The hospital cafeteria buzzed with life, a chaotic medley of clattering trays, muted conversations, and the occasional sound of someone being paged. At one of the corner tables, a group of interns sat together, sharing their brief reprieve from the relentless demands of their surgical rotations.
Dahyun toyed with her food, pushing the peas around her plate aimlessly. She looked distracted, her usually sharp eyes clouded with frustration. Jungkook, seated beside her, reached over to snatch a fry from her plate, but she batted his hand away absentmindedly.
"You've been poking that food for ten minutes, Dahyun. Either eat it or give it to someone who appreciates it," Jungkook whined while eyeing the plate of his next victim.
Dahyun sighed heavily. "I can't stop thinking about what happened last night. He just-" She paused, her voice tightening. "He stood me up. After everything. After I literally said, 'Pick me, choose me, love me' in front of Jisoo!" Her face flushed slightly at the memory of her vulnerability.
"So, it's about Mcdreamy again?" Sana asked.
Yoongi joined in giving a tired expression "As always, it's about him."
Jihyo, sitting across from her, raised an eyebrow. "Wow. That's... intense. Bold move, though," she commented, her tone caught between admiration and skepticism.
"Yeah, except he didn't pick me," Dahyun replied bitterly, stabbing at her food with unnecessary force.
"Maybe he's just confused," Sana offered, her voice soft. "I mean, it's Dong-joo. He's... complicated."
Jungkook leaned back in his chair, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Complicated is just code for 'he's in trouble, and you're probably dodging a bullet.' Now, speaking of dodging-" He swiftly reached over to Jihyo's plate, aiming for her untouched roll.
Without missing a beat, Jihyo smacked his hand away with a sharp snap. "Touch my food again, Jeon, and I'll show you what complicated means," she threatened, narrowing her eyes.
The table erupted into laughter, even Dahyun managing a small smile.
"Jihyo, you've been eating like a truck driver lately," Sana teased. "Stress-eating much?"
Jihyo shrugged nonchalantly. "Survival of the fittest. Surgery is brutal, and I need the energy. Besides, have you seen the hours we're pulling?"
"Excuses," Jungkook muttered under his breath, only to earn another threatening glare from Jihyo.
Then the conversation returned to Dahyun "I thought what we have was real."
"Real enough to ditch his fiancé? I don't think so." Yoongi replied
Sana gave Yoongi a death stare "What is wrong with you? Why are you so bitter?"
"I can't believe I told him to choose me. I never begged in my life. Not even with my mom."
"Men." Jihyo said which earned a banter from Yoongi and Jungkook "Hey!"
Their banter was interrupted by the sound of a pager. Jungkook and Sana checked their devices simultaneously and groaned.
"Looks like we're up," Sana said, rising from her seat. "Trauma. Let's go, food thief."
Jungkook stuffed one last fry into his mouth, following Sana out of the cafeteria. Dahyun, Jihyo, and Yoongi remained at the table, the conversation turning quieter now that half their group had left.
---
Later that day, Jihyo had just wrapped up her rounds and was heading to the resident lounge for a quick break when she felt a firm hand grab her arm. She turned to see Jun Wan, his expression serious.
"Can we talk?" he asked, his voice low but insistent.
Jihyo nodded hesitantly, allowing herself to be led to an empty on-call room. The moment the door shut behind them, the tension in the room became palpable.
"Jihyo," Jun Wan began, his tone calm but laced with frustration. "I've been patient. I've given you space, time, understanding. But I need to know-what are we doing?"
Jihyo crossed her arms defensively. "We're doing what we've always done. Balancing work and-"
"No," he interrupted, his voice firmer now. "What you've been doing is using work as an excuse. An excuse to keep me at arm's length."
She opened her mouth to protest, but he held up a hand to stop her.
"I get it," he continued. "You're ambitious, driven, and I admire that. But I need more, Jihyo. I need to know that I matter to you as much as your career does."
Jihyo looked away, her jaw tightening. "You're asking for something I can't give right now, Jun Wan. I've worked too hard to get here. I'm not going to jeopardize everything I've built for... this."
His eyes softened, but his voice remained resolute. "And that's the difference between us. I'm willing to compromise, to find a way to make this work. But you... you're not."
"That's not fair," she argued. "You're an attending, you have a stable stand in the professional world where I am just starting. I care about you, but I can't-"
"You can't go all in," he finished for her, his voice tinged with sadness. "And I deserve someone who will."
The weight of his words hung heavily in the air. Jihyo's throat tightened, but she forced herself to meet his gaze. "So, what does this mean?"
Jun Wan exhaled slowly, his shoulders slumping slightly. "It means I can't do this anymore. I can't keep waiting for you to make me a priority. I'm done."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then, without another word, Jun Wan turned and left the room, leaving Jihyo standing alone, the sound of the door clicking shut echoing in her ears.
---
Later that night, Dahyun found Jihyo sitting in the lounge, staring blankly at the wall. She dropped into the seat beside her, studying her friend's unusually quiet demeanor.
"Rough day?" Dahyun asked gently.
Jihyo let out a humorless laugh. "You could say that. Let's just say you're not the only one dealing with complicated feelings."
Dahyun smiled faintly. "Join the club. Membership comes with terrible eating habits and worse sleep."
They sat in companionable silence for a moment before Jihyo spoke again. "Do you think... we're ever going to get it right? Balancing this life with everything else?"
Dahyun shrugged. "I don't know. But I think we keep trying. Because if we don't, what's the point?"
Jihyo nodded, her expression softening. "Yeah. I guess you're right."
For a brief moment, the chaos of their world seemed to fade, leaving only the quiet understanding between two friends navigating the unpredictable terrain of life, love, and surgery.
