Seungtak's arrival sent a ripple through the hospital. And it is visibly affecting Dong Joo's concentration with his work. He refused to operate on multiple cases and Dr. Boo Yong-joo is starting to get annoyed.
"Dong Joo, get yourself together. This is not why I brought you here. If you want to be the next chief, then you better prove it right."
He looked up and gave a tired smile to Dr. Boo "I'm sorry Yong-joo, right now may not be a good time to talk about it"
"And when would that be? You're clearly distracted and you scattering your drama around tge hospital. It's not good for you, to the hospital or me!"
"You knew about Seungtak and Jisoo! Then why the hell accept them here! I came here as per your request but that's not the only reason. I came here to start a ne-"
"And is that why you drag Dahyun to your mess?"
"Get a grip Dong Joo and act like a man. You already messed with one of our interns and I hope it stops with that one." Dr. Boo walked towards the door but looked back "And as per Jisoo and Seungtak, you know you are my favourite student back then and I am grateful for you coming upon my request but the hospital is my first priority. I need these world class surgeons, that's why. Fix what you and Jisoo's problem is but if you really want to start a new, just finish what you started in new york first before jumping to another." Then he left completely shutting the door.
---
Later that day, Dahyun found Dong-joo alone in the break room, staring into his coffee cup, his face etched with frustration.
"Dr. Kang," she began cautiously, taking a seat beside him. "I've been looking for you?"
"Not now Dahyun, I can't be apologising to you now."
"What? This isn't about me or you. It's about your patient! They traveled from another country just to be here for you. You just need to show up."
"I'm tired."
"I bet you are. Bu-, but these people came for you. Because they knew you are the best. You are very distracted Dr. Kang and these patients do not deserve your little attention. They deserve your full attention and best care." Dahyun said and waited for Dong Joo to reply but no words came out of his mouth "Okay, fine! Are you okay Dr. Kang?"
He let out a sigh, rubbing his temples. "That depends on how you define 'okay,'" he muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Seungtak's presence here... it's complicated."
"I know" she replied
Dong-joo looked up, his eyes conflicted. "Seungtak was my best friend, Dahyun. We're together ever since we're young boys, went through med school together, we worked side by side... I trusted him. And then he..." He hesitated, as though saying it aloud would make it worse. "He and Jisoo had an affair."
Dahyun's heart sank. She hadn't known the extent of their history. "That must have been awful."
He gave her a tight smile, his eyes filled with unresolved pain. "It was. And now he's here, like nothing happened, as if he hasn't already taken enough from me."
Before she could respond, Seungtak himself entered the room, his usual smirk replaced by a more somber expression. "Dong-joo, can we talk?"
Dong-joo's jaw clenched, his voice laced with resentment. "What do you possibly have to say, Seungtak?"
Seungtak glanced briefly at Dahyun, his expression unreadable. "Maybe we should speak in private."
"Whatever you have to say, you can say it here," Dong-joo replied coldly. "I'm done with your secrets."
Seungtak sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know I hurt you, Dong-joo. What I did... it was unforgivable. But I'm not here to cause more problems. I just wanted a fresh start."
Dong-joo let out a bitter laugh. "A fresh start? After everything you've done, you think you can just waltz back into my life and pretend nothing happened?"
Jisoo entered the break room at that moment, her face pale as she took in the scene unfolding before her. "Dong-joo, Seungtak... please, can we not do this here?"
Dong-joo's gaze hardened as he looked at her. "Oh, don't worry, Jisoo. He's not here for me. He's here for you, isn't he?"
Seungtak looked away, guilt flashing across his face. "Dong-joo, it's not like that."
"Then what is it, Seungtak?" Dong-joo's voice was sharp, each word laced with anger and betrayal. "You had everything-a friendship, a bond we spent years building. And yet, you chose to throw it all away for a moment with her."
Jisoo flinched, her expression pained. "Dong-joo, I told you I was sorry. It was a mistake, but-"
Dong-joo cut her off, his voice growing louder. "A mistake? That's what you call betraying someone who trusted you?" He looked back at Seungtak, his anger simmering. "So why are you really here? To rub it in my face?"
"No," Seungtak said quietly, his gaze steady. "I came back because I thought maybe... just maybe, I could fix what I broke. I know I can't undo the past, but I wanted to try. I wanted to prove to you that I'm not the same person who betrayed you."
Dong-joo shook his head, his face filled with disbelief. "Prove it? The damage is done, Seungtak. You and Jisoo chose each other over me, and now you expect me to forgive you just because you've decided to come back?"
The silence that followed was thick, each of them grappling with the tangled mess of their shared history. Seungtak's face softened, regret etched deeply in his features. "I know I don't deserve forgiveness, Dong-joo. But can we at least try to be decent?"
"If you're decent enough, leave Seoul."
With that, Dong Joo turned and left the room, leaving Seungtak and Jisoo standing in the thick, painful silence of their unresolved emotions.
After a moment, Dahyun quietly slipped out, giving them the space they needed. She walked away with a heavy heart, sensing the depth of his pain and the fragile, fractured pieces of his past that now haunted him. After she left, Jisoo turned to Seungtak.
"Why did you even show up? You don't belong here!"
"But so are you Jisoo. Are you really gonna throw your career in New York. Let's leave Seoul and go back to New York cause that's where we belong."
"I can't. Dong Joo and I, were gonna fix it." she said as she wiped her tears.
"You didn't tell him did you?" Seungtak asked with full on anticipation in his face. "You didn't?"
"He only knew it happened once." Jisoo said with full on shame in her tone.
"You let me take all the blame without telling him the whole story." Seungtak replied
Jisoo faced him as her tears kept coming "How can I tell him that it wasn't just once? When I'm trying to fix what we broke?"
"This is so unfair. You are so unfair! Dong Joo is my friend too and I loved you with all my heart. Can't you at least be honest for once?"
---
Over the following days, the hospital was abuzz with the drama that Go Seungtak's arrival had stirred. Dong-joo and Jisoo continued their uneasy interactions, their relationship haunted by old wounds that Seungtak's return had freshly reopened. Dahyun watched from afar, silently supporting Dong-joo, offering him quiet strength when he needed it most.
Despite the emotional chaos, life in the hospital continued, each of them learning to navigate the complicated webs of their past, present, and the scars left behind by love, betrayal, and forgiveness yet to come.
