The hospital's conference room was cold, and the tension in the air was palpable as the interns gathered for a case presentation by Dr. Kang Dong Joo. Dahyun sat at the back, her eyes glazed over as Dong Joo discussed a critical neurosurgical case. She hadn't been herself since last week. The encounter with Kim Jisoo had left her shaken, and no matter how much she tried to focus, her mind drifted back to that devastating revelation.
"Dr. Kim," Dong Joo's voice cut through the room, sharp and commanding, jolting Dahyun from her thoughts.
She blinked, slowly raising her gaze to meet his. "Yes, Dr. Kang?"
Dong Joo's eyes bore into her, frustration clear. "What do you think about the patient's prognosis? Any suggestions for the next step?"
Her response was dry, almost robotic. "The patient's a lost cause. There's no point in pursuing further intervention."
The room fell silent. Yoongi and Sana exchanged nervous glances, while Jungkook shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Jihyo, standing beside the other interns, stiffened at Dahyun's tone, her expression unreadable.
Dong Joo's jaw tightened. "A lost cause? That's not how we approach cases here. You, of all people, should know that, Dahyun."
Dahyun shrugged, her voice cold and indifferent. "I just don't think it's the time to be enthusiastic when the patient's dying. We're wasting resources."
The tension between them was palpable, and everyone in the room could sense it. Dong Joo's frustration finally boiled over. "What makes you think that way? What happened to you?"
Before Dahyun could respond, Dr. Im Nayeon, who had been observing the interaction from the side, stepped in. Her voice was sharp, cutting through the tension. "Dr. Kim, a word outside."
Dahyun stood without a word, her expression unreadable as she followed Nayeon out of the room. The door closed behind them, and Nayeon's stern face was the first thing Dahyun saw.
"You may think you're entitled to an opinion, but in my conference room, you show respect to your attending. That display back there was unacceptable," Nayeon snapped.
Dahyun clenched her fists, her voice barely a whisper. "I know."
"You're covering the pit for the rest of the day. I want you to reflect on your behavior," Nayeon said firmly before turning and walking away, leaving Dahyun standing alone in the hallway, her chest tight with anger and frustration.
---
Later that afternoon, Dahyun found herself in the elevator with Jihyo. The tension between them was still palpable, their relationship strained since the whole ordeal with Dong Joo started. Jihyo leaned against the wall, her arms crossed, her expression sharp.
"I get that things are weird between us, but what you did today? That wasn't okay," Jihyo said, her voice clipped.
Dahyun stared straight ahead, her tone flat. "I know."
"You can't just talk to Dong Joo like that in front of everyone. Dating an attending doesn't give you the right to speak like that to him," Jihyo continued, her voice laced with frustration.
Dahyun let out a mocking laugh. "Oh, right. I should be grateful. He's still good to me despite all this, right?"
Jihyo narrowed her eyes. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Dahyun just shook her head and fell silent, refusing to answer. The elevator doors opened, and Jihyo walked out without another word, leaving Dahyun alone.
---
Lunchtime was no better. Dahyun sat quietly in the cafeteria, picking at her food while Yoongi and Sana whispered to each other.
Finally, Yoongi couldn't take it anymore. "What was that about during the conference? You've been off all week, Dahyun."
Sana nodded in agreement. "Yeah, is something going on? You can talk to us."
But Dahyun just shook her head, pushing her tray away. "It's nothing."
As she walked down the hospital's long corridors, the whispers followed her. Colleagues, nurses, and even fellow interns all seemed to be talking about her. Her attitude in the conference room, her aloofness-it was all anyone could discuss. But none of them knew what she was really going through. None of them knew how much she was breaking inside.
---
That night, Jihyo entered the intern's lounge, finding it empty. She sighed, dropping her clothes on the nearest couch as she prepared for a long night shift. As she moved toward her locker, she suddenly heard soft sobs coming from behind it.
Her heart sank as she turned the corner and found Dahyun, curled up on the floor, tears streaming down her face.
"Dahyun?" Jihyo's voice softened as she crouched beside her. "What's wrong?"
Dahyun shook her head, her sobs growing louder, her body trembling with each breath.
Jihyo's concern deepened. "You deserved to be talked about today, you know. Your attitude was off, and you can't afford to act like that. We're just interns, and Dong Joo is an attending-he deserves respect."
But Dahyun's sobs didn't stop. In fact, they grew more uncontrollable, and Jihyo found herself growing desperate.
"Dahyun, seriously, what is going on? This isn't you. Just tell me what's wrong!" Jihyo shouted, her voice echoing in the empty room.
Finally, Dahyun broke, her voice a strangled whisper. "He's engaged."
Jihyo's eyes widened in shock. "What?"
Dahyun's words tumbled out, her tears blurring her vision. "The man I've been dating... Kang Dong Joo... he's engaged to someone else. Kim Jisoo. And I had no idea."
Jihyo's breath caught in her throat as she watched her friend fall apart in front of her. Without thinking, she pulled Dahyun into a tight hug, holding her as she sobbed uncontrollably into her shoulder.
"I didn't know..." Dahyun whispered, her voice barely audible. "I didn't know he was with someone else."
Jihyo held her tighter, her heart aching for her friend. All of their disagreements, all of their misunderstandings, faded away in that moment. All that mattered now was that Dahyun needed her.
"I'm so sorry, Dahyun," Jihyo whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "I'm so, so sorry."
They stayed like that for a long time, the sound of Dahyun's sobs filling the empty lounge. The weight of the secret that had been tearing her apart was finally lifted, but the pain remained heavy.
