Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
pairing: accounting manager!jay x sales manager!reader
as the newly appointed head of sales, you thought your biggest challenge would be adjusting to a new workplace and leading an unfamiliar team. what you didn't expect was that the real challenge would be getting along with the head of accounting, jay.
You arrived at work earlier than usual that morning, your usual cup of coffee in hand. As you made your way towards your office, your thoughts drifted back to your first few days at the company, reminding you of the incident you had with Taehyun.
A small smile unconsciously formed on your lips at the memory.
Then, as if something suddenly clicked in your mind, you quickly opened your bag and rummaged through your things, searching for Taehyun's handkerchief, only to realize it wasn't there.
The moment you stepped inside your office, you headed straight towards the organizer beneath your desk and pulled open the bottom drawer, immediately spotting the neatly folded handkerchief sitting inside. You took it out and stared at it for a few seconds.
You still hadn't returned it to him, and it had already been months.
He never asked for it back nor even mentioned that it had gone missing.
You pursed your lips, deciding that it was finally time to return it. Since it had been sitting in your drawer for so long, you figured it would be better to have it dry-cleaned first. It was still early and you had plenty of time before work officially started, so you decided to get it cleaned right away.
As you were heading towards the elevator, you passed by Jay's office and noticed that he had just arrived as well. You walked right past him without greeting him, not bothering to stop since he wasn't even facing your direction, before stepping into the elevator.
The moment the doors closed, Jay turned around. He knew you had passed by him. He had caught a glimpse of you from the corner of his eye.
But something inside him twisted when you didn't greet him like you usually did over the past few weeks.
A strange sense of guilt slowly settled in his chest.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
That afternoon, you headed to the Marketing Department to finally return Taehyun's handkerchief.
You knocked on his office door and pushed it open after hearing his voice from inside, finding him seated behind his desk with a stack of papers sitting beside him. The moment he looked up and saw you, his serious expression immediately shifted into one of surprise.
"Y/N? What are you doing here?"
He stood up from his seat and walked towards you even before you could make it halfway across his office.
Despite your departments being right next to each other, you rarely visited Taehyun's office since the two of you usually talked in the hallways or in your own office instead. So, you completely understood why he looked surprised to see you there.
"I just wanted to return this to you." You held out the handkerchief in your hand.
"I know it's long overdue because I kept forgetting about it, but I finally remembered. I even had it dry-cleaned, so you don't have to worry about washing it anymore."
Taehyun's eyebrows immediately shot up in surprise, clearly not expecting you to return it after all this time.
A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he accepted it from you.
"Thanks. You know, I never really expected you to give it back. I figured it could just be my first-week-at-work gift for you."
You laughed softly. "You could've told me that sooner. I wouldn't have rushed to get it cleaned this morning."
"Sorry," he replied, although the amused smile on his face made him look far from apologetic.
He slipped the handkerchief into his pocket before looking back at you.
"So, are you coming to the company dinner tonight?"
You stared at him, confused. "Company dinner?"
"They didn't tell you?" Taehyun asked, casually leaning against the chair behind him.
"You know, every six months the company holds a dinner. It's sort of a tradition. We celebrate the company's performance, securing new investors, and most importantly, welcoming our new hires."
"They do?" you asked, suddenly intrigued.
"Yeah, and there's one tonight. Honestly, I'm surprised no one told you about it. Usually, the new employees are the first ones to know."
You shrugged your shoulders. "Well, I don't know why nobody mentioned it to me, but I'm glad you did."
"And since it'll be my first company dinner here, then I'm definitely coming."
That earned a smile from Taehyun. "Great. Then I'll see you tonight.”
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Unbeknownst to you, while you were at the Marketing Department, Jay had gone to your office to apologize.
He knocked once and waited.
When he didn't hear an answer, he knocked a second time.
After receiving no response again, he lifted his hand to knock once more, only to notice that the door wasn't fully closed.
He carefully pushed it open and peeked his head inside.
"Y/N?" His voice echoed softly throughout the empty office.
He stepped inside to make sure you really weren't there before letting out a quiet sigh and walking back out.
Back in his office, he sat down in his chair with a disappointed look settling on his face.
"Looks like someone's having a bad day." Jake, who had just entered, spoke teasingly.
"I'm really not in the mood for jokes today," Jay replied sharply, making Jake wince.
"Then tell me what happened." Jake said, taking a seat across from him.
Jay looked at him before lowering his gaze to the floor, hesitating for a moment.
Then he sighed. "I went to the Sales Department and Y/N wasn't there. I was going to tell her something important."
"Just because of that?" Jake asked, looking genuinely confused. "Did you do something?"
"No," Jay answered a little too quickly.
A smirk immediately appeared on Jake's face. "You definitely have the face of someone who did something.”
Jay opened his mouth to speak when Jungwon suddenly entered the office. "Why? Who did what?"
Jake chuckled before turning towards him. "You see, Jay here definitely did something to Manager Song. Maybe they fought because he looked completely disappointed when he didn't find her in her office.”
"Manager Song?" Jungwon asked as he stepped closer.
"I think I saw her at the Marketing Department on my way here. She was talking to Manager Kang when I passed by."
"Do you know what they were talking about?" Jay asked almost immediately.
Jungwon shook his head. "I don't know. I didn't stay to eavesdrop. But I did see her hand something to him. I think it was a handkerchief."
Jake's eyes widened. "Ooh. Do you think they're dating?" He then looked at Jay with an amused grin. "Is that why you fought? Because you like her?"
Jay's face immediately twisted into an expression that looked both offended and disgusted. "Like her? We argued because of work. That's all.”
"So you did fight," Jake pointed out.
"But I—"
Jay was about to defend himself when Jungwon cut him off. "Okay, you guys fought. But I think the bigger issue here is figuring out how you're going to apologize."
Jay looked away. "I... I haven't thought of that yet. I mean, I was about to apologize, but…" He sighed. "She wasn't there."
"How about the company dinner tonight?" Jungwon suggested, making Jay look up at him. "I'm sure she'll be there since she's the new hire after all."
Jay thought about it for a moment before slowly nodding.
"You know…" he said, glancing at Jungwon.
"That's actually not a bad idea.”
──────────────────────────────
Later that evening, came the company dinner.
You, Sunoo, and Yunjin arrived a little later than everyone else since you still had a few things to finish back at the office, and because Sunoo and Yunjin had spent nearly ten minutes arguing over who was going to drive, which eventually ended with Yunjin taking the keys.
The company had chosen a Korean barbecue restaurant for the dinner. The moment you stepped inside, the rich aroma of grilled meat welcomed your senses, mixing with the clinking of glasses and the cheerful chatter filling the entire place.
A long table had been reserved in the center of the restaurant, where most of the employees from Kim Enterprises were already seated.
As you approached, you immediately noticed Taehyun waving at you from his seat, the empty chair beside him clearly meant for you.
"Hey," you greeted as you took the seat next to him. "Sorry we're late. We had to finish a few things at the office…" you said, deciding not to mention the little argument between Sunoo and Yunjin.
"It's fine. Nothing interesting has happened yet anyway. We just finished grilling the meat," Taehyun replied with a smile.
Sunoo took the seat beside you while Yunjin sat next to him.
A few minutes later, Jay arrived at the restaurant with Jake and Jungwon following behind him. The moment he stepped inside, his eyes instinctively searched the room, only stopping when they landed on you sitting beside Taehyun.
For some reason, his shoulders seemed to drop slightly.
With a quiet sigh, he walked towards the table and took the empty seat in front of Sunoo.
You only noticed him when he sat down.
You gave him a small nod in greeting, but he didn't return it immediately, seemingly caught off guard that you had acknowledged him first.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
After nearly an hour of grilling meat, sharing stories, and drinking together, the atmosphere became much lighter than it ever was inside the office.
Jay, however, found himself glancing in your direction more times than he cared to admit, trying to find the perfect opportunity to apologize.
But every time he looked at you, you were either laughing at one of Sunoo's jokes or listening intently to one of Taehyun's stories, looking more carefree than he had seen you in days.
Seeing that, he decided that now probably wasn't the right time and that there would be another opportunity later.
Just then, Mr. Kim tapped his spoon against his glass, immediately catching everyone's attention.
"Alright, everyone, listen up." He looked around the table with a smile. "As you all know, this is our semi annual company dinner, and we aren't only celebrating the company's achievements tonight but also welcoming our newest employee."
His eyes shifted towards you.
"Manager Song, would you mind standing up?"
Your eyes widened slightly, but you stood up nonetheless, earning cheers and applause from everyone around the table.
"Could you give us a few words?" Mr. Kim asked.
"Oh…" You looked around awkwardly before smiling. "I just wanted to say that I'm really glad to be working in this company. It's honestly an honor to be here with all of you, and I'm looking forward to spending many more years working alongside everyone."
You raised your glass of water.
"To Kim Enterprises."
The entire table erupted into cheers as everyone raised their glasses and drank together.
You had barely sat back down when someone suddenly shouted, "The newest department head has to drink!”
Several employees immediately agreed.
Mr. Kim chuckled as he looked at you. "That's right. It's tradition."
You laughed softly before shrugging. "Well, I guess I don't have much of a choice then.”
You grabbed the shot glass beside your plate, poured yourself a drink, and raised it into the air.
"To Kim Enterprises… again."
Laughter and cheers echoed around the restaurant as you drank the shot.
A few moments later, you excused yourself, saying that you needed to use the restroom.
As soon as you stood up, Jake nudged Jay's side. "It's your chance," he whispered. "Go talk to her.”
Jay sent him a hesitant look before eventually standing up and following after you.
You were washing your hands when you saw his reflection in the mirror.
Turning around, you raised an eyebrow.
"You came here to wash your hands too?"
Jay's eyes widened slightly.
"Uh… no." He cleared his throat. "I actually came here to…"
He looked directly at you for a second before his eyes dropped to the floor and then returned to yours. Apologizing was something he wasn't exactly used to.
After a few seconds, he finally spoke. "You see… about yesterday…"
You remained silent, simply watching him as he struggled to maintain eye contact.
"I shouldn't have said what I said."
You still didn't respond, waiting for him to continue as he took a small breath.
"I still think I was right about the proposalb though. But I was wrong about you.”
This time, he met your eyes.
"I know you care about your clients because you care about your work, and I shouldn't have made it sound like that was a weakness."
Silence filled the space between the two of you for a few seconds.
"Was that…" You tilted your head slightly. "An apology?"
Jay's eyes widened again, looking completely caught off guard by your question.
"Yes."
"Wow." The word came out much louder than you intended.
He frowned. "What?”
You couldn't help but laugh.
"Nothing." You shook your head. "I just wasn't sure you actually knew how to apologize."
The sound of your laughter made the corners of his lips lift, something you immediately noticed.
Your smile softened.
"Come on," you said, gesturing towards the door. "Let's go back before they think we ran away from the dinner."
For the first time that night, Jay let out the faintest chuckle before following after you.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
The conversations continued effortlessly as the night went on, and before you realized it, you had already lost track of how many drinks you had taken. The grilled meat was simply too good, and the soju somehow tasted better with every sip, making it hard to stop yourself from eating and drinking.
By the time Beomgyu cracked another joke, you could already feel warmth spreading across your cheeks.
From the side of the table, Jay quietly observed you while sipping from his can of soda.
You were definitely tipsy.
He could tell just by looking at you.
You were giggling much more than usual, your cheeks had turned rosy from the alcohol, and you laughed so easily now. The usual guarded look you carried around the office had completely disappeared.
As the night went on, more and more employees began leaving the restaurant until only a handful of people remained. You stayed seated, listening to Beomgyu enthusiastically talk about random topics, which somehow led to him telling a long story about his pet parrot.
Your eyes slowly drifted towards the bottle sitting beside the plate of lettuce.
Without thinking much of it, you reached for it and began pouring yourself another drink.
"You've had enough."
You blinked and looked at the hand stopping you before lifting your gaze to its owner.
It was Jay. He still wore his usual serious expression, but somehow, it looked softer tonight than the one he always had at work.
"Uh…" You stared at the bottle and let out a small hiccup. "…you're right."
You slowly put the bottle back where it belonged.
"I should probably head home then." You turned towards the person beside you. "Sunoo?"
He was slumped over the table, completely knocked out.
"He's wasted," Yunjin said as she gently shook his shoulders.
Sunoo groaned looking at Yunjin.
"Come on. Let's get going," she said once he finally opened his eyes.
You stood up from your seat when Yunjin suddenly looked at you.
"Would it be alright if you got home a little late tonight? Sunoo lives pretty far away, and we need to drop him off first before he somehow ends up sleeping on the sidewalk."
"It's oka—"
"I can drive you home."
You looked towards the voice and found both Taehyun and Jay standing there.
Jay sighed quietly and glanced at Taehyun, slightly annoyed that they had offered at the exact same time.
You looked back and forth between them, unsure of what to say.
Before you could answer, Beomgyu suddenly approached Taehyun. "Hey, man. Kai's completely out. We should get going too.” Beside him, Kai had one arm draped over Beomgyu's shoulders, his eyes closed and barely able to stand.
Taehyun looked at Kai before turning back to you and sighing. "I'm sorry. I won't be able to drive you home after all. I really wanted to, but this happened…”
"It's okay, Taehyun. Go," you said with a small smile.
He returned it and lightly brushed your arm. " Text me when you get home okay? I wanna know if you're arrived safely.”
"I will."
You watched him leave with Beomgyu and Kai before turning back around.
Jay was still standing there with both hands tucked inside his pockets. "So… does your offer still stand?"
"Of course it does," he replied, pursing his lips.
You turned towards Yunjin and explained that you'd be riding home with Jay instead. "No problem," she said.
Then she grinned. "Just try not to argue on the way.”
Before you could respond, she was already dragging a half asleep Sunoo outside.
You looked back at Jay and found him still waiting for you. "Ready?" he asked and you nodded.
Once the two of you reached the parking lot and started walking towards his car, your steps suddenly wobbled.
Before you could lose your balance, you felt someone gently grab your arm. You looked up and saw Jay.
As soon as he made sure you were steady, he slowly pulled his hand away.
"I can walk, don't worry," you slurred.
"You really can't," he said simply.
He allowed you to walk ahead while he stayed a step behind, ready to catch you if you stumbled again. He didn't try to hold onto you this time, thinking you might feel uncomfortable with it.
When the two of you reached his car, he opened the passenger door and carefully helped you inside, placing one hand above the door frame so you wouldn't accidentally bump your head.
After making sure you were comfortable, he hurried to the driver's side and started the engine.
You leaned back against the seat and looked at him. "What about Jake and Jungwon? Won't they need a ride too?”
Jay carefully backed out of the parking space before answering. "Jake drove here too. Jungwon can go with him.”
You hummed softly and turned your attention towards the window.
"So, what's your address?" he asked, his eyes never leaving the road. You told him, and he simply nodded.
As the drive continued, neither of you spoke, yet the silence that settled between you felt comfortable rather than awkward.
You had your eyes closed for most of the ride, and Jay assumed you had already fallen asleep, so he kept his focus on the road, occasionally glancing in your direction.
A few moments later, you slowly opened your eyes and watched the streetlights pass outside the window as you spoke.
"You know, you're not as scary as everyone says you are.”
Jay immediately stiffened, his fingers tightening around the steering wheel as your words sank in. "I didn't know I had a reputation.”
A soft laugh escaped your lips. "Oh, trust me, you do.”
He let out a quiet, almost amused scoff. "Well… that's unfortunate.”
ᯓ★ ݁˖
When you finally arrived at your house, Jay pulled over in front of it and turned off the engine. He looked over just as you unbuckled your seatbelt.
He stepped out first and walked around the car before opening your door and helping you out.
Neither of you said anything until you reached your front door.
"Thanks for driving me home." You looked at him and smiled, a genuine smile that reached your eyes. "And… thanks for apologizing earlier."
He gave you the slightest bit of smile before replying, “You're welcome. I'm glad we're getting along better.”
With that, he turned around and headed back to his car.
You waved at him when you were almost inside the house, and you saw him lift his hand slightly in return.
As Jay drove away, he found himself thinking about the smile you had given him and the sincerity in your voice when you thanked him.
And for some reason, that image stayed in his mind for the rest of the drive home.
──────────────────────────────
Things between you and Jay had been noticeably different ever since the night he drove you home after the company dinner. Just like he had said, the two of you were finally getting along better.
You no longer greeted each other with simple nods in the mornings. Instead, actual words were exchanged, and sometimes the two of you would even stop in the hallways to talk, not only about work but about random things as well. Discussions about projects had also become much easier since they no longer ended with the two of you arguing.
Naturally, Sunoo and Yunjin were quick to notice the sudden change between you and Jay, but you brushed off every teasing remark they made. After what happened the last time you thought you and Jay were getting along, you refused to read too much into it.
You were in the middle of replying to a client's email one afternoon when a knock sounded from your office door.
"Come in," you called out.
The door slowly opened and Taehyun peeked his head inside.
"Busy?"
"A little." You looked up from your laptop. "Why?"
He stepped inside, a few papers tucked beneath his arm.
"I need help with a campaign proposal. Apparently, Marketing needs Sales' input because we're targeting a completely new group of clients."
You closed your laptop and smiled. "So you came all the way here because you need my expertise?”
"Exactly." He grinned as he took a seat in front of your desk.
"Alright, let me see it."
You reached out and took the papers from him.
As the two of you began discussing the proposal, Taehyun eventually moved beside your desk instead of sitting across from you since you were both looking at the same document and exchanging ideas.
"What if we emphasize long term partnerships?" you suggested, resting your cheek against your palm. "I think that'll catch their attention."
"Hmm..." Taehyun nodded thoughtfully while jotting down your idea. "I actually like that."
The discussion went on for much longer than either of you expected, and before you knew it, the two of you were already talking about future slogans and possible campaign concepts.
"No, no." You shook your head while staring at the design on his laptop. "That slogan is terrible."
Taehyun looked at you in disbelief. "Terrible?" His gaze flickered from the screen back to you.
"I mean, not terrible in a bad way, it's just..." You looked at it one more time before laughing softly. "...it's cheesy."
"You have no vision."
"And you have questionable taste."
Taehyun laughed at your comment, and before long, you were laughing too.
At that exact moment, Jay happened to walk by your office. He originally came to ask you about a document, but his footsteps slowed when he heard your laughter.
Then he saw the scene through the glass walls.
Taehyun was sitting beside you, laughing while his arm rested casually on the back of your chair, and you were leaning slightly towards him with a bright smile spread across your face.
For some reason, Jay stopped walking and didn't continue to approach your office. He simply stood there, watching the two of you from afar, his feet seemingly rooted to the floor.
He had never seen you laugh like that with him.
And that realization made something uncomfortable settle heavily inside his chest.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Back in his office, Jay tried to return to work, but his fingers eventually stilled above the keyboard.
No matter what he did, he couldn't get the image of you and Taehyun laughing together out of his head.
You're just co-workers, he reminded himself. It shouldn't bother him this much. It shouldn't matter that you looked so comfortable sitting beside another man.
If anything, he should've been relieved. Things between the two of you had improved, and you no longer argued the way you used to.
So why did seeing you with Taehyun leave such an unpleasant feeling in his chest?
Why did he suddenly envy how easily the two of you seemed to get along?
And more importantly...
Why was he still thinking about it?
The sound of his office door opening pulled him out of his thoughts.
Jake stepped inside and immediately noticed him zoning out. "Man, you've been staring at that spreadsheet for the last five minutes."
Jay blinked, his eyes turning to the screen in front of him. "I'm not.”
Jake glanced at the laptop. "You haven't typed a single word. You didn't even hear me knock."
He walked over and sat in the chair across from him, a knowing smile already tugging at his lips. "Something's wrong, isn't it?"
"Nothing's wrong," Jay answered a little too quickly, pretending to type.
Jake crossed his arms. "There's definitely something wrong. You look like someone just told you our quarterly report disappeared.”
"That's because..." Jay glanced at the random letters he had typed and let out a sigh. "...it's nothing."
Jake leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk. "Okay, then tell me about this 'nothing.'”
For a few seconds, Jay remained quiet. He hesitated on whether to tell Jake about it or not since it sounds silly even to himself.
But eventually, he spoke. "I went to the Sales Department earlier."
"And?"
"She wasn't alone."
Jake nodded. "Okay... then what?"
"She was with Taehyun. They were laughing." He paused briefly before adding, "...and they looked comfortable."
A slow smile appeared on Jake's face. "No way."
Jay frowned. "What?"
Jake leaned forward even more. "You're jealous."
"What?" Jay’s eyes widened, his eyebrows raised but then he coughed slightly, "No."
"You are."
"I'm not."
"You absolutely are."
Jay stared at him in disbelief, crossing his arms at him. "I am not jealous.” Even so, his eyes shifted away for a brief second, giving him away.
Jake smirks, completely unconvinced. "Manager Song was laughing with another man and now you can't focus on your work.”
"That's not what's happening."
"Then explain why you're bothered."
Jay opened his mouth. "I..." He tried so hard to think of something, anything that could save him but no explanation came.
Jake's smile widened upon seeing Jay’s speechless reaction. "Oh my god.”
"What?"
"You like her."
Jay nearly choked. "I do not. That's ridiculous.”
"Then why didn't you like what you saw?" Jake asked, raising his eyebrows.
"I just..." He stopped himself.
Jake pointed at him. "See? You didn't like seeing her with Manager Kang because you like her.”
"No." Jay shook his head. "You're jumping to conclusions."
"Then why are we even having this conversation?"
Jay opened his mouth again, fully intending to argue back, but nothing came out.
Jake burst into laughter. "This is incredible."
Jay scoffs, narrowing his eyes at Jake. "What's incredible?"
"You." Jake grinned. "Of all people, having feelings."
"I don't have feelings."
"Sure."
"I don't."
Still laughing to himself, Jake stood up and picked up the folder he had originally come for. "Whatever helps you sleep tonight."
As he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and looked back. "Oh, and for the record?"
Jay sighed. "What?"
Jake's grin only widened. "People don't usually get jealous over someone they don't like."
Then he walked out of the office, leaving Jay sitting there in complete silence.
For a long moment, he simply stared at the closed door. Then he slowly leaned back in his chair, Jake's words replaying over and over inside his head.
Jealous? The thought alone sounded ridiculous to him. There was no way that was what he was feeling. He was simply caught off guard, that's all.
At least, that's what he kept telling himself as he stared at the closed door, unable to ignore the small voice in his head asking if Jake might actually be right.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Your work for the day had finally come to an end, and you stood in the lobby checking your bag one last time, making sure you had everything before heading home.
You didn't bring your car to work today because it was coding, which meant you had to take the subway instead. Thankfully, the station was only a five minute walk from the office.
Just as you were about to step outside, heavy rain suddenly poured from the sky, causing a few people who had already left the building to run back inside.
A small frown immediately formed on your face as you stared at the downpour.
You hadn't brought an umbrella because the weather had been bright and sunny when you left for work that morning. Apparently, the weather had other plans.
For a moment, you considered making a run for the subway station, but one look at the heels you were wearing made you quickly dismiss the idea. You also thought about asking Sunoo or Yunjin for a ride, only to remember that the two of them had already gone home.
As you continued staring at the rain with a troubled expression, a voice suddenly came from beside you.
"I can drive you home if you want."
You turned your head and saw Taehyun standing there, a small smile on his face.
"What? No, there's no need. The subway isn't even that far from here. Besides, doesn't your house go in the opposite direction from mine? It'll probably take you hours to get–”
"I have an extra umbrella." The familiar voice behind you cut your sentence short.
Turning around, you saw Jay standing there with an umbrella already extended towards you.
You hesitated for a brief moment before finally accepting it. "Thanks.”
You looked back at Taehyun. "I really appreciate the offer, Taehyun, but I think I'll just take the subway. I don't want you getting home late because of me.”
"Oh…" His eyes briefly fell to the umbrella in your hand before shifting towards Jay.
"It's okay. Honestly, I wouldn't have minded getting home late, but if you've already decided, then it's fine." He smiled, though you could still see the faint disappointment hidden behind it.
You pressed your lips together. "Okay. Just drive carefully. The roads are probably slippery because of the rain."
"Sure thing." He nodded.
As you opened the umbrella and prepared to leave, Jay suddenly spoke again.
"I'll walk you there."
You shook your head. "No need. It's only a few minutes away—"
"I insist."
You stared at him, clearly surprised by how persistent he sounded. "...Okay."
Jay then opened his own umbrella and gestured for you to start walking.
Before leaving, you looked back at Taehyun and gave him a small wave, then headed towards the direction of the subway station.
Taehyun could only watch the two of you from where he stood, a quiet sigh escaping his lips as your figures slowly disappeared into the rain.
The walk to the subway station was quiet, the only sound around you being the steady patter of raindrops against the umbrellas.
"Do you always carry an extra umbrella with you even when it's sunny?" you asked, glancing at him from the side.
He shook his head, his gaze remaining ahead. "I don't."
You furrowed your eyebrows. "Then why do you have one?"
The corners of his lips lifted slightly, as he finally turned to look at you.
"I bought it this morning."
A smile appeared on your face. "Smart move. Unlike me, who thought the sunny weather would last all day."
"I guess even the weather is unpredictable these days." Jay said, briefly looking up at the grey sky.
"Maybe the weather got that from you. You've been pretty unpredictable these days too."
He immediately looked back at you, and you couldn't help but notice the faint tint of red that appeared on his cheeks. "What?"
You laughed a his reaction. "I was kidding. You should've seen your face."
Jay glanced at you as you laughed, and for some reason, he found that he didn't mind the rain anymore. In fact, he didn't want to admit it, but he had begun enjoying moments like this.
Just the two of you, walking side by side without arguing, simply enjoying each other's company.
And that thought alone caught him completely off guard.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Earlier that morning…
Before heading into work, while he was still sitting inside his car, Jay had been checking the weather forecast on his phone like he always did.
That was when he saw it. There was a high chance of rain later that evening.
His car was still parked near the entrance of the building since he hadn't driven down to the basement parking yet.
As he looked up from his phone, he saw you walking towards the entrance, your hair slightly messy as if you had hurried your way to work.
He didn't know why you hadn't brought your car and decided to commute instead, but one thing he did know was that you'd probably be going home the same way.
Before he could even question it, he found himself driving towards the nearest convenience store instead of heading to the parking area.
Inside, he walked over to the umbrella section and picked one up.
Not because he needed it.
But because, for some reason, he wanted to have a spare one.
Just in case you didn't bring one of your own.
──────────────────────────────
The next morning, as Jay stepped inside the company building, his mind unexpectedly drifted back to yesterday's walk. He remembered your laughter, the way you had joked about him suddenly becoming unpredictable, and the smile you gave him while the two of you stood under the rain.
To his own surprise, he felt the corners of his lips lift slightly.
Then he froze.
He blinked once before lightly tapping his cheek.
Why am I smiling?
The thought alone made him straighten his expression. He quickly shook his head as if trying to rid himself of those thoughts and continued walking down the hallway, his usual serious look returning to his face.
As he passed by the Sales Department, however, his eyes unconsciously drifted towards your office.
He noticed that the seat behind your desk was empty and a small frown settled on his features before he could stop it.
Almost immediately, he snapped himself out of it and looked away, silently scolding himself as he continued towards his own office.
By lunchtime, Jay found himself sitting in the company cafeteria, two tables away from yours.
You were seated with Sunoo, Yunjin, and Taehyun, the table filled with casual conversations and laughter.
He wasn't staring. At least, that's what he told himself.
He was simply glancing in your direction every now and then while taking small bites of his sandwich, occasionally joining the conversation Jungwon was having with him.
At one point, Sunoo said something that made you burst into laughter, so much so that the spoon in your hand slipped and fell onto the table.
Jay's eyes immediately found you, and for some reason, watching you laugh like that made something warm settle in his chest.
"Ow." Jay winced when he suddenly felt someone kick him from under the table.
He glanced to the side and immediately found Jake looking at him with a knowing smirk.
"You're staring."
"I'm not." Jay denied, before taking another bite of his sandwich.
"You are. I literally just saw you smiling."
The words caught him off guard as hadn't even realized he was smiling, feeling a small sense of embarrassment crept over him.
"I wasn't."
Jake only grinned wider and leaned forward, deliberately shifting in his seat until he was blocking Jay's view of your table. "You know, you're getting really bad at denying it."
Jay looked away, pretending not to hear him, but the slight redness onto the tips of his ears didn't go unnoticed.
Jake laughs loudly at that. The sound was loud enough that it caught the attention of a few people in the cafeteria, including you.
"You're flustered? That's new." He looked at Jay as if he had just witnessed something unbelievable. "Man, in all the years we've worked together, I've never seen—"
"Just shut up," Jay cut him off quickly, his eyes darting towards your table where you were already looking in their direction. "Or I'll make you handle all the report rephrasing by yourself."
That immediately shut Jake up, and he leaned back in his chair, though the smirk on his face remained.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Later that night, Jay sat alone in his office, trying to finish the work that had been sitting in front of him the entire day. Unfortunately, no matter how many times he looked at the documents on his desk, he couldn't focus, and the fact that he couldn't concentrate because of you irritated him more than it should have.
His mind kept wandering back to different moments involving you.
He remembered seeing you asleep on your desk that night, your head resting on your folded arms while the light from your laptop illuminated your face. He remembered the genuine smile you gave him after he drove you home from the company dinner and the way you thanked him after he apologized.
Then his thoughts drifted to yesterday, when he saw Taehyun sitting beside you, close enough that your shoulders nearly touched as the two of you laughed together.
That strange, uncomfortable feeling in his chest returned once again.
Jake's words echoed inside his head as he slowly leaned back in his chair. "People don't usually get jealous over someone they don't like."
Jay stared at the laptop screen in front of him, his thoughts becoming more tangled by the second.
If Jake was right and what he felt before had really been jealousy, and if he enjoyed seeing you smile and found himself looking forward to spending time with you, then what exactly did that mean?
The answer came to him so suddenly that he almost didn't want to admit it.
His gaze slowly dropped to his desk as a quiet sigh escaped his lips, and he remained silent for a long moment, as though saying the words out loud would somehow make them real.
"I do like her."
That was when he realized that, for the first time in a very long time, a problem had appeared before him that couldn't be solved with numbers, reports, or careful planning.
And that problem... was you.
