The intern lounge was unusually quiet for a Monday morning. Jihyo was sprawled on the couch with a medical journal, Sana sat cross-legged with her tablet, and Yoongi was making himself instant coffee.
The calm was shattered when Dahyun stormed in, slamming the door behind her.
"Unbelievable!" she snapped, throwing her bag onto the nearest chair.
The others exchanged wary glances.
"What happened now?" Jihyo asked, barely looking up from her journal.
"It's Dong Joo and Jisoo," Dahyun spat, pacing the room. "They're all buddy-buddy, acting like nothing happened. Like he didn't stand me up after I made him choose between her and me!"
Yoongi winced. Sana raised her eyebrows but said nothing, while Jihyo sighed, setting her journal aside.
"Are we really going to talk about this *again*?" Jihyo asked, her tone exasperated.
Dahyun shot her a glare. "Yes, Jihyo, we are, because it's ridiculous. He *chose* her, and now he's trying to act like we can all be friends? I don't think so!"
Sana exchanged a glance with Yoongi, her eyes glinting with an idea. She subtly tilted her head toward Dahyun, as if to say, *This is your chance.*
Yoongi frowned, unsure of what she meant, but Sana was already speaking.
"Dahyunnie," she said gently, "don't you think it's time to move on?"
Dahyun froze mid-pace, turning to face her. "Move on?"
"Yes, move on," Sana repeated firmly. "Dong Joo made his choice. He's not worth all this energy. You deserve someone who actually wants to be with you."
Dahyun crossed her arms defensively. "Easy for you to say. You're all loved up with your Busan boyfriend."
Sana shrugged. "Doesn't mean I don't know what's good for you. You need a fresh start, Dahyun."
There was a beat of silence before Dahyun sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Fine. You know what? You're right. I'll start dating again."
Sana beamed. "That's the spirit!"
Jihyo, however, raised an eyebrow. "Is this going to be healthy dating, or the kind where you spiral and regret everything later?"
Dahyun didn't answer, and the look in her eyes made Jihyo groan.
---
By the end of the week, Dahyun's "dating again" strategy was in full swing. But it wasn't the healthy fresh start Sana had envisioned.
Dahyun returned home late every night, stumbling through the front door in various states of inebriation. Some nights, Sana and Yoongi found her passed out on the couch, still in her scrubs, the smell of cheap alcohol clinging to her clothes.
One evening, Yoongi sat at the dining table, reviewing case notes, when Dahyun stumbled in. Her makeup was smudged, and her heels dangled precariously from her fingers.
"Hey," she slurred, collapsing into the chair opposite him.
"You okay?" Yoongi asked, his voice tinged with concern.
"I'm fine," Dahyun muttered, though her bloodshot eyes told a different story. "Went out with some guy from radiology. Boring as hell, but free drinks, so..." She trailed off with a hollow laugh.
Yoongi frowned. "Dahyun, you can't keep doing this."
"Doing what?" she snapped, her voice rising. "Living my life? Having fun?"
"Destroying yourself," Yoongi said quietly.
Her anger faltered for a moment, but then she scoffed, brushing him off. "I'm fine, Yoongi. You don't need to play therapist."
Before he could respond, she got up and stumbled to her room, slamming the door behind her.
---
Sana was the first to confront her.
"You're spiraling," she said bluntly, cornering Dahyun in the kitchen one morning.
"I'm not spiraling," Dahyun insisted, pouring herself a cup of coffee.
"Dahyunnie, you're coming home drunk every night, seeing guys you don't even like, and pushing away everyone who cares about you," Sana said, crossing her arms.
"I'm not pushing anyone away," Dahyun argued.
Sana raised an eyebrow. "When was the last time you talked to Yoongi? He's worried about you, and you barely acknowledge him anymore."
Dahyun faltered, her grip tightening on her coffee mug. "I'm fine, Sana. I don't need anyone worrying about me."
Sana softened. "I'm not saying this to hurt you. I just... I don't want to see you like this."
Dahyun looked away, her walls firmly up. "Thanks for the concern, but I'm handling it."
---
Yoongi, meanwhile, found himself increasingly frustrated and helpless. Every time he saw Dahyun stumble through the door, his chest ached with a mix of anger and concern.
One night, as Dahyun sat on the couch nursing a hangover, Yoongi sat down beside her.
"Why are you doing this?" he asked, his voice gentle but firm.
Dahyun didn't look at him. "Doing what?"
"This," he said, gesturing vaguely. "The drinking, the random guys... This isn't you."
She scoffed. "How would you know who I am?"
"Because I pay attention," Yoongi shot back, surprising her. "And this isn't the Dahyun I know. The Dahyun I know fights for what she wants, doesn't run away from pain by burying it under bad decisions."
His words hung in the air, heavy and unrelenting.
Dahyun finally met his gaze, her eyes glassy. "I don't know how else to deal with it," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
Yoongi's expression softened. "You don't have to deal with it alone."
For a moment, Dahyun looked like she might break down, but instead, she gave him a weak smile and stood up. "Thanks, Yoongi. But I'm fine."
As she walked away, Yoongi sighed, knowing there was only so much he could do until she was ready to face her pain head-on.
