Chapter 32
Fortunately, there were no seriously injured patients, and most of them had only minor injuries.
The dancers who were set to perform in the opening ceremony were rushed to the hospital after an accident during rehearsal, but they walked out on their own and were discharged.
The evening opening ceremony was said to proceed without a hitch.
After that, although there were no major incidents in the ER, patients kept coming in nonstop. It was reported to be the busiest day of the year so far.
The price for uttering that cursed word was harsh.
Mansu, who had come in for his shift, grabbed Ji-woong by the back of the neck and gave him a proper scolding.
“You, from emergency medicine, actually had the nerve to say that out loud? Are you that dumb? Did I teach you that crap, you punk?”
“No, I was just… Haah… But honestly, I’m a little unfairly blamed here.”
“What’s unfair about it for you? It’s the others who worked hard who should feel wronged. Can’t you see Yeonwoo’s face? That girl who used to be full of life now looks like a ghost with her hair all messy!”
Did he just say I look like a ghost?
Yeonwoo, who had been sitting a little apart, quietly began to fix her hair.
She had looked in the mirror earlier and didn’t think it was that bad.
“I swear, I’m really innocent here!”
Ji-woong shouted with the most pitiful expression.
“This idiot still hasn’t come to his senses.”
“I mean it—someone like Fanta really came to our hospital today.”
“Who? You mean Dr. Beom Sajun?”
“Why do you have to say his name so directly? Makes it sound like I’m picking a fight. And I already got in trouble with him today. Might as well throw a jinx on me while you’re at it.”
“You really think I’m that easy to mess with, huh. Ahem. Anyway, I sort of felt that way too.”
Mansu half-heartedly admitted, nodding slightly.
“See? I told you, there’s definitely something up.”
Ji-woong, gaining confidence, started getting cheeky again—until Mansu brought down the hammer.
“Shut up and don’t even think about going home. Stay and watch the ER.”
“What? That’s harsh!”
“Harsh?”
“N-No… I mean, I was going to stay anyway.”
Deflated again, Ji-woong trudged off to check on the patients, and Yeonwoo began to wonder if she should start preparing to go home.
Just then, Sajun came back after treating an elderly patient in his 80s. He took off his lab coat and laid it over the station counter, staring intently at Yeonwoo.
Lately, every time Sajun looked at her, it was with an expression full of unspoken thoughts.
Yeonwoo had spent a sleepless night trying to figure out what it meant but eventually gave up thinking altogether.
“Do you have something for me to do?”
Yeonwoo, sitting like a worn-out soldier, smiled as she asked.
Ji-woong was probably still making rounds with the inpatients in the ER.
“No. You know it’s past your shift, right?”
Sajun glanced at his wristwatch.
“Yes.”
“Then go get ready to leave. Don’t just sit there spacing out.”
…Spacing out?
Yeonwoo narrowed her eyes and looked up at him.
I wasn’t spacing out, you know?
“What about you?”
“I’m heading home too.”
Was he trying to go with her?
He had long since ditched his old, beat-up bicycle and now rode a bicycle that cost as much as a car, though he rarely used it.
With the weather warming up, he mostly drove instead.
Thanks to that, Yeonwoo often hitched a ride in his car.
“I’m heading into town. Need to buy anything?”
Was he… planning to go to the festival?
“Uh… I don’t need anything, but… you’re going into town?”
Yeonwoo perked up, looking at him with hopeful eyes.
“Wanna come? The festival opening is at 8, so let’s go watch. We won’t be late.”
“Okay!”
Ji-woong would definitely cry foul if he found out, but Yeonwoo honestly preferred going with Sajun.
Since he arrived in Cheongbong, he’d only gone back and forth between his house and the hospital. She wanted him to relax and enjoy the breeze just once.
Being with him made her happy and excited.
“Then I’ll get ready and meet you at the parking lot.”
“Sure. But don’t rush.”
“Yup!”
