Taehyung 

“The days on which you have to take the tablets is mentioned right here at the back of the strip. Take it at the same time every day. Do not miss even a single dose, and, after this course is completed, your period will start in about three days. These are the list of blood investigations you have to get done on day two of your period,” I hand over the prescriptions and the pack of oral contraceptives to the patient, and she politely takes it from my hand.

“Thank you, doctor.”

“Call the nurses once your period starts, and they will fix an appointment for your blood work.” I say, and the patient agrees before she leaves my room.

Just a moment later, the door opens again, and Da-Won enters the room, taking me by surprise. I did expect to see her today, but not now and definitely not here. As soon as she enters the room, senior resident Lim silently excuses herself to hold out the patients for a while until Da-Won leaves.

Da-Won and I haven’t spoken ever since that day she stormed out of my home after I refused to attend the party, which was almost a month ago. Being away from her, I’ve spent a lot of time rethinking our relationship. Even though I do not plan to give up on her for good over something so trivial, I was also waiting for her to talk to me first because every time we have an argument, I’ve always been the first one to reach out and settle things.

I cannot let her take pride in assuming that she has me wrapped around her little finger like that because that is not the truth. Relationships cannot thrive until both partners want to try and keep trying, and it never works when it’s just one person that always apologizes.

Despite all that, I do feel a little shameful in admitting that I was the first one to text her last night, asking her to meet me today. I did not apologize, but I just asked her if we could meet. After talking to Cho-Wol, I felt that I should take the lead and initiate some communication between us because I do not want to be like Yohan, and I do not want Da-Won to suffer because of something that I didn’t do to save our relationship.

Da-Won takes a seat as I watch her silently. I lean back in my chair and stroke my chin with my index finger. She says nothing as she crosses her arms under her chest and leans back in her seat; both of us staring at each other.

“You never called or apologized,” she states coldly, and it doesn’t surprise me because I was expecting this from her.

She has grown too comfortable with me being the first one to apologize at all times even if the root cause wasn’t even me to begin with. I chose to keep my silence all these days, hoping that she would talk it out if not apologize for the situation.

“Did you though?” I retaliate calmly.

“Why are you acting all dense and uptight, Taehyung? Do you not miss me at all?” She pushes her back off the chair and leans forward, resting her elbows on the table.

“Da-Won,” I sigh, “I do miss you, but do not expect me to always be the first one to reach out and set things right. I want us to be equal and talk it out, and this time I’m sure it wasn’t my fault.” My tone is deep and serious.

“You’ve changed, Taehyung.” Da-Won sighs.

“Everyone does, Da-Won.” My counter makes her eyes go wide, and it instantly unlocks her distress weapon; her tears begin to flow down her cheeks.

“Oppa, it’s all because of this job. This is what is stressing you out all the time. Quit it and join my father’s hospital. You can move to management and you don’t have to do emergency duties or stress out over work anymore, and he’ll also make you a board member. It will be the best title for you.” She brings this up despite my firm requests to never discuss this ever again.

I click my tongue in frustration. “Da-Won, not again. We’ve already gone over this, and I’m not interested at all. I don’t want you to bring it up ever again.” I insist firmly, and she sheds more tears.

It infuriates me, making me want to roll my eyes and push her out of the room, almost making me regret asking for this meeting. But I’m unable to bring myself to do that even though I can see that she’s aiming to end things just like that with her tears once again, without trying to address the root cause. It only strengthens my belief that she either doesn’t probably want anything long term or serious with me or she’s trying to manipulate me.

Nevertheless, with my eyes closed, I take a deep breath instead, and then I move to stand beside her. Gently holding her face in my hands, I glance down at her when her teary eyes lift to look at me.

“I’m sorry,” I send out a half-hearted apology, not wanting to deal with any more drama for the day even though my day just began a few hours ago.

She doesn’t respond, but only lowers her head and sniffles, wiping her tears with one hand.

“Hey, I missed you. And we’re meeting after almost a month. Is this all you want to do?” I lift her face up again, stooping a little to look her directly in the eyes.

The corners of her lips lift into a quivering smile when she sees me sending a smile her way. I convince myself that I’m still trying only because I don’t want to give up on her over something as petty as this. This isn’t how I wanted us to patch up because if tears are her way of ending fights, then some form of intimacy seems to be mine. Either way, it doesn’t make any one of us better than the other. We just seem to be using one another in some way, and that is so toxic to keep bringing out the worst in each other. However, if it’s going to be this way, then I’m okay as long as there are no more arguments.

Wrapping a firm arm around her waist, I lift her off her seat and spin her around in one swift move before I sit down and pull her to sit on my lap. Gasping, Da-Won places her hands on my shoulders and catches her breath.

“Kiss me,” I demand, almost in a practiced manner, coiling my arm tighter around her slim body. 

She gives me a teasing smirk before our lips collide in a fiery kiss.

