It was another early morning at Seoul Memorial Hospital, and the surgical department was abuzz with activity. Min Yoongi, a third-year surgical resident, was standing near the whiteboard, reviewing his patient assignments for the day. His sharp, no-nonsense demeanor and reputation for being tough had made him somewhat of an outlier among the residents. Most people found him abrasive, and he didn't go out of his way to make friends. But Yoongi didn't care. He was here to become the best surgeon he could be, not to make people like him.
Just as Yoongi was about to turn away from the board, Dr. Im Nayeon, the head of surgery, approached him, clipboard in hand. Her presence always demanded attention. She stopped next to him, glancing at the board before looking at him with her usual authoritative expression.
"Yoongi," she said curtly. "I'm reassigning you for the next few weeks."
Yoongi frowned. "What? Where?"
"OB-GYN surgery," Nayeon responded, her tone matter-of-fact. "You'll be working under Dr. Im Yoona. She needs another resident, and you could use the experience."
Yoongi scowled, clearly not thrilled by the sudden change. "OB-GYN? Why not something more-" He searched for the right word. "Challenging?"
Nayeon raised an eyebrow, unimpressed with his tone. "Are you suggesting delivering babies and performing C-sections isn't challenging, Dr. Min?"
Yoongi opened his mouth to argue, but Nayeon cut him off.
"Listen, I didn't ask for your opinion. OB-GYN surgery has its complexities, and you'll learn a lot under Yoona. And who knows? You might actually find you're good at it."
Yoongi crossed his arms, clearly unconvinced. But he knew better than to argue with Dr. Im. She always got the last word.
"Fine," he muttered. "When do I start?"
"Today. Get to the OR. Dr. Yoona is waiting for you," Nayeon said, already moving on to her next task.
Yoongi let out an exasperated sigh but turned on his heel and headed for the OB-GYN surgery department.
---
The OB-GYN floor was buzzing with its usual flurry of activity. Nurses were moving between patients, and the sounds of newborns crying occasionally echoed down the hallway. Yoongi walked in with his usual air of detached professionalism, his gaze scanning the area until he spotted Dr. Yoona.
Im Yoona was one of the top OB-GYN surgeons at the hospital, known for her skill and her calm, steady demeanor. As soon as she saw Yoongi approach, she waved him over.
"Dr. Min," she greeted him, her voice warm but authoritative. "Glad to have you on board. We've got a busy day ahead, so let's not waste any time."
Yoongi gave her a curt nod. "Dr. Im said you needed another resident. What's on the schedule?"
Yoona handed him a tablet with the day's cases listed. "We have a couple of C-sections scheduled, and there's a complicated delivery coming up later this afternoon. We'll also be checking on post-op patients and managing any emergencies that come up."
Yoongi scanned the list and noticed one case in particular-a high-risk pregnancy that involved a complicated procedure to save both the mother and the baby. His interest piqued slightly, though he kept his expression neutral.
"Let's get to it, then," Yoongi said, ready to dive in.
---
Throughout the day, Yoongi worked alongside Yoona, observing and assisting in various procedures. Despite his initial reluctance, he couldn't deny that the work was far more intricate and demanding than he had expected. The precision required in these surgeries reminded him of why he loved surgery in the first place.
His gruff exterior remained, though, and he barely spoke more than necessary to Yoona or the nurses.
During a C-section that afternoon, Yoongi found himself working alongside Yoona as she guided him through the procedure. They were delivering a healthy baby boy, and as Yoongi carefully made the necessary incisions, he was struck by the responsibility of the moment. Bringing new life into the world-it was something he hadn't fully appreciated until now.
Yoona observed Yoongi closely, noticing how despite his tough demeanor, his hands were steady, and his focus was unwavering.
"Good work, Dr. Min," Yoona said as they finished up the procedure and handed the baby to the pediatric team. "I can see why Nayeon assigned you here."
Yoongi glanced at her, confused. "What do you mean?"
Yoona gave him a small smile as they stepped back from the operating table. "You're precise, and you don't let emotions cloud your judgment. But I can tell you care more than you let on. You might actually have a knack for this."
Yoongi shrugged, deflecting the compliment. "It's just surgery," he said gruffly.
"Maybe," Yoona replied, "but not everyone has the hands or the heart for pediatric and OB-GYN cases. I think you might."
---
After a long day, Yoongi found himself back in the interns' lounge, reflecting on the events of the day. As much as he hated to admit it, there was something satisfying about the work he had done. Delivering babies wasn't the adrenaline-pumping surgery he had envisioned for his career, but it required a level of skill and precision that he could respect.
His thoughts were interrupted when Dr. Im Nayeon entered the lounge, looking as sharp as ever despite the late hour.
"So, how did your first day in OB-GYN go?" Nayeon asked, sitting across from him.
Yoongi leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed. "Better than I expected," he admitted, though his tone was still guarded.
Nayeon raised an eyebrow, a rare smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "That's high praise coming from you."
Yoongi shrugged. "It's not bad. I just... didn't think this would be my thing."
Nayeon studied him for a moment before speaking. "Yoongi, you've always had a talent for surgery, but there's something I've noticed about you. You're good with kids. Whether you admit it or not, you have a natural instinct when it comes to pediatric cases."
Yoongi looked at her, a bit surprised. "Pediatrics?"
Nayeon nodded. "Yes. I think you should consider pediatrics as a specialty. The way you handle these cases, the precision and care you show-even if you try to hide it-it's obvious to me. You'd excel there."
Yoongi was silent for a moment, letting her words sink in. He had always thought of himself as a trauma or general surgeon, someone who could handle the tough, life-or-death situations. But pediatrics? That was something he had never considered.
"I'll think about it," he said finally, his voice a bit softer than usual.
Nayeon smiled, satisfied with his response. "Good. I think you'd be great at it."
As she stood to leave, Yoongi leaned back in his chair, his mind racing with the possibilities. Pediatrics surgery. It wasn't what he had planned, but for the first time in a long while, he felt like maybe, just maybe, it was something worth considering.
---
That night, as Yoongi walked out of the hospital, he couldn't help but think back to the tiny newborns he had helped deliver that day. There was something powerful about being part of the start of someone's life-something that tugged at him in a way he hadn't expected.
Maybe Nayeon was right. Maybe this was something he was meant to do.
But Yoongi being Yoongi, he wouldn't admit it out loud just yet.
