Chapter 6
Her distinctly sharp facial features naturally drew attention wherever she went.
A neat forehead flowed down to a high, defined nose, then to lips that were clear and well-shaped. Her eyes were unusually dark and cold, yet at times, when emotion flickered in them, they gave the illusion of warmth. Even after spending so long as friends, there were moments when those unreadable eyes made it feel as though a wall existed between them—so much so that simply meeting his gaze could freeze her heart.
Come to think of it, that had been her first impression of Junyoung as well.
A spotless school uniform, a cold and expressionless face—he had seemed imposing even while standing still.
Because of that, before they became close, there had been times when she would look away the moment their eyes met.
Unlike Sanguk, who made his romantic relationships obvious to everyone, she had never once heard a rumor about Junyoung dating someone.
Junyoung’s dating life.
The thought alone left her feeling oddly disappointed—an unfamiliar sense of loss.
“What are you thinking about so deeply?”
“Huh?”
Poked from the side, she widened her eyes like someone caught off guard.
“Skipping meals really does make you strange.”
Feeling flustered, she slightly furrowed her brow.
“Let’s start with a CT scan since the morning’s not too busy.”
As he spoke, moving about, nurses passing by kept glancing at Junyoung.
Then again, this was nothing new to her.
Even back in high school, girls always swarmed around him.
They had been desperate to catch even the slightest bit of his attention—just like the way the nurses now looked at him.
As reality slowly returned to her, the presence of Junyoung beside her suddenly felt unfamiliar.
It was already afternoon by the time the examinations were finished.
Since the last test had been a sedated endoscopy, she sat in the waiting area to rest for a while.
Looking as if she might collapse at any moment, she weakly leaned her head against Junyoung’s shoulder.
“I’m hungry.”
As always, her complaint made him chuckle.
“First, we’ll go to the porridge place in front of the hospital to settle your stomach. Then I’ll buy you whatever you want.”
“Can’t we skip the first part and go straight to the second?”
“As your attending physician, I wouldn’t recommend that.”
She slumped further, pretending to lose strength, and the corners of Junyoung’s lips curved slightly.
“Still, it’s better to eat at least a little porridge. It won’t hurt your stomach.”
“Ugh, I don’t know. I feel like I could chew on a rock right now.”
While she closed her eyes, feeling dizzy, footsteps stopped in front of them.
“Dr. Kang?”
At the woman’s voice, she opened her eyes and straightened her head from Junyoung’s shoulder.
On the center of the white lab coat hung a lightly swinging ID card.
Minji Koo.
A name that sounded familiar, yet strangely distant.
“Are you off today? I thought you were on duty.”
“I switched shifts to yesterday.”
The woman gave a short “Ah,” while glancing sideways at her.
“You’re leaving late.”
With both hands in her coat pockets, the woman made no move to leave, despite knowing Junyoung was with someone.
“Did you do the examination today?”
She shifted her gaze from Junyoung to the examination papers he held.
“No, it was for this friend.”
The woman responded with another brief “Ah,” as if noticing her presence only belatedly, and offered a small nod.
“So you’re a friend.”
For some reason, the woman looked relieved, which left her feeling subtly irritated.
Staring at the ID card, she suddenly thought, Oh?
She remembered the conversation she had overheard at the reception desk in the waiting area.
“Our hospital’s model, Dr. Minji, confessed to him ten times, and he rejected her all ten times—who even does that?!”
So that was the name.
Hearing that the woman had pursued Junyoung, Minji Koo’s beauty seemed even more striking.
As an intern in her second year—someone so busy she barely had time to wash her hair—the woman in front of her still looked radiant, untouched by exhaustion.
“Then I’ll be going.”
After giving a casual greeting, Junyoung placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Are you feeling better? Can you stand?”
To be honest, the moment she had seen the woman, she had felt wide awake.
She could probably even run if she wanted—but she deliberately slumped as if weak.
“Still a little dizzy.”
Leaning into him, using his hand as support, she felt the pressure of his grip.
The woman’s eyes never left Junyoung’s hand.
Seeing that, a strange sense of satisfaction stirred inside her.
“Then take care.”
When Junyoung said his goodbye, the woman smiled awkwardly.
“Oh… yes.”
Still leaning on him, she passed the woman and crossed the hospital lobby toward the main entrance.
Junyoung, who had been supporting her shoulder, loosened his hand and helped her stand straight.
“Isn’t this a bit much? All that acting.”
His sharp gaze seemed to see right through her, so she looked away innocently.
“What do you mean acting? Walking a bit made me feel better anyway.”
Then, as if still dizzy, she pressed her fingertips against her temple.
“What are you doing? Hurry up! I’m starving.”
With her gentle but pointed urging, Junyoung followed behind her with an exasperated expression.
