THAT GIRL

There She Goes.....

"Urghhhhhh" groaned Peniel.

His head was killing him. He tried to open his eyes. And got blasted with bright lights. Right about now, he was very much starting to regret the fifth bottle of Soju he had downed.

Then his ears started to function and he heard what had to be a very large number of people. He didn't have a clue where he was. Then he heard monitors beeping, intercoms announcing and other people letting out groans just like he had.

'Noooo........' he thought. 'Don't tell me Eunkwang hyung seriously brought me to a hospital!'

He tried opening his eyes again. He managed to peek through his eyelids and had his suspicions confirmed. There was Eunkwang talking to a doctor about 15 feet away from him.

He tried to remember what had happened before his hyung had stuck him in here. The first thing he remembered was how shitty his day had been. Nothing had gone right for him the whole day and he was so stressed out he probably wouldn't have been able to recognise his own face in the mirror. And hence the five bottles of Soju. Eunkwang hyung had joined him when he was on his fourth. Later they had tried walking to their apartments and at that point all he could remember was a sharp pain in his head.

'Shit!' he thought. 'I walked into a pole, didn't I?' But taking him home and icing the thing would have been a fine solution. Instead, he was lying on a hospital bed.

Knowing he was about to act on a stupid idea, he slowly got out of the bed, thanking the gods that Eunkwang's back was to him. Still regretting the Soju, he half-ran to the nearest door. And he found himself alone facing the stairs. 'Finally! Something is going right for me!' He started climbing down the stairs. And heard a sniffle. Okay, maybe he wasn't alone after all. He turned a corner and saw someone standing a few steps away with their back to him.

It was a doctor. With her black hair tied up in a ponytail that stopped at her shoulder blades and a long white coat that reached her knees. She was holding her phone to her ear and was talking.

"No. Please don't do it so soon! I need to be there for her. Mom shouldn't go through this alone."

"Not alone?! What were you doing when she was having her first surgery? Off drinking at a party somewhere? I'll get her admitted to my hospital very soon. Then she'll be out of your hands and you can go to as many-"

She brought down the phone and leaned forward to place her against the window glass. She probably hadn't noticed she had company.

Not for long though. She suddenly turned her head when she realised there was someone with her. And turned back again. Probably to blink out the tears he had noticed in her eyes in that one moment.

Then she turned to him and asked "Did you need any help?" Which made him realise he was standing there staring at her like an idiot.
She was standing there looking all dignified and defiant. He noticed how he could still make out the tears and the anger in her eyes. He guessed most people would not have described as pretty. Pity for them, because right now, she was looking beautiful. He also felt guilty about listening in on a personal conversation, at least one side of it, but it didn't stop him. Or maybe it was because of it.

And then her eyebrows rose. He realised she had asked him something. Oh yes, did he need something?

"I was just looking for the pediatric ward. Can you tell me where it is?"

"It's on the third floor. You're going in the wrong direction."

"Okay, thank you!" He looked down. Dr. Chae Young Shin. Nice name, he thought. "Seonsaeng-nim"

"Have a good day"

"You too..." But she was already leaving. And he was left alone smiling to himself like an idiot.

And then the door above him opened. Eunkwang burst in and looked around.

Seeing Peniel, he shouted, "Where on earth have you been???? I was searching everywhere for you!"

"Nowhere. I was just looking for the bathroom."

"Well, you can go at your apartment. The doctor said there's nothing wrong with your thick skull. And why are smiling like a creepo?"

"I'm not!" He straightened his face. "And I wouldn't look like a creepo if I did."

But he was still thinking about a certain doctor. Would he meet her again? Maybe he would. Maybe he would not. Who knew? But she had certainly taken his mind off of his shitty day. He sincerely hoped she would get to solve her troubles soon though.

"You totally would. But for now, let's get your ass back home", Eunkwang hyung said. "Without hitting any poles this time!"