our crossed paths | jww.

six.

"Wonwoo?" Jiwoo's voice was gentle, a mix of surprise and concern.

"I didn't expect to see you here."

Wonwoo swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly. "Jiwoo... It's Ahrin. She's not well. I'm really worried."

Jiwoo's face grew serious as she approached him. "Let me take a look at her. We'll get her settled and assessed."

Wonwoo followed Jiwoo to the examination area, his heart pounding with each step.

He watched as she expertly assessed Ahrin, her hands steady and confident.

"Her fever's quite high," Jiwoo said.

"We'll need to run some tests to determine the cause. It could be a viral infection, but we'll know more once we have results."

Wonwoo's eyes were filled with worry as he looked at Jiwoo. "Thank you."

Jiwoo gave him a reassuring nod. "It's my job, Wonwoo. We'll take good care of her."

As Jiwoo left to arrange for the necessary tests, Wonwoo took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.

Jiwoo returned a short while later, her demeanor calm and reassuring. "We've started her on medication to bring down the fever and are monitoring her closely. The tests will take a little time, but we'll keep you updated."

"Thank you, Jiwoo," Wonwoo said, his voice heavy with relief.

"I didn't expect to run into you here."

"Sometimes life has a way of bringing people together when they least expect it." Jiwoo smiled.

As Jiwoo finished checking on Ahrin, she and Wonwoo found a moment to step outside the examination room, away from the beeping monitors and the bustling hospital staff.

Jiwoo glanced at Wonwoo, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "It's been a while, hasn't it? I didn't expect to run into you under these circumstances."

"Yeah, it's been a while. I didn't expect this either. How have you been, Dr. Jiwoo?" Wonwoo asked, managing a weary smile.

"Busy, as usual. The flu season's been rough, and we've had a lot of cases lately. But I'm managing. And you? I've seen you in the news quite a bit." Jiwoo shrugged slightly, her expression thoughtful.

Wonwoo chuckled softly, a touch of embarrassment in his eyes. "I guess you could say I've been keeping busy, too. It's a bit overwhelming sometimes, but it's been good. The roles have been challenging, and I'm grateful for the work."

"You've come a long way. It's impressive." Jiwoo nodded, her gaze softening.

Wonwoo's smile grew, albeit faint. "Thanks, Dr. Jiwoo."

"Oh please, save the formalities. Just Jiwoo." Jiwoo laughed.

"You too, just Wonwoo for me. Though I feel like we've passed long before formalities," Wonwoo chucked.

"Speaking of which, I haven't returned your windbreaker. I had it hanging in my office for months. I apologize in advance though, it got torn on the day of the incident without realising." Jiwoo said.

She reached into her bag and pulled out the windbreaker, now patched with a small blue mountain. "Here it is. I finally got around to fixing it up."

"Thank you. I'd almost forgotten about it, to be honest." Wonwoo took the windbreaker with a grateful smile.

Jiwoo waved off his thanks with a light laugh. "No problem at all. It was just a small thing, really. I'm glad it's still in one piece. Plus, I don't like owing favors,"