Sana burst into the interns' lounge, out of breath and scanning the room frantically. She spotted Dahyun at her locker, just moments away from leaving after what had clearly been a long, exhausting shift.
"Dahyun!" Sana called out, rushing toward her before she could step out.
Dahyun blinked, turning to see Sana, who looked unusually flustered. "Sana? What's going on? You look like you've just sprinted across the entire hospital."
Sana, still catching her breath, waved her hand. "You need to check on Jungkook. He left early, and I had to cover for him-meaning I'm pulling an extra shift tonight because of him." She paused to take a breath, clearly annoyed. "Something's up, Dahyun. He just left out of nowhere, no explanation."
Dahyun frowned, her fingers pausing over the zipper of her jacket. "He left his shift early? That doesn't sound like him. Did he say why?"
Sana shook her head. "No, and that's what worries me. Look, I know you and Jungkook are not that close and I'd go check on him myself, but I have to cover his shift. Can you...?"
Dahyun sighed but nodded. "Yeah, of course. I'll head over to the house and see what's going on."
"Thanks, Dahyun. I owe you one," Sana said gratefully, hurrying off to get ready for the long night ahead.
Dahyun, still puzzled, gathered her things quickly and made her way home. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong with Jungkook. He wasn't the type to leave work without a reason, and the fact that he hadn't told anyone what was going on made it even more concerning.
By the time Dahyun arrived at her house, where both Sana and Jungkook rented spare rooms, the sky had already darkened. The house was eerily quiet as she stepped inside, the usual warm lights replaced by shadows stretching across the walls.
"Jungkook?" Dahyun called, flipping on the hallway light as she slipped off her shoes. The house remained silent. "Jungkook, are you home?"
No response.
She sighed and headed toward his room, a growing sense of unease building inside her. When she reached his door, it was slightly ajar, and the dim light from his bedside lamp flickered faintly. She pushed the door open slowly, and there he was-still in his scrubs, sitting on the edge of his bed, shoulders hunched, head hanging low.
"Jungkook?" she asked gently, stepping into the room. He didn't look up, didn't even flinch.
"Leave me alone, Dahyun," he muttered, his voice thick with frustration.
Dahyun closed the door behind her, ignoring his request. "Oh, come on. Since when do you get to shut me out? I'm not going anywhere."
He let out a sharp breath, still refusing to look at her. "I don't want to talk about it. Just go."
"Yeah, that's not happening." Dahyun crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, studying him for a moment before deciding on her approach. "You messed up big time, huh?"
Jungkook's shoulders tensed, and she could feel the anger radiating off him.
"Thanks for the reminder," he muttered bitterly.
Dahyun smirked slightly, knowing her sarcastic, dark humor was the best way to get through to him. "You know, leaving work early? Pretty bold move for a guy who almost turned an appendectomy into a scene from a medical horror show. Honestly, I think the kid's appendix is going to grow back out of pure spite."
That did it. Jungkook's head snapped up, glaring at her. "Are you here to make me feel worse?"
"Well, if the goal was to feel sorry for yourself in silence, then yes," Dahyun quipped, stepping closer to sit on the edge of his bed. "Look, you screwed up. Happens to the best of us, even the golden boy of surgery."
He let out a frustrated groan and ran his hands through his hair. "You don't get it. Nayeon practically tore into me, and she was right. I wasn't focused. I was pissed about not getting the surgery I wanted, and I almost killed a kid because of it."
Dahyun looked at him seriously now, her teasing tone softening. "I do get it, Jungkook. Trust me, I know how it feels to want to be somewhere else, doing something bigger, and then screwing up because you weren't in the moment. But that's part of the job."
"I almost cut the wrong artery, Dahyun," he muttered, his voice quieter now, more vulnerable.
"Yeah, and thankfully Nayeon saved your ass. But guess what? You'll be better next time because of it."
Jungkook finally looked at her, his eyes filled with frustration and guilt. "How can you be so sure there'll even be a next time? What if she never trusts me again?"
Dahyun smiled softly. "Because you're Jungkook. You're not the type to give up. This is just a setback, and we all have them. Nayeon might've ripped into you today, but she wouldn't have you in the OR in the first place if she didn't believe in your potential."
Jungkook stayed quiet, but she could tell her words were sinking in.
"You're a great surgeon, Jungkook," she said gently. "But sometimes, you've got to get through the small stuff before you can handle the big stuff. And if you can't handle messing up and learning from it, how can you expect to be ready for the really difficult surgeries?"
He sighed again, but this time, it wasn't filled with anger-just the weight of realization.
"You're not going to get rid of me that easily," Dahyun added with a small grin. "I'm going to keep making sarcastic comments about your failures until you laugh and get your act together."
Despite himself, a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "You're really annoying, you know that?"
"I know," she replied, standing up and patting him on the shoulder. "But I'm also right."
Jungkook shook his head, a faint chuckle escaping him as he leaned back against the headboard. "Thanks, Dahyun. I guess I needed that."
"Always happy to remind you of your shortcomings," she teased, before growing more serious. "But really, just... don't bottle this up. You're going to make mistakes, but that's what makes you better. Just don't let one bad day define you."
Jungkook nodded, his frustration slowly easing away. "I'll try."
Dahyun gave him one last reassuring smile. "Good. Now get some rest. I'll deal with Sana being pissed at you tomorrow."
As she left the room, Jungkook felt a little lighter. The guilt was still there, but with Dahyun's words in his mind, it didn't seem as overwhelming as before. He knew he'd make it through this-just as long as she kept pushing him, sarcastic comments and all.