──────────────────────────────
You were standing by the employees' area, discussing the previous sales results with Yunjin, when you noticed Jay walking towards the two of you.
Turning away from Yunjin, you offered him a small smile. "Good morning, Jay."
He seemed to pause for half a second before clearing his throat. "Good morning." His eyes dropped to the papers in his hand. "These are the proposals you asked me to sign," he said, handing them over.
"And…" His gaze shifted to the coffee cup he was holding in his other hand. "Jake ordered an extra coffee and thought you might like it." He held it out to you, and as you took the cup from him, your fingers brushed slightly against his.
"Thanks," you replied. Jay simply gave a small nod before turning around almost immediately and heading toward the elevators.
The second he was out of sight, Yunjin looked at you with a puzzled expression. "Okay… what was that?"
You furrowed your eyebrows. "What do you mean?"
"Why did Manager Park bring those himself? Doesn't he usually send Jungwon or Jake whenever he needs something delivered?"
"Maybe he's just trying to be nice." You shagged, lifting the coffee and taking a sip, only to stop the moment your eyes landed on the writing on the side of the cup..
You narrowed your eyes, staring at it for a few seconds.
"Why?" Yunjin asked, leaning closer. "Did he put something weird in there?"
You shook your head slowly. "No, it's just…" Your gaze remained fixed on the cup. "It's my usual order. A hot vanilla latte."
You turned to look at her. "How would Jake know my coffee order?"
Yunjin sat back down at her desk. "I don't know. Maybe he just guessed? Vanilla lattes are pretty common."
"Maybe…" you murmured, but your eyes drifted back to the writing on the cup. Hot Vanilla Latte with an extra shot of espresso. Even the extra shot was exactly how you always ordered it.
You slowly turned the cup in your hands and noticed a name scribbled in black marker.
Ja… The rest of the letters had been smudged by a drop of coffee.
A quiet sigh escaped your lips. No, it had to be Jake who ordered it, but then why does a small part of you hoped it was Jay?
ᯓ★ ݁˖
The elevator doors were just about to close when a voice called out from the hallway. "Hold it."
Hearing that, you quickly pressed the open button, and as the doors slid apart once again, you found Jay standing outside.
"Hi." He greeted you with a small smile.
"Hello." You smiled back as he stepped inside and took the empty spot beside you.
"So, where are you headed?" he asked after a moment, watching as you pressed the button for the cafeteria floor.
"I'm going to the cafeteria. Since everyone else is busy today, I figured I'd just grab lunch and eat in my office."
You were about to ask if he was heading there as well when he spoke before you had the chance.
"How about..." He hesitated for a brief second. "...I'll join you?"
Your eyes widened slightly as you looked at him, surprised by the offer.
Judging by the expression on his face, he seemed just as surprised that those words had come out of his own mouth.
"I mean," He cleared his throat before looking away, pretending to read the company notices posted beside the elevator doors. "I don't really have anyone to eat with either, so if you don't mind, I'd like to join you."
A smile slowly spread across your face as you watched him avoid your gaze. "Of course, Jay. I'd love the company."
"Really?" He looked back at you almost immediately, genuine surprise flickering across his face before he quickly cleared his throat again, trying to regain his usual composed expression. Even so, you didn't miss the slight lift at the corner of his lips..
"Yes, Jay." You smiled and stepped out of the elevator as the doors opened. "Now come on. I'm starving."
He silently followed behind you, and once you weren't looking anymore, the smile he had been trying so hard to hide finally appeared.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
The first several minutes of lunch passed in complete silence.
The only sounds between the two of you were the chatter filling the cafeteria, the occasional clatter of utensils against plates, and the quiet hum of conversations coming from the surrounding tables.
Jay sat across from you, calmly eating his lunch, while you focused on yours, neither of you making any effort to start a conversation.
After nearly ten minutes, you finally set your fork down and took a sip of your water before deciding that the silence had gone on long enough.
"Okay..." you began, leaning back against your chair as you looked directly at him. "Tell me something I don't know."
Jay paused halfway through taking another bite, slowly lifting his eyes to meet yours. "Something you don't know?"
"Come on." You let out an impatient huff. "We decided to eat lunch together, but neither of us has said anything since we sat down. Honestly, if I knew this was how it was going to be, I would've just eaten in my office."
A small chuckle left his lips as he set his spoon down, scratching the back of his head while glancing up at the ceiling for a moment,taking the time to think of something to tell you. "Hm..."
After a few seconds, he finally spoke.
"I actually know how to cook."
"You know how to cook?" Your eyebrows lifted in surprise as you leaned forward, resting your forearms on the table. "Then why do you keep eating cafeteria food instead of bringing your own lunch?"
Jay chuckles softly. "Let's just say I don't have much time to cook before coming to work." He shrugged lightly. "But I do cook sometimes. usually when I get home."
"You do?" Curiosity made your face lit up as you found yourself wanting to know more.
He nodded while cutting another piece of meat on his plate. "Yeah." Then, almost absentmindedly, he added,
"Maybe... I could cook you a meal sometime."
Your hand paused halfway toward your fork as you stared at him, completely caught off guard by how casually those words had slipped out of his mouth.
Meanwhile, Jay remained focused on cutting his food, seemingly unaware of what had just come out of his mouth.
A nervous laugh slipped from your lips, making him glance back up.
"That..." You cleared your throat, hoping he wouldn't notice the warmth creeping onto your cheeks. "sounds nice."
Before he could say anything else, you quickly reached for your glass and decided to steer the conversation somewhere much safer.
"So," You took another sip of water before setting the glass down. "Has Accounting been busy lately? I heard..."
As you continued talking, Jay found himself paying less attention to the question you had asked and more to the way you were speaking. He had noticed how quickly you changed the subject after what he said, and he certainly didn't miss the small blush that still lingered across your cheeks, making the corners of his lips lift into a small smile.
He chose not to point it out, deciding to simply let the conversation continue as though he hadn't noticed anything at all. As long as he could sit across from you like this, sharing lunch and listening to you talk, that was more than enough for him.
──────────────────────────────
The next few days settled into a routine that neither of you had expected. Jay found himself stopping by the Sales Department more often than necessary, while you caught yourself asking him questions that easily could've been answered through email. Joint proposals, which once felt like a battlefield, had somehow become easier to handle, and the two of you now worked together with a kind of understanding that hadn't existed before.
He even started joining your table during lunch once or twice a week. Sunoo had been against the idea at first, insisting that he didn't want to spend his lunch breaks dealing with Jay's usual cold demeanor. But after watching how much Jay had changed over the past months, he slowly warmed up to the idea, eventually finding himself joining in on conversations with him over lunch.
You were glad, of course. After everything that had happened, it felt nice knowing that you and Jay were no longer the co-workers who constantly argued over every little thing.
Somewhere along the way, he'd quietly become part of your daily routine, and although you refused to think too deeply about it, you found yourself enjoying his company far more than you probably should.
Maybe that was why it felt a little strange when you arrived that morning and noticed his office sitting empty.
Maybe he got caught in traffic, you thought to yourself, brushing the feeling aside as you continued walking towards your own office.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
By lunchtime, you found yourself absentmindedly looking around the cafeteria, expecting to see Jay at his usual spot. Instead, your eyes landed on Jungwon and Jake sitting together, but the seat beside them remained empty.
Before you even realized what you were doing, you had already stood up from your chair and started walking to their table.
Jake noticed you first and lightly nudged Jungwon with his elbow. Jungwon looked up, immediately giving you his full attention as you stopped beside them.
"Hey, do either of you know where Jay is?" you asked, unconsciously fiddling with your fingers. "I haven't seen him all day."
"Oh, Manager Park?" Jungwon's eyebrows lifted slightly in realization. "He had an external meeting with some investors this morning. I don't think he'll be back until later this afternoon.”
"I see..." You nodded slowly, trying not to look as disappointed as you suddenly felt. "Thanks for letting me know. Sorry for interrupting your lunch."
"You weren't interrupting," Jungwon assured you with a small smile. "Enjoy your lunch."
"You too." You offered them one last smile before making your way back to your own table.
The moment you were out of earshot, Jake slowly turned to Jungwon with a knowing grin already spreading across his face.
"What?" Jungwon asked, looking at him in confusion.
Jake let out a quiet scoff before leaning closer. "Don't tell me you didn't notice that."
"Notice what?"
"Manager Song came all the way over here just to ask where Jay was." He wiggled his eyebrows dramatically before taking another spoonful of rice. "She missed him."
Jungwon immediately shook his head. "Or maybe she just needed to ask him something work-related."
Jake placed a hand on Jungwon's shoulder as though he were about to reveal the greatest secret in the company.
"I'm telling you, those two are catching feelings for each other." He nodded confidently. "Actually, I think they've already caught them. I'm betting they'll be dating before this month ends."
Jungwon gently pushed Jake's hand away. "You say that every single time, and you're always wrong. Remember when you were convinced Manager Kang and Manager Song were dating? That didn't happen.”
"Because I was looking at the wrong guy."
Jungwon rolled his eyes at him. "Seriously, stop trying to play matchmaker and eat your food before we end up being late because of your imagination."
Jake only pouted, completely unconvinced.
"Believe whatever you want," he said with a grin as he pointed his spoon at Jungwon. "But this time, I'm telling you, I'm right.”
Back at your table, you picked up your spoon again, trying to continue eating as if nothing had happened. But every now and then, your eyes drifted toward the cafeteria entrance, almost expecting Jay to walk through the doors.
When he never did, you quietly returned your attention to your lunch, convincing yourself that you were only wondering about the project the two of you still needed to discuss.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
The rest of the afternoon passed by with you constantly catching yourself glancing towards the Accounting Department without even realizing you were doing it. Even though you knew Jay was still attending his external meeting, your eyes continued wandering in that direction whenever you walked through the hallway or stopped by the vending machine for a drink.
When he finally returned later that afternoon, you didn't notice him at first as you were on your way to the Marketing Department. It wasn't until the faint scent of his cologne reached you, a scent you hadn't realized had become so familiar, that you instinctively turned around.
There he was, standing only a few steps away.
"Oh... hi," you greeted, offering him a small smile before immediately cringing inwardly at how nervous you had sounded.
"Hey." Jay returned the greeting with a smile of his own. "Were there any joint proposals assigned while I was away?"
Your lips, without meaning to, formed a small pout.
For some reason, you had been hoping he'd ask how your day had been instead of bringing up work the moment he saw you. The thought caught you completely off guard.
"Y/N?" His voice pulled you back to reality.
You blinked before quickly shaking your head, forcing an awkward smile despite the warmth creeping onto your cheeks.
"Right... I'm okay." You let out a nervous laugh before remembering his question. "And the proposals? No... there weren't any." You scratched the back of your head, silently praying he wouldn't notice how strangely flustered you were acting.
"That's good." He nodded once. "I'll be in my office if you need anything."
"Okay, bye." You gave him a small wave before watching him walk away.
The moment he disappeared around the corner, you rested your forehead against the nearby wall and quietly sighed.
Why am I acting like this? Is it really just because he wasn't here today?
Just as you were about to continue to Marketing, a woman you had never seen before walked past you and headed straight toward Jay's office.
Unable to ignore your curiosity, you quietly followed behind her, making sure to keep enough distance so she wouldn't notice you.
From outside the glass walls of his office, you watched the woman step inside with a bright smile. Jay immediately stood up from his chair, surprise flashing across his face before his expression softened into a smile as he welcomed her inside. After a brief greeting, they shared a quick hug before he pulled out a chair for her to sit.
Your brows slowly furrowed as you watched the scene unfold. You didn't know who she was or why Jay looked so genuinely happy to see her, but for some reason, seeing them together made something inside you twist in a way you couldn't quite explain.
Not wanting to watch any longer, you quietly turned away and continued walking toward the Marketing Department instead.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
"Here's the files you asked to borrow." You placed the folder on Taehyun's desk before he looked up and smiled.
"Thanks."
You simply nodded before turning toward the door, but his voice stopped you before you could leave. "Wait."
You looked back over your shoulder. "What?"
Taehyun tilted his head with an small smile.
"No random stories today?" he teased. "You always end up telling me something whenever you stop by."
You sighed before shrugging. "I guess I don't really have one today."
His smile faded slightly as he studied your expression more carefully. "Hold on." He stood up from his chair and walked over until he was standing in front of you.
"Is everything alright?" he asked gently. "Did I do something wrong?"
Your expression softened almost immediately at his question. "No. Of course not." You shook your head. "It's just... today hasn't exactly been a good day."
Relief washed over his face before he smiled again. "If it isn't because of me..." he said softly. "Would you like to tell me about it?"
You hesitated for a moment, unsure why you even felt like telling him in the first place. But the patience and understanding in his eyes somehow made the words come naturally. "Fine.”
"Jay wasn't here the whole day because of an investor meeting." You added.
Taehyun nodded for you to continue.
"He came back a little while ago and we talked for a bit." You looked down at the floor. "Then after he went back to his office... a woman came to see him."
You swallowed before continuing, your voice growing quieter with every word. "They hugged... and they looked really close."
You tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear, avoiding Taehyun's eyes as you admitted almost in a whisper, "It bothered me.”
A knowing smile appeared on Taehyun's face. "Can I ask you something?" You looked at him in confusion before giving a small nod.
"If..." He briefly looked away before meeting your eyes again.
"If that had been me instead, if I had been the one meeting another woman and looked happy to see her..."
He paused.
"Would you have felt the same way?"
Your eyes widened at his question, and you quickly looked away with an awkward laugh. "That's... kind of a strange question.”
"So?" He asked, waiting patiently.
"I don't know..." you admitted honestly, your eyes drifting to the floor as you searched for an answer. "I don't think I would've reacted like this.”
You frowned to yourself, the confusion evident on your face. "I know I shouldn't be feeling this way about anyone..." Your voice grew more quiet, "...so why do I?”
Silence settled between the two of you, making you wonder if you had said something wrong. But after a few moments, Taehyun smiled, warm and gentle, though it never quite reached his eyes.
"It's because you like him.”
Your head immediately shot up as you shook it without hesitation. "What? Of course not." You let out a small scoff, still refusing to believe what he was implying.
"We're just coworkers. We used to argue all the time, and he was impossible to work with. Maybe he was just different back then, and—”
"...And yet you're smiling while talking about him." Taehyun said, finishing the sentence for you.
Your words slowly trailed off as you unconsciously reached up to touch your lips, only then realizing that you really had been smiling the entire time. The realization hit you all at once, making your eyes widen in embarrassment.
"Oh my gosh..." You quickly covered your face with both hands and turned away from him, groaning. "This is so embarrassing," you mumbled behind your hands. " But… I think you're right.”
A soft chuckle came from Taehyun as he stepped closer to you, gently lowering your hands away from your face.
He smiled reassuringly before speaking. "Don't be embarrassed. There's nothing embarrassing about having feelings for someone.”
You slowly looked back at him, your expression softening as a genuine smile finally found its way back onto your face. "Thank you, Taehyun. If you hadn't pointed it out..." You chuckled, shaking your head to yourself. "I probably would've kept pretending.”
"I'm just glad I could help." He lightly patted your shoulder, making the feeling of the weight on your shoulders finally begin to disappear.
"I should probably get back," you said with a small smile. "Sunoo's probably wondering where I disappeared to."
Taehyun smiles back. "Yeah... you probably should."
You gave him one last smile before leaving his office, the door clicking shut softly behind you.
Taehyun remained standing where he was, his eyes lingering on the closed door long after you'd disappeared from sight. A small smile slowly found its way onto his lips. It wasn't bitter, nor was it angry. It was just... sad.
"Ah..." He breathed out, lowering his gaze. "I was too late.”
After standing there for another moment, he finally made his way back to his desk and lowered himself into his chair, his thoughts inevitably drifting toward Jay.
"I just hope you realize..." he murmured quietly to himself. "...just how lucky you are.”
──────────────────────────────
Ever since you'd accepted your feelings for Jay, being around him had become strangely nerve-racking. Every time he walked into your office to hand over documents or discuss the joint proposal the two of you had been working on, you found yourself avoiding his gaze without even realizing it. Instead of looking at him while he spoke, your attention stayed fixed on the papers spread across your desk or the laptop in front of you, hoping he wouldn't notice how flustered you became whenever your eyes met.
Just like today, you were busy scanning through the proposal when Jay broke the silence. "The meeting with the client is at two this afternoon, so we'll be leaving in about an hour."
"Okay." You replied absentmindedly, your eyes still moving across the page before his words finally registered. "Wait, an hour?" You looked up at him in surprise.
"Yeah." He frowned slightly. "Didn't I tell you that yesterday?"
"Yesterday?" You repeated before your expression shifted in realization. "Right... right, I'm sorry. I must've forgotten. I've just had a lot on my mind lately." You offered him an awkward smile before quickly lowering your gaze back to the proposal. "But yes, I'll meet you there."
"Alright..." Jay answered, though there was a hint of uncertainty in his voice. He lingered by the doorway for another second, quietly hoping you'd look up at him again. But when your attention remained on the papers in front of you, he let out a barely audible sigh before turning around and leaving your office.
Back inside the Accounting Department, Jay began organizing the documents he needed for the client meeting. Just as he was about to slide the papers into a fastener, his grip slipped, sending the entire stack scattering across the floor.
"Shit," he muttered under his breath in annoyance as he crouched down, gathering the papers one by one.
The door opened just then, and Jake walked in carrying another folder. The moment he saw Jay surrounded by scattered documents, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow before kneeling down to help him.
"Whoa." Jake chuckled as he stacked the papers neatly against the desk before handing them back. "Easy there."
Jay accepted them with a quiet "Thanks," carefully placing them back inside the folder.
Jake studied him for a moment before crossing his arms. "You seem off today. What's going on?"
"It's nothing." Jay leaned back in his chair with a sigh, rubbing a hand over his face. "I'm just tired."
"Tired?" Jake repeated skeptically.
He laughs shortly before shaking his head. "With all due respect, that's complete bullshit. I've known you for years, Jay. You don't lose your composure easily just because you're tired. You're probably the most hardworking person I know." He pointed a finger at him. "So either you tell me what's actually bothering you... or I'll ask Jungwon."
Jay looked at him with immediate disbelief. "No, you're absolutely not telling him."
"You know exactly how Jungwon is. Once he gets curious about something, he won't stop until he figures it out, and he'll do just about anything to get an answer." He added.
"Exactly." Jake shrugged. "Which is why it's much easier if you tell me instead."
Jay stared at him for a few moments before finally giving in with a long sigh. "Fine."
He rolled his eyes before quietly admitting, "I'm just... tired because she doesn't look at me the same way anymore."
Jake narrows his eyes before snorting, preventing himself from laughing. "Her?" He tilted his head knowingly. "You mean Manager Song?"
Jay only nodded, his gaze dropping to the floor again. "I've noticed it since last week." His voice had become noticeably quieter. "She barely looks at me whenever we're talking now. Every time I go to her office, she keeps her eyes on her laptop or the documents instead of me. It almost feels like she's avoiding me."
He paused for a brief moment before continuing. "I don't know if I did something wrong... but I don't want things to stay like this."
The teasing look slowly disappeared from Jake's face, replaced by a softer, more understanding expression. Seeing someone as composed as Jay openly admit something like this wasn't something that happened every day.
"Hey." He reached over and lightly patted Jay's shoulder. "Maybe she has her reasons."
Jay looked up at him almost immediately.
"Reasons?" His brows furrowed. "Do you think she hates me? Or..." He hesitated before the thoughts came spilling out one after another. "Do you think she's avoiding me because she and Taehyun are dating? Or maybe I made her uncomfortable somehow, and she just doesn't want to tell me—"
"Jay." Jake laughed, cutting him off before he could spiral any further. "Relax."
He shook his head with a playful smile. "I seriously don't think it's any of those reasons. If you're that bothered by it..." He shrugged casually. "Why don't you just ask her?"
"Ask her?" Jay repeated, his eyes widening as though Jake had suggested something impossible.
"No. Absolutely not."
"Oh, come on." Jake laughed. "It's better than sitting here looking miserable for the next few days."
Jay shot him an unimpressed glare before letting out another defeated sigh. "Fine." He muttered. "I'll ask her after the meeting."
"But if she ends up avoiding me even more because of this, I'm blaming you. and you're working overtime for the rest of the week."
Jake grins. "Whatever you say." He gave him a playful wink before picking up his folder again. "Now go. I've got a feeling you won't be disappointed when you come back.”
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Just like your recent joint meetings, everything went smoothly. The two of you didn't argue once, agreed on every major point, and presented the proposal so naturally that it almost felt as though you'd been working together for years.
"Good job today," Jay commented as the two of you stepped out of the client's building, his hands tucked inside his pockets.
"Thanks." You smiled as you pulled out your phone to check the tasks waiting for you once you returned to the office. "You did great too."
"There you go again."
Your thumb stopped midway across the screen as you looked up at him. "What?"
Jay sighs, before running a hand through his hair, his eyes remaining fixed on yours.
"You're avoiding me again." His voice was calm, though there was a hint of hurt beneath it. "Don't think I haven't noticed."
"Jay, I..." You parted your lips, only for the words to disappear before they could come out. How were you supposed to explain that the reason you couldn't look him in the eye anymore was because you'd started having feelings for him?
He shook his head gently. "No, let me explain first."
There was something almost pleading in his voice that made you nod immediately, waiting for him to continue.
He looked away for a brief moment before speaking again.
"For the past week, you've barely looked at me whenever we're talking. Every time I stop by your office, your eyes are always on your laptop or the papers in front of you. I didn't know if I'd done something wrong, but if I did, I'd rather you tell me."
His gaze slowly found yours again.
"I've negotiated with investors worth millions and presented proposals in front of rooms full of executives..." He shook his head with a helpless smile. "...and somehow this is the hardest conversation I've ever had."
"Because honestly..." He let out another dry laugh. "...I don't think I can stand another day of you ignoring me."
Your heart skipped a beat, and the guilt that settled in your chest softened your expression almost instantly. "You didn't do anything wrong, Jay.”
Without thinking, you took a small step closer before gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry if I made you feel that way." You gave him a reassuring smile.
"I promise, I'll stop avoiding your eyes."
Almost immediately, the tension eased from Jay's shoulders as a relieved smile slowly spread across his face.
He looked at you as though a weight had been lifted off him, and before he could stop himself, the words slipped out. "I couldn't imagine the person I like ignoring me for much longer."
The smile on your face slowly faded, your eyes widening as you stared at him in disbelief. "...What?" you asked quietly.
Jay immediately froze, the realization of what he had just said finally sinking in. His eyes widened, and he rubbed the back of his neck as a faint blush quickly spread across his cheeks. "Wait..." he began, letting out a nervous laugh. "I... I didn't mean to say it like..." His voice trailed off.
A heavy silence settled between the two of you as Jay lowered his gaze, a slow breath escaping his lips while he gathered the courage to say what he had been trying so hard to keep to himself.
For a brief moment, Jay looked as though he was debating whether to laugh it off or finally tell you the truth. In the end, he simply shook his head before continuing.
"No." He took a small step back, giving you enough space in case his confession had made you uncomfortable. "You heard me correctly.”
When he looked at you again, the nervousness was still evident on his face, but the hesitation that had been there moments ago had completely disappeared. "I like you, Y/N.”
"At first, I thought I just enjoyed working with you," he admitted with a small smile. "But somewhere along the way..." He lowered his gaze for a brief moment before meeting your eyes again. "...I stopped looking forward to successful meetings and started looking forward to spending time with you instead.”
He rubbed the back of his neck once more, his smile turning sheepish. "I'm sorry for telling it to you like this. I know this probably makes things uncomfortable between us, so... you can head back to the car first if you don't want to be around me right now.”
You could only stare at him, your heart pounding so loudly against your chest that it almost drowned out every other sound around you. For a few seconds, you simply stood there, trying to process everything he had just confessed.
Then, without meaning to, a laugh escaped your lips.
Jay blinked, and the nervousness on his face only deepened. "W-Was that..." he asked quietly, searching your expression. "...the wrong thing to say?”
You immediately shook your head, a smile spreading across your face before you even realized it. "No." Taking a small step closer, you looked into his eyes. "It's because I like you too.”
Jay didn't say anything after that as it was his turn to simply stare at you. He genuinely wasn't expecting you to like him back. But after those words came out of your mouth, he was left completely speechless.
"Y– you do?”
He remained frozen for another second before letting out a disbelieving laugh and tipping his head back slightly.
The widest smile you had ever seen from him slowly spread across his face, and when he looked at you again, he still wore that same expression as if he couldn't quite believe this was actually happening.
"So..." He cleared his throat, suddenly looking just as shy as you. "Would you like to have dinner with me this weekend?”
Your answer came without a second of hesitation. "Only if you're the one cooking."
Jay laughs lightly, his eyes never leaving yours as the smile on his face softened. "Deal.”
──────────────────────────────
That Saturday evening, Jay had been busy ever since he woke up. He had spent the last hour preparing the ingredients in the kitchen, setting the dining table, and checking the clock on the wall far more times than he cared to admit. Everything was already prepared, yet the nervousness sitting in his chest refused to settle.
He let out a quiet breath and glanced at the clock once more, before hearing the doorbell ring.
Jay immediately froze and made his way towards the front door. He paused for a brief second, taking a deep breath to compose himself then finally opening it.
The moment the door swung open, you were greeted by the sight of Jay smiling back at you.
"Hi," you greeted warmly.
"Hi," he replied with a smile of his own as he stepped aside, opening the door wider to let you in.
As you walked past him, the first thing you noticed wasn't the place.
It was him.
For the first time since you'd met him, Jay wasn't wearing his usual office attire. Instead, he had on a cream-colored button-up shirt with the first two buttons left undone, neatly paired with white trousers, a black woven belt, and the Tag Heuer watch resting on his left wrist. The outfit looked effortlessly elegant, making him seem far too handsome for what was supposed to be a simple dinner date at home.
He quietly locked the door behind you before turning back in your direction.
"You look beautiful," he said, the compliment slipping out more naturally than he had expected. Even so, you still caught the faint shade of red creeping up his ears.
A cheeky smile immediately spread across your face. "Thanks... but that's unfair."
Jay tilted his head slightly, studying your expression. "What is?"
"You can't just say something like that before the date has even started." You shook your head with a laugh before looking him up and down. "Especially when you look this handsome yourself."
A small smile tugged at the corner of Jay's lips.
"Why not?" he asked, a playful glint appearing in his eyes as he watched you grow flustered.
You immediately looked away, trying to hide the warmth spreading across your cheeks. "Because now I'm the nervous one."
He chuckles softly at your reply. "Well..." he said, gesturing for you to follow him farther inside. "...that's good."
You looked at him in disbelief before laughing, shaking your head as you followed him into the living room.
The moment you stepped inside, your eyes widened.
The place looked straight out of a movie.
The high ceilings made the space feel even larger, while the floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooked the city's skyline, where countless lights shimmered against the evening sky. Everything from the carefully arranged furniture to the modern décor looked elegant without feeling excessive. There was also a massive television mounted across the room which added to the luxurious atmosphere.
"Wow." Your gaze wandered around the penthouse, taking in every little detail before finally turning back to Jay, who had already made his way to the kitchen.
"You actually live in a penthouse?"
Jay gave a small shrug as he opened the wine cellar and pulled out a bottle.
"Not exactly," he explained. "My dad bought this place so he'd have somewhere to stay whenever work brought him back here. But since both my parents are overseas right now..." He glanced at you with a small smile. "...they let me stay here."
You nodded slowly before looking around the living room one more time.
"So..." You folded your arms with an amused smile. "...this is where the terrifying Head of Accounting lives."
A quiet scoff came from Jay behind you, making you turn around with a grin. "Terrifying?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow. You only laughed before nodding. "Yeah.”
Jay shook his head while you laughed at his reaction, and for the first time since you arrived, the last traces of nervousness between the two of you quietly melted away.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
"So..." You rested your elbows lightly against the kitchen counter. "What are you cooking tonight?"
Jay glanced up at you while taking the lamb out of its packaging. "Lamb chops with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables on the side," he answered before turning on the electric grill.
A smile immediately spread across your face. "That sounds delicious. Have you made it before?"
He paused for a moment as he washed his hands, thinking about it. "Hm..." His eyes drifted back to you. "Once, I think. When my friends and I had a trip to Australia."
You nodded with an approving smile. "Great. I already know it's going to taste good."
He chuckles quietly, shaking his head. "Don't expect too much," he said. "I'm not exactly that good at cooking."
You tilted your head with a playful smile. "But you can cook," you said with a small shrug. "And that's already a major green flag for me.”
Jay didn't respond, choosing to look back down at the grill instead. He acted as though all of his attention was on the lamb, but the small smile playing on his lips gave him away.
As Jay continued cooking, you found yourself quietly watching him from across the counter. His brows were a bit raised in concentration, a small pout forming on his lips every now and then as he carefully turned the meat over the grill.
It was such a simple sight, yet you couldn't look away.
You had only ever known the composed and intimidating Head of Accounting who always seemed serious at work. Seeing this side of him, comfortable in his own home, quietly cooking dinner while trying his best to make everything perfect, felt strangely endearing.
Without realizing it, your smile widened. Seeing him like this made you realize you were only falling for him a little more.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
It was finally time to eat.
Jay walked over to your chair and gently pulled it out for you. Even though you weren't in a restaurant and there was no one around to witness it, he still insisted on acting like a gentleman.
"Thanks," you said with a smile before taking your seat.
He nodded before walking around the table to sit across from you.
After settling down, Jay removed the lids covering the dishes, revealing the dinner he had spent the evening preparing. The plating wasn't anything extravagant like those served in fancy restaurants, but it was obvious he had put genuine effort into making everything look nice.
Your eyes lit up almost immediately. "Wow, these look amazing."
A small smile appeared on Jay's face as he carefully placed your plate in front of you.
Then he reached for the bottle of wine he had taken out earlier, uncorked it, and poured some into both of your glasses before setting the bottle aside.
"Bon appétit," he said with a tiny smirk, lifting his glass for a quick sip before picking up his utensils.
Unable to hide your excitement, you immediately cut into one of the lamb chops and took a bite. The moment you tasted it, your eyes widened in surprise.
"Oh my gosh..." you breathed, looking up at Jay. "This is so good. I'm serious." Before he could even respond, you had already taken another bite.
Jay couldn't help but smile at you.
