Just A Friend To You

12

Mi Cha helps her appa arrange clothes and other necessities to take to Busan. They only stayed two nights there so only brought enough things.

"May I bring this doll?" she asks and Tae Pyung nods smiling at her.

"Are you glad we're going to Busan? After my work is done, I promise to take you for a walk."

"Hm, but, I'd prefer Aunty Eon Jin to come with us. Is she really not able to?"

"She already said that she has to operate on the patient tomorrow. Besides, there will be Aunty Hee Joo who will accompany you tomorrow. Don't you miss her?"

Mi Cha nodded with a sullen face. "I do miss her. Is she not working tomorrow?"

"She didn't. She cleared her schedule the moment she heard we were going there."

"Are we so special to her that she sacrificed her job?"

"Ah, that's not what I meant. It just so happens that she doesn't have an appointment with a patient tomorrow."

"Appa, I want a mother who has plenty of free time for me. Is that too much?"

"It isn't, of course. I also prefer woman who are not busy with work so she can have free time for her family."

"Did you separate with eomma because she was busy with her work?"

"Hey, where did you get vocabulary like that? Appa never said that I separated from your eomma."

"She never came home. I have a friend whose parents divorced. She said her story was similar to mine."

"Um.. Do you want me to read you a fairy tale?"

"Appa, I'll be 5 years old soon. I'm a grown girl. So, don't hide anything from me, okay?"

"Arasso, my big baby girl. Aigo, You act like you're a teenager. How can my daughter have grown this big?" Tae Pyung holds his daughter and lays her down on the bed. He accompanied her while reading fairy tales until she fell asleep.

"Mianhae, Appa had to lie to you. I just can't tell you the truth." Tae Pyung stroked his daughter's hair gently and finally he gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"Goodnight, baby. Appa promises that soon you will have a good mother for you."

***

Eon Jin is studying patient files in the study but suddenly someone comes and places a cup of coffee on her desk.

"It's no caffeine. I think you've had a lot of coffee today. Can I wait here?"

"Eoh? Yes. Please sit over there." Eon Jin is surprised when she sees the man suddenly appear in front of her.

The man shifted the chair beside her.

"What are you doing? Can I help you?"

"I was just looking through the patient files. What are you doing here? I mean, is there something you want to tell me?"

"Aniyo. I just want to accompany you until you finish your work. Can I?"

"Eumh. But, Dr. Lee, this isn't your usual self. You've been acting weird to me lately."

"Eon Jin, It's because I like you. From the first time you joined us, that's when I started to feel the vibe every time I looked at you."

"Dr. Lee.. Please don't be like this."

"This is my honest feeling. I always imagine you. You are beautiful and sexy. If only I could—""

The man named Lee Min Ho is a resident doctor in the same specialist field as Eon Jin.  He was a little younger than her but he was being brave by telling her that. Before he could finish his sentence, suddenly another doctor ran to Eon Jin's room to inform her that the patient who will be operated on tomorrow is in a bad condition and urgent surgery must be taken.

Eon Jin runs to the patient's room without noticing that someone is in the room. She checked the patient's condition and was about to perform surgery on him.

Eon Jin comes out of the operating room after struggling for approximately five hours in there. It was already 3 o'clock in the morning.  She returned to the study feeling tired. She leaned back in her chair. Right in the middle of the desk is a piece of paper that says 'Don't forget to take a break'.

She guessed that it was from Dr. Lee. She did not expect that his friendliness and concern for her all this time was based on love. But she couldn't reciprocate his feelings because her heart was already filled with someone.

She suddenly thought of Mi Cha and Tae Pyung who were leaving for Busan tonight. She idly looked at the train ticket to Busan for that very day. There are still a few seats left for the 9am departure. Eon Jin contemplates whether he should catch up with them or not. She went back and forth to close and open her phone only to stare at the train ticket. But she realizes that Tae Pyung didn't even offer her to come with them. Even though Eon Jin said she had surgery scheduled, he should have offered her anyway. Does he really have such a special relationship with a woman named Hee Joo that he doesn't want to ask her out with him?

Suddenly her phone rang. She gasps because she thought it was a message from Tae Pyung but it turned out to be just a message from a credit card offer. She tried to divert her mind by accessing social media then she saw a post from her college friend who posted about her first birth.

"Wow, Kyeopta. The baby is adorable. Mm, It makes me to want to have a baby too." she muttered cheerfully seeing the post.

Suddenly she came to her senses.

"What? Have a baby?  Aish, you forgot that you are single now, Eon Jin. How can you make a baby then?"

"Wait.. She now lives in Busan? So.. I have a reason to go to Busan."

"Okay, baby. You will be launching soon!"

***

Eon Jin immediately packed clothes as soon as she arrived home. She only had time to sleep for two hours. Right now her eyes are like zombies. But at least she was happy because she would have some fun in Busan.

Lying on a chair and straightening her legs comfortably while watching her favorite drama is something she dreams of being able to do as often as possible. She wished she could take a vacation every weekend but in fact she had to stand by twenty four hours in case of an emergency.

Spending hours on the trip, Eon Jin finally arrived in the city of Busan. She goes straight to the hotel to put her things down then she meets Tae Pyung.

She already got the address of his hotel from her close friend who was the organizer of the seminar he was attending. She deliberately chose a hotel not far from him.

After bathing and dressing up neatly, Eon Jin went to catch Tae Pyung by taxi. Her friend said that he had returned to the hotel since an hour ago.

Eon Jin can't wait to meet Mi Cha and surprise her with her presence. She rang the doorbell of the room where they were staying. She stood at the door for a long time until someone finally opened the door for her.

She thought she would be welcomed by Mi Cha or Tae Pyung but she didn't. A lady greets her and asks who she is.

"Who's coming, Auntie? Is that Appa?"

"Looks like the wrong person pressed the bell." Hee Joo answered her question. Mi Cha walked up to her to make sure.

"Excuse me, Miss, who are you? Are you looking for someone?" Hee Joo asks Eon Jin once again.

Mi Cha saw the woman who was standing frozen in front of the door. Her curious face now turned into a cheerful one. She cheered happily.

"Aunty Eon Jin! Aunty Eon Jin!" she clings to Eon Jin's body.

Eon Jin almost wanted back to the hotel and pretended to be the one who pressed the wrong bell, but she was already caught by Mi Cha.