Even though I asked for it, it suddenly feels stupid and wrong, and I’m not entirely sure if this is what I want right now, but it will surely calm her down. We would probably talk when we’ve made peace by sharing kisses—I tell myself like I usually do.

Just when my hands slide down to her ass, my phone rings loudly on the table, making me groan as I pull away.

Before I could reach out to grab my phone to see who the caller is, Da-Won bends to her side and swipes the screen to answer the call, turning on the speaker as she pulls my phone closer.

“Doctor Kim,” head nurse Oh pants excitedly while I’m staring at Da-Won’s chest. “I met Miss Shin on my way home and handed her your present. I also explained to her how and when to use it, and everything else in detail,” she splutters all her updates before I could even speak a word.

Da-Won’s eyes flick to lock with mine as I try to grab the phone. She blocks my hand with hers and motions with her eyebrows for me to continue talking on speaker.

“Okay, that’s good. Thank you, nurse Oh,” I say the bare minimum, still keeping my steady gaze on Da-Won.

“No need to thank me, doctor. And just as you told me earlier, she asked me the price of it, but I told her that it is a gift from doctor Kim, and that she doesn’t have to pay for it. I also told her that you’re very much concerned about her wellbeing and healing, and about the follow-up calls from the hospital,” she continues spilling, making me want to slam my head into a wall right now.

“Okay. Thanks again,” I respond and squirm uneasily in my seat while simultaneously trying to survive the heat of my girlfriend’s furious glare.

“Ah, please do not mention it, doctor. I’m heading home now, and I’ll see you later,” fortunately, she ends the call, making my shoulders sink.

The atmosphere in the room has shifted drastically, and Da-Won’s eyes demand answers as she climbs out of my lap. She pulls the hem of her dress down and stands facing me with her arms crossed under her chest. Lately, the timing of events in my life has been at its record worst especially when it involves Da-Won.

“We stay apart for a few weeks, and you’re already pursuing another woman by sending her gifts? Is she your patient?” She sneers, tilting her head to one side.

“Da-Won, it isn’t like that,” I rise from my seat as I speak. “I’m not pursuing anyone. She and I went to the same high school, and I happened to meet her here. She came alone for her delivery, and I–” my explanation is interrupted when my phone rings once again.

Both our eyes fly to my phone that displays Cho-Wol’s name. Our eyes snap up to meet again, and Da-Won raises an accusatory eyebrow at me as she swipes the screen to answer the call and turns on the speaker once again.

“Taehyung?” Cho-Wol asks, and Da-Won tilts her head to one side.

I remain silent, and Cho-Wol remains silent on the other end, too, while Da-Won points to my phone with her chin as if challenging me to talk to Cho-Wol in her presence; her jaw clenched in anger. I’m not afraid because there’s nothing to hide or fear about, and I straighten up and puff out my chest confidently before I pick up the phone in my hand and bring it closer to my mouth.

“Hello?” I ask with my gaze fixed on Da-Won.

“Hi, Taehyung. I was thinking if the call wasn’t connected or something since you were silent for so long,” Cho-Wol laughs softly.

“No, I’m right here.”

“Nurse Oh from your team just met me and left. Thank you so much, Taehyung. It seems to be very expensive, and I feel bad for taking it as a gift. But you don’t know how much this means to me,” she says with a smile in her voice, and it causes my tense shoulders to relax, creating a strange calmness to stir within me despite the tight spot that Da-Won has pinned me in.

“It’s nothing, Cho-Wol. I’ll be happy if it helps you in some way,” I smile lightly, running a hand through my hair.

“I will definitely use it well. And about yesterday...” Cho-Wol’s voice trails, bringing my actions to a halt.

Turning to look at Da-Won, I notice the taunting glare in her eyes that seems to be intensifying with each word that is exchanged between Cho-Wol and I.

“Thank you so much for being there and helping me, Taehyung. I really wanted to say so much more yesterday, but I was so overwhelmed with pain and everything. I hope I did not come across as rude or ungrateful,” she says softly.

In a better situation, I would have had so much more to tell her and reassure her. But right now, talking anything more would put me in scalding hot water with Da-Won, and I would not want that for us. I have no choice but to respond to Cho-Wol very diplomatically, forcing myself to sound rather cold.

“Don’t mention it. I only did what I should be doing as your doctor. If you don’t mind, I have somewhere I need to go now,” I hate to end her call like this, but there’s nothing better that I can do at the moment to save or sever what’s remaining of Da-Won and I.

“Sure. I’m sorry for not asking if you’re busy. I’ll talk to you some other time. Bye, Taehyung,” with that said, Cho-Wol drops the call, making my shoulders slump as I place my phone back on the table.

“I get it that you’ve been meeting her as well,” Da-Won concludes, exhaling heavily thereafter.

“I told you she’s a classmate, and I conducted her delivery a few weeks ago,” I stand my ground and explain.