Yeonwoo stood up with a grin she could barely hold back.
After watching Sajun leave, she said goodbye to the staff and quickly exited the ER.
As she walked down the corridor to the on-call room, Sajun, who had been ahead of her, suddenly stopped and turned around.
Yeonwoo had been admiring his broad back when she was startled and blushed.
“Wh-What is it?”
“I’ll pull the car around to the back gate.”
“Okay!”
Sajun headed upstairs to his office, and Yeonwoo turned toward the women’s on-call room on the first floor.
She was the only female doctor in the ER, so it was essentially her private space.
She quickly changed and got ready to go out.
Wearing jeans and a sky-blue T-shirt, Yeonwoo examined her reflection in the mirror from every angle.
Is this too casual?
She tied her hair neatly and applied a touch of lip gloss. Then, feeling light as air, she left the room.
Her feet didn’t even hurt anymore—it was like floating.
Chirr-chirr, chirr-chirr.
The cicadas buzzed loudly. Midsummer had truly arrived.
While waiting for Yeonwoo, Sajun recalled a brief conversation he’d had earlier with Chanwoo.
Most of it had been useless chatter, but there had been something worthwhile.
Chanwoo had strangely cleaned himself up and looked suspiciously well-groomed.
“Everyone’s going nuts over the chili pepper festival today. Are you going too?”
“You know it’s been chaos in the ER because of that, right?”
Sajun’s tone turned cold, wondering if Chanwoo was being deliberately ignorant.
“Of course I know. I got called in too.”
“And you still want to go to the chili pepper festival?”
“Of course! So you’re really not going?”
Watching the slightly giddy Chanwoo made Sajun wonder if he should go too.
“You should go with Dr. Ryu.”
Yeonwoo?
“Wouldn’t it be too crowded?”
“If not now, then when are you gonna get close? Use your brain. What’s the point of being smart if you’re this clueless? Tsk, tsk.”
As Chanwoo clicked his tongue and mocked him, Sajun debated whether to tolerate it—but he had a question.
“What’s so great about the place?”
Switching his crossed legs, Sajun asked, and Chanwoo leaned in.
“What do you mean what’s great? It’s the chili pepper festival! A big guy like you should show up and spice things up. Oh—just kidding, kidding. You’re not gonna go just because of that, right?”
As Sajun stood up silently, Chanwoo grabbed his arm.
“Kidding! They’ve got tons of food stalls and stuff to see. Treat Yeonwoo to something tasty and score some points, you big oaf.”
“You perv. Quit staring.”
Sajun growled as Chanwoo stared suspiciously at his lower half.
“Seriously! If you’re not going to use that, at least lend it to me. Why’d the heavens give it all to you and none to me?”
Leaving the self-pitying Chanwoo behind, Sajun exited the office and made up his mind to take Yeonwoo to the festival himself.
He had been looking for a good chance to ask her—but then noticed others making moves first and got fired up.
Not only Ji-woong, but even Dr. Gam had tried to flirt with Yeonwoo. It had bugged him.
Thankfully, she turned them all down.
When she chose to go with him instead, Sajun felt on top of the world.
All his fatigue vanished.
He turned on the AC, cooling the car as he waited for Yeonwoo.
Knock, knock.
Yeonwoo suddenly appeared, tapping on the window.
He motioned for her to hop in, and she quickly got into the passenger seat.
Why did she look even prettier today?
Her soft, plump lips glistened with gloss.
Taking a deep breath, Sajun started the car.
“You don’t think the stage will collapse again, right?”
Yeonwoo blurted out, unable to bear the awkward silence.
“Let’s hope not.”
Her words made him chuckle—it was too cute.
“Right?”
Sajun turned the wheel and drove out the hospital’s back gate.
Watching Yeonwoo glance around the car, all fidgety and curious, made his hand move instinctively.
He gently tapped her soft cheek with the back of his hand.
Yeonwoo’s big eyes widened in surprise.