Instead of eating his own meal, he simply watched your reaction, patiently waiting to see whether all the effort he'd put into dinner had been worth it.
Then he reached for the barbecue sauce beside him, as he lightly drizzled some over the piece of lamb resting on your fork.
"Here," he said. "Try it with this. Trust me."
You nodded and took another bite, your eyes widening once again as the flavor settled on your tongue. "It really is even better," you said with a laugh, shaking your head in disbelief. "I can't believe you actually made this.”
Seeing your genuine reaction, Jay finally let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
"I'm glad you like it," he admitted. "I was worried I'd ruin it."
Only then did he finally begin eating his own dinner, a satisfied smile lingering on his face after seeing how much you were enjoying the meal.
The atmosphere between the two of you remained light and comfortable. Even though you were simply sharing dinner at his place, everything about the evening felt special. Jay had gone out of his way to make your first date memorable, carefully setting the table with a candle at its center while the softly dimmed lights gave the room a warm, inviting feel.
Soft jazz music drifted through the living room from the nearby speakers, filling the quiet spaces between your conversations and making the evening feel almost as though the two of you had stepped into a small restaurant instead of his penthouse.
After enjoying the comfortable silence for a few moments, you finally looked up at him. "Can I ask you something?"
Jay immediately set his utensils down, giving you his full attention. "Of course."
You hesitated for a second before smiling. "It's about the coffee you gave me that morning."
He waited for you to continue.
"Was Jake really the one who ordered it?"
Jay froze for a split second before a knowing smile slowly appeared on his face.
"No," he admitted, looking at you with an almost sheepish expression. "I did."
Your breath hitched at his confession. Even though you had already suspected the truth, hearing him admit it himself somehow made your heart race all over again.
A smile slowly spread across your face as you stared at him lovingly. "I knew it. Only you would remember my coffee order.”
"And the umbrella?" you asked, unable to hide your curiosity any longer. "You bought that too, didn't you?"
His smile never faded, though he looked down, more shy than before. "Yeah."
He rubbed the back of his neck before continuing. "I checked the weather forecast that morning before heading to work." A quiet laugh slipped from his lips. "When I saw there was a high chance of rain, I stopped by a convenience store and bought an extra umbrella."
His eyes slowly lifted to meet yours again. "Since I thought you might need one."
For a moment, you simply looked at him, your heart quietly swelling at the thought of everything he'd done without expecting anything in return.
Then, a gentle smile slowly found its way onto your lips. "That's actually really sweet.”
ᯓ★ ݁˖
After dinner, the two of you cleaned the table together, carrying the empty plates and glasses into the kitchen. You offered to help wash the dishes, but Jay immediately refused, saying that he’d do them later instead.
A few moments later, Jay opened the refrigerator and pulled out a tub of chocolate ice cream. "Still have room for dessert?"
Somehow, the two of you ended up sitting on the outdoor couch by his balcony, each holding a bowl of ice cream as the cool evening breeze drifted past. The city lights stretched endlessly before you, illuminating the skyline while the soft jazz music playing inside the penthouse carried all the way outside, adding to the peaceful atmosphere.
Sitting side by side, your shoulders brushed against each other every now and then, neither of you making any effort to move away.
The conversation came easily, drifting from stories about work to childhood memories and everything in between. At one point, Jay brought up something Jake had done at the office, earning a laugh from you louder than either of you expected.
As your laughter slowly faded, you remembered something. "There was actually one more thing I wanted to ask you tonight."
Jay turned slightly to face you, immediately giving you his full attention. "Sure," he said. "Anything."
You hesitated, absentmindedly stirring your spoon through the melting ice cream. "The day you came back from that external meeting..." Your voice grew more quiet. "I saw someone walk into your office."
Jay frowned slightly, a puzzled look crossing his face. "Someone?" he asked.
You nodded before quietly answering, "A woman." The confusion on his face only deepened.
"What woman?” He asked.
You let out a small, awkward laugh as you glanced away. "The one you... hugged."
Recognition immediately flashed across his face. "Oh." He chuckled to himself before shaking his head. "That was my cousin. She works overseas, and she had just come back to Korea. It had been over a year since I last saw her."
The explanation made the knot in your chest loosen almost instantly. You hadn't realized the relief on your face until you looked back at him and found him smiling. His eyes softened with amusement, the corners crinkling as he tilted his head ever so slightly.
"Don't tell me..." he teased, a quiet laugh escaping him. "...you were jealous?"
Your eyes widened, and you quickly denied it. "N-No." The answer came a little too fast, and the warmth spreading across your cheeks gave you away before you could say anything else.
Jay only laughed softly, his shoulder brushing yours in a light, playful nudge.
"You know..." he teased. "It's okay to admit it."
You let out an embarrassed laugh before shaking your head. "Fine. Maybe I was, but only a little."
You took another spoonful of ice cream, pretending to focus on the city lights instead of the butterflies fluttering inside your chest.
A few seconds passed before Jay spoke again. "You've got something..." he murmured, pointing toward the corner of your lips.
Seeing your confused expression, Jay sighed softly before his hand moved almost on instinct.
His thumb gently brushed against the corner of your lips, wiping away the small streak of chocolate syrup you hadn't noticed.
His touch lasted only a second, yet somehow it was enough to make your heart race.
Jay quickly pulled his hand back, suddenly looking just as flustered as you felt. "Sorry," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "You had a little chocolate there."
You smiled, still feeling the warmth of where his fingers had brushed against your skin.
"It's alright," you murmured.
Neither of you spoke after that. The silence between you wasn't awkward, only calm, as the city lights shimmered in the distance and the cool evening breeze drifted past. Without realizing it, the two of you had been staring at each other for far longer than either of you intended.
You waited for him to say something.
He looked like he wanted to.
"I should..."
"Can I kiss you?" The words left his mouth before he even had the chance to think them through.
Jay's eyes widened in an instant ,as he let out an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean..." He looked away, already regretting blurting it out. "It's our first date, and I know that might be too soon. You don't have to say yes. I just..." He sighed, growing more flustered with every passing second. "I've wanted to kiss you ever since tonight started, and I know I probably shouldn't have said that out loud. I'm sorry, I just couldn't stop thinking about—”
"Jay."
He stopped talking at once.
"W-What is it?" he asked quietly. "I know I messed up. I promise I wasn't trying to pressure you into anything. I just—"
"Jay." This time your voice was softer.
His eyes slowly found yours again as a small smile appeared on your lips. “It's okay."
You leaned in just a little closer. "Now come here before I change my mind."
For a few seconds, Jay simply stared at you, looking completely caught off guard. Then a smile slowly spread across his face, brighter than any you'd ever seen from him.
He moved closer until only a breath separated the two of you before gently pressing his lips against yours.
The kiss was slow and hesitant at first, as though he was still making sure this was really happening. When you kissed him back, the uncertainty faded.
His hand found your cheek before slowly sliding down to rest against your waist, pulling you just a little closer as the kiss deepened naturally.
The kiss wasn't rushed or perfect, but somehow it felt exactly right. Somewhere along the way, the spoon slipped from your hand onto the balcony floor, neither of you noticing.
Your fingers found the front of his shirt, lightly gripping the fabric as the cool evening breeze drifted between the two of you. The city lights blurred into nothing more than colors in the distance, and before long, everything else seemed to fade away.
All you could think about was him.
When the kiss finally came to an end, Jay rested his forehead gently against yours. The two of you stayed like that for a moment, smiling quietly as you caught your breath.
"I've wanted to do that for a while now," he admitted with a soft laugh.
You smiled back, unable to believe this was the same intimidating Head of Accounting everyone in the office used to be afraid of.
After a few moments, Jay slowly pulled back just enough to look at you, though his hands never left your waist. He cleared his throat, suddenly looking nervous again before speaking.
"There's... one more thing."
You waited quietly, watching as he briefly looked away before meeting your eyes again.
"Will you be my girlfriend?”
A shy smile appeared on his face as he let out a quiet, nervous laugh. "I know it might seem a little sudden," he admitted. "But after tonight..." His gaze softened as it lingered on yours. "...I don't want you leaving here tonight as just my co-worker.”
You couldn't help but smile. It was the first time you'd ever seen Jay this flustered, and somehow, it only made him even more endearing.
"I'd be more than happy to be your girlfriend, Jay."
Relief immediately washed over his face before a bright smile slowly spread across his lips. Without another word, he pulled you into a gentle hug, holding you as though he never wanted to let go.
"Thank you," he whispered against your hair, his voice quiet but full of sincerity. "I really mean it.”
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Monday arrived before either of you knew it, and you were already seated at your desk, arranging the proposals that had been signed the previous week.
The sound of your office door opening caught your attention just as you reached into the drawer beside your desk. Looking up, you saw Jay walking in, a cup of coffee in one hand and a smile on his face that you'd never seen him wear inside your office before.
"Hey," he greeted, making his way over before setting the coffee down in front of you.
A smile immediately found its way onto your lips as your eyes landed on the cup. "My usual order?"
"Of course," he replied with a small chuckle. "I wasn't about to get that wrong."
You laughed softly before thanking him, and just like that, the two of you slipped into an easy conversation as Jay asked about your schedule for the day.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Outside your office, a few pairs of curious eyes had already noticed the interaction.
"Look at them," Sunoo whispered, narrowing his eyes as he watched Jay standing comfortably beside your desk. "They're laughing now, and he's bringing her coffee like some personal assistant."
He glanced at Yunjin with suspicion. "Do you think they're dating?"
Yunjin clicked her tongue before nodding. "Could be. They even arrived at work together this morning, and I've never seen them do that before."
"You're both late to figure it out."
The voice from behind made Sunoo jump, causing him to let out a startled yelp as he turned around.
"You guys scared me," he complained, placing a hand over his chest while glaring at Jungwon and Jake, who had somehow appeared behind them without anyone noticing.
Jake only grinned, clearly pleased with himself. "It's pretty obvious that they're dating." He folded his arms proudly before looking at Jungwon. "Didn't I tell you that was going to happen?”
Jungwon sighed, though there was a small smile on his face. "You did."
Jake smirked even wider, looking as though he'd just won a bet.
Just then, Taehyun walked over and found the four of them gathered outside the office, all staring in the same direction.
"You know..." he said with an amused smile, following their gaze towards you and Jay. "...you probably shouldn't be spying on your managers."
Sunoo scratched the back of his head sheepishly before giving a small bow. "Right. Sorry, Manager Kang."
He gently nudged Yunjin, and before long, Jungwon and Jake followed after them, leaving the hallway quiet once more.
Taehyun remained where he was for another moment, his eyes drifting to your office. Through the glass, he could see the two of you smiling at each other without even realizing it.
He smiled to himself, still watching you two. "They figured it out already."
pairing: accounting manager!jay x sales manager!reader
as the newly appointed head of sales, you thought your biggest challenge would be adjusting to a new workplace and leading an unfamiliar team. what you didn't expect was that the real challenge would be getting along with the head of accounting, jay.
You were running towards the lobby of the company, your blazer draped over your right arm and your bag slung over the other as you rushed through the hallways. It had only been three days since you were hired as the new Head of Sales, and you couldn't afford to be late during your first week on the job.
Glancing down at your phone, you failed to notice someone walking towards you until you suddenly felt a cold liquid seep through your blouse. The rich scent of coffee hits your nose, making you gasp.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry."
The voice made you look up.
A guy with brown hair and big, doe-like eyes stared back at you, his face filled with guilt. He quickly pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and awkwardly held it out, seemingly too hesitant to wipe the stain himself.
You stood there for a moment, too shocked to react.
After a few seconds of zoning out, you finally came back to your senses and accepted the handkerchief, gently dabbing at the side of your blouse. Though it did little to remove the stain, you still appreciated that he had offered to help.
"I'm really sorry. Do you want me to get you a replacement for that?" he asked again, his apologetic expression never leaving his face.
"It's okay. I can just cover it up with my blazer. The stain's only on the side," you replied. Even though changing into a clean blouse would've been the better option, you decided against it. You were already running late.
The guy nodded, though the look on his face made it obvious he wasn't entirely convinced. "By the way, what's your name? I think this is the first time I've seen you here."
You glanced at your watch before looking back at him. You were late anyway, so you might as well get to know one of the people you would be working with.
"It's Song Y/N. I just started working here three days ago as the new Head of Sales." You extended your hand towards him.
He smiled warmly as he shook it.
"It's nice to meet you, Y/N. Welcome to Kim Enterprises. I'm Kang Taehyun, the Head of Marketing." After letting go of your hand, he added, "You can keep the handkerchief. It's the least I can do after spilling coffee on you."
"Sure, thanks. I should get going, but I hope to see you again next time." You let out a small laugh. "Just... preferably not under these circumstances."
With that, you practically sprinted towards the elevator, leaving Taehyun standing where he was. He simply watched you disappear through the closing elevator doors, a small amused smile lingering on his lips.
──────────────────────────────
The printers continuously hummed throughout the printing room as the intern hurriedly printed the files his boss had instructed him to copy. The documents were needed before the meeting, which was set to begin in exactly ten minutes, leaving him with little time to spare.
Jay stepped into the printing room, his gaze falling on the intern as he frantically gathered the freshly printed papers and arranged them into neat stacks on the table beside him. The intern was so occupied with finishing his task that he didn't even notice Jay entering the room.
Once everything was in order, the intern turned around and was startled to find Jay standing there. He gave him a quick, polite nod before immediately rushing out of the room.
Making his way towards the printer, Jay was about to print his own documents when something beside the machine caught his attention. An ID had been left behind.
He picked it up, instantly recognizing that it belonged to the intern from earlier. Without wasting another second, he headed towards the door, his eyes searching the area for any sign of him. When he couldn't find the intern nearby, he continued to walk to the hallway leading to the elevators, hoping he hadn't already left.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
You entered the printing room, connecting your phone’s bluetooth to the printer before opening the file you needed to print. After sending the document, the printer immediately began its job, and you patiently stood beside it as the pages slowly came out.
A few moments later, Jay returned to the printing room with the forgotten ID still in his hand. He hadn't been able to catch up with the intern, and now someone else had already occupied the printer before he got the chance to use it.
Just as the final page was about to print, the machine suddenly stopped working. A message reading "Error Printing" flashed across the screen, causing you to panic almost instantly.
Without thinking, you quickly pressed what you assumed was the stop button, unaware that it was actually a different button. Instead of fixing the problem, it caused the printer to malfunction even further, continuously feeding out sheet after sheet of paper.
Standing behind you, Jay watched as you repeatedly pressed different buttons in an attempt to stop the machine. His patience quickly wore thin. Since he also needed to print his documents as soon as possible, he finally stepped forward and pressed the correct stop button, the one on the left that you had overlooked in your panic.
The printer immediately came to a stop.
You let out a quiet sigh of relief before turning towards the person who had helped you. Just as you were about to thank him, he spoke before you could even say a word.
"Done?"
"I..." you started, only for him to interrupt you once again.
"I mean, are you done printing? I need to use it."
His brows were knitted together, and the irritation in his voice was impossible to miss.
You wanted to explain that there was still one page left to print, but after seeing the expression on his face and the impatience written all over it, you decided it would be easier to lie.
"Yes, I'm done. You can have your turn."
As you stepped aside, your gaze fell on the ID he was holding, noticing the word Intern printed beneath it. You couldn't help but assume that perhaps he had been acting so harshly because he was only an intern who was being rushed around by his boss.
"Well, thanks for the help, Intern."
Jay's gaze flickered to the ID in his hand before settling back on you. He could have corrected you then and there, but he chose not to.
Then, unaware of your mistake, you turned towards the door and began walking away.
"If you're not familiar with something, take the time to learn." His voice, still carrying the same irritation as before, stopped you in your tracks.
You slowly turned back to face him.
"It makes work easier for everyone," he added.
You bit back the urge to tell him that not everyone knew how every printer worked on their third day. Instead, you simply smiled politely and left the printing room.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Back in your office, you were greeted by your two junior subordinates, Sunoo and Yunjin. Yunjin had been wearing a bright smile, but it quickly faded the moment she noticed the annoyed expression on your face.
"What's wrong?"
You let out a deep sigh as you settled into your office chair. "I just met an intern back in the printing room, and I'm telling you, he was unbelievably rude. I didn't even get to finish printing my document because of him."
Sunoo furrowed his brows. "That's unusual. Interns don't normally act like that, especially when they're talking to one of the department heads."
"Well, apparently this one doesn't care at all."
Shaking your head, you turned your attention towards him. "Anyway, have you already collected all the signatures for the proposal I asked you to handle?"
The moment the task was brought up, Sunoo visibly stiffened. "I... uh... I did."
You tilted your head. "But?"
Even after working together for only three days, you had already become familiar with your team's habits. Sunoo only hesitated like that whenever something had gone wrong.
"I managed to get everyone's signature except for the Head of Accounting's." He scratched the back of his neck, avoiding your gaze.
"And why is that?"
"I tried asking him once, but he declined because he was in a meeting. Then yesterday, I was going to ask him again..." He let out an awkward laugh. "...but I got scared and couldn't do it. You know he's known for rejecting proposals so easily, so I couldn't bring myself to ask again."
You raised an eyebrow. "Scared?"
"Sunoo, this proposal has already been approved by the CEO. We just need each department head's signature to acknowledge the section related to their department. Since everyone else has already signed it, there's no reason for him to reject it."
Pushing yourself up from your seat, you extended your hand towards him. "Give me the papers. I'll ask him myself."
Before Sunoo could protest, you smiled reassuringly. "He can't be that bad, you know. Besides, as your manager, it's my job to help whenever you run into problems like this."
"But, Y/N..." Sunoo looked at you worriedly. "You're still new here. You don't know what he's like."
"It's okay, Sunoo." You gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I can handle one scary manager."
A small smile found its way onto your lips before you remembered something.
"Oh, and could you print the last page of the document I was working on earlier? I already emailed the file to you."
"Got it."
As you walked towards the door, you heard Yunjin quietly wishing you good luck, followed by Sunoo asking her in a hushed voice how she thought everything would turn out.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
After making your way to the Accounting Department, you stopped in front of the manager's office and gave the door a light knock.
"Come in."
Hearing the voice from inside, you slowly opened the door and stepped in, absentmindedly flipping through the proposal folder as you searched for the page that still needed a signature.
The Head of Accounting stood with his back facing you, his attention fixed on the floor-to-ceiling windows while speaking on the phone.
Deciding not to interrupt him, you quietly waited as you continued organizing the papers in your hands.
A few moments later, the call ended.
Just as he turned around, you finally looked up.
Your eyes widened.
It was him.
The same intern from the printing room.
Confusion immediately crossed your face. What was he doing inside the Head of Accounting's office? Maybe the department head was his boss. That would explain why he had been in such a hurry to use the printer earlier.
You had barely opened your mouth to speak when another knock echoed through the room. The door opened, and a young man with cat-like eyes walked in, carefully carrying a cup of coffee.
"Here's your coffee, Manager. Make sure to drink it while it's still hot."
Your brain practically short-circuited. Manager? Why was he calling him that? Wasn't he supposed to be an intern?
"Thanks, Jungwon. You can go take your break now." Jungwon gave him a playful salute before leaving the office, closing the door behind him.
Only then did the man shift his attention back towards you.
"So..." One of his eyebrows lifted. "What can I do for you?"
"Um..." You glanced towards the door before looking back at him. "I came here looking for the Head of Accounting and..." Your brows slowly knitted together. "Weren't you the intern from earlier?"
"Yes." He answered without hesitation. "But I hate to disappoint you, I'm not an intern." He straightened slightly. "I'm Park Jongseong. Most people here call me Jay. I'm the Head of Accounting."
Your lips parted slightly, your mind struggling to process what he had just said. Embarrassment slowly crept onto your face as you realized the misunderstanding.
"I'm so sorry. I thought—"
He interrupted you before you could finish. "Again, Y/N." His gaze shifted towards the folder in your hands. "What brings the Head of Sales to my office?"
"Right." You quickly cleared your throat before placing the proposal on his desk. "I just need your signature. You're the only department head who hasn't signed yet."
Jay only spared the document a brief glance before signing it without another word. Once he was done, he slid it back across the desk, his attention returning to you.
You carefully picked up the papers and slipped them back into the folder. "How did you know my name?" you asked before you could stop yourself.
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Well, unlike you, I take the time to learn about the people I work with. It makes everyone else's job easier. It's not that difficult to learn the names of the department heads, is it?"
You could only stand there in silence, unsure of how to respond.
"You know..." His eyes remained on you. "I've been curious about the new Head of Sales ever since everyone started talking about the company's latest hire."
His gaze slowly drifted to the coffee stain peeking out from beneath your blazer. "And now I know."
Although you wanted to defend yourself, you decided against it. You had already embarrassed yourself enough today, and arguing with him certainly wouldn't make things any better.
Instead, you forced a polite smile. "Well, it was nice meeting you. I should go submit these now."
Without waiting for a response, you turned around and quickly left the office, unwilling to hear another remark from him.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
The moment you returned to your office, you found Sunoo and Yunjin already waiting by the door. "So?" Sunoo asked the second you stepped inside. "How did it go?"
You quietly walked over to your chair before letting yourself sink into it. "It was so embarrassing." You rested your elbows on the desk, burying your face in your hands.
Sunoo and Yunjin exchanged confused glances.
You finally looked up, with a defeated smile. "Remember the rude intern I told you about earlier?" The two of them nodded.
"That was him."
"What?"
"I thought he was an intern because he was holding someone else's ID." You covered your face again. "But as it turns out he's actually the Head of Accounting."
"No way." Yunjin's eyes widened in disbelief. "What did he say?"
"He basically told me that learning the names of the people you work with isn't that difficult. And I have a feeling I've already made a terrible first impression."
"Cheer up, Y/N." Yunjin offered you an encouraging smile. "Don't let him get to you. That's just how he is."
She nudged Sunoo with her elbow. "Right Sunoo?"
"Right." Sunoo nodded without hesitation. "Who cares what he thinks? You're still an amazing manager to us."
"Aww..." You smiled before pulling both of them into a hug. "Thanks, you two."
You pulled away, a determined smile replacing your earlier frown. "I may have made a terrible first impression on him, but I'm not going to let it stay that way."
"That's more like it."
Yunjin immediately pulled out her phone. "Come on. Sunoo and I are going to introduce you to the rest of the employees so you don't accidentally mistake another department head for an intern.”
──────────────────────────────
A month had passed, and you were finally starting to settle into life at the company. Little by little, you have gotten to know more of the employees, familiarized yourself with the company's procedures, and grown more confident in your role as the new Head of Sales.
A small smile found its way onto your lips as you settled into your office chair, ready to start another day of work. Your gaze wandered around the room before you found yourself thinking, Maybe this new job won't be so bad after all.
The peaceful atmosphere inside your office was suddenly interrupted when the door flew open, revealing Sunoo with Yunjin close behind him.
"Y/N!" Sunoo called excitedly, his voice echoing throughout the room. "They accepted our proposal!"
A grin immediately spread across your face. "Really?" Sunoo eagerly nodded, unable to hide his excitement.
"Good job, you two. We definitely deserve to celebrate after work today."
The two of them cheered at your suggestion, their excitement matching your own. It had been one of the biggest clients your team had pursued over the past few weeks, and after countless meetings and revisions, they had finally agreed to invest.
The three of you were still celebrating when you noticed Sunoo gradually growing quieter, the excitement on his face slowly fading.
"Sunoo..." He looked up at you. "Are you alright?"
He blinked, looking slightly startled that you had noticed the sudden change in his expression. "I am. It's just..."
He hesitated before continuing. "We still need the Accounting Department's approval before we can finalize the contract."
The smile on your face slowly faded. "Oh..."
Silence settled over the room as the three of you exchanged uneasy glances.
After a moment, you forced a small smile. "Let's just hope for the best, I guess."
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Inside the Head of Accounting's office, Jay sat quietly behind his desk with the proposal folder laid open in front of him. Standing on the opposite side were Jungwon and Jake, both patiently waiting for his decision as he carefully reviewed every page.
The room remained silent except for the occasional sound of paper being turned.
As Jay reached one particular page, his hand came to a stop. His brows slowly furrowed. It wasn't a typo, nor was it a calculation error. It was the discount.
The Sales Department had offered the client an investment package with an unusually generous discount, significantly lowering the company's profit margin.
Jay closed the folder without another word and leaned back against his chair. One hand came up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he let out a quiet sigh. "The margin's too low."
Jake briefly glanced at Jungwon before clearing his throat. "Should we ask the Sales Department about it first?"
"No." Jay answered almost immediately. "Reject it." There wasn't even the slightest hesitation in his voice.
Jake simply nodded before picking up the proposal from the desk. "Okay.”
ᯓ★ ݁˖
As you were busy typing away on your laptop, Sunoo hesitantly stepped into your office with the proposal folder clutched in his hands.
"Y/N..." The nervousness in his voice was enough for you to know what had happened.
You accepted the folder without saying a word and slowly opened it. The moment your eyes landed on the large red stamp that read "Rejected," you sighed before closing it again.
"I'll talk to him."
Although you already knew there was a good chance he wouldn't change his decision, you still wanted to hear his reasoning firsthand. This client meant far too much to simply let them go. It had taken countless meetings and endless negotiations just to convince them to invest, and you weren't willing to give up without trying.
Proposal folder in hand, you made your way towards Jay's office before giving the door a light knock.
"Come in."
You stepped inside and placed the folder on his desk before folding your arms across your chest.
"May I ask why this proposal was rejected?" Your tone remained calm and professional, showing neither anger nor irritation despite your disagreement with his decision.
Jay didn't bother looking up, his attention still fixed on the document he was reviewing. "Your discount exceeds our acceptable profit margin."
"It's the only reason the client agreed to negotiate."
That was enough to make him finally lift his gaze towards you. "Then they aren't the right client."
A quiet scoff escaped your lips before you could stop yourself, and Jay immediately caught it.
"You know as well as I do that not every client agrees to our first offer," you said, trying to keep your composure. "So why can't you approve this proposal just this once? This client is important to us. They have a well-established reputation in the industry, and securing this partnership could do so much for the company."
Jay slowly rose from his chair before positioning himself in front of his desk. Leaning lightly against it, he crossed his arms as he met your gaze.
"Not every client is worth keeping."
You looked at him in disbelief. "That's easy for you to say."
"Excuse me?" One of his eyebrows arched, a hint of offense flashing across his face.
You exhaled before continuing. "The Sales Department is the one meeting with these clients, building relationships, and earning their trust. Sometimes we have to give a little in the beginning so we can gain even more in the long run."
You held his gaze.
"Still no." He took a step closer, his voice remaining calm but firm. "You don't see what I see.”
The distance between the two of you suddenly felt much smaller.
"Accounting is responsible for making sure the promises Sales makes don't end up costing the company more than they're worth, regardless of how well-known the client is." He tilted his head slightly, silently waiting for your response.
"But..." You glanced down at the folder in your hands, searching for another argument before looking back up at him. "...this isn't just some random discount. It was a strategic decision. If we refuse to be flexible, we're going to lose clients."
This time, however, your voice lacked the confidence it had when you first walked into his office.
Jay noticed. Even so, his expression didn't change. "If we're too flexible, we'll lose money." His answer came without the slightest hesitation.
"And I'd rather lose a client than approve a deal that could hurt the company."
You simply stood there, staring at him as his words lingered in your mind. That was it. He had made his point. As much as you wanted to argue further, you knew there was no use. Jay had already made up his mind, and nothing you said was going to change it.
With a defeated sigh, you walked past him and picked up the proposal folder from his desk.
"I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree."
Not wanting to stay there any longer, you turned around and walked out of his office, the frustration weighing heavier with every step.
──────────────────────────────
Two days had passed since your confrontation with Jay, yet nothing had changed. Despite your efforts, you still hadn't managed to convince him to reconsider the proposal or reverse his decision.
Just then, your phone rang. The moment you looked at the caller ID, your heart sank. It was the client you had been fighting so hard to keep.
Without a second thought, you answered the call. "Hello?"
"Good afternoon, Ms. Song. This is Mrs. Nam speaking." Her voice was calm and polite. "I'm sorry for calling so unexpectedly, but I'd like to withdraw our investment."
Hearing that made your face pale. "Your employee mentioned that the contract would be sent once we agreed to proceed, but until now, we still haven't received a copy."
You instinctively shook your head, forgetting that she couldn't see you. "Mrs. Nam, we've just run into a small issue with the Accounting Department. If you could give us a little more time, maybe we could—"
"I'm sorry, dear." Her gentle voice cut through yours. "We're currently in talks with another company, but we truly appreciate the offer."
Before you could say another word, the line went dead.
You stared silently at the now-dark screen of your phone, your fingers tightening around it. You couldn't help wondering if things would've turned out differently if the proposal had been approved.
The office door suddenly opened. "Y/N, I brought some pastries from that bakery I told you about. I thought you might—"
Yunjin stopped mid-sentence the moment she saw your expression. She quickly set the paper bag down on the nearby couch and immediately walked over to you. "What happened?"
She gently rubbed your shoulders, her touch careful and reassuring.
You felt your throat tighten. "The..." Your voice trembled. "The client... withdrew."
Yunjin frowned sympathetically but never stopped comforting you. "It's okay." Her voice was soft, careful around you.
"I'm sure there'll be other clients like them in the future. You don't have to blame yourself over this."
Then she reached over to the paper bag before pulling out one of the pastries. "Here." A small smile appeared on her face. "Let's eat. Maybe it'll help take your mind off things, even if it's just for a little while."
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Later that afternoon, all of the department heads gathered inside the executive conference room for a scheduled meeting.
The atmosphere was noticeably heavier than usual. Unlike previous meetings, no one exchanged casual conversations while waiting for it to begin.
Everyone had already heard the news. The client that the Sales Department had spent weeks pursuing had officially withdrawn.
Quietly, you took your usual seat and placed your notebook on the table before your eyes drifted towards the opposite side of the room. Jay was already there. Just like he’s always been.
A folder rested neatly in front of him as he calmly reviewed several documents, his composed expression giving no indication that the room was filled with tension.
A few moments later, the conference room doors opened once more. "Good afternoon, everyone."
The conversations immediately ceased as Mr. Kim Namjoon, the CEO, entered the room alongside his assistant. Taking his seat at the head of the table, he briefly looked around before speaking.
