Chapter Text
Seoul, South Korea: 08:04 AM – 13/03/2050
The hospital was returning to its usual rhythm. I wasn't the same since hearing his name. It was a silent tension I couldn't explain.
"—You're quieter than usual—" Beom Seok said, appearing with a coffee. "—Who looked at you weird?—".
"—Yeon Si Eun—" I finally blurted out. Beom Seok stopped in his tracks.
"—Yeon... like the guy who asked about the soldier last night?—".
"—How did you know?—" I asked. "—I heard from the nurses—" he said simply. "—What's up with him?—".
"—Nothing—".
"—Nothing? You haven't looked this uncomfortable since fourth-year blind surgery practice—" he teased.
He laughed and patted my shoulder. "—I feel like I'm in one of those cheap hospital soap operas. Only gayer—".
"—Oh, shut up—" I told him, though I couldn't help but smile.
10:32 AM
I went to the hallway and there he was: Yeon Si Eun, standing exactly as before. His uniform had new wrinkles and his dark circles were more visible, but he still looked resilient.
"—Haven't you slept at all?—" I asked. "—I don't need to—".
"—That's not healthy—". "—I'm not here to be healthy—".
"—What is your rank exactly, Yeon?—" I asked boldly.
"—Not relevant to you, Doctor Ahn—".
"—Is he going to be okay?—" he asked, looking at the door. "—Yes. Thanks to arriving on time—".
"—Arriving late was not an option—" he responded, his voice tensing.