A Marriage with an Expiry (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 9
After yesterday’s incident, So Ri, feeling inexplicably guilty, couldn’t hold Hyun Woo’s gaze for long.
Even senior Eun Seok, who had been chattering nonstop until now, instantly turned polite the moment he saw Hyun Woo, making So Ri feel even more self-conscious.
To the two doctors standing stiffly in place, Hyun Woo tossed out a careless remark.
“If you came to buy coffee, come over and order.”
Surprised by the unexpected suggestion, Eun Seok quickly stepped up beside him.
“Professor, do you also like the coffee here?”
“No.”
“Oh, uh… Sorry.”
“Order.”
“Oh, I’ll have an iced Americano.”
Hyun Woo sharply cut off his rambling.
After Eun Seok finished speaking, Hyun Woo turned his gaze toward So Ri standing next to him—
a clear signal that it was her turn.
“Oh, I…”
Caught off guard and momentarily lost in thought, So Ri had forgotten why she’d even come to the café, overwhelmed by the intensity in his eyes.
“Dr. Yoo, their lattes here are rich and delicious too.”
“No.”
“Huh?”
It was Eun Seok who reflexively questioned Hyun Woo’s firm refusal.
What on earth did he mean by “no”?
“Coffee on an empty stomach is poison for someone with anemia.”
Upon hearing this, Eun Seok turned to So Ri and asked,
“Dr. Yoo, do you have anemia?”
“No…?”
But she couldn’t just say that. Saying “no” would mean lying again right in front of Hyun Woo.
Yet she didn’t want her seniors learning that she knew Hyun Woo, or that she was unwell, or anything about her personal life.
So—
“I’d like to order a caramel macchiato.”
Hyun Woo’s handsome forehead creased visibly as he looked at So Ri.
“Dr. Yoo So Ri.”
“Professor, I—I’ve been feeling a bit jittery, and since this morning I’ve been craving something sweet…”
So please, for the love of all that’s holy, just buy me the coffee I asked for and don’t ask any more questions!
She’d even gone so far as to interrupt him before he could speak—and now her stomach was churning black with dread.
Back at the NS department office.
The morning meeting had begun.
This meeting was for sharing information about new inpatients.
Unless there was a special schedule, all NS (Neurosurgery) professors, staff, and residents gathered together.
Everyone, including the department head, was seated in the department meeting room.
On the front wall of the table, a projector displayed each patient’s information one by one.
Hyun Woo sat at the head of the table, observing everyone alongside the department head.
The meeting was led by Chief Resident Kang Se Hoon.
“Next is 14-year-old male patient Choi Min Guk. He collapsed suddenly on his way home from school and suffered a seizure, leading to an emergency admission. These are the MRA images (vascular MRI) taken yesterday.”
“Oh dear—it’s Moyamoya disease. He’s at an age when he should be running around playing.”
The department head clicked his tongue sympathetically.
“He certainly looks like the type who won’t listen to a word you say, Chief.”
Always eager to impress the department head, Se Hoon added this unnecessary comment.
Hyun Woo’s brow tightened.
“Kang Se Hoon, refrain from sharing personal impressions about patients.”
“Yes, Professor. I’m sorry.”
With just one sharp remark from Seo Hyun Woo, the meeting room’s atmosphere, which had started to loosen up, instantly tensed again.
“So, how should we treat this patient?”
The department head smiled kindly as he scanned the back of the room.
Due to a shortage of chairs, first-year residents Gi Tae and So Ri were standing at the very end, participating in the meeting.
“How about we hear from our NS newcomers? Dr. Yoo So Ri, our fresh face—why don’t you give us your thoughts?”
“Yes, Chief.”
At the department head’s call, all eyes immediately turned to So Ri.
Though slightly nervous, So Ri spoke calmly and clearly.
“In cases of ischemic-type Moyamoya, surgical outcomes tend to be better compared to hemorrhagic-type. For this patient, an extracranial-intracranial bypass surgery might reasonably alleviate his symptoms.”
The department head nodded approvingly at So Ri’s crisp, confident answer, a pleased look on his face.
Just as So Ri let out a quiet sigh of relief, Hyun Woo spoke in a flat tone.
“There are academic reports indicating that Moyamoya patients actually have a higher incidence of postoperative cerebral ischemia complications. Is it really that simple—just operate and call it done?”
His eyes locked precisely onto So Ri as he finished speaking.
She suddenly felt that if she failed to properly answer his question, something terrible would happen.
“You call yourself a doctor? Without even this basic knowledge? With neither health nor academic competence—what arrogance do you have?”
These were words Hyun Woo never actually said, yet they echoed loudly in So Ri’s ears.
Her palms began to sweat.
As everyone stared at her and So Ri still hadn’t managed a response, the atmosphere grew increasingly heavy.