"I'll keep this meeting brief." He folded his hands together. "I've been informed that we lost one of our prospective investors this morning."
His gaze shifted towards you. "Manager Song." You straightened slightly. "Could you walk us through what happened?"
Taking a slow breath, you nodded. "The client initially agreed to proceed with the proposal prepared by the Sales Department. However, after Accounting requested revisions to the financial terms, we had to renegotiate the agreement."
You paused briefly. "Unfortunately, the client withdrew before we could reach a new arrangement."
Silence settled over the room.
Mr. Kim gave a small nod before turning towards the opposite side of the table. "Manager Park." Jay closed the folder in front of him.
"Accounting's assessment?" He says without any hesitation in his voice. "The proposed terms carried an unacceptable level of financial risk."
His voice remained calm and composed. "The projected profit margin fell below the company's acceptable threshold. Approving the proposal would've exposed the company to unnecessary financial risk."
You felt your grip around your pen tighten. "With all due respect," you spoke, unable to stay silent, "those terms were the very reason the client agreed to continue negotiating with us."
Jay met your gaze across the table. "And maintaining those terms would've meant approving a deal that wasn't financially sustainable." He says as he holds your gaze.
"But if we hadn't shown any flexibility, we never would've gotten them to the negotiating table in the first place." You argued back, your eyes still on him.
Another brief silence followed.
Then Jay spoke again. "Then they were never a profitable client to begin with."
The room fell completely silent after hearing you two. No one interrupted, and no one took sides. Some department heads quietly exchanged glances, while others simply lowered their eyes to the documents in front of them.
After a long moment, Mr. Kim finally broke the silence. "I understand both perspectives." His eyes moved between the two of you. "Sales exists to bring opportunities into this company."
He then looked towards Jay. "And Accounting exists to ensure those opportunities remain beneficial to the company."
Leaning back slightly in his chair, he continued, "Neither department can function effectively without the other."
The tension in the room eased, if only a little. "I don't intend to place the blame on either side." He closed the discussion folder before him.
"However, I expect both departments to communicate more closely moving forward. I'd rather prevent disagreements before they cost us valuable business opportunities."
Both you and Jay nodded in unison. "Understood."
With that, the meeting continued with the remaining agenda.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Nearly twenty minutes later, the meeting finally came to an end, and one by one, the department heads began leaving the conference room.
You quietly gathered your papers, though the disappointment of losing the client still lingered in the back of your mind.
The moment you stepped into the hallway, a familiar voice called after you. "Y/N."
You turned around to find Taehyun catching up with you. He greeted you with a small, reassuring smile. "Don't think about it too much."
A quiet laugh escaped your lips as you shook your head. "Maybe if it were that easy."
"I know."
He slipped his hands into his pockets before briefly glancing back towards the conference room. "But, if I'm being honest..." He looked back at you. "I can understand where both of you were coming from."
Your brows lifted slightly in surprise. "I think your proposal gave the client a reason to stay." He continued, his smile softening. "And I think Jay was only trying to protect the company's finances. You were both just doing your jobs."
You lowered your gaze to the papers in your hands. "Maybe..."
Taehyun noticed the disappointment that still lingered on your face. "I know how much time you and your team invested in pursuing that client."
His words made you look back up at him. "So, I understand why this one hurts."
For the first time since the meeting, a genuine smile found its way onto your face. "Thanks, Taehyun." You said as he smiled back.
"Come on." He lightly nudged your shoulder. "You've still got a team waiting for you."
As the two of you walked down the hallway together, neither of you noticed the conference room door quietly opening behind you.
Jay stepped out with a folder tucked beneath his arm. His eyes followed the two of you as you disappeared around the corner. After a brief pause, he quietly turned and made his way back to his office.
──────────────────────────────
A week had passed since the meeting with the department heads when you were unexpectedly called to Mr. Kim's office.
You weren't sure what it was about, and the uncertainty lingered in your mind as you stood inside the elevator, absentmindedly watching the numbers change above the doors.
Once you arrived, you made your way towards the CEO's office and gave the door a light knock.
"Come in." You slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The first thing you noticed was Jay. He was already seated in one of the chairs across from Mr. Kim's desk, his posture as calm as ever.
Your brows knitted together in confusion before your attention shifted towards the CEO. Mr. Kim had his hands clasped together on top of his desk as he looked at you.
"Come, have a seat." He gestured towards the empty chair opposite Jay.
You quietly took your seat, deliberately avoiding looking in Jay's direction as you waited for Mr. Kim to speak.
He wasted no time getting straight to the point. "I've been thinking about what happened with the previous proposal." His gaze moved between the two of you.
"I don't want the Sales and Accounting Departments working separately anymore."
Your lips parted slightly as you instinctively glanced towards Jay. Despite the announcement, his expression remained unreadable.
Mr. Kim continued. "From now on, every major investment proposal will be reviewed jointly before it's presented to any client."
He paused briefly.
"Sales and Accounting should be working together, not pulling in opposite directions. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir." The two of you answered almost simultaneously.
You looked away from Mr. Kim, your eyes vaguely settling on the wall beside his desk as you tried to process everything that had just been said. How did things end up like this?
Before you could gather your thoughts, Mr. Kim spoke again. "Your first joint project starts today."
Your head immediately snapped back towards him. "Sir?" For a moment, you wondered if you had simply misheard him.
"I said your first joint project begins today." He met your gaze. "The Sales and Accounting Departments will be working together starting now."
It took you another second before you finally nodded. "Okay. I understand, sir." Although you had managed to answer calmly, you still found it hard to believe.
Mr. Kim slid a thick folder across the desk until it stopped between you and Jay. "Everything you need to know about the potential investor is inside. If either of you has any questions, don't hesitate to contact me."
His eyes briefly moved between the two of you once more.
"I expect professionalism and good discipline from both of you."
ᯓ★ ݁˖
The moment the two of you stepped out of the CEO's office, Jay opened the folder without wasting a second. His eyes quickly scanned each page as he walked, already reviewing the details of the project.
You slowly walked beside him, maintaining a respectful distance while trying to read over the first few pages yourself.
This client was even bigger than the last one. Not only were they one of the most recognized companies in the country, but they had also built a strong reputation internationally. Unfortunately, they were just as well known for being one of the most difficult clients to negotiate with.
After reading enough to understand the situation, Jay closed the folder, and the two of you continued walking down the hallway in silence.
You shifted awkwardly beside him, wondering if you should say something.
After a few seconds of debating with yourself, you finally broke the silence. "This is going to be... interesting, isn't it?"
Jay didn't even look your way. "I'd rather call it inefficient."
With that, he simply walked past you, leaving you standing there with nothing but a tired look.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
The meeting with the potential investor was scheduled for later that afternoon and would be held at their company, which meant that both you and Jay had to attend in person.
You had originally planned to take one of the company's vehicles with the company driver, but due to an unexpected schedule conflict, the driver was unavailable. With little time left before the meeting, the two of you had no choice but to take a taxi instead.
Neither of you suggested driving your own car. Finding parking in the middle of the business district would only waste valuable time, and punctuality was the last thing either of you was willing to compromise.
The ride to the company was awfully quiet. The two of you sat side by side in the backseat, neither making an effort to start a conversation. Aside from the occasional voice coming from the taxi driver's radio, silence filled the car.
It felt less like two co-workers traveling to an important meeting and more like two strangers who had simply happened to share the same ride.
You kept your eyes fixed on the road ahead, occasionally stealing glances towards Jay. He didn't seem bothered by the cramped space or the uncomfortable silence hanging between the two of you.
In fact, he barely moved at all. His attention remained fixed outside the window, never once glancing in your direction or attempting to discuss the client.
Unable to bear the silence any longer, you finally spoke. "You really don't like me that much, do you?"
Jay slowly turned his head towards you before looking back out the window. "I don't dislike you." A quiet sigh escaped his lips.
"I just don't agree with most of your decisions."
His answer lingered in the air long after he had finished speaking and you regretted asking almost immediately. Maybe it would've been better if he had simply admitted that he disliked you. Knowing that he questioned your judgment somehow stung even more.
The rest of the ride passed in complete silence.
After what felt like nearly an hour, the taxi finally pulled up in front of the client's headquarters.
You couldn't help but stare. The company occupied not just one building, but several, each proudly displaying the company's name across its facade.
The moment you stepped inside, you were greeted by an enormous lobby with towering ceilings and elegant chandeliers hanging above. It looked less like an office building and more like a luxury hotel.
Jay approached the receptionist while you quietly waited beside him. Once you've confirmed your appointment, one of the employees escorted the two of you towards a private meeting room.
Inside, your client was already waiting. The two of you greeted him politely before taking your seats.
The man across the table smiled warmly before extending his hand.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet both of you. I'm Seo Minhyuk, the Chief Operating Officer of Yoon Holdings. Please, call me Mr. Seo."
You returned the handshake with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Seo. I'm Song Y/N, Head of Sales at Kim Enterprises." Jay followed shortly after. "Park Jongseong. Head of Accounting."
Mr. Seo nodded politely. "Thank you both for making time to meet with me today."
"The pleasure is ours," you replied.
You exchanged a few more pleasantries, the conversation naturally shifting towards the investment proposal your company had prepared.
Mr. Seo lightly tapped the proposal folder resting on the table. "I've already reviewed the investment package." He says as a small smile found its way onto your face.
"Overall, I'm interested."
"However," he continued, "there are still a few things I'd like clarified before making my decision." He closed the folder before looking towards the two of you.
"Of course," you answered with a nod.
Turning to the page containing the financial projections, Mr. Seo asked, "The projected returns are promising, but what measures has your company put in place to minimize financial risks if market conditions were to change?"
Without missing a beat, Jay answered first. "Our financial projections were prepared using multiple market scenarios rather than relying on a single forecast." His voice remained steady and composed.
"We've also established contingency measures to ensure the company can continue meeting its obligations even if market performance falls below expectations."
Mr. Seo nodded thoughtfully before shifting his attention towards you. "And from the Sales Department's perspective?"
You leaned forward slightly before answering, "While Accounting focuses on protecting the company's financial stability, our department focuses on building long-term partnerships."
"We don't simply encourage clients to invest. We continue maintaining communication long after agreements are finalized to ensure the partnership remains beneficial for both sides."
Mr. Seo nodded once more, clearly pleased with your answer. "I see." He flipped to another page.
"My second concern involves expansion."
His eyes moved between you and Jay. "If our company decides to increase its investment in the future, how prepared is Kim Enterprises to accommodate that growth?"
You unconsciously exchanged a brief glance with Jay. Without either of you realizing it, your responses began flowing together naturally.
"We've already prepared scalable investment plans…" You had barely finished the sentence when Jay continued.
"...all of which have been reviewed to ensure they remain financially sustainable." Jay says smoothly, making you glance at him for a few moment before continuing.
"So if your company chooses to expand…"
"...the transition can be implemented without disrupting existing operations." Jay finished your sentence as though the two of you had rehearsed it beforehand.
Mr. Seo blinked before letting out an amused chuckle. "I have to admit..." His eyes shifted between the two of you.
"I wasn't expecting your departments to complement each other this well."
Neither of you responded. Instead, your eyes met for only a second before both of you quickly looked away.
Closing the proposal folder with a satisfied nod, Mr. Seo leaned back comfortably in his chair. "To be honest, I've met with several companies over the past few weeks." A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"But it's surprisingly rare to see Sales and Accounting present such consistent answers. At other companies that I've talked to, those departments usually contradict each other." He chuckled.
"Usually, one department promises something the other can't support."
You couldn't help but smile at him. "Our departments don't always agree." You glanced towards Jay before turning your attention back to Mr. Seo. "But we both want what's best for the company."
For the first time that afternoon, Jay gave a small nod, agreeing with you. "That's true."
Mr. Seo smiled before extending his hand across the table. "In that case, I believe we'd like to move forward with Kim Enterprises."
For a split second, you couldn't hide the excitement shining in your eyes. Your smile widened as you reached across the table to shake his hand. "We're looking forward to working with you."
Once the meeting concluded and Mr. Seo left the room, you and Jay were left alone once again. A small silence lingered between the two of you before you let out a quiet breath.
"Well..." A small laugh escaped your lips. "That went much better than I expected."
Jay adjusted the folder tucked beneath his arm before finally meeting your eyes. "The client asked the right questions."
You couldn't help but laugh, turning to look at him. "That's your biggest takeaway?"
Jay shrugs, "Yeah and we answered them. If it weren't for that answer, then we would be walking away empty handed.”
You smiled at him for the first time today too. "I'll take that as a compliment."
Jay didn't answer. Instead, he simply looked at you. His eyes lingered on your smile for a brief moment, almost as though he wasn't quite sure what to make of it.
Then, just as quickly as before, he looked away. "We should report back to Mr. Kim." He started walking as you followed, the corners of your lips remained curved as you went.
──────────────────────────────
You sat alone in your office later that evening, quietly finalizing the investment contract and revising it based on everything that had been discussed during the meeting earlier that day.
Securing the investment was only the beginning. Now came the mountain of paperwork that followed it.
A soft knock echoed through the room before Sunoo stepped inside, stopping beside your desk.
You looked up from your laptop. "How did it go?" he asked, leaning forward slightly with curiosity written all over his face.
A smile immediately spread across your lips. "It went really well. The client agreed to invest."
You turned your chair towards him before adding with a small laugh, "And the best part is... Jay and I didn't kill each other."
Sunoo laughed along with you. "Well, that's definitely progress." He smiled proudly. "And congratulations on securing the investment."
"Thanks." You smiled back. "It honestly surprised me that we managed to pull it off on our very first joint project, but I'm really glad we did."
The conversation paused as your attention drifted back towards the screen of your laptop. Only then did you notice the time displayed in the corner. 8:00 pm.
Your eyes widened slightly. "Oh..." You let out a small laugh. "It's already this late."
Looking back at Sunoo, you closed one of the documents on your screen. "You and Yunjin should head home. I just have a few more things to finish before I leave."
Sunoo glanced at the stack of documents scattered across your desk. "Are you sure you don't want us to help?"
You shook your head. "No." A gentle smile appeared on your face. "I don't want the two of you working overtime because of me."
Sunoo smiled knowingly. "Okay." He gave your shoulder a light squeeze before making his way towards the door. "Don't stay up too late."
He looked back at you with a grin. "Good night, Manager."
"You too." You smiled before turning your attention back to your laptop.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Meanwhile, inside the Accounting Department, several reports were spread neatly across his desk as Jay reviewed the final financial documents related to the newly secured investment.
A knock sounded against the half-open door before Jake stepped inside, a can of soda from the vending machine in one hand.
"Hey."
He walked further into the office. "How did the meeting go?"
Without looking up from the documents, Jay answered, "It was... very productive."
Jake nearly dropped the soda in his hand. His eyes widened in disbelief. That wasn't something Jay said often. In fact, Jay rarely described meetings with anything more positive than "acceptable."
A grin slowly spread across Jake's face. "I'll take that as a sign that it went well." He said, pulling out the chair across from Jay's desk and sat down.
Jay finally looked up from the paperwork. "It did." He closed the folder in front of him. "The client decided to invest."
Jake let out a quiet cheer. "Nice! I guess teaming up with the Sales Department wasn't so bad after all."
Jay shot him a flat look. "I could've handled it myself."
"Sure you could." Jake smirks as he stands up, taking one last sip from his soda before tossing the empty can into the nearby trash bin.
"Well, I'd better get going." He pointed towards the office door. "Don't forget to lock up before you leave."
Jay gave a small nod as he watched Jake walk out of the room, leaving him alone with the quiet hum of the office once again.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
After spending the next few hours reviewing the investment projections and checking every document for potential financial risks, Jay felt his eyelids growing heavier. He leaned back in his chair and let out a quiet yawn before rubbing the bridge of his nose.
His eyes drifted towards the clock sitting on his desk. 10:00 pm.
He frowned slightly. By now, he was probably the only employee left on the floor.
He closed the folder he had been reviewing and neatly stacked the remaining documents before gathering his belongings. After switching off the lights in his office, he locked the door behind him and started making his way towards the elevators.
As he walked past the different departments, something caught his attention. The lights inside the Sales Department were still on.
More specifically… your office.
His footsteps slowed until they eventually came to a stop.
Through the glass walls, he could see you asleep at your desk, your head resting on your folded arms while the soft glow of your laptop illuminated your face.
Jay stood there in silence and for a few moments, he simply watched you. He hadn't expected anyone from the Sales Department to still be in the office this late. Especially you.
His eyes drifted across the neatly organized documents scattered around your desk before returning to your sleeping figure. Maybe, you were just as dedicated to your work as he was, and the thought lingered in his mind longer than he expected.
He remained standing there for another second, silently debating whether he should wake you or simply leave. Eventually, his conscience won.
With a sigh, he walked towards your office and lightly knocked against the glass door.
Just as he had expected, there was no response. Carefully, he let himself inside and his gaze immediately fell on you again, still peacefully asleep and completely unaware of his presence.
He stepped closer.
"Y/N." His voice was calm and quiet, careful not to startle you. When you still didn't move, he gently reached out and lightly shook your shoulder.
You stirred almost immediately.
Slowly lifting your head from the desk, you blinked several times before your eyes finally focused on the person standing beside you.
"Jay?"
He looked from you to the untouched cup of coffee sitting beside your laptop. "You shouldn't sleep like that." His tone remained as impassive as ever.
"You'll wake up with a sore neck."
You quickly sat up, rubbing your tired eyes. "Oh..." A sheepish smile appeared on your face. "Sorry. I didn't even realize I fell asleep."
Stretching your arms, you reached over to close your laptop before slipping it into your bag.
Jay simply gave a small nod. "Come on." He glanced towards the hallway. "The cleaning staff will be locking this floor soon."
"What?"
You immediately checked the time on your watch and your eyes widened. "It's already ten?" You hurriedly gathered the papers scattered across your desk before carefully placing them inside your bag.
As you continued packing your things, you noticed something. Jay hadn't left, he was still standing quietly by the door, waiting.
You looked up at him. "Um… Aren't you leaving?"
"I am." He answered simply, yet he remained exactly where he was.
The two of you stared at each other for a second before Jay cleared his throat. "I'll walk you to the elevator."
"You don't have to." The words escaped your mouth almost immediately. The thought of being alone with him in another awkward silence made you hesitate.
"I know." He turned around and started walking out of your office.
You blinked before calling after him. "Hey, wait for me."
After locking your office door, you caught up with him, naturally falling into step at his side.
"I changed my mind." You chuckled awkwardly. "It's already dark, so I think I'd appreciate having someone walk with me."
Jay only gave you a small glance before looking ahead once more.
The rest of the walk towards the elevator passed in comfortable silence. When the elevator doors slid open, the two of you stepped inside.
Once again, neither of you spoke. Jay stood beside you with his eyes fixed on the changing floor numbers above the doors.
You quietly glanced in his direction before speaking, "Thanks."
He turned his head slightly to look at you. "Don't fall asleep at your desk again."
A small smile appeared on your face. "I'll try."
Then a soft chime echoed through the elevator as the doors slid open.
You stepped out of the elevator first while Jay remained where he was for another second, watching as you walked across the parking lot before finally following after you at an unhurried pace.
──────────────────────────────
Ever since that successful meeting with Mr. Seo and securing the investment, your relationship with Jay had improved, but only by a little.
Whenever you saw him in the hallways, you greeted him and he greeted you back with a simple nod. You no longer hesitated to walk into the Accounting Department like you were entering enemy territory, and although the two of you still had your disagreements, you found yourself slowly enjoying working with him.
The good thing about working with him, though, was that he always remained professional. No matter what happened between the two of you, he never let it affect his work, and that professionalism had helped the two of you secure two more investors. The most recent one had only been two days ago.
Sunoo even teased you about it while you were busy signing a stack of papers on your desk. "You and Manager Park didn't argue today." He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.
You lowered your pen and looked up at him with a small smile. "Please don't jinx it."
He let out a quiet chuckle. "I won't."
Just then, the phone beside you rang. You reached over to answer it, and almost immediately, Jay's voice came from the other end.
"Come to my office. We need to discuss something."
"Okay, I'll be there."
After hanging up, you placed the receiver back down on the cradle.
Sunoo looked at you the moment you took your hand off the phone, already seeming to know who had called. "Manager Park?"
"Yep." You stood up from your chair and straightened your blazer. "I'll be back."
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Once you stepped inside his office, Jay was sitting behind his desk with his eyes fixed on his laptop, a disappointed expression written across his face. He looked up as you entered and waited for you to sit down on the chair in front of him before speaking.
He sighs, running a hand down his face. "The client just emailed."
He turned his laptop around and slid it across the desk, allowing you to read the message yourself.
After careful consideration, we've decided to proceed with another company whose proposal better aligns with our current financial objectives...
Your eyes slowly trailed down to the final paragraph.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
You quietly pushed the laptop back towards him. "That's it?" You frowned. "They just withdrew? Didn't they call or at least give us a reason why they decided to back out?"
Jay pulled the laptop back and closed it.
"I tried calling them earlier. They said their official reason was that another company offered significantly more competitive financial terms."
"Financial terms?" You shook your head, disbelief flashing across your face. "That's exactly what I was afraid of."
Your eyes met his across the desk.
"I told you before that we needed to be flexible. Clients compare offers, Jay. They don't just compare companies."
"Oh, so it's my fault again." Jay replied, his voice carrying a hint of frustration.
"I never said it was entirely your fault."
"But that's what you're implying."
You exhaled slowly, trying your best to keep your composure before speaking again.
"I'm saying we could've worked together to come up with another solution. Instead, every time I suggested adjusting the terms, it felt like the answer had already been 'no.'"
Jay's jaw tightened slightly, his expression becoming more defensive. "And every time you suggested adjusting the terms, it sounded like you were asking Accounting to ignore the risks."
Silence hung between the two of you, neither willing to look away first.
The frustration in your eyes slowly faded, replaced by quiet exhaustion.
"I'm not asking you to ignore the risks," you said, your voice quieter this time. "I'm asking you to understand what it takes to keep a client."
"And I'm asking you to understand that winning clients means nothing if the company can't sustain what you've promised," Jay answered almost immediately, refusing to back down from his point.
You stared at him for a long moment before speaking again. "Sometimes I feel like I'm fighting Accounting more than I'm fighting our competitors."
Something about your words struck a nerve. Jay exhaled sharply before speaking again, his voice noticeably harsher than before.
"Maybe if you stopped treating every client like they had to be won at any cost..." His eyes stayed locked on yours. "...then you wouldn't take every rejection so personally."
His words made your expression slowly fall. You lowered your gaze, no longer finding the energy to argue back. Whether he meant to or not, his words had struck somewhere deeper than any of your previous arguments.
"I see."
You quietly stood up from your chair and picked up the folder you had brought with you.
"I won't take up any more of your time." You forced a small smile that didn't quite reach your eyes. "I'm sorry."
Without waiting for a response, you turned around and walked straight out of his office, the door clicking softly shut behind you.
Jay remained seated behind his desk. He didn't say anything or make any move to stop you. He simply stared at the closed door where you had disappeared, replaying the last few words he had said in his head, though he quickly pushed the thought aside and convinced himself that he had only been stating the truth.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Later that evening, the office had long since quieted down.
The Accounting Department was nearly empty, with only the soft hum of the fluorescent lights and the occasional sound of pages turning breaking the silence.
Jay sat alone in his office with the proposal folder lying open on his desk. Beside it was another document containing the competitor's finalized offer, which he had requested earlier that day.
His eyes carefully scanned every page, taking in the discounts they had offered, the payment schedule they had arranged, and the projected returns. Every figure he reviewed only led him to the same conclusion.
The competing company had offered financial terms that Kim Enterprises simply couldn't match without sacrificing a significant portion of its profit.
Jay slowly leaned back against his chair, letting out a quiet sigh. "I knew it," he muttered to himself, the words directed at no one in particular. "I still would've rejected it."
From Accounting's perspective, it had been the right decision. But despite knowing that, his thoughts slowly drifted back to the argument from earlier. The disappointed look on your face after hearing his words replayed in his mind. He still believed he had been right about the proposal, but he also couldn't deny that he had been harsher than he intended.
Your words echoed in his mind once again.
"I'm asking you to understand what it takes to keep a client.”
His fingers lightly tapped against the armrest of his chair. He had dismissed your words the moment you walked out of his office, convincing himself that there was nothing more to think about. But now, sitting alone in the quiet, they lingered in his mind far longer than he expected.
His gaze slowly returned to the proposal lying on his desk.
To him, it had simply been another financial assessment, another proposal that either met the company's standards or didn't. But to you, it represented countless hours spent earning someone's trust, attending meetings, negotiating the terms, and following up with the client in the hope of securing the investment.
Even though it had been a joint project, he knew that you had done most of the work when it came to negotiating and maintaining the client's confidence. And despite everything you had done, the client still chose to walk away.
Jay lowered his gaze to the floor, quietly lost in thought. Maybe protecting the company's finances wasn't the only thing that mattered. Without the Sales Department bringing clients through the door in the first place, there would be nothing left for Accounting to protect.
He shook his head, feeling a strange mixture of guilt and confusion settle in his chest. He still believed rejecting the proposal had been the right financial decision, and if he were given the same proposal again, he knew he would've made the same choice.
But maybe...
Maybe you had been right about something.
Not about lowering the company's standards, but about understanding the people behind every proposal that landed on his desk.
Then another sentence resurfaced in his mind.
His own words from earlier that day.
"Maybe if you stopped treating every client like they had to be won at any cost, then you wouldn't take every rejection so personally.”
His eyes slowly shifted towards the office door, remembering the way you had quietly walked out after hearing those words.
For the first time that day, he found himself regretting not the decision he had made, but the way he had delivered it.
"I shouldn't have said that," he admitted quietly, the words slipping from his lips before he even realized it.
══════════════════════════════
author's note: this is my first time writing both an enemies to lovers story and a corporate au, so if there are a few things that i wasn't able to execute perfectly, i hope you'll understand 🥹
also, there will definitely be a part 2 for this story! i've already finished writing it, and it'll be posted after this one. i really hope you'll look forward to it too 🤗
oh noooo 😭 tumblr won't let me post the whole fic because it exceeded the block limit
with that being said, i'll be splitting the story into 2 parts instead. i'm sorry for those who voted for the story to be published as a whole since i also didn't expect this problem to happen 🥹
Hiii, when are you going to post your Jay AU? I'm looking forward to it being published 🤗
OMG i've been consistently writing it for the past few days and it's ALMOST done i promise. maybe i'll have it posted tomorrow or the day after, so sorry for the long wait ><
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
as promised, now that i'm finally halfway through the story, here's a little sneak peek of my jay corporate au 🤍
it's still a work in progress, and there's still quite a lot left for me to write 😭 but i promise i'll have it posted before july ends. lmk if you guys wanna be tagged :))
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
after years of being co-workers, he never reciprocated the feelings you had for him. so you buried them and learned to live with it. that is, until a small encounter leads him to start showing you that he cares.
genre: co-workers to lovers, fluff, slow burn, hospital au
word count: 13k
part 1 || part 2
The operating room doors slid open behind you as you stepped out into the dimly lit hallway, the scent of antiseptic still clinging to your clothes.
Exhaustion weighed heavily on your body after hours of surgery, your shoulders sore and your mind drained from the pressure earlier, but somehow, it wasn’t the operation occupying your thoughts.
It was him.
Your grip tightened slightly around the surgical cap in your hand as the memory from earlier replayed itself once again, the rooftop, the cold night air, the way Sunghoon looked at you, and the words he was just about to say before the emergency call interrupted everything.
Despite being able to save your patient, you still felt disappointed. Not because of the surgery, not because something went wrong, but because you never got to hear what Sunghoon was trying to tell you before you left.
You let out a quiet sigh, lowering your gaze to the floor as you slowly walked down the hallway. You could’ve sworn he was about to say something important back there.
The look in his eyes, the hesitation in his voice, it all felt like it was leading to something. And now, you were left wondering what exactly it was.
You were so caught up in your thoughts, you didn’t even notice Jungwon stepping beside you until he spoke.
“Hey Y/N, are you okay?” he asked, slightly tilting his head as he looked at you.
You looked up, a little startled from being pulled out of your thoughts so suddenly. “I am,” you answered after a short pause. “I was just thinking about something.”
Jungwon studied your expression for a moment before speaking again. “Wanna talk about it?” he offered gently, noticing how distracted you seemed.
You shook your head lightly and forced a small smile. “No, it’s okay. I think I just need some rest. I’m kinda tired after everything that happened tonight.”
Jungwon nodded in understanding. After hours of dealing with emergencies and surgeries, both of you looked equally exhausted.
“You should head home too, Jungwon,” you said, patting his shoulder lightly. “It’s already morning, and our shift’s finally over.”
“Aren’t you gonna go home?” he asked, his eyebrows raising slightly.
“I am,” you replied softly. “I just need to talk to someone first before I leave.”
Something about the way you said it made Jungwon look at you for a second longer, as if he already had an idea who you were talking about.
Still, he chose not to tease you about it like he normally would. Instead, he simply nodded and gave you a small smile.
“Alright then. Don’t stay too long.”
With that, you said goodbye to Jungwon before walking away, your footsteps echoing softly through the quiet hallway as your thoughts drifted back to Sunghoon once again.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
You headed straight for the doctors’ lounge, hoping to find Sunghoon there after everything that happened earlier. But the moment you stepped inside, your hope dropped almost immediately.
Only then did you nearly bump into Jay, who was just about to enter the lounge himself.
“Oh hey,” he said, slightly surprised as he took a small step back. “You okay?”
“Have you seen Sunghoon?” you asked right away, not answering his question as your concern took over first.
Jay furrowed his brows slightly as he tried to recall, pausing for a moment before speaking. “Yeah, I think I saw him leaving earlier,” he answered slowly. “He probably went home already. Why?”
You shook your head lightly, trying to keep your tone casual even if your thoughts were elsewhere. “It’s nothing serious, I just needed to talk to him about something.”
“Oh,” Jay said with a small nod, sensing it wasn’t something to push further. “Want me to call him? I can tell him you’re looking for him and—”
“It’s okay,” you cut in quickly before he could finish. “I’ll just text him myself instead.”
“Alright then,” Jay replied after a brief pause, giving you a small understanding nod.
You offered him a polite goodbye before walking away, your hand already reaching for your phone.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Sitting inside your car at the parking lot, you stared at your phone, Sunghoon’s contact open on the screen, for what already felt like twenty minutes.
