“Let’s Kiss”
Na-young tried to open the door but was surprised when it wouldn’t budge.
Peeking through the small gap, she was even more startled to see a large figure standing there.
When Tae-hyuk turned his head to look at her, she finally realized that the shadowy figure in the dark was Professor Choi Tae-hyuk and scolded him:
“Why are you standing there?”
Even though she was angry, Tae-hyuk felt pleased.
“Meeting you seems to have brought me some luck.”
After a lifetime of constantly hearing that he was unlucky, Tae-hyuk felt a small sense of pride even in this tiny coincidence.
“You’re staying in Gangwon-do a few more hours to sleep. But if you’re not sleeping, let’s just go to Seoul now.”
However, when Na-young continued speaking, the smile on Tae-hyuk’s face quickly disappeared.
Perhaps his luck wouldn’t suddenly improve after all.
He asked, displeased:
“Did you open the door just to say that?”
“Yes. Are you going to sleep? Or go to Seoul?”
With a creaking motion, Tae-hyuk slowly got up and staggered toward the sofa, collapsing onto it.
His body was so long that even the large sofa seemed insufficient.
Watching him from the slightly opened door, Na-young waited until he was completely still before stepping out further.
She carried an aromatherapy candle from the bedroom and placed it on the side table next to the sofa.
“They say it’s best not to think about anything when sleeping. Let your brain rest.”
Tae-hyuk, lying face down, turned his head slightly to watch her light the candle.
“Wouldn’t drinking be better?”
Na-young glanced at him disapprovingly.
“You have to drive early tomorrow morning. No alcohol.”
Tae-hyuk shot her a dissatisfied look.
“You’ve been saying boring things all this time.”
“You thought I was a fun person? Then you chose the wrong person.”
As she turned to go back to her room, he suddenly grabbed her wrist with firm strength and pulled her toward him.
Her collapsing body fell onto Professor Choi Tae-hyuk.
Startled, Na-young opened her eyes wide and stared at him.
“What are you doing?”
Thinking he was being mischievous, she was surprised when he actually spoke in a slightly scolding tone:
“You asked me for a chance. But now you’re drawing lines again.”
Na-young, caught off guard, tried to explain:
“You didn’t sleep and wasted time first.”
When he tightened his grip again, Na-young ended up right in front of his face.
Her nose almost brushed his, and she held her breath.
Looking down, he asked heavily:
“Do you think being together like this is a waste of time?”
“….”
Na-young couldn’t answer immediately.
He moved a little closer and lightly pressed his forehead to hers, saying:
“If you really think that way, we need to start by rewiring your brain.”
Her heart fluttered at the small contact, and her toes curled.
The soft crackle of the aromatherapy candle enveloped them gently.
Captivated by his gaze in the still night, Na-young found herself unable to control her movements.
“Moon Na-young.”
The sweetness of her name, rolling off his lips like chocolate, melted into her heart.
“Let’s kiss.”
That night, they shared countless kisses.
Yet Na-young still felt as if it were their first kiss, staring at his lips with unfamiliarity.
“Like we’re truly in love.”
Even the word “love” felt foreign; her pupils wavered in uncertainty.
“Is that even possible?”
She wasn’t sure she could date him, let alone love him.
“What could be impossible?”
When he pressed his lips to hers, his voice reverberated inside her.
Enchanted by the soft, warm sensation, Na-young could think of nothing else.
His hands gripped her nape, drawing her closer.
Before she knew it, his large frame pressed down on her.
As her jaw lifted and her lips were engulfed, the world spun.
Holding back her rising breath, Na-young struggled to keep up with him.
Even if it was closer to desire than love, she didn’t want to run away.
She wanted to stay with him.
BEEP-BEEP-BEEP.
The ambulance siren sound of her alarm jolted her awake.
She had to get up quickly and go to the ward.
Overnight, she needed to check the patients, change dressings, and join rounds.
Being a first-year resident meant endless work from the morning.
Reaching habitually to turn off her phone, she felt something unusual under her hand and opened her eyes wide.
“!”
Her hand had landed on a man’s chest. The first thing her eyes saw was Professor Choi Tae-hyuk’s sleeping face.
Just like that past day!
Na-young tried to get up immediately, but his arm held her tightly, making it impossible.
She looked around.
They had been sleeping on the living room floor, leaving the soft, wide bed and sofa unused.
If that was the case, she might as well have slept outside in Gangwon-do.
Fortunately, they were both still fully dressed.
Had they lost control again last night, she might have wanted to sink into the Gangwon-do sea that morning.
