tagging her location.
Chaewon's still catching her breath and praying that no one heard Yunjin's sexy implications-especially not the little girl who's now wailing "DON'T UNPLUG GRANDPA!" at the top of her lungs.
The receptionist, who seems unfazed (either that or she's doing a hell of an acting job) gives Yunjin and Chaewon rigid instructions on how to conduct themselves when they enter the NICU.
"The nurse will take your temperature, you will have to complete a wellness screening, you will wear a mask at all times, if handling the babies, you will need to wear a protective gown and wash your hands thoroughly. These preemies are very sick. You don't want them to catch anything you have which is why we limit our visits to two hours..."
Yunjin waves her hand flippantly. "We might only be two minutes. I just have some thank you notes to give to the staff."
The receptionist leans over her desk and eyes Yunjin's bag suspiciously. She swears she sees something move inside.
"Ah, I see. Was your child a patient?"
Yunjin smiles fondly.
"I was the patient."
YOU ARE READING
from which a garden grows / purinz
Fanfiction#1 purinz Sakura says every long-lasting relationship is like a garden: you first start out with a few seeds of potential. Chaewon doesn't see any potential in her latest love interest... ok maybe she's fine as fuck and her toy poodle is kinda cute...