Your thumb hovered over the keyboard, but no matter how many times you tried to start a message, nothing felt right.
You thought about saying, 'Hi, I didn’t get what you were trying to say earlier,' but even that felt too direct.
Then you considered, 'Hey, when are you free? I’ve been a little anxious about what you were going to say,' but that sounded even worse somehow.
You exhaled sharply, leaning back against the driver’s seat as you closed your eyes for a moment, feeling the weight of your own hesitation settle in.
What am I going to do now?
──────────────────────────────
You sat inside the doctors’ lounge with Jungwon, discussing the post operative recovery instructions of different patients while reviewing the medical charts spread across the table between the two of you.
It had already been two days since that night with Sunghoon, yet somehow, the two of you still hadn’t talked ever since the interrupted conversation on the rooftop.
You never ended up texting him that night either.
Every time you tried to type something, you would just stare at the message for minutes before deleting it all over again, unable to figure out the right words to say without sounding awkward or too obvious.
“The bleeding should lessen within the week, right?” Jungwon suddenly asked, pulling you back to reality as he pointed at one of the charts.
You nodded absentmindedly, your eyes still fixed on the papers in your hands even though your mind was somewhere else entirely. “Mm. As long as her vitals remain stable.”
A few more moments of silence passed between the two of you, the only sounds inside the lounge coming from the faint flipping of pages and the distant noises echoing from the hallway outside.
Jungwon glanced at you from the side, his brows slowly furrowing as he noticed the distracted look on your face for what was probably the fifth time today.
“That’s for a different patient,” he pointed out, eyeing the chart you were currently holding.
“Huh?” Your eyebrows lifted in confusion as you quickly checked the name written at the top of the file. “It’s not? I thought we were checking Patient Yoon’s record right now.”
Jungwon let out a quiet sigh before leaning back slightly against his chair. “No, we already finished discussing Patient Yoon earlier,” he explained patiently. “The one we’re reviewing now is Patient Kim.”
“Oh…” you murmured softly after finally realizing your mistake. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even notice.”
“That’s it,” Jungwon said, gently taking the folder from your hands before placing it aside on the table. “Y/N, I’ve noticed you acting strange ever since that surgery two days ago. Is everything alright?” he added, his voice softer this time.
You parted your lips slightly, unsure how you were even supposed to explain everything that had been bothering you these past few days. “I…”
But before you could continue speaking, your phone suddenly vibrated inside your coat pocket.
You quickly pulled it out, only for your heartbeat to falter the moment you saw Sunghoon's name displayed on the screen.
Can we talk? I’m at the hospital garden right now. If you’re busy, just disregard this message. I understand.
You stared at the text for a few seconds longer than necessary, your chest tightening slightly as all the thoughts you had been trying to ignore these past two days suddenly came rushing back all at once.
Slowly, you looked up from your phone and met Jungwon’s gaze.
“I swear I’ll explain everything next time,” you said hurriedly as you stood up from your seat. “I promise. I just… need to go somewhere right now.”
Before Jungwon could even properly respond, you were already heading towards the door in a hurry, almost forgetting the charts scattered across the table.
Jungwon could only shake his head in amusement as he watched you disappear from the lounge, a small smirk forming on his face as he leaned back against his chair.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
As you stood inside the elevator, watching the numbers slowly going up, you could feel your heartbeat growing louder with every passing floor, as though it was echoing right inside your chest.
You didn’t really understand why, but the thought of finally talking to Sunghoon again after everything that had happened that night made you feel extremely nervous, almost like you were walking into something you couldn’t quite predict.
When the doors opened, a bright light from the hospital garden greeted you, and you stepped out towards the glass door that led outside.
The cool air hit your skin as you entered, and your eyes immediately began scanning the area, searching until they eventually landed on Sunghoon sitting alone on a bench at the far end, already waiting for you.
He was looking off at the view beside him, too absorbed to notice you approaching until you called his name.
His head snapped towards your voice the moment it reached him, and almost instantly, a small smile formed on his face as he saw you standing there.
“Hey,” he started, his voice softer than usual as he straightened up slightly. “Glad you could make it.”
You returned his smile, giving him a small, almost hesitant nod before slowly walking over and sitting down on the empty space beside him.
You noticed his posture shift the moment you sat down, his shoulders tensing slightly as if he had been bracing himself for this exact moment.
He cleared his throat, trying his best to relax as he turns to face you fully. “Y/N,” he begins, your name coming out softer than usual, almost careful.
“You know, I can’t stop thinking about that night… and how I didn’t get to tell you how I feel.”
The words land between you two, heavier than the quiet air around the rooftop garden. For a second, all you can hear is the distant hum of the hospital behind you and the faint rustle of leaves above.
Sunghoon looks at you like he’s debating whether to continue or stop, but something in him pushes forward anyway.
“I just…” he exhales, running a hand through his hair, his usual composure slipping just slightly. “I need you to know I wasn’t okay after that.”
He swallows, gaze steady but clearly strained now. “I wasn’t done talking to you that night. And I still–”
“Dr. Park.”
The voice cuts through the moment sharply as both of you turn.
Wonyoung stands a few steps away, slightly out of breath, her eyes flicking between the two of you. “I’ve been looking for you,” she says, shifting her attention to him.
“A patient was asking for you, and she says she has some questions regarding her husband who you performed that procedure on last week,” Wonyoung added.
“Shit, not again,” you heard Sunghoon curse under his breath, his shoulders tensing slightly as he stared at Wonyoung for a brief moment.
He didn't move immediately. His jaw tightens almost imperceptibly as he exhales through his nose, clearly fighting the timing more than the request itself.
“Now?” he asks, frustration evident in his voice.
Wonyoung nods. “It can’t wait. The patient's been waiting for a while now.”
A long beat passes.
Sunghoon closes his eyes for a fraction of a second, like he’s trying to hold onto something slipping away too fast. When he opens them again, he looks at you.
There’s something unfinished there. Something he doesn’t say.
“…I’m sorry,” he murmurs, barely audible, as he was already standing.
And just like that, he’s gone again before the sentence he started ever gets to finish.
──────────────────────────────
A couple of days passed since that moment at the garden, and you still couldn’t fully wrap your head around it, especially the way everything ended so abruptly again before you and Sunghoon could actually talk.
The memory kept replaying in your mind, the interrupted conversation, the timing, and the words he almost said but never got to finish, all of it lingering in a way that only made your thoughts more restless.
Your anxiety only seemed to worsen the more you thought about it, as if your mind refused to let the moment go unfinished.
You wanted to talk to Sunghoon immediately after that second interruption, to finally clear everything up and understand what he meant, but every time you tried to find the right moment, something else always pulled you away.
At one point, you spotted Sunghoon near the hallway vending machine, quietly grabbing a snack after what looked like another long and tiring shift at the hospital.
Even from a distance, you could tell he looked drained, his shoulders slightly heavy as he waited for the machine to finish dispensing his food.
The moment his eyes lifted and met yours from across the hallway, he paused.
You also stopped in your tracks.
For a few seconds, neither of you moved or looked away, just standing there in silence as if both of you were weighing whether this time would finally be the right moment to talk.
You almost walked towards him.
After everything that had happened, and after all the missed chances, it felt like this might finally be it.
But before you could even take a proper step forward, your phone suddenly vibrated inside your pocket, sharply pulling you out of the moment.
You quickly pulled your phone out and saw a message from the senior doctor asking you to head to her office immediately to discuss Jungwon’s recent performance and progress during his rotation.
You looked back up almost immediately after reading the message, hoping he was still there waiting.
But the spot near the vending machine was already empty.
Sunghoon had already walked away again before you even got the chance to say a single word.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
You tried, really tried, to find another chance after that. Even going as far as asking Jay for Sunghoon’s schedule so you could align yours with his, hoping for even a small window to finally talk properly.
But the worst part was realizing that your schedules were completely opposite for the week, with you assigned to night shifts while he was consistently on afternoon duty, making it almost impossible for your paths to cross.
It felt less like bad timing and more like the universe itself was deliberately keeping the two of you from talking to each other.
──────────────────────────────
As you typed away on your laptop during one of your night shifts, you found yourself zoning out every few minutes, your thoughts constantly drifting somewhere else no matter how hard you tried to focus on your work.
The report in front of you was barely halfway done, yet you had already reread the same sentence multiple times without properly processing any of it.
You let out a quiet groan before dropping your head onto your folded arms on the table, completely giving up on pretending you were still being productive.
The sudden action immediately caught Chaewon’s attention from beside you.
She turned her chair slightly towards your direction, her brows furrowing as she looked at you. “What’s wrong with you? You haven’t seemed like yourself this entire week,” she pointed out. “Is your schedule really that bad?”
You glanced at her tiredly, your cheek still pressed against your arms. “Nah, I’m fine,” you mumbled. “It’s not like this is my first time doing night shifts.”
Chaewon let out a sigh before fully turning towards you, crossing her arms as she continued staring suspiciously at your exhausted figure.
“If it’s not the schedule, then what is it?” she asked, clearly unconvinced by your answer.
Before you could even think of an excuse to brush her off, she spoke again almost immediately. “And don’t even try lying to me,” she added, narrowing her eyes at you. “We’ve been friends for years, Y/N. I know when something’s bothering you.”
You let out another deep sigh at that, finally lifting your head from the table as your eyes slowly met hers.
“It’s just…” you started softly, hesitating for a moment as you tried to figure out how you were even supposed to explain all of this out loud. But when you saw the determined look on Chaewon’s face, you realized there was probably no escaping the conversation anymore.
So after a brief pause, you finally decided to continue.
“Two weeks ago, Sunghoon and I went up to the rooftop because I was getting sleepy during my shift and wanted some fresh air,” you began, absentmindedly tracing your finger against the edge of the table.
“At first it was normal, but then he suddenly became serious out of nowhere and looked like he was about to tell me something important.” You paused briefly, the memory replaying clearly in your head. “But before he could even say it, an emergency came up and I had to leave immediately, so I never got to hear what he wanted to say.”
You stopped for a moment and glanced at Chaewon, only to see that she still had her arms crossed and the same serious expression on her face, silently waiting for you to continue.
“Go on,” she said simply.
You sighed before continuing, leaning back in your chair. “And then last Monday, he asked me to meet him at the garden because he said he wanted to talk again.” A frustrated laugh escaped your lips. “But somehow, we got interrupted again before he could tell me anything.”
You looked to the side, disappointment obvious in your expression as you let out another sigh.
“You know what’s frustrating?” you continued quietly. “I’ve been trying everything I can just so we could finally have one proper conversation again, but it’s like the universe itself hates me and keeps finding ways to stop us from talking.”
“Okay, okay, hold on for a second,” Chaewon said the moment you finished talking, raising both of her hands dramatically as if she was trying to process everything you had just told her.
“You said he was going to tell you something important,” she continued, leaning closer towards you with narrowed eyes. “How did you even conclude that it was important? Did he actually say anything before you left?”
“Well…” You looked down at your fingers, fiddling with them as you tried recalling Sunghoon’s exact words.
“He, uh…” You hesitated slightly before continuing. “Back at the rooftop, he told me he started noticing things he didn’t before, and that no matter how much he tried to ignore it, it just kept coming back.” Your grip on your fingers tightened a little as the memory replayed in your head.
“And then at the garden…” You sighed softly. “He said he couldn’t stop thinking about that night and how he still hadn’t gotten the chance to tell me how he feels.”
You shook your head as your eyes drifted towards the ceiling, your thoughts spiraled once again. “You know, I really don’t want to assume anything but…” You exhaled softly, shaking your head. “It just feels too big to ignore.”
Chaewon suddenly lets out a loud squeal before you could even continue further, grabbing both your hands excitedly.
“Oh my god, Y/N,” she practically whisper shouted, shaking your hands dramatically. “You do realize that could only mean one thing, right? He definitely likes you.”
Your eyes widened almost instantly as heat rushed straight to your cheeks.
“What? No, he does not,” you denied quickly, even though your voice lacked confidence. “Let’s not jump to conclusions.” But deep down, there was already a small part of you wondering if Chaewon was actually right.
“Y/N, come on,” Chaewon said, staring at you like the answer was painfully obvious. “I know you can feel it too. What else would he even say? Based on everything you told me, it seriously sounds like he was about to confess.”
“I don’t know…” you mumbled softly, your gaze lowering once again as your heart began beating faster at the thought.
“But what about Wonyoung?” you argued back, still unconvinced despite everything Chaewon had just said. “I saw them together before and, who knows… maybe they’re actually dating.” Chaewon immediately gave you an unimpressed look.
“Oh please,” she scoffed dramatically. “When was the last time you even saw them together, huh?”
You narrowed your eyes slightly as you genuinely tried to remember another moment besides that one incident outside the operating room. But nothing came to mind.
Chaewon noticed your silence almost immediately and pointed at you accusingly.
“Exactly. None, right?” she said proudly, like she had just won an argument. “You saw them together one time and suddenly convinced yourself they were a thing.”
You opened your mouth to respond, but Chaewon was already talking again before you could.
“And besides,” she continued, leaning closer towards you with a knowing grin, “they’re definitely not dating because Sunghoon likes you, not her.”
“I mean… maybe, but—” you started uncertainly, only for Chaewon to cut you off once again.
“No,” she said firmly while shaking her head. “There is no maybe. I’m telling you right now, that man likes you. He just hasn’t gotten the chance to properly tell you yet because the universe apparently enjoys ruining your timing.”
A small laugh escaped you despite yourself.
“Come on,” Chaewon continued, nudging your shoulder playfully. “Aren’t you at least a little happy? It’s not every day the person you like actually likes you back.”
“What?” Your eyes widened slightly as you stared at her. “Who said I like him?”
Chaewon immediately gave you a look.
“I mean liked,” she corrected with a teasing grin. “But honestly, what’s even the difference at this point? Either way, at least he likes you back too, even if it took him literal years to realize it.”
That finally made you smile properly, the warmth spreading across your cheeks impossible to hide anymore.
“Fine,” you sighed, shaking your head in defeat. “I’ll talk to him. And if he really does confess like you keep insisting he will, I promise you’ll be the first person to know.”
Chaewon instantly perked up at that, practically bouncing in her seat from excitement. “Yay!” she squealed happily. “I’m already looking forward to it.”
──────────────────────────────
The hospital cafeteria was unusually quiet that afternoon, with only a few staff members scattered around since the lunch rush had already passed.
The soft clinking of utensils and distant conversations filled the background, but none of it seemed to register in Sunghoon’s mind.
He sat at one of the corner tables with his tray barely touched, his eyes fixed on the screen of his phone as if waiting for something that stubbornly refused to appear.
Across from him, Jay casually ate his lunch while reviewing patient notes placed beside his tray, occasionally flipping through the papers between bites.
“Did you already sign the transfer papers for room 512?” Jay asked after a while, still focused on the documents in front of him.
Sunghoon briefly looked up from his phone. “I said I would, didn’t I?”
The slight sharpness in his tone immediately made Jay pause mid chew.
A short silence followed.
“…Okay,” Jay muttered slowly before returning to his food, deciding not to comment any further.
A few seconds later, Sunoo suddenly dropped onto the empty seat beside Sunghoon with his tray in hand, immediately sensing the weird tension surrounding the table.
He glanced between the two suspiciously before raising an eyebrow.
“Why do you both look like a divorced couple?” he asked casually.
Jay snorted quietly at the comment while Sunghoon only sighed tiredly, rubbing one hand over his face.
“He’s been like this all week,” Jay explained while gesturing towards Sunghoon with his fork.
Sunoo immediately turned towards him. “Still?”
“I’m fine,” Sunghoon replied flatly.
“Mm,” Sunoo hummed unconvinced before casually stealing fries from Jay’s tray. “You know, for someone who claims he’s fine, you’ve been staring at your phone like you’re waiting for your ex to text you back.”
Sunghoon immediately locked his screen before placing the phone face down on the table.
Jay noticed the movement almost instantly. “You’re waiting for her to text you, aren’t you?” he asked slowly.
Sunghoon stayed quiet for just a second too long.
Sunoo’s eyes widened dramatically the moment realization hit him. “Oh my god,” he gasped, pointing at him accusingly. “You are.”
“It’s not a big deal,” Sunghoon muttered under his breath, clearly already irritated by the conversation.
Jay leaned back slightly in his chair, crossing his arms. “Then why do you look annoyed every five minutes?”
That finally earned them a proper response.
Sunghoon exhaled sharply through his nose before leaning back against his chair, looking completely done with both of them.
“Because every single time we try to talk, something interrupts us,” he admitted reluctantly. “First the rooftop. Then the garden. And now our schedules don’t even align properly.”
Sunoo slowly lowered the spoon in his hand, Jay blinked once, then the two of them exchanged a look. “Wow,” Sunoo whispered dramatically. “You’re actually suffering.”
“I hate both of you,” Sunghoon muttered immediately.
Jay ignored him completely, already piecing things together in his head.
Meanwhile, Sunoo suddenly leaned towards Jay slightly, lowering his voice despite the grin spreading across his face.
“I have a plan,” he whispered.
Jay narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Why do I feel like I’m going to regret hearing that?”
Sunoo only smiled wider as he glanced towards Sunghoon, who still looked completely unaware of whatever chaos Sunoo was already planning inside his head.
──────────────────────────────
You were walking through the hospital hallways with your phone in hand, typing out a quick message to Jungwon reminding him to check on one of the post operative patients before his next rounds.
Your attention stayed focused on the screen as you walked, not really paying attention to your surroundings until you suddenly heard someone calling your name from behind.
You stopped in your tracks and turned around.
Sunoo was standing a few feet away from you, a little out of breath, and judging from the panicked look on his face, it seemed like something urgent had happened.
“Can you do me a favor?” he asked the moment he reached you.
Seeing how unusually frantic he looked, you immediately nodded without hesitation. “Of course,” you replied quickly. “What is it?”
Sunoo let out a relieved breath before explaining. “I accidentally left my laptop in the doctors’ lounge, and I have a presentation with the senior doctor in ten minutes.”
He glanced down the hallway before continuing in a rush.
“I was already about to go back and get it myself, but then Jay suddenly called me saying he needed help in the restroom because there’s no tissue and he was, uh…” Sunoo trailed off awkwardly before making a vague hand gesture. “You know…”
“Oh…” you responded slowly, immediately understanding the situation.
“Well, don’t worry about it,” you assured him. “I’ll grab your laptop and bring it straight to the boardroom for you.” You said as you gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder while Sunoo’s face instantly brightened with relief.
“Thank you so much, Y/N,” he said dramatically while clasping his hands together for a second. “You’re seriously a lifesaver.”
Before you could even respond, Sunoo already turned and hurried towards the direction of the restroom.
You watched him run down the hallway, a quiet chuckle escaping your lips as you imagined Jay somewhere inside panicking over the lack of tissue.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
“Hey man, what are you doing here?” Jay asked as he spotted Sunghoon beside the water dispenser, casually filling a cup.
“Drinking water. What else?” Sunghoon replied matter of factly, as if the answer was obvious, before taking a slow sip without even looking at him.
Jay sighed and shook his head slightly, already looking like he regretted approaching him.
“Anyway, you need to go to the doctors’ lounge right now,” he said, his tone turning a bit more serious.
Sunghoon raised a brow at him but didn’t respond immediately, still finishing his sip of water like the urgency didn’t apply to him.
Jay exhaled, clearly impatient, then continued anyway. “I just saw Jungwon getting pretty close to Y/N before I could even step in,” he said casually, watching Sunghoon’s reaction closely. “They’re really close. I'm telling you, one more step and it honestly looked like they were about to kiss.”
The moment the words left his mouth, Sunghoon choked slightly on his water, quickly turning away as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“They… what?” he asked instantly, his voice sharper now, disbelief flashing across his face.
Jay didn’t even need to say anything else.
The second silence fell between them, Sunghoon was already moving. He turned and headed straight for the elevator, walking faster than before as his earlier calmness completely disappeared.
Jay watched as Sunghoon impatiently pressed the elevator button over and over again, jaw tight and foot barely staying still.
When the doors still didn’t open fast enough for him, Sunghoon didn’t even think twice before turning away and heading straight for the stairs instead, leaving Jay standing there, a small smirk on his face.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Meanwhile, you were still inside the doctors’ lounge, carefully scanning every possible surface in search of Sunoo’s missing laptop.
You checked under the desk, between the chairs, and even inside the wall cabinets, but it was nowhere to be found, and the longer you looked, the more you started wondering if the presentation had already started without Sunoo realizing he left it behind.
Before you could think further, the door suddenly swung open with a loud push.
Sunghoon stepped inside, slightly out of breath, his chest rising and falling quickly from running, with a thin layer of sweat on his forehead that made a few strands of hair stick to his skin.
“Where’s Jungwon?” he asked immediately, still trying to catch his breath as his eyes quickly scanned the small room.
“Jungwon?” you repeated, clearly confused as you straightened up from where you were searching. “He’s not here. I’m the only one here since Sunoo asked me to look for his laptop.”
“Sunoo?” Sunghoon echoed, his eyebrows lifting slightly as something clicked in his head.
“Yeah,” you continued, still focused on the situation. “He said Jay needed help in the restroom and—” That was enough to make Sunghoon let out a short, humorless laugh.
“Right,” he said, shaking his head. “Jay. The same Jay who literally told me to come here.”
You paused, slowly narrowing your eyes at him as the pieces didn’t quite make sense yet. “But I thought…” you started, still trying to process it.
Sunghoon sighed, running a hand through his hair as he looked at your confused expression.
“This was obviously a setup,” he said flatly. “Those two definitely planned this.”
He took a small step forward, then another, before stopping just a few inches away from you. “Do you really not know why they did this?” he asked, his voice quieter now.
You shook your head slowly.
“They wanted us to finally talk,” he admitted, exhaling as if he had been holding it in for a long time. “I kind of told them what happened, so they did this… on purpose.”
Your expression shifted in surprise as the realization finally sank in.
“They did a good job then,” you said, your tone a mix of disbelief and sarcasm as you let out a small breath. “Also,” you continued, “they worked hard setting this up. It’d be a shame if we still got interrupted.”
At that, something shifted in his expression. Sunghoon suddenly looked nervous, like all the urgency he felt earlier had been replaced with something far heavier.
But after a brief pause, he took a deep breath, steadying himself as he finally spoke.
“Y/N,” he started, voice softer but firm, “what I’ve been trying to say this whole time is that I like you. More than you probably realize.”
He swallowed slightly before continuing, his gaze dropping for a second before lifting again.
“I don’t even know when it started, or how it happened, but somewhere along the way, I just did,” he admitted honestly. “Every time we spent time together, I just kept realizing how special you are, and how much I wanted you in my life, not just as a co-worker.”
He let out a quiet breath, almost like he was forcing himself to finish it properly.
“I’m not really good with words,” he added, a faint, almost embarrassed smile tugging at his lips, “and I know this probably came out of nowhere, but I just needed to finally say it.”
When he finished, he looked down, scratching the back of his neck as his ears slowly turned a deep shade of red.
And for a moment, the room fell completely silent.
You couldn’t believe it. Chaewon was right.
And even though a part of you had started to believe it too, hearing it directly from Sunghoon still made your chest tighten in a way you didn’t expect.
The person you once liked, the one you thought had slipped further and further away from you, was standing right in front of you, saying he liked you back.
You just stared at him, completely speechless, your thoughts scattered as your heart pounded so loudly it almost drowned everything else out.
Slowly, you brought a hand to your chest, as if trying to steady your breathing, still trying to process the fact that this was actually happening.
“Sunghoon…” you called softly.
At the sound of your voice, his shoulders tensed slightly before his gaze slowly lifted from the floor to meet your eyes again.
Seeing the nervous look on his face made your chest warm.
You took a small step closer to him before gently slipping your hand into his, your fingers curling around his carefully as if reassuring him that this was real.
“I like you too,” you admitted softly, smiling at him. “And I think I’d like to give this... us... a try.” Your thumb brushed lightly against his hand as you continued.
“I mean, I already know you, but I still want to know more about you. Not just as co-workers or friends this time.”
The moment you finished speaking, the tension in Sunghoon’s expression immediately softened. A smile slowly spread across his face, one that looked far too relieved and happy to hide.
“I’d like that too,” he replied quietly.
For a few seconds, neither of you moved.
You simply stood there hand in hand, staring at each other in the middle of the doctors’ lounge like the rest of the hospital had faded into the background.
And somehow, after weeks of interruptions, misunderstandings, and almost confessions, finally being able to stand there with him like this felt unreal.
Then, after a moment, Sunghoon cleared his throat awkwardly. “So… uh…” he started, clearly trying to gather his thoughts. “What now?”
You immediately caught the nervousness mixed with awkwardness in his voice, and it made you laugh softly.
Of course Park Sunghoon, who had just confessed so seriously a minute ago, suddenly looked completely lost now that you actually liked him back.
You smiled teasingly before answering. “Take me on a date, silly.”
“Yeah.” He coughed awkwardly, looking away for a second. “…Right. A date.”
A faint embarrassed smile appeared on his face as he scratched the back of his neck.
“Sorry,” he admitted. “I’m just not really used to confessing. Usually girls are the ones confessing to me, not the other way around.”
You immediately rolled your eyes at the subtle cockiness hidden in his words, though the smile on your face only widened.
“Really?” you replied sarcastically. “Well, I’m not exactly surprised the great Park Sunghoon experiences things like that.”
Sunghoon chuckled softly at your response before giving your hand a gentle squeeze. “Mm,” he hummed quietly. “But you know what?”
You raised an eyebrow.
“You’re actually the first girl I’ve ever confessed to.”
That instantly made your cheeks warm.
“Well, it was obvious,” you teased, trying to hide your embarrassment. “You looked like you were about to trip over your own words earlier.”
Sunghoon frowned playfully at you, making you laugh. “Kidding,” you said quickly before lightly pinching his cheeks. “But honestly… I’m flattered.”
That immediately brought the smile back to his face.
For a moment, the two of you simply stood there again, unable to stop smiling like idiots in front of each other.
Then Sunghoon spoke once more.
“So…” he started carefully, suddenly looking nervous again. “About that date…”
You waited patiently for him to continue.
“Are you free this Saturday?”
“I am,” you answered almost immediately, making his expression brighten instantly.
“Good,” he said, trying to sound calm despite the obvious excitement in his voice. “Then I’ll pick you up at your place.”
ᯓ★ ݁˖
The two of you eventually stepped out of the doctors’ lounge together, still caught up in your own conversation as you walked down the hallway side by side.
The atmosphere between you and Sunghoon felt noticeably lighter now, as if the weeks of tension and misunderstandings had finally disappeared the moment everything was confessed.
A few steps away from the lounge, near the end of the hallway, stood Jay and Sunoo pretending to look casual while waiting nearby.
The second they spotted the two of you walking out together, both of them immediately exchanged triumphant looks before giving each other an exaggerated high five.
“See?” Sunoo said proudly, pointing at himself. “I told you my plan would work.”
Jay let out a quiet scoff, though the grin on his face made it obvious he was just as satisfied with the outcome.
Meanwhile, you smiled at yourself as the realization finally sank in.
“I seriously thought Jay being stuck in the restroom was real,” you admitted while looking over at Sunghoon, your voice echoing slightly through the quiet hallway. “I even imagined him waiting there helplessly for Sunoo to save him.”
Sunghoon laughed quietly beside you while by the end of the hallway, Jay’s expression immediately dropped in horror.
“You told her that?” Jay asked Sunoo instantly, turning towards him with complete disbelief written all over his face.
Sunoo looked completely unapologetic.
“Well yeah,” he replied casually with a shrug. “What else was I supposed to tell her? Besides, it wasn’t only because of my amazing acting skills that she believed me.”
He flipped his imaginary long hair dramatically after saying that, earning an unimpressed stare from Jay.
Jay sighed heavily before dragging one hand down his face in defeat.
“I can’t believe you,” he muttered, already regretting every life decision that led him into helping Sunoo with the plan.
──────────────────────────────
Inside the operating room, you and Jungwon were busy cleaning up after surgery, carefully organizing the instruments and tidying the area while the nurses finished the last few tasks nearby.
The familiar scent of antiseptic still lingered in the room, and despite the exhausting operation earlier, the atmosphere felt calmer now that everything was finally over.
As you were arranging a few files on the counter, your phone suddenly vibrated inside your pocket.
You quickly removed your gloves before pulling your phone out, your eyes immediately scanning the screen.
The moment you saw Sunghoon’s name appear on the notification, asking if you wanted to have lunch together later, an unconscious smile slowly spread across your face before you could even stop it.
“You look happy.”
Jungwon’s voice suddenly echoed from across the room, making you glance up. “That must be Dr. Park.”
Your head immediately snapped towards his direction, eyes widening while your mouth fell open in surprise.
“How d– did you know it was Sunghoon?” you asked, stuttering from embarrassment.
“Oh, come on,” Jungwon replied while taking off his gloves, clearly amused by your reaction. He walked over before casually sitting on the chair nearby, crossing one leg over the other.
“Don’t think I haven’t noticed how your entire mood changes every time you hear his name or whenever you see him in the hallways,” he continued, looking at you knowingly.
You simply stared at him in shock. Was I really that obvious?
“You really like him.” Jungwon looked at you for a moment before shaking his head lightly. “And honestly, based on everything I’ve seen, I know he likes you too.”
That somehow shocked you even more. How did Jungwon realize Sunghoon liked you before you even figured it out yourself?
“How… how did you know?” you mumbled quietly, still staring at him in disbelief.
Jungwon chuckled softly at your reaction before leaning back against the chair.
“It’s really obvious once you pay attention,” he explained. “Remember that time we went out for gelato together?” You immediately nodded, already remembering the awkward encounter afterward.
“He kept glaring at me the entire way back to the hospital,” Jungwon continued dramatically. “Honestly, it felt like I committed some unforgivable crime just by standing beside you.”
You couldn’t help but laugh lightly at the memory.
“And the funny thing is,” he added while pointing at you, “he still looks at me like that whenever he sees us together.”
Your laughter slowly faded into embarrassment as you remembered all the moments Sunghoon acted strangely around Jungwon before.
“I know…” Jungwon quickly raised both hands in surrender after seeing your expression shift. “I probably should’ve told you sooner, but I wanted you to realize it yourself.”