Tick, tock—the seconds crept by, and everyone held their breath, avoiding Hyun Woo’s gaze, terrified the next question would be aimed at them.
“Was my question too difficult for a first-year resident?”
Hyun Woo swept his calm eyes slowly over the residents seated around the meeting table.
“No one has an answer?”
The meeting room grew as cold as a freezer.
In that moment, So Ri realized something.
His question was actually about perioperative management.
“Um, Professor!”
At So Ri’s call, Hyun Woo fixed her with his steady, unwavering gaze.
“In Moyamoya patients, anesthesia time must not be prolonged—there are reports showing significantly increased complications due to long surgeries and extended anesthesia.”
Only then did Hyun Woo’s icy expression soften slightly.
“And what about intraoperative precautions?”
“We must carefully maintain normal blood pressure and arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure throughout surgery.”
Leaning back deeply into his chair, Hyun Woo asked,
“What about preoperative considerations?”
“Depending on the frequency of the patient’s seizures, we should pre-stabilize the unstable cerebral condition using antiplatelet agents.”
Hyun Woo raised his hand slightly—
a signal that she’d said enough.
He hadn’t expected her to answer everything perfectly, but she’d done quite well.
“Are you all just sitting here taking up seats in meetings, calling yourselves seniors, yet not even knowing basic surgical precautions for a new patient?”
His words carried a sharp edge, though no one seemed to fully grasp the weight behind them.
These careless people.
During this meeting, which could easily stretch beyond an hour, his attention kept returning—not to the two people standing, but specifically to one.
Hyun Woo’s eyes lingered on So Ri, who had been standing the whole time.
She hadn’t been cowed at all—and the way she’d answered impressed him greatly.
When other residents answered, he’d felt nothing special—it had simply seemed natural.
So why was he feeling this way now?
“Our NS department’s future looks very bright, wouldn’t you say, Professor Seo?”
The department head concluded the situation with a hearty laugh, having watched the whole exchange unfold.
After the meeting ended, Hyun Woo paused abruptly as he left the room.
On Kang Se Hoon’s seat sat the same café cup Hyun Woo had given So Ri earlier that day—
a caramel macchiato.
The black straw, the barista’s marking on the lid—it matched exactly what he’d handed to So Ri.
On one hand, he was relieved So Ri hadn’t drunk it, considering she’d claimed to have anemia.
On the other, he was annoyed that Se Hoon had taken his junior’s coffee and drunk it himself.
Ugh—why was everything getting under his skin so much today?
Hyun Woo thought he was acting unusually out of character.
That same day, 9 p.m.
The day a new resident joined always meant an official dinner gathering.
At a high-end Korean beef restaurant near the hospital, So Ri sat with a dazed, half-absent expression.
Though it had only been one day, it felt like an eternity.
After voluntarily doing pre-rounding on admitted patients, nonstop post-op dressing changes, constant ER calls in between—and just as her back was about to give out—she’d gone on rounds again with the professors…
Would things get easier once she got used to neurosurgery routines?
“Eat up, our adorable new residents!”
Second-year resident Jong Woo beamed as he looked at Gi Tae and So Ri.
Since he had many responsibilities to pass down to the next year, he was practically a mentor to them.
Jong Woo placed carefully grilled beef sirloin in front of So Ri and Gi Tae and said,
“We might drink a lot if we go for a second round, so fill your stomachs now.”
Even though they’d probably empty them again soon anyway.
“I ate kimchi fried rice until I was stuffed last year—and that’s the last thing I remember.”
“No way—really?”
Gi Tae sounded shocked.
Jong Woo, who could hold his liquor well, had actually blacked out?
“I started drinking soju-maekju (soju-beer mix) right from the first round back then.”
While Gi Tae and Jong Woo chatted, So Ri kept staring blankly toward the restaurant entrance.
Though the so-called welcome dinner had technically started long ago, Hyun Woo was still absent.
Hesitating, So Ri quietly asked Jong Woo—the apparent event coordinator—
“Is Professor Seo not coming to the dinner?”
“He’s in an emergency surgery right now. He said he’d come after, but there’s a good chance he won’t.”
Gi Tae chimed in from beside her.
“He apparently doesn’t like drinking culture at all—it’s rare to see him at these gatherings.”
“Oh…”
So Ri’s energy instantly deflated.
While everyone else was steadily filling their plates with meat, she merely picked at her food halfheartedly.
Once the meal seemed mostly finished, Jong Woo announced to the group,
“We’ll move to the next venue now—just head next door to The Soap.”
Being busy doctors, they all stood up and left with military-like efficiency.
The Soap, located nearby, was a casual jazz bar.
With the central wall as the focal point, there was a stage in the middle and a massive projected video of a singer performing—visible even from the second floor.
