Chances Are [IU & KimSoohyun Fanfic]

|78| opened up

"...but why stay here?" She looked at him curiously.

"I can't leave my Dad here alone, well, not just yet. It's just the two of us now. My older brother and my mom both died from heart disease. I'm just fortunate that there's a premiere hospital here also. Not as great as the ones in Manila, but at par somehow." He replied simply.

"But you can bring your Dad to Manila if you want," She delved further.

"Well, he has a small seafood business in Carmen. We culture, crabs, lobsters, scallops, shrimps, bangus, and oysters in our pond then sell them here in the City. He recently expanded as he ventured into supplying restaurants and resorts nearby. It is what supported me for Med School and now, the business grew so he can't just leave it." He retorted.

"But don't you think you can help more people if you go to a bigger hospital? You can even go abroad." She encouraged.

"Well, I have plans and I am actually working on it. I still have a lot to learn, but I do have plans. Just not sure if my plans are for me." He joked.

"Well, I guess we all have our own set of struggles in adulting don't you think? Here I am exiled in Cebu but grappling to deliver results expected of me and here you are staying in Cebu waiting for that right opportunity when you can choose to go to bigger opportunities given your credentials." She sighed as she reached for her tumbler with water, then continued.

"Which makes me think, given our track record, it's hard to be "always delivering good results, right? Like, we are always expected to do good and there is no room for mistakes." Kei sighed as she stared at him for consolation as if unloading a huge burden from her shoulders.

"Yep and sometimes that thought drains me." He mimicked her gesture earlier and added, "I understand that as a doctor, I must be error-free as we are dealing with life and death matters, but I am no God, so as you. But I have to hide that most of the time. As surgeons, we must always maintain the image of perfection because the core of the doctor-patient relationship is trust. That is why I go camping and do outdoor activities to recharge, to keep my sanity." He chuckled.

"The price we have to pay for the record that we have... Well, it's the same pressure for me. We shouldn't just focus on aesthetics. We also have to ensure the safety of the people who will use the building. And we are talking about millions of money involved, so there's really no more for errors." Kei then paused and took a sip of her drink before continuing.

"But the main struggle for me is it's hard to be a woman in this industry. I feel like I must always fight for my place and existence. There is always a bias about my capability but sometimes people think that all the things I've achieved in the past are purely because of my looks and not because I am capable, which sucks by the way." She snorted.

"I've worked hard to get that internship abroad and all the credentials I've had under my belt... But why do people discredit all my hard work just because I am a woman? A pretty woman to be exact." With the emphasis on "pretty" as if it was a curse she had to live with.

Jiro laughed at the last part.

"Don't you know that I have to work extra hard just to prove that I deserve every project that I've got? That it was my portfolio, my design, that closed the deal and not just because of my pretty face. Some of my past colleagues would even make gossips that I hooked up with clients and our bosses to climb my way here. That's why opted not to date a colleague or a client, and even my bosses. No matter how handsome he is, as long as it has a relation with my project, it's a big NO for me." She continued to rant. It's like Jiro hit the right switch to make Kei release all her woes comfortably without any filter.

"I know the feeling of being underestimated, actually." Jiro agreed. "That's why I took up a specialty wherein I won't be easily accessible unless you have recommendations. Before, when I have a long line of patients, they would often joke that it was just for my autograph and photo op. Well, not anymore." Then he smirked.

"Well, at least now, we know we are more than just our faces." She concluded proudly. But Jiro had another question in mind, which he didn't hesitate to ask.

"Wait. If you're not dating randomly, how come you openly expressed your feelings to me?" He giggled unnoticingly, wondering what would be her answer.