“Okay, she’s a patient then. So, is this how all your patients call and thank you? And is this how you go around helping each one personally and sending them expensive gifts and all?” Her tone is accusatory, and I suck my teeth before I turn to look at her.

“Do not assume anything, Da-Won. She’s someone I know, and I happened to check up on her yesterday when she was in severe pain. It was a mere coincidence but since I was there, I helped her as her doctor, and she only called me now to thank me for that. There’s no need to look further into anything,” I walk around the table and move to sit down in my chair.

“What pain was she in? And why did you have to send her a gift today? And what is this gift? Something she could use? And an expensive one at that? It’s a vibrator, isn’t it? Is that something a doctor does to his patient? I fail to understand what I’m missing here,” her tone is cold and laced with anger.

Puffing out a breath, I answer her confidently, fearlessly, even though her accusations and assumptions are irritating me exponentially. “Da-Won, can you shut up? Her newborn hasn’t been nursing well, and Cho-Wol was suffering from breast engorgement when I went to meet her yesterday. Her finances are tight, and I only gifted her an electric milk pump that would help her.” I tell her the truth.

“And why did you go to meet her yesterday?” She fires without hesitation.

“I just felt like seeing her,” Once again, I answered her truthfully.

“Huh? How could you say that? Why would you feel like meeting another woman when your girlfriend is right here?”

“Da-Won,” I sigh, “look, I could lie to you about anything if I wanted to, but I’m not doing it because there’s no need to lie or hide anything from you. I’ve never done it before, and I’ll never do it now or ever. She’s just a good friend, and she’s also a single mother. I’ve even been thinking of hiring a private detective to find her boyfriend who went missing a few months ago. It’s purely platonic affection, and there’s no need for you to get worried about anything.” I clarify my intentions, even though there’s still so much more that I haven’t told her yet.

Da-Won doesn’t seem fully convinced. “Why do you bother so much about her? It isn’t like she’s the only single mother out there. Countless women go horny and carelessly spread their legs and get pregnant just like her. But you can’t go around helping them all,” she spits venom with her words, blindly accusing and assuming things about Cho-Wol, and it annoys me terribly.

“Shut up!” I raise my voice, but I quickly collect myself together. “Don’t assume, Da-Won. She isn’t like that, and you know nothing about her. Don’t say such things about her once again. I know you don’t like it if I talk about other women, but she’s someone I genuinely care about and wish the best for,” I say that in a surprisingly calm tone, trying my best to condition her thoughts.

I could sit her down and tell her everything about Cho-Wol, everything from the past and about Yohan and the restaurant renovation and all. But again, would that do anything at all to change her closeted mindset?

“Which guy in his right mind helps his ‘lady friend’ with her engorged breasts?” She air quotes and snaps angrily.

“I swear I had no wrong intentions. Believe me when I say that I did not lay a finger on her. I only told her what to do,” I’m hanging on to my last strand of self-control that is shielding me from an outburst.

All her accusations are totally unfair, and I hate having to explain so much to her. I hate when she thinks that what I do as my profession is adulterated with immoral intentions. And this isn’t even the first time she’s talking such rubbish, but I’ve grown to never take it to heart. Until now.

“Are you telling me to believe that?” Da-Won scoffs in disbelief. “Taehyung, you literally spend your day spreading random women’s legs and putting your fingers into them, and you’re telling me you didn’t lay a finger on this apparent friend to disengorge her breasts? No fucking fool would believe that,” she points a trembling finger at me, and her eyes shoot fire.

But I’m seething now; so done hearing her vomit bullshit.

“Shut the fuck up, Da-Won! Shut your bloody mouth now!” I yell, slamming my palms on the table top. “Get out of here before I choke you and force you out.”

“Oh, yeah? Guess what? I was going to leave anyway, and I came here to tell you just that. Go and stick your fingers up some fucking sick broke patient’s pussy!” She rudely flashes her middle finger at me and storms her way out of my room, slamming the door behind her.

Clenching my jaw tight, I ball my hands into tight fists and bang them on the table, hoping to release some of my overflowing rage.

I’m not going to follow her, and I definitely deserve better than Da-Won. A woman who doesn’t accept, understand, trust and appreciate me or my profession doesn’t deserve even a small part of my shadow. Above all, she talks shit about the handful of friends that I have, but always expects me to praise her friends.

She doesn’t value me and my relationship with her or with anyone else concerning me. I knew this day was coming, and I knew that Da-Won and I were headed here sooner than later. And after all the foul things she said just now, I swear to myself that I will never reach out to her once again. This is it.

Maybe this time I’d be the first one to stop trying, and I know it’s perfectly okay because Da-Won just proved that she isn’t worth anything.

🎭

Thank you all for all your precious votes.
💖
Some chapters are yet to reach 40 votes, but they're really close, so I thought it's okay to publish this chapter.

Next update: When this chapter reaches 40 votes or when it is the 12th of July (whichever is later).

Published on : 07/10/2025