Hearing a voice, Sulhee turned around.

Unsurprisingly, there was Dr. I-hyun, grinning. His image was already not great, and after hearing Chae Rin’s words, his face seemed even more annoying.

“No, it’s just a few dishes.”

“Okay, then I’ll watch from here.”

If he wasn’t going to help, he should have just left. But contrary to Sulhee’s wishes, I-hyun leaned against the sink and chatted nonstop.

He talked about everything that happened at the hospital, his personal life – things Sulhee didn’t want to hear. She gradually became quieter, focusing on the dishes. Noticing this, I-hyun leaned closer.

“Sulhee.”

“Yes?”

“Why do you dislike me so much? What did you hear about me, exactly?”

It was the second time he asked this question.
This man seems to have a serious misconception. Sulhee had just finished washing the dishes. She dried her hands and then, placing them on her hips, she faced Dr. I-hyun.

“Dr. I-hyun.”

“Yes?”

“Just so you know, Dr. Ok doesn’t talk like that.”

Sulhee’s tone was usually very gentle, but now it was different. It was filled with a chill.

“He doesn’t secretly badmouth people behind their backs.”

Like you do.

“Sure, he’s not expressive and he’s strict, but he never said anything bad about Dr. I-hyun. Even if I don’t have any reason to, if I were to hold any animosity towards Dr. I-hyun, it would be solely based on my own judgment of him, not because of Dr. Ok.”

It hasn’t been long enough to decide if he’s likeable or not, but if he were to become disliked, it wouldn’t be because of Dr. Ok.

It would be because of things like hiding and badmouthing Dr. Ok or being careless in consultations.

Dr. I-hyun’s expression twisted at Sulhee’s words.

Regardless, Sulhee wiped down the dishwashing area with a cloth and headed back outside.

She didn’t want to hear any more pointless talk. There wasn’t enough time for that.

It was a trip where everyone came together to relax, but Sulhee had been unusually busy that day.

Her uncle, the chief doctor, was a kind person, but he laughed it off and did nothing, which somehow made her, his niece and someone familiar with the villa, bustle around more.

It felt more comfortable to be active like this.

Usually, being the least experienced at the hospital, she always had to ask others, but it felt good to be moving her body like this.

“Now, where did the skewers go?”

Dr. Choi, pregnant and craving, wanted to roast marshmallows brought by the manager, so Sulhee went outside to look for the steel skewers.

Walking a bit from her uncle’s villa, there was a small shed at the corner of the property. Her uncle had told her that most of the miscellaneous items were stored there, so she briskly headed to the shed.

Opening the door, which was latched with a bolt, she entered into the dark, musty interior. There was no light inside, and she intended to use her phone, but it seemed she had left it inside.

“Let’s just look around.”

Fortunately, the dim moonlight filtering in through a small window soon made the interior visible. She looked around, and up above, she spotted protruding metal skewers.

Is that it?

She remembered how her uncle used to skewer various things on them for campfires when she was a child. It must be those shiny ones.

The problem was that Sulhee was too short to reach them. Looking around, she found a small chair.

She stood on the chair, reaching out for the skewers. It was still a bit out of reach.

“Just a little more, a little more.”

“Need me to get that down for you?”

“Huh?”

Someone approached and handed down the skewers. A man much taller than herself. It was Dr. Ok.

“Dr. Ok.”

“What were you thinking climbing up like that?”

“Thank you.”

“Come down.”
He extended his hand to Sulhee. Grasping Dr. Ok’s hand, she stepped down from the chair. However, even after she had descended, Dr. Ok did not let go of her hand.

His firm hand gently enveloped Sulhee’s.

“Dr. Ok?”

Gulp.

Unconsciously, she swallowed dryly. As he pulled on her hand, she inadvertently ended up in Dr. Ok’s embrace. Trapped by him in the dark storage room.

“What, what’s the matter?”

To Sulhee’s question, he narrowed his eyebrows as if asking, “Do you really not know?”

“What do you think it is?”

Still embracing her, he whispered.

“Do you, dislike it?”

“Not dislike, but…”

“But?”

At Dr. Ok’s inquiry, Sulhee’s lips quivered.

This wasn’t her first romance.

Nor was she particularly young.

But standing before Dr. Ok, she felt like a middle school girl, her heart fluttering over trivial matters.

Could this be what Dr. Ok had talked about earlier on the walk?

Their conversation on the deserted path echoed in her mind.

“It’s a problem that I keep feeling jealous.”

“…….”

“Even though I know you and Dr. I-hyun are nothing.”

His voice was deep and rich.

“And yet, I feel jealous. It’s childish, foolish. I never understood people who are so consumed by relationships, nor did I want to. But with Sulhee, it keeps happening.”

Despite it being trivial, things were changing. She wasn’t sure if their feelings were mutual.

He had always been honest. From the beginning until now, he had always been straightforward with her. Maybe it was time for her to run towards him too.

“Dr. Ok.”

Sulhee took a deep breath, holding onto his firm arm.

She needed to speak.