The hospital cafeteria was its usual chaotic self, with doctors, nurses, and interns hustling in and out between shifts. In the far corner, the group of interns-Dahyun, Jungkook, Sana, Jihyo, and Yoongi-were gathered around a small table, their trays full of food as they tried to relax during a much-needed break.
Jungkook, as usual, was in high spirits, his eyes darting to everyone's plates. "Yo, Jihyo, you gonna eat that?" he asked, reaching for her fries before she could respond.
Jihyo slapped his hand away, but Jungkook was quick. He snatched a couple of fries from her plate with a cheeky grin. "I'm starving, okay? We've been running around like crazy since Dr. Im started cutting back on surgeries."
"Yeah, because she's *pregnant*," Sana deadpanned, rolling her eyes. "And you're still acting like you haven't eaten in days."
Dahyun smiled faintly, watching the usual banter unfold. She hadn't touched her food, though. The weight of the extra workload was getting to all of them, but she felt particularly exhausted today, both physically and mentally.
As they joked and teased one another, an attending physician, Dr. Park, walked by their table and stopped. "Dahyun," he called, his voice catching her attention.
Dahyun looked up, a bit surprised. "Dr. Park?"
Dr. Park smiled warmly and sat down for a moment. "I just wanted to say it's an honor to have you here at the hospital. Your mother was one of the finest surgeons we've ever had. Her legacy still lives on, and I have no doubt you'll be following in her footsteps."
At the mention of her mother, Dahyun's posture stiffened. Her smile faded just slightly, but she tried to maintain her composure.
"Thank you, Dr. Park," she said quietly.
He didn't seem to notice her discomfort and continued, "She was a trailblazer, you know. A real legend in the OR. It's such a shame that we lost her to cancer, but having you here... It's like she's passed the torch to you. You'll do great things, I'm sure of it."
With a final pat on her shoulder, Dr. Park excused himself, leaving the table in a heavy silence.
Jungkook leaned back in his chair, still munching on stolen food, but he shot Dahyun a smirk. "Man, you've got it made. Your mom was a legend, and now everyone's expecting you to just waltz in and continue her legacy. Nepotism at its finest."
Sana snorted. "Right? Must be nice to have doors opened for you just because your mom was some superstar surgeon."
Jihyo joined in, a hint of sarcasm in her tone. "And to think we've been busting our asses here while you've already got a golden ticket."
Yoongi, ever the quiet one, raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, no pressure, right? Just fill in your mom's shoes like it's nothing."
Dahyun's expression hardened, and she clenched her jaw, the weight of their words bearing down on her. She could feel her pulse quickening, anger rising like a tide.
"You guys really think it's that simple, huh?" she snapped, her voice low but filled with barely controlled emotion.
The others looked at her, startled by her sudden shift in tone.
Dahyun's hands tightened into fists on the table. "Do you have any idea what my childhood was like? What it was like to have a mother who didn't give a damn about anything but being the *greatest* surgeon?"
The table went quiet as Dahyun stood up, her voice trembling with anger. "She wasn't just a 'legend' in the OR. She was cold. Distant. She considered me nothing but a distraction-a disappointment who held her back from being even greater. I wasn't her daughter, I was just some little person who divided her attention from her *real* passion."
Jihyo, Sana, Jungkook, and Yoongi stared at her, eyes wide, unsure of what to say.
Dahyun's voice cracked as she continued, "She told me I was the reason she didn't progress faster. That if it weren't for me, she could have done more, been more. My entire life, I've been trying to prove to her that I wasn't a mistake, but no matter what I did, it was never enough."
Her eyes burned with unshed tears, and she took a shaky breath. "And my father? He left us. He couldn't handle it-handle her. Not when she had an affair with someone that knew her better than we could, and that wrecked our family. So yeah, you can all joke about how 'great' my life is because I'm the daughter of some legendary surgeon, but you have no idea what that actually means."
Without another word, Dahyun stormed out of the cafeteria, leaving the rest of them in stunned silence.
---
Dahyun found herself in the hospital stairwell, breathing heavily as she sat down on the cold steps, her back against the wall. The weight of her confession hung heavily in the air, and the silence was deafening. She hugged her knees to her chest, trying to steady her breathing, but her heart still pounded in her chest.
For years, she had buried her feelings, hiding the resentment and pain of being her mother's daughter. She had always felt that if she worked hard enough, maybe, just maybe, she could prove her worth. But no matter what she did, her mother's shadow loomed large, and she could never escape it.
Tears threatened to spill, but Dahyun wiped them away angrily. She didn't want to cry. Not here. Not now.
She heard footsteps approaching, but she didn't look up. She didn't want to face anyone right now.
It was Jihyo who spoke first, her voice soft and full of concern. "Dahyun..."
Dahyun didn't respond, staring blankly ahead.
Jihyo sat down beside her on the steps, not saying anything at first, just being there. After a moment, she finally spoke again, quieter this time. "I didn't know."
Dahyun sighed, her voice hoarse. "None of you did."
Sana, Jungkook, and Yoongi joined them soon after, the air heavy with guilt and regret. They all sat in silence for a moment, the weight of Dahyun's revelation settling over them.
"We're sorry," Jungkook muttered. "We shouldn't have said any of that."
Dahyun nodded, but she didn't say anything. The truth was out, but the pain lingered.
