Doctors- People who are given the stature next to God. It happens so mostly because they are lifesavers who work tirelessly for mankind. Moreover, being a doctor is considered one of the most sought-after professions. People want their kids to becom...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
You dragged yourself to the staff lounge and practically fell onto the nearest plush couch, face-first, barely managing to kick your shoes off before sinking into the cushions. The exhaustion crashed over you like a tidal wave—muscles throbbing, head aching with the dull, pulsing rhythm of pure overdrive. Your stomach grumbled weakly before giving up entirely, resigned to its emptiness. All you wanted was to head home, cocoon yourself in blankets, and drift away from the world in blissful oblivion. Yet, your mind had other plans.
Scenes from the day replayed relentlessly: Namjoon, brave and stoic as he shielded everyone in the ER, the shocking turn as he ended up on the table fighting for his life, Jin's mask shattering to reveal a desperate brother—a side of him no one had seen before. He'd pleaded, all stoic detachment gone, to let you save Namjoon, his usual self-assured confidence replaced by something raw, something fragile. You could still see the panic in his eyes as he'd looked to you not as a colleague, but as the only person he could trust to bring Namjoon back.
A surprising warmth filled your chest as you thought about it. You hadn't allowed him in the OR for a reason: he was barely holding himself together. And you'd felt proud when he'd stepped back, placing his faith in you to save his brother.
The memory softened you as you thought about how, even in his stone-cold way, Jin had expressed his thanks in his own awkward manner. You were no stranger to his sharp edges, but today they'd dulled, and you sensed a silent apology hanging in the air, wrapped in that unexpected hug.
As you lay there, memories of that day crept back—the day Jin had apologized. For a long time, those memories had gnawed at you, each reminder of the cutting remarks, dismissive looks, and cold indifference adding another weight to the chip on your shoulder. But something shifted when you thought back to that raw, unapologetic expression of guilt he'd shown you for these past few weeks since that day. It wasn't polished or practiced, and it certainly hadn't been easy for him. Jin's guilt had been messy, laid bare and real, and somehow, that alone was enough.
You realized now that he'd carried his own burdens all along—fears, insecurities, and the subtle manipulations of people around him that led him to be harsh. And in that moment, as he'd faltered, letting the armor slip to apologize, you'd seen a side of him that was deeply human, vulnerable, even regretful. It wasn't his fault, not entirely. Life and circumstances had hardened him, twisted his reactions, and maybe, without him even noticing, left a bitter mark on his interactions with others—especially you.
Oddly, the resentment you'd harbored for so long felt much lighter, like it had already started fading away. Whatever animosity you'd held toward Kim Seokjin didn't quite seem to fit anymore, didn't belong to the person he'd become—the person you saw now, who'd looked at you with trust when his brother's life was at stake. Somehow, in accepting that flawed apology, you felt ready to forgive. And just maybe, you thought with a soft smile, it was time to let the past rest. Because you didn't see him the way you once did. You saw something new—something changed—and maybe, if you were honest with yourself, he was someone you were ready to see in a new light entirely.