Then a teasing smile slowly appeared on his face.
“And judging from your reaction right now, I’m guessing he already confessed.”
“He did,” you admitted softly, still sounding shocked about everything yourself.
You stared at Jungwon for another second before shaking your head in disbelief.
“You’re seriously so observant,” you said while walking closer to him. “I didn’t realize you noticed that much.”
Without thinking much about it, you reached over and ruffled his hair playfully like he was a little kid, immediately earning an annoyed glare from him.
“Well,” Jungwon said while standing up from his chair and fixing his messy hair, “now that you’re gonna be a couple, you might want to tell him to stop getting jealous every time he sees us together.”
He pointed at himself as if presenting evidence.
“I don’t think I can survive those death stares much longer whenever I’m beside you.”
You laughed again at his exaggerated complaint.
“Of course I’ll tell him that, Jungwon,” you replied apologetically before lightly pinching the cheek beside his dimples. “And I’m sorry if he treated you like that because of me.”
“Okay,” Jungwon said immediately while pushing your hand away. “Maybe you should stop treating me like a child and start helping clean up again before the senior doctor walks in and sees us gossiping inside the operating room.”
“Right,” you replied with a small laugh before finally returning to work, though the smile on your face still hadn’t disappeared ever since reading Sunghoon’s text.
──────────────────────────────
Saturday came in a flash, and before you knew it, you were standing in front of your mirror, carefully applying a final layer of lipstick before pressing your lips together and checking the result.
You were nervous, of course, the kind that sat quietly in your chest but never fully left, because your first date with Sunghoon had once felt so far away it almost seemed impossible, and now it was finally happening.
You glanced at yourself again, probably for the hundredth time, making sure everything looked right before your eyes landed on your outfit.
A soft smile formed on your lips as you admired the light blue sundress you were wearing, the fabric flowing gently as you moved, making you feel both pretty and a little more nervous at the same time.
Before you could overthink anything further, the doorbell rang.
You flinched slightly at the sound, your heart jumping as reality suddenly set in.
Quickly grabbing your purse, you made your way downstairs, each step feeling a little heavier and faster at the same time until you finally reached the front door.
You paused there for a moment, taking a deep breath to steady yourself before finally reaching for the handle.
When you opened the door, Sunghoon was already standing there.
He was dressed in a cream colored button up shirt, the sleeves loosely rolled up to his forearms, giving him a relaxed yet effortlessly put together look. His shirt was neatly tucked into a pair of off white high waisted trousers, and his hair was styled neatly with his bangs pushed slightly to the right, revealing his forehead and the subtle undercut on the side.
For a second, you forgot how to breathe properly.
His eyes immediately lit up the moment they landed on you.
“Hi,” he said softly, his voice gentler than usual. “You look beautiful.”
As he spoke, his gaze slowly moved over your outfit from top to bottom, as if trying to take in every detail at once.
You felt your cheeks heat up almost instantly, but you still managed to smile at him.
“Thank you,” you replied softly. “You look handsome too, as always.”
That made his smile widen just a little more, like he was trying to hide how pleased he was.
“I do get that compliment a lot,” he said lightly, his tone teasing, “but it definitely feels different when it comes from you.”
You let out a quiet chuckle, feeling your face grow even warmer.
“Let’s just go,” you said quickly, trying to hide how flustered you were becoming.
Sunghoon noticed it immediately, of course, and instead of letting it go, he only teased you a little more under his breath before gently reaching for your hand.
His fingers intertwined with yours so naturally it almost felt like they were always meant to fit there.
Once you stepped outside together, you were greeted by his familiar silver BMW parked just by the curb, shining softly under the daylight.
The two of you walked toward it side by side as Sunghoon opened the passenger door for you without a word.
You carefully slipped inside, giving him a small ‘thank you’ as he closed the door gently behind you before walking around to the other side to join you.
Once inside, Sunghoon placed the car key into the ignition and started the engine, the vehicle coming to life with a soft hum.
As he began to drive, you couldn’t help but notice how tightly he was gripping the steering wheel, along with the way his eyes kept flicking towards the road, then briefly to his watch, as if silently counting down the minutes of his own nervousness.
It was unusual seeing him like this.
At the hospital, he was always composed, confident, and steady, the kind of person who seemed like he had everything under control no matter the situation.
But here, in the quiet space of the car with just the two of you, he looked almost human in a different way, and that realization made your chest feel strangely warm.
Without thinking too much about it, you gently placed your hand over his, the one resting near the gear shifter, softly grounding him in the moment.
“Hey,” you said quietly, your voice gentle and reassuring as your fingers lightly brushed against his. “Don’t be nervous. It’s just me.”
Sunghoon glanced at you when the car slowed at a red light, his expression softening as a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
“That’s exactly why I’m nervous,” he admitted honestly, his voice quieter than usual. “Because it’s you.”
Your heart immediately skipped at his words, warmth spreading through you as you smiled back at him.
“Don’t be,” you replied, trying to sound calm despite the way your stomach flipped. “You look more nervous now than you did during your medical procedure yesterday.”
Sunghoon let out a soft shake of his head, as if your comparison was completely unreasonable.
“That procedure was easier,” he said simply, a small smile on his face.
That made you laugh lightly, unable to help yourself as you watched the faint dimples appear on his cheeks as he smiled.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
You arrived at a riverfront restaurant just as Sunghoon turned off the engine and stepped out of the car.
As always, he quickly walked around to your side and opened the door for you, offering his hand to help you out with a small, familiar smile.
Together, the two of you made your way towards the entrance.
This time, Sunghoon’s hand didn’t just hold yours, it shifted gently to the small of your back, guiding you forward with a quiet confidence that made your heart feel strangely light.
At the hostess stand, the woman greeted you both politely.
“Reservation for Park Sunghoon,” Sunghoon said smoothly.
The hostess checked the list for a moment before nodding and gesturing towards the dining area. “Table for two, this way please.”
You followed her lead as she guided you through the restaurant, past softly lit tables and towards a corner seat right beside the glass paneled windows. From there, the view opened up beautifully, the river stretching out wide under the soft glow of the setting sun.
You thanked the hostess as she left, and Sunghoon immediately pulled out your chair for you.
Once you were both seated, your attention drifted almost instantly to the view outside.
The sunset painted the sky in warm shades of orange and gold, reflecting softly over the water and creating a calm, almost dreamlike atmosphere.
“The view’s beautiful,” you murmured softly, your eyes still fixed outside as you took it all in.
“Mm,” Sunghoon hummed in agreement.
But when you finally turned your head to look at him, you realized his gaze wasn’t on the sunset at all.
He was already looking at you.
“Yeah,” he said quietly, his voice softer than before. “It really is.”
For a moment, neither of you said anything.
The moment lingered just long enough for your heart to skip, but before you could react properly, a waiter arrived at your table and politely handed you the menu.
“Good evening, I am Minho, your waiter for tonight. What can I get you both?” the waiter asked, his gaze shifting between you and Sunghoon while holding a pen and notepad ready.
“I’d like a steak, medium rare, with vegetables on the side and mashed potatoes,” Sunghoon said as he scanned the menu one last time before looking up at you.
“And for the lovely lady?” the waiter added politely, turning his attention to you as he waited for your order.
“Um…” you hesitated, eyes still scanning the menu.
Almost everything on it looked expensive. Why did Sunghoon choose this restaurant for a first date? It was beautiful, yes, but definitely way out of your usual range.
You were so caught up in staring that you didn’t realize how long you had been silent, until Sunghoon called your name gently. “Y/N, still deciding?” he asked softly.
That snapped you back to reality.
“Sorry,” you said quickly. “I’ll just have the baby back ribs.”
“Alright, and for the sides?” the waiter continued.
“I’ll just have the same as him,” you replied without thinking too much about it.
“Anything else?” the waiter asked again.
“I think I’m already good with mine,” Sunghoon said, then turned to you. “How about you?”
“I’m good too,” you answered.
“Great,” the waiter said with a nod. “How about drinks?” he added while flipping a page on his notepad.
“I’ll have a Coke, please,” Sunghoon answered.
The waiter wrote it down before turning to you. “Ma’am?”
“I’ll have the same,” you said.
“Okay then. Your orders will be ready in fifteen minutes,” he said as he collected the menu from both of you.
Sunghoon thanked him, and the waiter walked away towards the kitchen.
A few moments later, another waiter arrived to place glasses of water on your table along with complimentary snacks, a small bowl of nuts.
You opened your mouth to speak, but Sunghoon beat you to it.
“She’s allergic to nuts,” he said immediately, offering a polite smile. “You can take it back, it's alright.”
The waiter nodded and quickly removed the bowl.
Once he left, you turned to Sunghoon. “Thank you,” you said softly. He only shrugged. “It’s nothing.”
He took a sip of water, while you hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
“You know…” you began casually, “I liked you back then too.”
The moment the words left your mouth, Sunghoon choked on his drink.
You stared at him for a second, trying your hardest not to laugh as he quickly patted his chest, recovering.
“I…” he said between coughs. “I didn’t know.”
You let out a soft chuckle.
“I just never told you,” you explained. “It was during our first year working together. I saw how good you were at your job, and how calm you always were even under pressure. I think I started liking you even when you were still a bit cold to me back then.”
That made Sunghoon go completely quiet. For once tonight, he didn’t have a quick reply.
He just sat there staring at you, eyes widened and cheeks slowly turning red.
Then he let out a long breath, almost like he was releasing all the tension he had been carrying for years.
“Do you know how much I overthought confessing to you?” he admitted. “I really thought I didn’t stand a chance. I had no idea you felt the same all this time.”
You smiled at him gently.
“Sorry,” you teased lightly. “I guess I was just good at hiding it.”
That earned a small laugh from him.
“Yeah,” he said, shaking his head slightly. “You really are.”
You leaned back a little, then added casually, “I actually thought you and Nurse Wonyoung were dating at one point.”
Sunghoon immediately frowned in confusion. “Why would you think that?”
“Well…” you mumbled, “I saw you two in the hallway before, and she was really close to you while talking. I just assumed… since you didn’t move away or anything.”
Sunghoon let out a short laugh, shaking his head.
“I’m sorry you saw that,” he said honestly. “I zone out a lot, especially when I’m tired. I wasn’t even really paying attention that day. I only realized she was talking to me when she tapped my shoulder.”
“Oh,” you said, nodding slowly as it finally made sense.
Then you quickly added, a bit embarrassed, “Sorry for assuming things like that… and maybe eavesdropping a little.”
He smiled softly. “It’s okay.”
Then his expression softened even more as he reached across the table and gently took your hand.
“And just so you know,” he said quietly, thumb brushing lightly against your skin, “there’s no one else I like. There never really was.”
His eyes stayed on yours as he added, even softer this time, “It was always you.”
Your heart felt like it stopped for a second.
You smiled at him, unable to hide how warm you felt as he looked at you like that, like you were the only person in the room.
But just as the moment between you and Sunghoon started to deepen again, a waiter arrived at your table with a polite smile, carefully setting down the dishes one by one as if nothing important had just been interrupted.
“Steak for you, and ribs for the lady,” he announced calmly while placing the plates in front of you.
He then followed with the drinks, setting them down neatly beside each respective plate.
“And your drinks,” he added with a small nod before stepping back.
“Enjoy your meal.”
The moment he walked away, there was a brief silence between you and Sunghoon.
You both just stared at each other for a second, as if processing what had just happened again, before the tension completely broke.
And then, almost at the same time, you both burst into laughter.
It wasn’t loud at first, just soft chuckles that quickly grew as the absurd timing finally caught up with both of you.
Sunghoon leaned back slightly in his chair, still laughing as he shook his head in disbelief.
“Getting interrupted for the third time,” he said between laughs, wiping at the corner of his eye, still smiling brightly, “damn it.”
ᯓ★ ݁˖
As the two of you continued eating, the conversation settled into something more comfortable, the kind of quiet that didn’t feel awkward anymore but instead felt warm.
Sunghoon set his utensils down for a moment and reached for a tissue, wiping his mouth before glancing up at you as if he had been thinking about something for a while.
“By the way,” he said casually, though there was a hint of honesty in his tone, “I used to think you and Jungwon were dating too.”
You paused mid-bite, eyes widening slightly as you slowly set your fork down.
“Why?” you asked, genuinely surprised.
He shrugged, leaning back slightly in his chair.
“You two are really close,” he explained. “And you’re always together at work. I guess… seeing you with him all the time made me a bit jealous.”
The last part came out quieter than the rest, almost like he didn’t fully intend to admit it out loud.
That made you smile immediately, your expression softening as you looked at him.
There was something about seeing him like this, honest and a little vulnerable, that made your chest feel warm.
“Don’t worry,” you said gently. “I never thought of Jungwon that way. He’s like a little brother to me. With me being an only child, I always kind of wanted a younger brother. And I think Jungwon naturally filled that role without even trying.”
Sunghoon nodded slowly, listening to you carefully as he picked up his glass of water again.
Then, almost casually, you added, “I should say, I only ever had my eyes on you since day one.”
That made him freeze for a split second.
His gaze immediately shifted away from you, as if suddenly finding the table extremely interesting, while the tips of his ears turned visibly red.
You couldn’t help but chuckle at his reaction. “You’re so cute when you’re flustered,” you teased lightly.
And that only made things worse.
Sunghoon’s ears turned an even deeper shade of red as he quickly looked back at you, clearly trying to regain his composure while failing miserably at it.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Dinner ended with conversations that seemed to flow endlessly between the two of you, moving from light teasing to stories about your personal lives, with occasional complaints about work slipping in between.
Somewhere along the way, you realized you were seeing a completely different side of Sunghoon tonight. Not the composed doctor everyone admired at the hospital, nor the cold and intimidating co-worker you first met years ago.
This version of him was softer, quieter, and unexpectedly easy to talk to. And the more he smiled at you throughout the night, the more it felt like you were slowly getting to know the real him.
By the time the two of you stepped out of the restaurant, night had already fully settled over the city.
The warm sunset from earlier was long gone, replaced by a dark sky scattered with faint stars above, while the city lights reflected beautifully against the river nearby.
You found yourself smiling to your own thoughts, grateful for how wonderful the night had already been. Honestly, if the date ended there, you would’ve already gone home happy.
So naturally, you expected Sunghoon to lead you towards the parking lot.
But instead, he guided you towards the front side of the restaurant and further down the pathway connected to a nearby marina. Your brows furrowed slightly in confusion as you followed him.
Then you saw it.
A small yacht sat docked by the far end of the marina, gently swaying against the water under the city lights.
You immediately turned to Sunghoon with widened eyes. “We’re riding that?” you asked, completely caught off guard.
Sunghoon only smiled at your reaction, clearly pleased that he had surprised you. “Yeah,” he answered simply. “The night’s not over yet.”
Before you could even process it properly, he intertwined his fingers with yours again and gently led you towards the yacht.
A man you assumed was the driver was already waiting nearby. He greeted the two of you politely while Sunghoon returned a small nod before stepping aboard first.
Then he turned back to you and extended his hand carefully. You placed your hand in his, allowing him to help you step inside safely.
“I didn’t know this restaurant lets customers go on yacht rides,” you admitted while glancing around the elegant interior in amazement.
“They don’t,” Sunghoon replied casually.
You looked back at him.
“I rented it.”
Your mouth parted in disbelief. “You did not.”
Sunghoon chuckled softly at your reaction, clearly amused by how shocked you looked. “I wanted tonight to be perfect,” he admitted quietly.
Your chest immediately tightened at his words.
Looking at him standing there under the soft marina lights, you realized just how much thought he had put into every single part of tonight.
“It’s already perfect,” you replied softly while holding his hand tighter. “Because I’m with you.”
For a second, Sunghoon simply stared at you again with that same look he always gave you lately, soft, affectionate, and almost disbelieving that this was real.
Then he smiled.
“Come on,” he said gently before leading you towards the edge of the yacht.
The two of you stood beside the metal railings at the front of the yacht just as the engine finally started beneath your feet.
A few moments later, the yacht slowly began pulling away from the marina, the city lights gradually growing farther behind you.
You rested your hands against the railing while admiring the view around you.
The buildings along the shore glowed beautifully against the dark water, their reflections shimmering with every small movement of the waves.
A cool breeze brushed softly against your skin, causing your dress to sway gently with the wind as you inhaled deeply, letting yourself fully enjoy the moment.
Then you turned your head slightly towards Sunghoon.
He was quietly watching the waves beside you, his expression calmer than you had ever seen it before.
As if sensing your gaze, he looked back at you almost immediately, a soft smile already forming on his lips.
“Thank you, Sunghoon,” you said sincerely. “You really made our first date special.”
Without overthinking it, you leaned closer and pressed a gentle kiss against his cheek.
Sunghoon froze for half a second before letting out a shy laugh, the tips of his ears turning red once again.
“You’re welcome,” he replied sheepishly, smiling at you in a way that made your heart race all over again. “Anything for you.”
Just then, a burst of bright color suddenly illuminated the sky beside you, followed by the loud crack of fireworks echoing over the river.
Your eyes widened in surprise as another one exploded shortly after, then another, until the dark night sky was filled with shimmering colors and cascading lights reflected beautifully against the water below.
You turned towards them in awe, the glow from the fireworks dancing across your face as you watched them bloom overhead.
“Did you plan this too?” you asked, glancing at Sunghoon with disbelief still evident in your voice.
Sunghoon shook his head with a small laugh.
“No,” he admitted. “But I did read online that there’s usually a fireworks display by the river every Saturday night.”
You looked at him fondly before smiling to yourself.
“You really are a meticulous person,” you teased softly before turning your attention back to the fireworks.
The colors reflected beautifully in your eyes as you admired the display, completely mesmerized by how close everything felt from the yacht.
For a few moments, neither of you spoke.
The only sounds surrounding you were the waves beneath the yacht, the distant city noise, and the fireworks continuously bursting above.
Then, quietly, you heard Sunghoon call your name.
“Y/N.”
“Hm?” you hummed softly before turning back to him.
The moment you did, your breath caught slightly.
Sunghoon was already staring at you.
Not at the fireworks.
Not at the view.
Just you.
His eyes slowly moved from yours down to your lips before he swallowed nervously, almost like he was trying to gather courage.
Then, slowly, he stepped closer.
You stayed still as he closed the distance between you, already sensing what he wanted to do from the way his gaze softened.
He stopped only inches away, close enough for you to feel his breath against your skin.
One of his hands gently cupped your cheek while your noses nearly brushed from how little space remained between you.
But even then, he still didn’t kiss you immediately. Instead, Sunghoon looked into your eyes first, almost silently asking for permission, waiting to see if you would pull away.
When he found no hesitation in your expression, only warmth, he finally leaned in as his lips met yours softly.
Your breath hitched at the contact, your entire body freezing for half a second as the reality of the moment sank in. You were kissing Sunghoon.
And somehow, despite everything that had happened between you both, it still felt unreal.
Then slowly, you closed your eyes and kissed him back.
His lips moved gently against yours, warm and careful, fitting perfectly with your own as if this moment had been waiting to happen for a long time now.
His other hand slid carefully to your back, pulling you slightly closer while your fingers instinctively clutched the fabric of his shirt.
The world around you seemed to blur after that.
The fireworks, the river, the city lights, everything faded quietly into the background while the two of you stayed there wrapped in each other’s presence.
For the first time in weeks, nothing interrupted you.
Eventually, Sunghoon pulled away slightly, both of you breathing softly as he rested his forehead against yours.
Then he looked at you again, his eyes filled with something so sincere it made your chest ache.
“Y/N,” he said quietly, still holding you close. “Will you make me the happiest person alive and be my girlfriend?”
The hopeful look in his eyes immediately made you smile.
“Of course, Sunghoon,” you answered softly. “I’d love to.”
The smile that spread across his face afterward was so wide and genuine that you could even see the small sharpness of his fangs appearing as he laughed quietly in relief.
Then, unable to help himself, he leaned in once more.
Beneath the fireworks still bursting across the night sky, reflecting in the water around you, the two of you fell into another kiss, slower this time, softer, like neither of you were in any hurry to let go of the moment.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
After spending a little more time together on the yacht, simply talking while the city lights reflected against the water, Sunghoon eventually drove you home.
The car ride back felt calmer compared to earlier, but in the best way possible.
Your intertwined hands rested quietly between the two of you for most of the drive, and every now and then, you would catch him glancing at you during red lights with the same soft smile he had been wearing the entire night.
Soon, his car slowly pulled over in front of your apartment.
Neither of you moved immediately after the engine stopped. It was almost as if neither of you wanted the night to end just yet.
Eventually, you unbuckled your seatbelt before turning to him with a small smile still lingering on your lips.
“Goodnight, Sunghoon,” you said softly. “And thank you for such a memorable first date.”
Sunghoon smiled back at you instantly as he slowly reached over and tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear, his fingers lingering for a brief second against your cheek.
“Goodnight, pretty,” he murmured softly.
That immediately made your cheeks warm again.
You laughed quietly under your breath before finally opening the car door and stepping outside.
The cool night air greeted you once more as you adjusted your purse over your shoulder before turning back to him.
“Drive safely, okay?” you reminded him.
Sunghoon nodded obediently, still smiling at you like he couldn’t quite believe tonight actually happened.
“I will.”
You waved goodbye before walking towards the entrance of your apartment, but just before stepping inside, you glanced back over your shoulder.
Sunghoon was still there.
Still sitting inside the car, watching you carefully as if making sure you got inside safely before he could finally leave.
When he noticed you looking back at him again, a soft smile immediately appeared on his face as he lifted his hand for another small wave.
You smiled back, feeling your chest warm all over again before finally unlocking the front door of your apartment and stepping inside.
Just before the door fully closed behind you, you glanced outside one last time and saw Sunghoon finally driving away, his car disappearing slowly down the quiet street.
You stayed there for a moment, leaning lightly against the door as your heart continued racing from everything that had happened tonight.
Then a smile slowly spreads across your lips.
Because one thing was certain.
There was no way you would ever forget your first date with Park Sunghoon.
──────────────────────────────
The doctors’ lounge was quieter than usual that Monday morning.
Not empty, never empty, but calm in that brief window between rounds where the hospital almost forgot how chaotic it could become a few minutes later.
You were seated on one of the chairs, half-focused on a chart in your hands, though your attention kept drifting away for reasons that had absolutely nothing to do with work.
Sunghoon was beside you.
Too close to feel strictly professional. Too calm to feel entirely fair.
He was scrolling through a report on his phone, but his knee was lightly brushing yours under the small table between you, like it had become something so natural neither of you bothered acknowledging it anymore.
You glanced at him from the side, watching him for a moment before finally speaking.
“You’re distracting me,” you said softly, though your eyes were still lowered towards the chart as if you were trying to pretend otherwise.
“I’m not doing anything,” he replied immediately, not even bothering to look up from his phone.
“That’s the problem,” you murmured under your breath, and that was enough to finally make him turn his head to you.
His expression was relaxed, almost effortless, but his eyes softened the moment they landed on you, like they always did now without him even trying.
“You’re in a mood today,” he said.
“You’re in my space,” you corrected immediately.
He hummed thoughtfully, as if actually considering your complaint, then casually reached out to fix your hair that had fallen across your face. His fingers lingered near your head just a second too long before he pulled back.
“You missed a patient earlier,” he said simply.
“I didn’t,” you insisted right away, narrowing your eyes at him in protest.
“You did,” he repeated, entirely unbothered, as if it was the most obvious truth in the world.
You tried to look offended, but the faint curve forming at the corner of your lips completely betrayed you, and Sunghoon noticed it immediately.
He leaned back against the chaur again, looking far too satisfied with himself, though his hand still remained loosely intertwined with yours between you, as if neither of you had thought to let go or found a reason to.
And for a brief moment, everything around you just… settled in a way that felt unfamiliar but not uncomfortable, almost like the world had decided to pause just long enough for you to exist like this without interruption.
Too peaceful.
Too soft.
Too domestic for two people who used to struggle just to exist in the same schedule without missing each other entirely.
“Oh my god.”
Both of you turned at the same time towards the entrance.
Sunoo was standing there holding a folder in one hand, staring at the scene in front of him with an expression so deeply offended that it looked like he had walked in on something he could never unsee.
“I need you both to know,” he said flatly, his tone completely devoid of emotion, “this is disgusting.”
You blinked slowly. “Excuse me?”
Sunghoon didn’t even react much, only glancing at him briefly before returning to his relaxed posture as if nothing about this situation was worth changing.
Sunoo stepped further inside, pointing between the two of you with increasing intensity.
“This,” he continued, voice rising slightly now, “this right here is exactly what I suffered for.”
You frowned. “You suffered?”
He scoffed loudly, like the question itself was insulting. “Do you have any idea how exhausting it was to watch two emotionally unavailable doctors practically orbit each other for weeks without doing anything about it? I have aged. I am not the same person anymore.”
Sunghoon finally spoke, still calm. “We were not orbiting each other.”
Sunoo stared at him for a long, deliberate second.
“You interrupted your own confession multiple times,” he said flatly.
Silence fell for a beat.
“…Okay,” Sunghoon admitted after a pause, completely unfazed.
You pressed your lips together, trying not to laugh as Sunoo nodded. “Anyway. You’re welcome. I single-handedly improved your love life. I should be rewarded.”
“You should be working,” Sunghoon replied.
“That’s what you choose to say after I changed your love life?” he asked, acting shocked.
Then he turned towards the door dramatically. “Whatever, I’m leaving before I get secondhand diabetes from watching this. It’s honestly offensive.”
Sunghoon tilted his head slightly. “You’re the one who planned all of this.”
“And I regret nothing,” Sunoo said instantly, pausing only to add, “except Jay. I regret doing the plan with Jay.” Then he turned and walked out just as quickly as he had come in.
“Try not to be too in love!” he called over his shoulder. “It’s embarrassing!”
The door closed behind him, and the lounge finally fell into silence again.
For a few seconds, neither of you said anything, as if both of you were still processing the sheer chaos that had just walked in and out of the room.
Then you both laughed.
Soft at first, then a little easier, like something that had been stuck in your chest for weeks had finally loosened.
“He’s unbelievable,” you said between breaths.
“He’s going to get worse,” Sunghoon replied calmly.
“I thought that was already his worst,” you countered immediately.
“Nope, he still has more of that,” he said seriously.
That made you laugh again, and when it finally faded, the silence that followed didn’t feel empty anymore, but instead warm and steady in a way that made staying in it feel easy.
Sunghoon’s phone vibrated shortly after.
He checked it, and almost instantly, his expression shifted in that subtle way you were beginning to recognize, his shoulders tightening for just a moment before easing back down again.
You noticed immediately. “Work?”
He nodded once. “Emergency consult.”
There was a brief pause between you that felt heavier than words, though not uncomfortable, just aware.
He slipped his phone back into his pocket and stood up slowly, taking his time as if he wasn’t fully in a hurry to leave just yet.
Before you could even say anything, he stepped closer. One hand lifted to your cheek again, familiar now, like it had always belonged there.
You didn’t get the chance to tease him before he leaned in and kissed you.
It was a soft and sudden one, a kiss that felt like there wasn’t any hesitation anymore, just certainty.
When he pulled away, he stayed close for a moment longer, his forehead almost brushing yours as if he didn’t want to let go yet.
His phone vibrated again, cutting through the quiet between you.
“Duty calls,” he murmured quietly, like it was both an excuse and an apology at the same time.
You watched the way his expression shifted for a second before he straightened fully, as if putting distance back in place with quiet discipline.
His gaze lingered on you for a second, warm but already pulling away.
“Don’t miss me too much,” he murmured quietly.
“I won’t,” you replied immediately, without even thinking.
He let out a quiet laugh, the kind that made it obvious he didn’t believe you for a second, then turned to leave.
But not before glancing back over his shoulder one last time, giving you a quick wink before finally walking out of the lounge.
You stayed seated for a little longer after he left, fingers lightly touching your lips as if your body was trying to memorize the feeling even as your mind replayed it on its own.
And somehow, the hospital still looked the same.
But nothing about you felt the same anymore.
══════════════════════════════
author's note: thank you so much for all the love and support you’ve given this story from part 1 until part 2 🫶
i’m sorry it took me a while to finish part 2. i really wanted the story to flow properly while still keeping the slow burn feel without making everything happen too fast
honestly, i had so much fun writing this fic that i found myself giggling and feeling butterflies while rereading some scenes myself 😭 i really hope you guys felt the same emotions while reading it too
this story became really special to me, especially because i enjoyed writing every interaction, every interruption, and every little moment between Y/N and sunghoon
thank you again for reading until the end and for supporting my writing >< your comments and support are honestly what keeps me motivated to continue writing and improving with every fic i make
omg 😭 apparently my account got flagged for spam because i sent too many similar messages (i'm shadowbanned), and now my fic isn’t showing up in the tags 🥹
because of that, i’ll have to temporarily unpublish part 2 and repost it once tumblr fixes everything and my account is no longer affected :((
i’m really sorry to everyone who has been waiting for the update, and i truly hope this gets resolved soon 🫶
small update 😭 tumblr removed my messaging feature because i was trying to message people from my taglist about my new fic since tumblr wouldn’t let me tag them 💔 if you didn’t get tagged in “when duty calls pt. 2,” THAT’S WHY PLSDKSKS i promise i didn’t forget anyone 🫶
and as it turns out, i also can't leave comments/replies too 😔
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
after years of being co-workers, he never reciprocated the feelings you had for him. so you buried them and learned to live with it.
that is, until a small encounter leads him to start showing you that he cares.
genre: co-workers to lovers, fluff, slow burn, hospital au
word count: 12k
It's 2 am, and you're at the hospital.
Seated in the doctors' lounge, you go through your previous patients' charts, updating them one-by-one. From their vitals, medications, progress notes, everything has to be precised and double checked.
Being an OB-GYN means your life rarely follows a normal schedule.
Most nights are spent awake. On call, in delivery rooms, watching life come into the world one patient at a time. It’s exhausting, relentless… but familiar. Somewhere along the way, the chaos became routine.
You barely notice how late it’s gotten anymore.
The quiet scratch of your pen against paper is suddenly interrupted by a soft clink.
Then a cup of coffee appears beside you.
You pause, eyes shifting from the chart to the cup, then upward to the person who placed it there.
Park Sunghoon.
