jungwon
this hospital orientation's supposed to be a breeze—a simple meet-and-greet, some icebreakers, and a rundown of what to expect in the nursing program. but of course, my life is never that simple. i could feel the tension in the air, mostly because hyejin was on the other side of the room, and we still weren't talking. it was awkward, especially since we used to be close, but i tried to focus on the orientation. tried.
i saw another one of them. a man in a white coat, holding a clipboard, walking confidently down the hall. at first, i thought he was just another doctor. he had that stern, no-nonsense look, like he was about to give someone a lecture on hand hygiene. but then, he walked straight through a wall.
i froze. my heart started pounding, and i knew i was in trouble. not again. not another ghost.
"jungwon, are you okay?" sunoo asked, clearly concerned. i nodded quickly, too quickly. i tried to ignore the ghost doctor and focus on the task at hand, but it was impossible. he was everywhere. standing in corners, scribbling on his clipboard, peering over my shoulder as if i was his patient.
i couldn't take it anymore. i snapped.
"can you just- stop that?!" i shouted at him. the room went silent. my groupmates stared at me like i had just grown a second head. even hyejin looked up, startled.
"hey, who are you even talking to?" someone whispered, clearly amused.
"the ghost doctor!" i blurted out before i could stop myself. my brain was screaming at me to shut up, but my mouth had other plans. "he's right there, with his stupid clipboard and—stop writing things down! i'm not your patient!"
the room erupted in laughter. people were clutching their sides, tears streaming down their faces. even hyejin cracked a smile, though she tried to hide it behind her hand.
"are you sure you're not drunk?" someone joked. "because this is peak drunk behavior."
"i'm not drunk!" i protested, feeling my face turn red. the ghost doctor was still there, staring at me like i was the one who was out of place. i pointed at him, jabbing my finger in the air. "you! why are you following me? go mess with someone else!"
"jungwon, sit down," hyejin said, trying to sound calm but clearly enjoying the show. "you look a little ... off."
"i am not off! he's right there!" i shouted, but no one was listening. they were too busy laughing, and the ghost doctor was too busy being a ghost.
"fine!" i snapped, glaring at the ghost. "you win! keep your stupid clipboard. i don't care anymore."
i sat down, arms crossed, and tried to ignore the ghost doctor as best as i could. but it was hard, especially when he started pacing back and forth in front of me like he was waiting for me to screw up again.
the orientation continued, but i barely registered anything. my mind was a chaotic mess, torn between the embarrassment of my outburst and the creeping fear that maybe, just maybe, i was losing it. everyone else seemed to think it was all a big joke, and honestly, i couldn't blame them. if i were in their shoes, i'd probably be laughing too.
as the session wrapped up, people started heading out, still chuckling and giving me amused looks. hyejin lingered for a moment, her eyes meeting mine. she didn't say anything, just gave me a half-smile before walking away. maybe she felt a little bad for me. or maybe she just thought i was entertaining. either way, it didn't matter.
the ghost doctor was still there, watching me as i left the room. i shot him one last glare.
"don't follow me." i muttered under my breath as i plan on heading to the comfort room.
