Straight Towards Our Future // Park Euntak x Yoon Areum (Dr. Romantic AU) 🏥🥼💖

2// Jang DongHwa, Euntak's Driving Force

YEAR 2023, Doldam Hospital
A FEW DAYS LATER AFTER THE FIRE
FLASHBACK FROM CURRENT TIMELINE (2024年)

It was another beautiful and majestic afternoon one day in the countryside where Doldam Hospital is located. Areum was finally given a break after attending to 20 patients coming from a casino fight nearby. Wanting to have some peace, she swiftly took the snack wrap she had bought earlier from her locker and heads off to the lake side to catch her breathe and eat her lunch in peace. 

But even before she could take a bite, a familiar male voice startles her from the back. Areum's flustered expression immediately changes to a sweet smile as she turns around and greets the owner of the voice.

'Oh! Euntak Ssaem, did the surgery go well?'

Euntak grins at her adorable face and nods, taking a sit next to his girlfriend, the handsome nurse speaks in a sweet and endearing tone. 

'Yes it did ! Seo ssaem wrapped up under 50 minutes today. I've heard that you had to treat 20 patients today so I wanted to find you.... Uhm ssaem said you'd be here and turns out she was right. I just wanted to check if your okay, maybe I can come and accompany you for a while.' 

Areum pouts and scoots a bit closer to her boyfriend. As usual, she unconsciously acts cutely in front of Euntak making his heart beat faster than normal... this was the 'Areum effect' that Euntak had told Woojin about one day when they were drinking after work. Eunjae and Woojin had gotten into a small argument hence Euntak had to play the 'good friend' role and drink with Woojin as they conversed about their relationships and girlfriends/fiancee (since Woojin and Eunjae are engaged at this point). 

Euntak had pointed out once that he was sure he was very much in love with Areum when he first felt his heart beat so fast whenever she gave him a adorable look or simply acted cute. She was his ray of sunlight in a boring and repetitive everyday life..... and he called the drumming and fast paced beating of his heart the 'Areum effect'. It is perhaps rather appropriate to call both Woojin and Euntak 'whipped' at that point. 

As Areum happily munched her food under the affectionate gaze of her boyfriend, Euntak suddenly remembers something and fumbles with his padding coat's pocket. Secretly taking a small velvet box out, he nervously bites his lip as he stole gazes at Areum. 

Should he do it now? or should he do it later? It was something he had planned to do by today. And no... he wasn't gonna be a coward this time. And if you had already guessed... Euntak did get a beautiful ring for Areum. After seeing DongHwa helping out Areum the following day after their reconciliation, he suddenly thought of what the male had said to Areum a few weeks ago when he was trying to taunt him (Euntak) in the emergency room about Areum not having a ring meaning that the relationship must not be serious at all. 

After getting a day off one day, Park Euntak decided to go check out some rings at the department store. But he didn't like the designs presented to him hence he goes to a small local jewelry shop instead and customizes a simple band with 3 encrusted crystals. It was a simple but elegant choice, and to make the ring much more romantic.... Euntak had it engraved with his and Areum's initials in alphabet form with a heart in the middle on the inside of the band. 

To pair with the one he was going to give to Areum, he opted for a simple plain band with the same initials engraved on the inside for the one he was going to wear. It was going to be a symbol..... a symbol that Areum belongs to him only and likewise he belongs to Areum only. But it wasn't just about that, it was also a gift that he wanted her to wear everyday to remind her of his heart and love... so that she may never doubt his feelings and sincerity for her. Euntak may still be learning to communicate after 3 years but the one thing he learned the most over the past months was to relay his true feelings to the one he loves as clearly and sincerely as possible. 

Suddenly pushing him out of his thoughts, Areum starts speaking.

'I've been thinking.....shouldn't we tell the others that we've actually got back together? It's kinda hard having them trying to comfort me about our 'break up' when we have already reconciled....especially Dong ssaem, he's been acting as if he was cupid circling around me and telling me to talk to you.....it's been quite frustrating being nagged by him and at the same time kinda uncomfortable having him flirt all the time...it seems to me he still doesn't know about what's happened to us since then yet.' 

Euntak's eyes widen at Areum's statement. He wasn't that much surprised but a part of him was pretty pissed and annoyed at DongHwa.

Despite the recent events and with DongHwa acting as cupid between the lovers, he still took every chance he could to flirt with Areum whenever he desired. Whether it be through pick up lines or sometimes crinhey ments... It was quite obvious that the younger male still had something for Areum to anyone smart enough to observe.

Euntak was uncomfortable of course considering he knew about DongHwa's little crush on his girlfriend hence he decided at that moment to be as always straightforward again.....