Four years of working in the same hospital, and he still has a way of showing up without a sound. White coat neat as ever, expression calm in that almost unreadable way of his. He works as a neurosurgeon, precise, composed, and annoyingly consistent.
“Night shift again?” he asks, already pulling a chair a few steps away before sitting down.
You lean back slightly, exhaling as you close the file in front of you. "Yeah, I wasn't able to finish these in one go so I had to switch schedules with Dr. Choi."
“I get it,” Sunghoon replies, offering a small, understanding smile. “There are days when I end up doing the same thing too.”
“Well, thanks for the coffee, I really needed this,” you say, taking a sip. You pause, then look up at him surprised. “You even remembered my order?”
Sunghoon simply purses his lips and shrugs, as if it were nothing, before reaching for his own cup. “You’re welcome.” Just as he’s about to say more, his phone vibrates.
“They need me there. I guess I’ll see you later.” He stands from his chair and lightly pats your shoulder before heading toward the door.
You glance at the cup of coffee in your hands, a small frown forming. You’d only been to the café together twice: once three months ago, and again just two weeks ago. How could he have memorized my order?
A warm feeling slowly blooms in your chest as you think about Sunghoon and his sudden thoughtfulness.
It reminds you of a time when your feelings for him were harder to ignore. Back during your first week working together, when he introduced himself as the newly hired neurosurgeon. What started as simple admiration gradually turned into something more.
Those feelings lasted for an entire year. But between the long hours, the need to stay professional, and your own reluctance to risk it all, you chose to bury them. You kept telling yourself that workplace romance should be avoided, that work always comes first, and that romance simply wasn’t worth the risk. Eventually, you convinced yourself that being nothing more than co-workers was for the best.
You shake your head, snapping yourself out of your thoughts. “Why am I suddenly thinking about the past?” you murmur under your breath. “He probably just has a really good memory.”
With that, you turn back to your work, forcing the lingering warmth in your chest to fade.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Sunghoon, who was on his way to a patient’s room after leaving you alone in the doctors’ lounge, caught himself smiling slightly, especially when he recalled the look of surprise on your face when you realized he had remembered your order.
Back then, he hadn’t paid much attention to you. He hadn’t gone out of his way to learn the little things. Like how you took your coffee or whether you preferred something sweet on the side. But ever since that small hangout with you and a few co-workers three months ago, something had shifted. A quiet curiosity about you had begun to grow.
It wasn’t just because you were one of the best rookie OB-GYNs the hospital had seen. It was also the way you cared for others, not just your patients, but people in general.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Three months ago…
As the rest of the group prepared to leave the café, you lingered behind, glancing at your phone as if you had just remembered something.
“I just remembered I need to buy something before I go. You guys go ahead,” you told Chaewon, your friend. She nodded, calling out a quick goodbye before catching up with the others.
Once they were gone, you stepped back towards the counter and ordered two croissants and a bottle of water. After paying, you hurried outside, scanning the area as if looking for someone.
What you didn’t realize was that Sunghoon had stayed behind. He had gone to the restroom just before everyone left, assuming he’d catch up with the group afterward.
As he stepped out and dried his hands, he paused when he spotted you still there. From inside the café, he watched as you approached a beggar and a small child sitting near the parking lot.
You crouched down to their level, handing them the food you had just bought. A gentle smile spread across your face as you spoke to them softly, though he couldn’t hear the words. After a moment, you gave a small wave before turning to leave.
Sunghoon stood there a little longer than he meant to, quietly processing what he had just seen. Something about that moment stayed with him. The sincerity, the kindness, the way you did it without expecting anything in return.
It made him realize that maybe you were more than just a co-worker he had known for years.
And somehow, from that day on, he found himself paying closer attention.
──────────────────────────────
The elevator doors slid shut with a soft chime, sealing you into the quiet hum of fluorescent light and mirrored steel.
You pressed your back lightly against the wall, exhaling through your nose as the display above the doors blinked from floor to floor. The senior doctor’s message still lingered in your mind: Come to my office. I need to introduce you to someone.
The elevator slowed briefly at the 5th floor, then continued upward. You checked your watch out of habit, fingers tapping once against your coat sleeve.
Just then, the doors opened with a gentle ding. You looked around to find out nobody there, until your eyes caught movement at the far end of the corridor.
A familiar figure stood just outside the elevator’s reach, hands tucked into his white coat pockets, posture relaxed in a way that somehow still looked presentable. Sunghoon.
He nods slightly when he sees you inside, stepping into the empty space beside you. He presses the button, and the elevator doors slide shut with a soft chime.
“Busy today?” he asks, breaking the silence a few seconds after stepping in.
“Not really. I just need to meet with the senior doctor.”
“Oh? How come?” he asks, a hint of surprise flashing across his face. It’s rare for either of you to be called in, usually only for major announcements or worse, bad news. So when you first read the message, you had been just as puzzled.
You shrug lightly. “I’m not entirely sure. She did mention introducing someone, though. Maybe a new employee.”
Sunghoon nods, taking that in.
“How about you?” you ask, turning to him. “Anything big happening today?”
“Actually, I have a procedure at 5 pm,” he says casually.
You instinctively glance at your watch. “That’s in thirty minutes.”
"I know." Sunghoon replied. "You don't seem like you're in a rush." You replied, noticing his chill attitude.
"Well it's a minor one. Just a lumbar puncture, won't take long." He says, seeing your expression.
“Huh… that’s your version of minor?” You mutter, brows lifting slightly as you look at him.
Sunghoon lets out a quiet breath, almost a huff of amusement, barely there. “You just get used to it.”
You shake your head, a small smile tugging at your lips despite yourself. “Still sounds intense.”
“It’s routine,” he says simply, like that alone should settle it. And somehow, coming from him, it almost does.
The elevator hums softly as it slows, the numbers above the door blinking once before stopping.
Your floor.
The doors slide open.
You hesitate for only a second, then shift your weight forward, stepping out into the hallway. Before fully turning away, you glance back at him.
“Good luck, Sunghoon.”
He meets your gaze, calm as ever. “I don't need it.”
That almost makes you scoff, but instead you just exhale a small laugh. “Still, good luck.”
The doors begin to close behind you.
And just before they shut completely, you catch it, the smallest hint of a smile on his face, gone just as quickly as it appears.
You walk straight to the end of the hallway, where the senior doctor’s office is located.
Stopping in front of the door, you knock three times. A voice from inside calls, “Come in.”
Taking the cue, you twist the doorknob open and step inside. Dr. Lim stands near her desk, a folder in hand. Beside her is a young man with sharp, cat-like eyes, standing straight with quiet composure.
You close the door behind you and walk toward them.
“Dr. Kang,” the senior doctor says, closing the file in her hand, “This is Jungwon, a newly assigned resident. He’ll be rotating in OB-GYN under your supervision.”
You turn your attention to him just as he steps forward, extending his hand. “Pleased to meet you, Dr. Kang.”
You shake his hand without hesitation, offering a small, welcoming smile. “Nice to meet you too, Jungwon. Welcome to the OB-GYN department.”
He smiles back, his expression calm and professional, no trace of nervousness in sight.
“Alright,” Dr. Lim continues smoothly, already reaching for another document on her desk. “Jungwon, you’ll report to Dr. Kang starting today. She’ll orient you with the ward and your responsibilities.”
Jungwon nods. “Understood, ma’am.”
The senior doctor looks up once more, this time addressing both of you. “OB-GYN is a demanding department. I expect discipline and clear communication. Dr. Kang, he’s your responsibility during this rotation.”
You give a small nod in acknowledgment.
Dr. Lim leans back slightly, signaling the end of the meeting. “Now that’s settled. You may go.”
You turn first, straightening your posture as you head for the door. Jungwon follows a step behind, attentive.
Once you’re outside in the hallway, you turn to face him.
“First things first,” you say, folding your arms lightly. “Call me by my first name, Y/N. No ‘Dr. Kang.’ It makes me feel older than I am.”
Jungwon lets out a small chuckle. “Got it. Y/N it is.”
“As Dr. Lim mentioned, I’ll be your supervisor for the duration of your rotation in OB-GYN,” you continue. “Since it’s your first day, I’ll give you a quick tour of the facilities so you can start familiarizing yourself.”
You gesture forward. “Let’s go.”
The two of you head towards the elevator. “The OB-GYN department is on the third floor,” you add, pressing the button.
When the doors open, you’re greeted by the nurses’ station. The nurses on duty look up from their desks.
“Good afternoon, Dr. Kang,” they greet in unison.
“Good afternoon,” you reply with a polite nod before turning slightly to Jungwon. “This is Jungwon, our new resident. He’ll be working here starting today.”
Jungwon smiles and greets them, and they return the gesture warmly.
You lead him down the left hallway lined with patient rooms. “This is where admitted patients stay, postpartum mothers, as well as those recovering from surgery,” you explain. “The rooms along the right hallway are mainly for regular check-ups and consultations.”
“And over here…” you continue, walking towards the far end where a large door with glass panels stands. “…is the Labor, Delivery, and Recovery Room. LDR for short.”
You push the door open just enough to step inside and the shift is immediate.
A strained breath cuts through the air, followed by a low cry. A patient grips the bed rails, her knuckles pale, while a nurse guides her breathing with steady reassurance.
“Active labor,” you say calmly as you step further in. “This is where things start to pick up.”
Jungwon stays close behind you, noticeably quieter now, his eyes taking everything in.
A monitor beside the bed beeps steadily, then suddenly dips. The nurse straightens. “Doctor, heart rate’s dropping.”
Before the tour can even pause, you’re already moving.
“Position her to the left,” you instruct, your tone calm but firm. “Give her oxygen.” The room shifts instantly, quick hands, precise movements, controlled urgency.
The patient gasps, her eyes squeezed shut as another contraction hits. You glance at the monitor. Then steady again, as the beeping evens out.
“Good,” you murmur, stepping back as if it were second nature. “Keep monitoring.”
“Yes, doctor.”
The tension doesn’t disappear, but it eases just enough. You turn back to Jungwon, your expression composed.
“It can change that fast,” you say simply. “You learn to respond before it becomes a problem.”
He nods, still processing what he just witnessed.
“Come on,” you add, already heading for the door. “Let’s continue.”
“On the opposite end,” you say, pointing down the hallway, “is the operating room.”
You walk in that direction, with Jungwon following closely behind.
You push the operating room doors open, and a wave of sterile, cool air greets you as you step inside.
Bright overhead lights reflect off stainless steel instruments neatly arranged on trays. The operating table sits at the center, surrounded by monitors and machines humming quietly in the background.
“Procedures like cesarean sections and gynecologic surgeries are done here,” you explain, your voice steady as it echoes slightly in the room. “And when things don’t go as planned…”
You pause for a brief moment, your gaze flicking toward the operating table.
“…that is where we take over.”
ᯓ★ ݁˖
The tour continues as you guide Jungwon through the rest of the facility, from the ultrasound rooms to the examination areas, and finally to the newborn units. You explain each section with ease, answering his occasional questions, barely noticing how quickly time slips by.
It isn’t until you glance at your watch that you pause.
“Oh, it’s already 6 pm,” you say, a little surprised. “Perfect timing. My shift ends now, and since I’ve already shown you around the entire OB-GYN department, we can both head home.”
“Wait, really?” Jungwon asks, clearly caught off guard.
You nod. “Yes. Once I leave, there won’t be anyone to supervise you anyway. And since it’s your first day, I’ll let you off early this time. Your real work starts tomorrow.”
“Ah…” Jungwon exhales in relief, a small grin forming. “I’ll be ready by then,” he assures you, determination settling into his expression.
“Good to hear,” you reply with a faint smile. “Well, I’ll get going now. See you tomorrow, Jungwon.”
“See you, Doc,” he says.
You give him a small wave before leaving.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
After gathering your things, you take the elevator down to the underground parking area. The space is quieter now, the hum of engines and distant footsteps echoing faintly. You spot your car a short distance away and walk towards it, pressing your key fob to unlock it.
Sliding into the driver’s seat, you place your bag on the passenger side and reach for the ignition.
You turn the key.
Click.
Nothing.
You try again.
Click. Click.
The engine doesn’t turn over.
A faint frown forms as you attempt a few more times, but the sound only grows weaker until the car falls completely silent and unresponsive.
"Unbelievable,” you mutter, letting your forehead rest briefly against the steering wheel.
You sigh, leaning back as frustration settles in. Your eyes drift to your bag beside you.
“How am I supposed to go home now...”
ᯓ★ ݁˖
A few minutes later, you find yourself standing outside the hospital entrance, arms folded loosely as you scan the road.
You decided to take a cab instead, but even after waiting for several minutes, none stop. The few that passed by are already occupied, their headlights briefly illuminating you before disappearing down the street.
You shift your weight, glancing down the road again, hoping the next one will finally be empty.
Then, a sleek silver BMW pulls up in front of you, the engine purring softly as the window rolls down.
You look over to see who it is.
Sunghoon sits behind the wheel, one hand resting loosely on it while the other drapes over the passenger seat’s headrest, his posture relaxed.
“Need a ride home?” he asks.
“I—”
Before you can even answer, he leans over and pushes the passenger door open. That leaves you with little room to refuse.
You step in, closing the door gently behind you.
Settling into the passenger seat, you sit a little stiffly, your gaze fixed on the window beside you.
It’s your first time riding in a car alone with him, something you never really imagined would happen. And not just any car, but his.
For a moment, the air inside feels thick with unspoken tension. Neither of you says anything, the quiet stretching just a bit too long.
After a while, Sunghoon clears his throat, breaking the silence. “So… what happened to your car?”
You turn slightly to look at him. “The battery died. I’ve been so busy these past few weeks that I forgot to get it replaced.”
“I see.” He nods once. “How long were you waiting out there?”
“About twenty minutes,” you reply.
“Good thing I saw you then,” he says, a faint chuckle slipping through. “You looked like you were about to lose your patience.”
You let out a small laugh. “Honestly, I was. And thank you, by the way. If you hadn’t shown up, I probably would’ve ended up walking home.”
That earns another quiet hum of amusement from him.
After that, the conversation fades, but this time, the silence feels different. Softer. Easier. The low hum of the engine and the faint music playing on the radio fill the space comfortably.
For once, it isn’t awkward.
The car slows to a stop at a red light. Sunghoon glances your way, his expression unreadable but calm. “You hungry?”
“I think I’m good,” you reply, but almost immediately, your stomach betrays you with a low rumble. Shit.
You freeze for a second, suddenly remembering that you skipped lunch earlier, too distracted and a little too nervous about the senior doctor’s message.
Sunghoon lets out a quiet laugh at the sound. “Let’s grab something to eat,” he says, already easing his foot back on the gas as the light turns green. “My treat.”
You don’t argue.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
A few minutes later, you find yourselves at a casual Italian fast-food restaurant. The warm lighting and soft chatter from other customers make the place feel cozy despite the rush hour.
You scan the area and spot a small booth tucked into the corner. “There,” you say, heading towards it.
You slide into the seat while Sunghoon remains standing beside the table. “What would you like to eat?” he asks.
“I think pasta’s fine,” you answer.
He nods. “Alright. I’ll order for us. Just wait here, okay?”
“Okay.”
You watch as he walks toward the counter, joining the short line. For a moment, you find yourself absentmindedly observing him the way he stands, calm and composed even in something as simple as ordering food.
A few minutes later, he returns carrying a tray.
He sets a plate of pasta in front of you, his lasagna beside it, then hands you your drink.
“And this one’s for you,” he adds, placing a slice of pizza next to your plate.
You blink, confused. “I didn’t order that.”
He sits across from you, completely unfazed. “I did. I figured the pasta wouldn’t be enough since you’re hungry.”
You cough lightly, feeling your cheeks warm. “Oh… uh, thank you.”
You start eating, your gaze fixed anywhere but him. Somehow, the earlier ease from the car ride has shifted again, replaced by a quiet, awkward tension.
You never really imagined this. Sitting across from him, sharing a meal like this. It almost feels unreal, like something out of place in your usual routine.
You can feel his gaze on you, subtle but unmistakable.
“What happened with the senior doctor earlier?” he asks, snapping you out of your thoughts.
You look up, surprised, but your shoulders relax now that the conversation has shifted. “She introduced me to a new resident,” you explain. “He’ll be under my supervision.”
Sunghoon nods, taking a bite of his food.
“His name’s Jungwon,” you continue, twirling your pasta with your fork. “From what I’ve seen so far, he has potential. He wasn’t nervous at all, even when we went to the LDR earlier.”
“That’s good,” Sunghoon says. “At least he seems passionate from the start.”
You nod, but then the thought that’s been lingering in your mind resurfaces. You hesitate just for a second before speaking.
“Sunghoon… can I ask you something?” He looks up. “Sure.”
“Not to sound rude or anything, but why are you suddenly talking to me?” you ask, your voice softer now. “I mean… we’ve been co-workers for four years, and this is the first time you’ve bought me coffee or talked to me for more than ten minutes.”
For a brief moment, he looks genuinely caught off guard. His eyes widen slightly, and a faint blush creeps up to his ears as he scratches the back of his neck. “That’s… uh…”
"I just thought that I've been so shy these past years that I don't get to socialize with my co-workers that much. You know, I just recently became close with that dermatologist, Kim Sunoo." He replied.
You nodded, a small smile forming. “That’s good to hear. I remember you skipped the Christmas party for two years straight. It’s nice to see you stepping out of your comfort zone.”
He smiles back. “I guess it is.”
The conversation drifts into something lighter after that, and before you realize it, dinner is over.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Soon enough, you’re back in his car, this time parked in front of your apartment building.
You unbuckle your seatbelt, turning slightly towards him. “Thank you for the ride, Sunghoon. And for the food.”
He smiles softly. “Don’t mention it. If you ever need a ride home, you can just call me.”
You stopped. “But… I don’t have your number.”
“Here.” He unlocks his phone and hands it to you. You take it, typing your number into his contacts before handing it back. “There.”
You step out of the car, the cool night air brushing against your skin. “Goodnight, Sunghoon,” you say, closing the door halfway and then you heard him speak, “Goodnight, Y/N.”
You pause for just a moment before shutting the door completely, the sound echoing softly in the quiet street.
Later that night, as you lie in bed, staring up at the ceiling, your mind drifts back to everything that happened.
The coffee. The car ride. Dinner.
Him.
Your heart beats a little faster, your cheeks warming at the memories.
Those feelings you buried years ago? They’re being dug up by none other than Park Sunghoon himself.
──────────────────────────────
Three weeks after that dinner with Sunghoon, the two of you have grown noticeably more comfortable around each other. He even picked you up from your apartment the morning after that night, insisting so you wouldn’t have to take the subway to work.
And now, you’re back in the thick of it. Endless patients, heavy workloads, night shifts, deadlines, and back-to-back surgeries taking up most of your time.
“Doc, I’m done with my rounds for now,” Jungwon says, appearing beside you while you’re busy taking a patient’s blood pressure.
You finish up, offering the patient a small reassuring smile before noting down the readings on the chart.
“Good,” you say, turning to him. “I want you to check on Baby Jung in the newborn unit. When I assessed the baby earlier this morning, the condition was a bit unstable. If that continues, report back to me so we’ll coordinate with the Pediatrics Department.”
“You got it.” Jungwon gives a quick salute before turning to leave.
“Oh, and Jungwon,” you call out just as he’s a few steps away. “Don’t forget the dessert you promised me for lunch.”
He chuckles, glancing back. “Of course, Doc. See you at the cafeteria later.”
Over the past three weeks, you and Jungwon have also grown closer, spending nearly every day working side by side. You’re grateful to have someone to share the hectic schedules and overwhelming workload with as it makes everything feel just a little lighter.
You grab the clipboard with your patient records and head towards the elevator. Your phone vibrates in your pocket, and you pull it out, about to read the message but you bumped into someone.
The impact causes the clipboard to slip from your hands, papers scattering across the floor.
“Oh my, I’m so sorry!” a voice says quickly.
You crouch down to gather the papers, the other person doing the same.
As you pick them up and glance up, a nurse you don’t recognize hands you a few sheets. “Here you go.”
“Thank you,” you reply, standing up.
“I’m really sorry again, Doctor…” Her eyes flicker to your coat, reading the name stitched onto it. “…Kang.”
You shake your head lightly. “It’s okay. I wasn’t looking either. It’s partly my fault.”
You pause for a moment, studying her. “By the way, what’s your name? I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”
She smiles sweetly. “I’m Jang Wonyoung. I just started working here yesterday.”
“Well, it’s nice meeting you, Wonyoung,” you say with a friendly smile. “Sorry our first meeting had to be like this.”
“That’s alright,” she replies. “Have a nice day, Dr. Kang.”
She gives a small wave before heading off.
You continue towards the elevator and pressed the button. While waiting, you check your phone and read Jungwon’s message. He mentions that the newborn unit is a bit crowded with nurses and a few parents, and that he’ll update you once he gets inside.
Ding.
The elevator doors open.
You look up and see Sunghoon inside.
A smile forms on your lips as you step in, slipping your phone back into your pocket.
“Funny how we always run into each other at the elevator,” you say, turning to him.
“It is,” he replies, a hint of amusement in his voice. “Maybe I should start charging you for getting to see a handsome face like mine every time the doors open.”
You let out a laugh, and he joins in, the sound light and easy between you.
“Anyway,” he continues once the laughter fades. “Where are you planning to eat lunch? Sunoo and a friend of mine are trying out a newly opened restaurant nearby. Want to join us?”
“I’d love to,” you say, “but Jungwon and I already made plans, and he’s treating me to dessert, so I can’t really say no to that.” You nudge his side playfully.
“Ah, I see.” He nods, though you can’t help but notice the slight disappointment in his tone. “Maybe next time.”
“Definitely next time,” you reply.
The elevator doors slide open at your floor.
You step out, then glance back at him. “I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
And with that, you walk away, unaware of the way his gaze lingers on you just a second longer than usual.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Lunchtime arrives, and you’ve been sitting there for almost an hour.
Your plate is already empty, your drink long finished, and yet there’s still no sign of Jungwon or the dessert he promised.
You let out a quiet sigh, resting your cheek against your palm as you glance towards the cafeteria doors. Maybe I should’ve just gone with Sunghoon instead…
Just as the thought crosses your mind, the doors swing open and Jungwon rushes in, scanning the room before spotting you.
“Y/N, I’m so sorry I’m late, a patient was—” He’s panting so hard he can’t even finish his sentence.
“Woah, hey. Sit down first,” you say quickly.
He does as told, and you hand him your spare bottle of water. He takes it immediately, drinking it down in one go.
Once he’s done, he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and looks at you apologetically. “I really wanted to come earlier, but a patient asked me to stay with her until her husband arrived. I didn’t expect it to take that long… if I had known, I wouldn’t have stayed.”
You nod, your expression softening. “It’s okay. I would’ve done the same thing.”
“Did you at least eat lunch?” you ask.
“I did,” he replies. “The patient felt bad for making me wait, so she gave me some food.”
“Then I guess that leaves us with dessert,” you say, pointing lightly at him. “Now go get me that dessert you promised.”
Jungwon stands up immediately and heads to the counter.
A few minutes later, he returns, but this time, there’s a slight frown on his face.
“They ran out,” he says. “I guess it’s my fault for getting here late.”
You sigh, leaning back in your chair. “So… what are we supposed to have for dessert now?”
Jungwon pauses, thinking for a moment before his expression brightens. “I know a place. Come with me.”
A short while later, the two of you find yourselves standing in front of a gelato shop in town.
“I come here whenever I’m craving something sweet,” Jungwon says, a hint of excitement in his voice. “They make the best gelato.”
He steps ahead of you, holding the door open.
“You’re really serious about this gelato, huh?” you tease with a small laugh.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Across the street, inside the newly opened restaurant, Sunghoon sits with Sunoo and Jay.
“Is that Y/N?” Sunoo suddenly says, pointing towards the window.
Sunghoon’s attention shifts instantly, his gaze following the direction.
Outside, he sees you with Jungwon.
“She’s with the resident,” Sunoo adds, still watching.
“They seem close,” Jay comments casually. “Maybe a little too close. I can’t even remember the last time I became friends with a resident.”
Sunoo gasps softly, covering his mouth. “Right? I thought I was the only one who noticed.”
Sunghoon’s grip on his fork tightens slightly as he listens, his eyes still fixed on the scene outside. On the way Jungwon holds the door open for you and the way you laugh.
“Do you think maybe they’re—”
“Okay, that’s enough,” Sunghoon cuts in, his tone sharper than usual. “Can we just eat in peace and not start rumors?”
Sunoo scoffs, side-eyeing him. “Geez. I was just saying.”
Sunghoon then goes back to eating, but the air at the table has shifted.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
After finishing your gelato, you and Jungwon stepped outside.
Just as you’re about to leave, you spot Sunoo approaching the shop.
You wave at him, and he waves back enthusiastically, a grin spreading across his face.
“What are you doing here?” you ask.
“Getting dessert,” he replies. “Do they have mint chocolate here?”
“Yeah they have tons of flavors, actually. I think you’ll like all of them,” you say with a small laugh.
“Really?” Sunoo’s eyes light up. “I can’t wait!”
He practically skips toward the entrance.
Moments later, Sunghoon and Jay approach.
“Hi,” you greet as they stop in front of you.
“Hello,” Jay replies, glancing inside. “Is Sunoo in there?” You nodded.
“I’ll see if there's a flavor I like,” he says, turning to Sunghoon. “You want anything?”
Sunghoon shakes his head. “I’m good.”
Jay heads inside, leaving the two of you and Jungwon, who has just stepped beside you in an awkward silence.
“Hey,” you say to Sunghoon, but this time, something feels off.
“Right,” you say, trying to ease the tension. “Jungwon, this is Dr. Park Sunghoon, my friend.”
You gesture towards Jungwon. “And Sunghoon, this is Jungwon, the resident I told you about.”
Jungwon immediately extends his hand. “Nice to meet you, Dr. Park.”
For a second, Sunghoon just stares at it, his thick brows slightly furrowed.
You clear your throat softly. Only then does Sunghoon take his hand, briefly.
“Uh huh,” he mutters.
Jungwon withdraws his hand, the smile on his face still polite, though a little uncertain now.
Just then, Sunoo and Jay return. With Sunoo holding his three scoops of mint chocolate chip gelato.
“Let’s head back,” Jay says. “Lunch break’s almost over.”
The five of you began walking back towards the hospital. Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Jay walked ahead, while you and Jungwon trail slightly behind.
“Jungwon… I’m sorry about that,” you say quietly. “Sunghoon isn’t usually like that. I don’t know what got into him.”
“It’s okay,” Jungwon replies, giving you a reassuring smile. “Maybe he just had a bad day.”
“Still… I’ll talk to him.” Before he could respond, you jogged forward.
“Sunghoon,” you call.
No response.
You try again.
Still nothing.
You frown slightly before reaching out and poking his side.
He flinches, finally turning to look at you. “What was that for?”
“You weren’t listening, so I had to resort to that,” you say, pouting slightly. His expression softens just a bit.
“…Sorry. What did you want to say?” He asks as you crossed your arms. “Why were you rude to Jungwon earlier? The kid was just trying to introduce himself.”
“I wasn’t,” he replied, looking away.
“You were,” you insist. “What’s wrong? Are you upset because I didn’t join you for lunch?”
There’s a flicker of something in his eyes as he looks back at you.
“No,” he says quickly. “It’s not that. A waiter messed up my order earlier, so I didn’t really enjoy the meal,” he lied, his voice a little too fast, as if he’s trying to convince both you and himself.
“Oh… that sucks,” you say, your tone softening. “So you really just had a bad day.”
“Yeah,” he mutters, scratching the back of his neck. His ears tint slightly red.
“You should leave them a bad review,” you say lightly. “They don’t deserve all that hype.”
A faint smile tugs at his lips. “Maybe I should.”
──────────────────────────────
It was now time for the yearly medical mission, this time held in Gangwon Province.
Early in the morning, before the sun had fully risen, doctors were already gathered at the back of the hospital, loading supplies into vans. The atmosphere was focused, everyone moving with practiced efficiency.
Once you finished loading your things into the vehicle, the senior doctor, Ms. Lim, arrived to announce the car assignments. Most of the staff, doctors and nurses alike were placed in the larger vans, while only three were assigned to the smaller car.
That included you, Chaewon, and a pharmacist.
“We better get moving. The drive will take two to three hours, and I don’t want us arriving late,” Ms. Lim said as everyone began heading toward their assigned vehicles.
You stepped into the small car first, with Chaewon following right after. “Great, seatmates,” you said lightly, earning a smile from her as she settled beside you. The pharmacist sat in the front passenger seat, next to the driver.
Even with only four people inside, the space felt slightly cramped, with a few supplies stacked behind your seats, signaling the long drive ahead.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
You arrived in Gangwon Province after two and a half hours.
You stretched your arms as soon as you stepped out of the car. “Finally, we’re here,” you said, glancing at Chaewon beside you.
“Look at the view,” she pointed out.
Ahead of you, mountains covered in green stretched into the distance, the early sunlight rising over them and casting a soft glow across the landscape. The air was noticeably cooler and cleaner, a quiet reminder that you were far from the city now.
Around you, doctors and staff had already started unloading supplies from the vehicles. You moved towards the car again and joined in, helping carry boxes as the medical mission was about to start.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
The medical mission is taking place at a public school gym that is converted into a temporary clinic.
Folding tables are set up in sections for each department, with simple privacy screens dividing consultation areas. Nurses move between stations guiding patients, while rows of chairs line the sides of the gym for those waiting their turn.
You sat at a small table marked for OB-GYN consultations, flipping through charts as a line of patients steadily forms in front of you, the hum of the makeshift clinic filling the space around you.
The check-up began smoothly, most patients were cooperative, listening attentively as you gave instructions and advice. Those who needed minor procedures were guided to the adjacent room for outpatient care, while you stayed at your station, calmly writing prescriptions and updating charts.
From across the space, Sunghoon sat at a parallel table, his gaze occasionally lifting towards you. He observed the way you spoke to each patient, reassuring and always gentle in tone, together with the soft smile you gave even in the middle of a busy line.
“Man, you gotta stop staring at her. There are patients on their way,” Jay said quietly from beside him.
“I— I wasn’t staring,” Sunghoon replied immediately, shifting his attention to the neatly arranged supplies in front of him, pretending to align them even though they were already perfectly in order. “Just… observing.”