A melancholic blues song filled the entire space along with the visuals.
At the reserved tables, drinks and snacks were already set out—everything followed a well-established routine for their second-round gatherings.
So Ri sat at the far end of a semicircular booth on the second floor.
By some twist of fate, Se Hoon ended up sitting directly in front of her.
Realizing this, she glanced around and noticed her fellow intern Gi Tae had somehow ended up at another table.
The one silver lining was that third-year senior Eun Seok—the one who’d been kind to her all day—was sitting right beside her.
“Dr. Yoo So Ri.”
“Yes?”
“You’re not upset about me asking you to grab coffee this morning, are you?”
“No, of course not.”
Though his way of asking had been awkward, it had led to her running into Hyun Woo at the café, so it was fine.
“Good! Then take my cup.”
Se Hoon had this odd habit at drinking gatherings of singling out one person to pour drinks for.
Apparently, today’s target was Yoo So Ri.
“I don’t treat women any differently. In this day and age, thinking women are weaker is just prejudice, right?”
“Uh… sure.”
“Whether it’s drinking, stamina, intelligence—whatever. Isn’t that right? Well? Why aren’t you drinking?”
Under Se Hoon’s intense stare, So Ri reluctantly swallowed the drink she knew she shouldn’t have.
Every time her glass emptied, Se Hoon refilled it with strong whiskey.
She didn’t know whose preference it was, but the whiskey burned its way down her esophagus.
“In our neurosurgery department, we finish the entire whiskey bottle in one go and call it a night!”
“Okay…”
“Drink up! The faster you drink, the sooner we empty the bottle and head home.”
Then why aren’t you drinking? she wanted to ask—but he was her senior and chief, practically untouchable.
His sharp eyes behind his horn-rimmed glasses gleamed slyly as he urged her on.
With each sip, her longing to see Hyun Woo grew stronger.
Despite the guilt weighing on her, her heart had fluttered every time she spotted him in the hospital today.
Was it the alcohol, or the sentimental music—but suddenly her emotions tangled into knots.
What if it really was leukemia? What would happen to her mom? What would she tell Ji Woo?
And most of all—could she even continue as a resident?
Would anyone care about a brand-new doctor’s personal circumstances?
Then, seeing Se Hoon in front of her, pressuring her to drink, resignation settled in.
Chief Se Hoon didn’t seem like the type to show leniency if she claimed she was unwell.
But… what about Seo Hyun Woo?
For some reason…
Would he help her?
If she confessed honestly, maybe he’d let her work while receiving treatment.
No—of course not. This was the same man who’d threatened to expel her yesterday and scolded her for lacking qualifications.
“Hey, Dr. Yoo So Ri—why are you just holding your glass like you’re performing a ritual? This is a celebration! The guests of honor today need to take responsibility. Look—Maeng Gi Tae’s already diligently emptying his glass! It’s ‘love your fellow intern, love your country’—at this rate, only Maeng Gi Tae will pass out!”
So Ri gripped her small straight glass.
Her head was already spinning from the strong liquor, and instinctively she knew: if she drank this, her mind would completely shut down.
Taking a deep breath under their watchful stares, she downed the drink in one go.
Then she watched as the amber liquid slowly filled her glass again.
Yeah—might as well drink fast and pass out.
That absurd thought took over her mind as she reached for the glass again—
when a large hand covered hers, stopping her.
The firm, restraining weight was unmistakable.
“The Professor’s here.”
Before So Ri could even look up to confirm the voice’s owner, Se Hoon had already stood up to greet him.
But she didn’t need to look—she already knew who it was.
This warmth, this touch, this scent—it was the person she’d been waiting for all along.
‘Why are you so late?’
She knew she should stand up and greet him properly, but her body refused to obey.
Slowly, her eyes followed the hand covering hers upward—
and there stood Seo Hyun Woo, dressed not in scrubs or a white coat, but in a formal suit, staring coldly down at her.
The face she’d longed to see somehow looked deeply annoyed.
‘Professor… please take me away. Please save me.’
The words lodged painfully in her throat, making her breath catch.
Seeing her take a sharp, shaky breath, Eun Seok asked if she was okay.
All of this infuriated Hyun Woo immensely.
“Professor, please sit over here.”
Ignoring Se Hoon’s words completely, he spoke—
his eyes pinned on So Ri like a nail.
“Stand up, Dr. Yoo So Ri.”
His voice was far colder than usual.
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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MANGA DISCUSSION
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (16)
Omg she kissed him ommgggg!!
They are too shy to each other. I hope she will be a little relaxed ☺️
Oh no..she’s gonna tell fl about her mom.yup time for drama
Inline Comments (1)
She couldn't recall a single word she'd just said.
Oh I will tell you..you said some pretty harsh things🥲
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Bannedbaddie
This se hoon guy is pmo .