Let's Not Fall In Love

Chapter 26

(A/N: Belated Merry Christmas and Advanced Happy New Year, Yeorobun! I'm so sorry for being inactive for so long. I'm undergoing so many changes in my life right now. I moved abroad recently so the preparation and adjustment process is a stressful time for me that I couldn't write anything worth posting. Despite that I wanted to write an update before the year ends even if its just a short one. As I am still adjusting to my new job I still do not know when I could add another update. I am so sorry for making you guys wait. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and a fruitful year ahead of you. Saranghae!)

Jiyong woke to the soft touch of the on duty nurse who was checking on his IV line. The nurse apologized for disturbing him. He just smiled sleepily and nodded to say that it was no problem. The nurse then adjusted his wrist splint and quietly left after making sure that the drip rate was correct.

He still felt sleepy so he just turned to his side and closed his eyes. Just as soon as he did the door once again opened and he could hear Dara’s soft but somewhat excited tones joined intermittently by male chuckles. He had an inkling it was the annoying pretty boy who was talking to Dara so he kept his eyes closed and evened out his breathing. He wasn’t up to exchanging niceties with a wannabe rival. “Thank you for touring me around the hospital. I liked everything that I’ve seen so far.”

“It was my pleasure, Dara. Remember what I told you. You would make a really great addition to the A&E team here. The director was impressed on how well you handled the incident earlier. He wouldn’t have offered you a position otherwise. Just think about it.” Jaejoong softly answered back. 

He noticed the slight stiffening of the supposedly sleeping figure on the bed and smirked. He continued in a slightly louder voice, “And it would be great to work with you again. We made a good duty team before. Those were memorable times.” 

He smiled half in remembrance and half in triumph noting the telltale twitch in Jiyong’s hand. The hand strapped to the IV was now gripping tightly to the edges of the wrist split. Jiyong cursed the other guy vehemently inside his head. If duels were legal he swore to himself he would challenge the arrogant guy the moment Dara wasn’t around. 

Dara was standing on the side facing Jiyong’s back oblivious to the murderous aura coming from the supposedly sleeping sick man. She was busy checking his meds on the bedside stand that she didn’t notice Jiyong’s reactions to their conversation. As she was about to move to Jiyong’s other side Jaejoong interrupted her. “Let’s exchange numbers before I go.”

That he wouldn’t allow. Jeoldae andwaeyo! He started coughing as if he was choking on his own saliva and weakly tried to sit up with his free hand gripping on to his hospital gown’s front. He looked as if he was gasping for air. He should win a Best Male Actor award for this. Jaejoong looked at him with a suspicious glint in his eye his hand holding on to his phone.

“Aigoo. You’re choking in your sleep again?” Dara clucked at him while quickly helping him to sit up in his bed. He once had a bad case of reflux he would wake up in the middle of the night coughing and choking. Phone numbers were delegated to the background as she worried like a mother hen for Jiyong. 

She distractedly told Jaejoong, “Just leave me your call card and I’ll contact you when I’ve decided Jae. Thank you so much. I know you’re tired but you stayed beyond your duty hours. When you’re back in the city Jiyong will treat us to a meal.” She smiled at Jaejoong.

“Me?” Jiyong choked for real this time. How in the hell did he get roped into treating the ass to a meal?

“Yes. You.” Dara told him in a no nonsense tone. “You’re the patient. He is your doctor. He waived his fees. You should be grateful you’re well enough to be discharged tomorrow.” 

She shrugged her shoulders and continued, “Besides between the two of us you earn more money in a day than what I earn in a month.” She said with no hint of shame in her voice. Dara was gleefully congratulating herself in her head for managing to con from Jiyong another free meal for herself. As she arranged the pillows on Jiyong’s bed she was already busy making a shortlist of restaurants she wanted to go to but didn’t get a chance to try yet.

Jaejoong smirked and took a card from the card case in his suit pocket. They both knew he won this round. Though the conclusion to their conversation meant seeing the smug-faced punk again it gave him an intense surge of satisfaction knowing that Jiyong is going to involuntarily sponsor a meetup between Dara and him. He’s taking every chance that he’s got and who was he to say no to the chance of dealing a double blow by having a friendly date with the lady he liked at the expense of the grumpy man before him? Of course he knew that technically it wasn’t a date but it just made his heart beat faster when he thought of it as such.

Dara took the card from him and quickly placed it in the pocket of her sling bag. She took the round pill and the glass of water from Jiyong’s bed side table that she had already prepared. 

“Don’t you have anything to say to your doctor, Mr. Kwon?” She prodded the still silent Jiyong with one pointy elbow. Jiyong only furrowed his brows. Dara widened her eyes and raised her brows at him.

Jiyong sighed in defeat. He took out his free hand and offered it to Jaejoong. The other guy’s eyes widened slightly in mild surprise at the obviously reluctant offer of peace. Jaejoong deduced from their short silent battle of wills the fact that the boy was whipped. He wondered briefly how Dara wasn’t aware of the boy’s feelings. He was thankful for her obtuseness in this aspect because it only meant he still had a fighting chance with her.

Dara smiled when she saw the two boys shake hands but unknown to her they were actually having a secret contest on grip strength. The previously sullen Jiyong was now smiling widely, obstinately refusing to let Jaejoong think that he was winning the war. He was willing to concede this one little battle but he sure was not putting down his arms in defeat.

After they shook hands he reached out to his own card case on the bedside drawer, took out one call card and handed it to Jaejoong. “Call me when you’re back in the capital so we can both make arrangements with our schedule to fit yours.” He deliberately used the words we and our to infer that both he and Dara are just one unit.

He smiled at Jaejoong confidently at the same time silently telling the guy to wipe the stupid smirk off his face because one meal doesn’t mean anything and it doesn’t scare him one little bit. Jaejoong looked briefly at the black and gold embossed card in his hand before placing the card in his pocket. He looked up and smiled just as confidently back at his patient. The challenge had been thrown and just like his opponent he had no plans of backing out this early in the game either.

“Dara, I’ll see you again next time.” His face softened as he smiled sweetly at the lovely Dara. As he turned to the insolent man on the hospital bed the smile disappeared entirely from his face. He gave a nod at him. “Jiyong I’ll leave you in her capable hands. See you both soon.” It was meant to be more of a warning to Jiyong rather than a goodbye.

Jiyong kept smiling at his disappearing back. “What was that between you two? I felt awkward for a moment there. It was as if I was third wheeling with the both of you.” She shook her head to clear the weird thoughts from her mind. She handed the pill and glass of water to Jiyong.

As Jiyong was gulping the water to wash out the horrid taste of the tablet he just swallowed she suddenly blurted out “Are you sure you’re not gay or something? Did you suddenly feel attracted to him or what? Is this why you haven’t really been in a serious relationship since college? If you are planning to out yourself you can tell me. I swear I’ll support you all the way.” The outrageousness of the words she said out of the blue caused him to spray the remaining water in his mouth in reflex.

He glared furiously at the girl who was busy wiping off the water from her disgusted face. “Yah! Do you know how many germs are inside a human mouth!” She glared at him before hurrying towards the adjoining toilet. “Aish!”

“Serves you right for saying something so outrageous.” Jiyong mumbled at her back.

“I heard that, Kwon Jiyong!” She turned and glared at him again before snappily closing the bathroom door. She opened the door briefly and angrily said, “I’ll tell Unnie you sprayed me with your cooties.” He chuckled at her pathetic childish attempt at a threat and went back to his mental listing of ways to prove to Dara that he was without a doubt a 100% heterosexual male.