Jay let out a small hum of disbelief. “Whatever you say.”
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Lunchtime came, with your team providing free food for all the attendees. A long line formed as patients waited for their meals, the gym still buzzing with quiet conversation and movement.
You sat at the table assigned for the doctors, with Sunghoon taking the empty seat beside you.
“Hi,” you greeted as he greeted back.
“How’s the consultation so far? I saw there are a lot of patients in your area,” he asked as he started eating.
“It’s going well. I haven’t had this much fun in a while,” you admitted, earning a small nod from him.
“Good to hear you’re enjoying it,” he said simply.
“I am,” you continued. “It’s always a pleasure helping people.”
The conversation flowed easily as you both ate. When you finished your meal, you reached for the brownie included in the tray, but Sunghoon stopped you.
“Don’t.” You looked up at him, confused.
“It has nuts,” Sunghoon added.
“Oh,” you blinked, then set it back down. “Right.”
A beat passed before you asked, “How did you know I’m allergic to peanuts?”
He cleared his throat, looking down at his food. “I saw you separate the nuts when you were eating that salad last week. And I've seen the EpiPen you always carry in your pocket.”
You stared at him for a second longer than intended, your chest tightening.
“You noticed that?”
He gave a small shrug. “It’s hard not to.”
A quiet warmth settled in your chest, though you kept your expression calm. “Well… thank you for warning me.”
You glanced back at the brownie, then sighed softly. “But it feels like a waste to just leave it.”
Before you could say more, Sunghoon reached over and took it from your plate.
“Always so considerate,” he said, before taking a bite himself.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
It was already night by the time the medical mission ended.
Everyone looked exhausted, evident in the way people moved slower than usual, taking their time packing up supplies. The once busy area had quieted down, replaced by tired chatter and the occasional sigh.
You grabbed your things and made your way to the car, opening the trunk.
“Here, I got it.”
Before you could protest, Sunghoon had already taken the supplies from your hands and placed them neatly inside.
“Thanks,” you say, watching as he closes the trunk.
Just then, Chaewon comes rushing over, slightly out of breath. “Y/N, I asked Ms. Lim earlier if I could transfer to the van since I felt claustrophobic in the smaller car. She said I could, but only if someone switched places with me. I tried asking around, but no one wants to,” she groans, squeezing your hands in mild panic.
You give her a sympathetic look. “Chae, maybe we can—”
“I’ll switch seats with you.”
Both of you turn as Sunghoon speaks up, having clearly overheard the conversation.
“You would?” Chaewon asks, her face lighting up.
He gives a small nod. “Yeah.”
“Oh my gosh, thank you!” she squeals, then quickly turns back to you. “But Y/N, is it okay if I’m not your seatmate anymore?”
You smile softly. “It’s fine. I know how much you hate small spaces.”
Chaewon beams before pulling you into a quick hug. “Thank you, Y/N. You’re the best.”
“Everyone, let’s go!” Ms. Lim calls out.
“I have to go, see you at the hospital!” Chaewon says, waving as she hurries off.
You wave back before heading to the car. You slide into your seat, and a moment later, Sunghoon follows, settling beside you.
“She’s right,” he mutters, shifting slightly. “It is cramped in here.”
Your shoulders brush against his from how little space there is.
“Yeah,” you sigh. “We just have to endure it for two and a half hours.”
ᯓ★ ݁˖
The car ride begins, the hum of the engine blending with the low chatter of others. You pull out your phone, texting Jungwon about updates from the hospital. The screen blurs slightly as you blink slowly, fatigue catching up to you.
You let out a quiet yawn while waiting for his reply, your eyelids growing heavier by the second.
“Tired?” Sunghoon asks softly from beside you.
“Mm,” you hum in response, too drained to form a proper sentence.
“You should get some sleep,” he says. “I’ll wake you up when we arrive.”
"Maybe I should.”
You lean your head against the window, eyes slowly closing as the gentle motion of the car puts you to sleep.
A few minutes pass.
Sunghoon glances at you, noticing the way your head keeps tilting awkwardly against the glass, your body shifting uncomfortably with every bump on the road.
Carefully, he moves a little closer.
Slowly, so carefully you don’t wake, he lifts a hand and gently guides your head away from the window, letting it rest against his shoulder instead.
“There…” he whispers softly.
Your head settles against him, your breathing evening out as you remain asleep, now in a far more comfortable position.
He stays still, not wanting to disturb you. But as the quiet of the ride settles in, he begins to feel his own exhaustion creeping in.
His eyes flutter shut.
And soon enough, he falls asleep too.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Unbeknownst to the two of you, Sunoo, who had already taken the front seat earlier, insisting he wanted to ride shotgun instead of being stuck in the back with the supplies on the van, was quietly watching a movie on his phone.
At some point, he glanced up from his screen and caught a glimpse of the back seat through the rearview mirror.
His brows lifted slightly.
He shifted in his seat and turned just enough to look behind him directly.
There you were, fast asleep, your head resting gently on Sunghoon’s shoulder.
And Sunghoon, also asleep, his head slightly tilted toward yours.
A slow, mischievous grin spread across Sunoo’s face.
He paused his movie and casually raised his phone, snapping a photo of the two of you, clearly entertained.
“Interesting…” he muttered under his breath before returning his attention to the screen, as if nothing had happened.
──────────────────────────────
The morning two days after, you step out of the elevator, heading towards the doctors’ lounge, only to stop in your tracks.
A few feet ahead, you spot Sunghoon walking out of the operating room. He’s in the middle of removing his surgical gown and cap, his hair slightly disheveled as he runs a hand through it to fix it.
For a moment, you just watch him.
You were about to walk over, maybe ask how the surgery went when someone beats you to it.
“Doctor.”
You glance over.
It’s the nurse you met before, Wonyoung.
“How was the surgery?” she asks, her voice softer than usual.
“It was fine,” Sunghoon replies.
“Of course it went well. You’re good at what you do,” she says, stepping a little closer than necessary. “Do you need help with anything, Dr. Park? I can assist you in cleaning up.”
Before he can respond, she reaches out, noticing his collar slightly crooked from removing his surgical gown and fixes it herself.
You freeze.
For a second, you can’t quite believe what you’re seeing. Your lips part slightly as you watch the interaction unfold, something uneasy settling in your chest.
She’s clearly flirting.
You wait, expecting Sunghoon to step back, to say something, to at least react.
But he doesn’t.
He just stands there, looking at her, almost as if he’s momentarily zoned out.
Something about that makes your chest tighten.
“Tsk.” You crossed your arms and turn away, not bothering to watch any longer.
Your steps are quicker now as you head straight to the doctors’ lounge, pushing the door open a little harder than necessary.
The sudden noise makes Jungwon look up from his laptop, slightly startled. “Y/N?” he says.
You pause, then let out a small breath. “Jungwon. I didn’t know you were here.”
“I’m just working on a report,” he replies, closing his laptop halfway. “What’s up? You look a little… irritated.”
You sit down beside him, crossing your arms as you lean back.
“Jungwon, do you know that newly hired nurse? The tall one who looks more like a supermodel than a nurse?”
He turns his chair toward you, giving you his full attention. His brows knit slightly as he thinks. “Nurse Wonyoung?”
“Yes, her,” you say quickly. “I just saw her flirting with Sunghoon out there. Can you believe that? A nurse who’s barely been here a month, hitting on a doctor?”
Jungwon lets out a small chuckle once you finish.
“Yeah, I believe you,” he says. “You don’t usually get this worked up over something small.”
You narrow your eyes slightly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means…” he leans back a bit, a teasing glint in his eyes, “you sound jealous.”
“Jealous?” you repeat, almost scoffing. “Of course not. He's my friend and I’m just looking out for him. You know it’s against company rules to date someone new.”
You can feel the warmth creeping up your cheeks.
“…Yeah right,” Jungwon says, clearly unconvinced.
You quickly stood up, not wanting to entertain his teasing any further. “Whatever. I’m going to grab something to eat.”
“Alright, Doc,” Jungwon says with a small teasing grin as you head for the door.
You walk down the hallway, your gaze lowered as you fumble through the pockets of your coat, searching for some cash. Distracted, you don’t notice where you’re going and end up bumping into someone.
It’s Sunghoon.
Your expression shifts almost instantly, your mood dropping the moment you realize it’s him.
“Where are you heading?” he asks, one brow slightly raised.
“Just going to buy some food,” you reply.
“Want me to come with you?” he offers.
“I’m fine,” you say a little too quickly. “I can manage on my own. Besides, I have a hysterectomy scheduled after this. I need to get back right away.”
The lie slips out easily, even though you know the surgery isn’t for another hour.
“Okay… just don’t forget to—”
You don’t let him finish.
You walked past him without another word, your steps just a little faster than before, the image of what you saw earlier still lingering stubbornly in your mind.
Maybe it was better to avoid him and push those resurfacing feelings back down. So that in the end, you wouldn’t end up getting hurt.
──────────────────────────────
The next few weeks stayed the same, you avoided Sunghoon as much as you could.
You grew distant. Conversations were cut short, small talk nonexistent, and every interaction between you was kept strictly professional.
It felt like the friendship you built with him had never existed at all, as you treated him the same way you had for years before.
“Working the night shift again?” He asked as you were waiting for your coffee at the vending machine.
You froze for a split second at the sound of his voice behind you, but quickly composed yourself.
“Yeah.”
The cup dropped into the slot. You took it without looking at him as you walked past him.
Sunghoon could only watch your retreating figure, letting out a quiet sigh as another attempt to start a conversation with you failed.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Sunghoon leaned back against the counter in the doctors' lounge, arms crossed, gaze fixed somewhere distant. Jay glanced up from his phone and watched him for a moment before speaking.
“You’ve been like that all week,” he said.
Sunghoon didn’t respond.
“Actually,” Jay added, setting his phone down, “ever since she started avoiding you.”
That finally made Sunghoon look at him. “Avoiding?”
Jay let out a short scoff. “You didn’t notice?”
Before Sunghoon could answer, the door opened and Sunoo walked in, drink in hand, immediately sensing the tension.
“Notice what?” he asked casually.
Jay nodded towards Sunghoon. “He just realized.”
Sunoo blinked once, then laughed lightly. “No way.”
“What are you talking about?” Sunghoon frowned.
Sunoo leaned against the table, studying him. “You’ve been acting off for weeks.”
“I haven’t—”
“You have,” Jay cut in. “You’re more distracted. You forget small things, double-check things you normally don’t.”
Sunoo added, “And you keep looking towards her area even when you’re not assigned there.”
Sunghoon’s jaw tightened slightly. “That doesn’t mean anything.”
“It does,” Jay said calmly. A brief silence followed before Sunoo tilted his head.
“You didn’t even realize she was avoiding you until now.”
Sunghoon paused, thinking back. Vague replies, shorter conversations, the way you left early, the lack of eye contact. “…I thought she was just busy,” he muttered.
Jay shook his head. “You don’t believe that.”
Sunghoon didn’t answer.
Sunoo exhaled softly. “You’re not just noticing her.” He smirks slightly. “You’re affected by her.”
The words hung in the air.
Sunghoon scoffed weakly, but it lacked certainty. “I’m not affected.”
“Then why do you look like that every time she walks past you and doesn’t stop?” Sunoo asked simply.
Silence.
Jay crossed his arms. “You didn’t care before.”
Sunghoon frowned slightly. "What do you mean?”
“You used to be fine,” Jay said. “Now you’re not.”
Sunghoon ran a hand through his hair, exhaling. "She’s been acting weird...”
Jay immediately corrected him. “No. You’ve been acting weird.”
Sunghoon looked between them, irritation flickering but it didn’t last. Because it was starting to feel… accurate.
Sunoo sighed and pushed himself off the table. “You know what your problem is?”
Sunghoon looked up. “What?”
“You think noticing her is enough,” Sunoo said simply.
That made him pause.
Jay added more quietly, “It’s not.”
Sunghoon frowned. “What are you talking about?”
Sunoo stepped closer, voice steady now. “You don’t get to just notice her forever.”
“You either do something about it or someone else eventually will. Like perhaps, Jungwon?”
That landed differently.
Sunghoon’s expression hardened. "What am I supposed to do?” Jay answered immediately. “Tell her.”
Sunghoon blinked. “Tell her what?” Sunoo lets out a short laugh. “Don’t act like you don’t know.”
He pulled out his phone and unlocked it, tapping a few times before turning the screen toward Sunghoon.
The photo from the night of the medical mission appeared. You, asleep, your head resting on his shoulder. Him, leaning slightly toward you, closer than he remembered.
The room went quiet.
“How did you get that?" He coughs. "And you know, that was just an accident. I didn't mean to end up in that position,” Sunghoon said after a moment, but his voice was quieter now.
Sunoo hummed. “Sure.”
Jay added, almost matter-of-fact, “You don’t let people that close.”
Sunghoon didn’t respond. His eyes stayed on the photo longer than necessary. “Since when did I start doing things like that?” he muttered under his breath.
Neither Sunoo nor Jay answered.
Instead, they just watched him, because for the first time, Sunghoon wasn’t denying it anymore. He was thinking.
Then Sunoo spoke again, softer but sharper.
“You don’t have to keep pretending you don’t feel anything. We know.”
Jay nodded once. “Just talk to her.”
Sunoo tilted his phone slightly, still showing the photo. “Before someone else does.”
And this time, Sunghoon didn’t argue.
──────────────────────────────
You push through the operating room doors, the sterile air hitting you instantly as the urgency inside the room becomes clear. The patient is already on the table, breaths uneven, the monitor beside her flashing unstable vitals.
“Doctor, her blood pressure is dropping,” one of the nurses calls out.
“I see it,” you reply, already gloving up. “Prepare for immediate delivery.”
Jungwon stands across from you, already scrubbed in, eyes focused but tense. This is different from the cases he’s seen before, this one is slipping, and even he can feel it. The usual controlled rhythm of the operating room feels tighter, heavier.
You moved quickly, voice steady despite the rising pressure. “Ma’am, stay with me, okay? You’re doing well. Just a little more.”
The woman turns her head slightly towards you, her face pale, lips trembling. “Doctor…” her voice is weak, barely audible. “If something happens…”
You shake your head immediately. “Nothing is going to happen. We’re getting both of you through this.”
She lets out a shaky breath, her fingers weakly gripping the sheets. “Please… just save the baby.”
“No,” you say firmly, without hesitation. “We’re saving both of you. Stay with me.”
“Heart rate dropping!” another nurse calls.
“Let’s move, now.” The room shifts into rapid motion.
“Push,” you instruct, your tone controlled but urgent. “You have to push for me.” With one final effort, the baby is delivered.
A second of silence, then a cry fills the room, strong and alive.
“Baby’s out,” you announced, a flicker of relief passing through the team.
But it doesn’t last.
“Doctor, she’s bleeding heavily!”
You look down, there's far more blood than before as it pooled rapidly.
“Start uterotonics. Apply pressure, now!” you order, your voice sharper now.
Jungwon hesitates for a fraction of a second before moving, following your commands, his movements slightly rushed.
“Ma’am, stay with me!” you call, louder now. “Stay with me!”
The monitor begins to slow.
“No, no, come on,” you mutter under your breath. “We’re not losing you.”
“BP unrecordable!”
“Prepare for resuscitation!”
The flatline cuts through the room. Followed by a long, continuous sound.
“No!” you shout, immediately stepping in. “Start CPR!”
You begin compressions, counting under your breath, your movements precise but desperate.
“Come on… come on…” you whisper, your voice cracking just slightly.
Jungwon watches for a brief moment, then steps in to assist, swallowing hard as he follows your lead.
Minutes pass, but the monitor doesn’t change.
The sound remains flat as your movements slow down.
The weight of the silence settles heavily in the room, no one daring to speak. For a moment, you just stare at the monitor, as if waiting for it to change. It doesn’t.
You inhale slowly, forcing yourself to straighten.
“Time of death,” you say, your voice quieter now, but steady as you glance at the clock. “4:56 pm.”
The baby’s cries echo faintly from across the room, a sharp contrast to the stillness surrounding you.
You turn your head towards Jungwon, your expression composed, but your eyes betray a flicker of something deeper.
“Transfer the baby to the newborn unit,” you instruct. “Go with the nurses.”
Jungwon nods, swallowing hard as two nurses carefully prepare the infant.
He hesitates for just a moment, looking back at you, before following them out.
You exhaled deeply, looking at the patient lying before you. Then you instructed the nurses on what to do with the body, ending with, “I’ll go inform her husband.”
ᯓ★ ݁˖
Pushing the operating room doors open, you stepped out into the hallway. The bright lights feel harsher now, the noise around you dull and distant. Across from you, her husband sits in the waiting area. The moment he sees you, he stands up quickly.
“Doc… how are they?” he asks as you approach.
You take a slow breath, steadying yourself, gathering the courage to say the words.
“I’m sorry, sir… but your wife didn’t make it,” you say quietly.
His shoulders drop as he looks down, his composure breaking as he starts to cry.
“…And the baby?” he asks after a moment, wiping at his tears.
“She’s alive,” you reply gently. “They’ve taken her to the newborn unit. I’ll let you know when it’s okay for you to visit.”
He nods weakly, trying to hold himself together.
“I’m… I’m sorry again for your loss,” you add, trying to sound professional despite the lump in your throat.
“It’s okay,” he says, though his voice trembles. “At least… at least you saved our baby. Thank you for that.”
You nod, offering a small, sympathetic smile as he turns and walks away, his steps heavy and unsteady.
You know it wasn't your fault, but deep down you still feel disappointed in yourself for not saving her.
As a doctor, moments like these are inevitable. But for you, it has only happened six times, including today. You always do your best to save your patients’ lives and you usually succeed. So when the worst happens, you can’t help but feel responsible, as if the loss was yours to carry.
You step aside, pressing a hand lightly against the wall as you take in a sharp breath. Tears begin to fall, quiet at first, then harder as the memory resurfaces, your patient’s face, the way she looked at you, trusting you when you promised to save both her and her baby.
“Y/N?” You heard someone call and you look up to see Sunghoon. You stared at him for a while, your expression a mix of surprise and nervous at the thought of him seeing your vulnerable side.
“Sunghoon, I—”
Before you can finish, he closes the distance and pulls you into a gentle embrace. One hand comes up to cradle the back of your head, guiding it to rest against his shoulder, while the other slowly rubs your back.
“Shh… it’s okay,” he murmurs softly. “You don’t have to explain anything.” He holds you carefully, like you might fall apart at any second.
You stayed like that for a while, crying into his shoulder, his arms wrapped securely around you.
You’re not sure how, but the simple gesture made you feel safe. The comfort you didn’t even realize you needed is suddenly there, steady and warm, easing the tightness in your chest little by little.
“I couldn’t save her,” you manage to say, your voice breaking as you pull away slightly, shaking your head. “I tried… but it wasn’t enough.”
“Hey, look at me.”
His hands gently cup your cheeks, guiding your gaze back to his.
“It’s not your fault,” he says softly. “It never was. So don’t blame yourself for what happened. You did everything you could.” His voice remains calm, comforting. “I’m like that too, I don’t always get to save my patients. But what matters is that you tried. That’s what counts.”
You swallow, nodding slowly as his words sink in.
“You’re right. Thank you,” you whisper.
He gives you a small, reassuring smile. “You don’t have to thank me. Just know that I’m always here for you.”
Your breath catches at that.
Your brows knit slightly as you search his face, trying to find even the slightest hint that he’s joking, but there’s nothing. Just sincerity, clear and unwavering in his eyes.
“Sunghoon…” you murmur.
“Yeah?” he responds, tilting his head slightly.
“Why are you being so nice to me?” you ask quietly. “I’ve been a jerk to you these past few weeks but you’re still here, comforting me.”
Your gaze drops again, guilt creeping in.
“I don’t think I deserve your kindness… or even your friendship.”
Sunghoon shakes his head almost immediately. He lifts your chin gently with his finger, making you look at him again.
“I don’t care about the past few weeks,” he says. “You needed someone, so I came.”
Something in your chest stirs at that, soft and unfamiliar, yet overwhelming all at once. Your lips tremble slightly as your eyes begin to sting again.
“I’m so sorry,” you say, your voice barely above a whisper. “I promise I won’t do it again.”
Before he can respond, you step forward and wrapped your arms around him once more, holding him tighter this time.
Sunghoon lets out a soft chuckle, clearly caught off guard, but he doesn’t pull away. Instead, he gently pats your back, his touch warm and reassuring as you cling to him.
──────────────────────────────
The next day after the incident, you, Sunghoon, Sunoo, and Chaewon went out to eat together. It was Sunghoon’s idea, he said it might help cheer you up after everything that happened.
You sat at the table with Chaewon beside you and Sunghoon across from you.
As you waited for your food, you glanced at him and smiled. “Sunghoon, thank you for this. I really needed it. I’m glad to have a friend like you.”
Then you looked over at Chaewon and Sunoo. “And you guys too.”
“Aww, no problem, babes. We’re always here to cheer you up,” Chaewon replied, wrapping an arm around you in a side hug.
“Friends?” Sunoo suddenly echoed, glancing at Sunghoon from the corner of his eye.
You blinked, confused.
“Oh– I mean… yeah, you’re welcome,” he quickly corrected, offering an awkward smile.
Before you could question it further, the food arrived, filling the table and momentarily shifting everyone’s attention.
The conversation died down as you all started eating, the clinking of utensils replacing it.
A few minutes in, Sunoo suddenly stood up.
“I just need to go to the restroom,” he said casually, then turned to Sunghoon. “Come with me.”
Before Sunghoon could even react, Sunoo was already pulling him up from his seat. Sunghoon barely had time to set his fork down, looking completely caught off guard as he was dragged along.
You watched them walk away, brows slightly furrowed.
“What was that about?” Chaewon asked.
You shrugged, just as confused. “I have no idea.”
ᯓ★ ݁˖
As you walked back to the hospital, you decided to bring up what happened earlier.
“So… are you going to tell me what that was about, or am I supposed to pretend it was nothing?” you asked, glancing at Sunghoon.
“What? That?” Sunghoon replied casually, slipping his hands into his pockets. “Sunoo was just overreacting about something.”
“Really…” you said, clearly unconvinced. “What kind of something?”
He rolled his eyes slightly, though a small smile tugged at his lips. “It’s just between me and him. Don’t worry. I’ll tell you if it ever concerns you.”
You let out a quiet sigh, deciding not to push further. “Okay, fine. I’ll believe you. As long as it’s not about a secret crush or anything, then I’m out.”
“What?” Sunghoon suddenly said, a bit too quickly.
You frowned, studying his reaction. “Huh…?” Then it clicked. “Wait… I’m right?”
“N-no, you’re not,” he denied, but the tips of his ears turned noticeably red.
A laugh slipped out of you. “Hey, relax. I won’t tell anyone,” you said, nudging him lightly. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
He glanced at you, still unsure whether to believe you.
“I think I already have an idea who it is,” you added, a teasing smile forming. “And don’t worry, I support you.”
“Oh…” Sunghoon exhaled, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. “T– thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” you replied with a small smile.
You looked away after that, your chest tightening just a little, feeling a strange mix of relief and disappointment. Relief, because Sunghoon trusted you with something so personal, and disappointment, because you hadn’t expected him to like Wonyoung back.
You thought you had successfully buried those feelings long ago, but hearing him admit he had a crush still stung more than you were willing to admit.
It’s fine, you told yourself. As long as you stayed good friends, that would be enough.
──────────────────────────────
The fluorescent lights in the doctors’ lounge felt harsher than usual.
Maybe it was the hour. Maybe it was the exhaustion settling deep into your bones. Or maybe it was the way the numbers on the chart in front of you refused to make sense no matter how many times you read them.
Beside you, the cup of coffee you bought earlier had long gone lukewarm.
You reached for it anyway, bringing it to your lips in a half-hearted attempt to wake yourself up.
The bitter taste lingered, but it did little to chase away the heaviness in your eyes. If anything, it only reminded you how tired you really were.
You blinked once. Twice.
Still, the words blurred.
With a quiet sigh, you leaned back slightly in your chair, pressing your fingers against your temple as if that would somehow force your mind to cooperate. It didn’t. If anything, the silence of the room only made your thoughts louder and harder to ignore.
You didn’t even realize you were staring blankly at the same line for the past five minutes.
“You’re going to misread that.”
The voice came from behind you, calm and familiar, cutting through your haze like it always did.
You didn’t turn immediately. Instead, you let out a small breath, somewhere between a tired laugh and defeat.
“I’m not,” you muttered weakly, eyes still on the chart. “I’m just… taking my time.”
There was a pause. Then the sound of footsteps, slow, unhurried, coming closer.
“You’ve been ‘taking your time’ on the same page since I got here,” he replied.
You finally turned, meeting Sunghoon’s gaze. His expression wasn’t mocking, nor was it particularly soft, it was something in between, the kind you had learned to read over the years. Observant. Quietly concerned.
You straightened a little in your seat, as if that alone could prove your point.
“I’m fine,” you insisted, though even you could hear how unconvincing it sounded.
His eyes flickered briefly to the untouched coffee beside you, then back to your face.
“You didn’t even finish that,” he pointed out.
You glanced at the cup, then away. “It’s not working,” you admitted under your breath.
That was when his expression shifted, just slightly.
“…Come on.”
You frowned slightly. “What?”
“Come on,” he repeated, already turning away as if he expected you to follow.
You stared at his back for a second, then let out a quiet sigh before pushing your chair back. The legs scraped softly against the floor as you stood, grabbing your coat almost out of habit.
“Where are we going?” you asked, trailing after him.
“Fresh air,” he said simply. “Since that clearly isn’t working.”
You glanced back once at the abandoned cup of coffee on the table before following him out.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
The hallway was quieter than usual.
Your footsteps echoed faintly against the polished floors, falling into rhythm with his. Neither of you spoke, and yet the silence felt… comfortable. Familiar. It wrapped around the two of you like something well-worn, something neither of you questioned anymore.
The elevator ride was short.
You leaned lightly against the wall, arms loosely crossed, your head tilting back just enough for your eyes to close for a second. The hum of the elevator was almost lulling, dangerously so.
“You’re actually going to fall asleep standing up,” Sunghoon muttered.
You opened one eye lazily. “I’m not that far gone.”
He didn’t respond, but you felt his gaze stayed on you for a brief moment.
ᯓ★ ݁˖
The rooftop door creaked softly as he pushed it open.
The moment you stepped out, the cold night air hits your face, sharp and refreshing. It stole the warmth lingering on your skin and replaced it with something clearer.
You inhaled deeply.
And for the first time in hours, your head felt lighter.
“…Okay,” you admitted, stepping forward. “That actually helped.”
The wind picked up slightly, brushing past you and tugging at the edges of your coat. Fabric shifted, swaying gently with each passing breeze, the night wrapping itself around you in quiet movements.
You walked towards the railing, resting your hands against the cool metal as you looked out at the city below. Lights flickered in the distance, cars moving like slow, distant streams.
For a moment, everything felt far away.
“Thanks for this,” you said softly.
No response.
You glanced over your shoulder.
Sunghoon stood a few steps behind you, his hands tucked into his coat pockets, his posture relaxed but his gaze wasn’t on the view.
It was on you.
You turned slightly, brows knitting together. “What?”
He didn’t answer right away.
Instead, he took a step closer.
Then another.
The faint sound of his shoes against the concrete felt louder than it should have, each step closing the space between you until he was standing beside you, closer than usual.
Close enough for you to notice the way the wind shifted his hair slightly.
Close enough to see the way his eyes caught the city lights.
The way they seemed to twinkle, just barely, as he looked at you, not distant, but focused in a way that made your chest tighten without warning.
Something in your expression must have changed, because his gaze softened a little.
“You know, lately…” he began slowly, his voice lower now, steadier but heavier somehow. “I’ve been noticing things I didn’t before.”
Your breath hitched, just slightly.
“I thought it was nothing,” he continued. “I told myself it didn’t matter.” Then he took another step closer.
You didn’t move.
“But it keeps coming back,” he said, softer now. “No matter how much I try to ignore it.”
Your heart was beating faster now, louder than the wind, louder than your thoughts.
You couldn’t look away, not when he was standing this close, not when his voice sounded like that.
“Look, Y/N…” he said, your name quieter than you had ever heard it from him.
“I’ve been meaning to tell you something—”
A sharp sound cut through the air.
Your phone rang.
The sudden noise felt almost too loud in contrast to the stillness that had built up around you. You flinched slightly, breaking eye contact as you reached into your pocket.
Jungwon’s name flashes on your caller ID the moment you pick up.
Before you can even speak, his voice comes through urgently. “Y/N, there’s a woman in active labor with complications. We need you here now.”
“Okay, I’m coming,” you reply, your voice cutting through the quiet rooftop.
The wind is still, almost cruelly calm compared to the urgency in his tone.
You turn to Sunghoon, and for a brief second, your expression softens with guilt. “There’s an emergency. You can tell me that next time, okay?”
“Oh… okay,” he says quietly, the disappointment flickering across his face before he can hide it.
“I’m sorry, I have to go,” you add, already stepping back.
And just like that, you’re gone.
Sunghoon watches as you rush towards the door, your coat trailing behind you, footsteps echoing sharply before fading completely into the hospital corridor.
The rooftop falls silent again.
He stays there for a moment longer, unmoving, the wind brushing through his hair as if time itself has slowed down just for him.
A small breath escapes him, almost a sigh, as he looks at the empty space where you were standing just seconds ago.
author's note: wow, 12K words, this is actually my first time writing a fic that reached this word count
i really enjoyed writing this, which is probably why it ended up this long haha. as a med student myself, i got especially excited while writing the medical parts. and i think this is, by far, my favorite fic that I’ve written so far
i hope you were able to read it until the end >< even if it didn’t fully meet your expectations, i genuinely did my best to pour my heart into this fic (which I think I somehow did hehe)
OMG 1000 notes in just 3 days??!!?? this has never happened to any of my fics before 🥹 thank you so much for all the love and support you have given this story, also the comments i've been receiving about my writing 🫶 i appreciate it all so much, it makes my hard work worth it and my writer heart full ❤️
i promise to update a part 2 once i’ve created a plot with a good flow for it. since i just published part 1, i still haven’t written anything for part 2 yet, but i’ll make sure to continue it once I have everything planned out properly :))
victoria ౨ৎ @momentsofengene - Tumblr Blog | Tumlook