The alarm had sounded quieter than usual because it came from the bedroom.
She knocked on Tae-hyuk’s chest to wake him.
“Professor! Wake up! We need to go to Seoul right now!”
He groaned in annoyance, frowning.
“Either way, we’re late.”
If he, a professor, were late, no one would care—but as a first-year resident, being late was treated like a major crime.
When hitting him didn’t work, she kicked him with her leg, finally waking him up.
“Get up immediately!”
“Argh!”
Feeling the sharp pain, Tae-hyuk’s eyes flew open.
“You….”
The first morning after spending the night together, she had tried to sneak away, but the second time, she tried to incapacitate him. Perhaps mornings and she were just incompatible.
On the drive back to Seoul, Na-young called Chief Dong-geon to apologize for being late several times.
“I’m really sorry. This won’t happen again. I’m sorry.”
[Alright, understood. Come as quickly as possible.]
Click.
Sighing deeply after hanging up, Tae-hyuk commented while driving:
“How many times do you have to say sorry in one call?”
Na-young glanced at him sharply.
“You’re lucky. No one can scold you.”
“Should I explain to Dong-geon instead?”
“What? Absolutely not!”
Shocked, she raised her voice, and Tae-hyuk smirked and sped up the car.
“Since you can’t explain for yourself or prevent being scolded, it doesn’t make much difference for me either.”
Na-young couldn’t agree.
Professor Choi Tae-hyuk could save lives with a scalpel. If he wasn’t impressive, who was?
Since they couldn’t enter the hospital together in his car, Na-young asked him to stop before the entrance.
It was 3 minutes before 8:00 a.m.
She had to run to participate in morning rounds on time.
As soon as the car stopped, she jumped out, and Tae-hyuk hurriedly called after her.
“Moon Na-young!”
She glanced back briefly, and he said hastily:
“Come to my room after work.”
“I’m on duty today no matter what.”
Na-young refused immediately and dashed into the hospital.
Tae-hyuk watched her hair fly behind her as she ran and let out a wry laugh.
“Back to your true self the moment you returned to the hospital.”
Yet their relationship had clearly progressed compared to before their trip to the sea.
Now, whether inside or outside the hospital, Tae-hyuk intended to leave a mark on her.
To show her that he was someone she truly needed.
Back at the hospital, she returned to being a first-year hepatobiliary surgery resident, and he resumed his role as Professor Choi Tae-hyuk.
Since she was late and other colleagues were affected, she took over the ER shift.
That day, the ER was nonstop with calls, as if punishment for being late.
Indeed, being honest and diligent seemed to prevent trouble.
Second-year ER resident Lee-ho showed her the patient’s test results.
“CT shows bleeding in the liver. That’s why I called you.”
“Is this patient TA?”
“No….”
Lee-ho trailed off, lowering his voice so only she could hear.
“From what I can tell, they’re gangsters. Probably got hurt fighting.”
Na-young frowned, but she couldn’t refuse treatment.
Putting on her mask, she walked to the patient’s bed.
Three large men in black suits surrounded the bed, partially obscuring the patient.
She instructed them calmly:
“Everyone except the injured patient, please leave the ER.”
The three men glared simultaneously.
After finishing surgery, Tae-hyuk felt the irony of time.
Only a day had passed, yet the trip to the Gangwon-do sea with Na-young felt like a distant memory.
He decided to look for her instead of eating.
It was obvious that a first-year resident would be either in the surgical ward or the ER, so it wasn’t difficult.
On his way, he sent Cha-hyun a simple message:
<What’s a good thing to say to a super busy lover?>
Cha-hyun replied immediately:
<Instead of words, lend your shoulder. Even for just 10 minutes, let them rest comfortably.>
Prepared to meet Na-young, Tae-hyuk still found it surprisingly difficult to locate her in the hospital.
She wasn’t in the surgical ward or the ER, so he called her.
[The number you have dialed is switched off or unavailable. Please leave a message.]
A first-year resident’s phone shouldn’t be off while on 24-hour duty.
Realizing something was wrong, Tae-hyuk rushed to the station and asked a nurse.
“Where is Dr. Moon Na-young right now?”
The nurse, unsure, replied:
“She went looking for a patient who disappeared from the ER.”
It was rare for a patient serious enough for surgery to walk out alone, so Tae-hyuk had a bad feeling.
“What kind of patient?”
“The ER staff say it’s a gangster… uh?”
The nurse stopped mid-sentence when Professor Choi abruptly turned and ran off, clearly faster than the missing patient.
