Cho Ah and Dong Yun left after twilight. With Eun Young promising that they'd spend the holidays at the Kim family mansion, the couple departed satisfied and excited at the same time. Of course, they had to wait for the little ones to bid them goodbye first. Only then were they already set to leave.
Once they were gone, Eun Young crossed her arms and exhaled heavily. If only her parents knew... she was just as surprised as they were. How can she allow him--the CEO of one of the world's globally competitive companies--to stay at home to work and babysit simultaneously? One way or another, she'd have to convince him. Otherwise, she'll find other means.
Eun Young turned only to see Min Jae standing behind her. She noticed that he already removed his necktie and blazer. His hair was also a bit dishiveled but regardless, he was still a breathtaking view. Min Jae's hands were kept inside his pockets as he stared at her intently. His brown eyes searched through hers before he finally broke the silence. "Eun Young..." Min Jae began.
Eun Young diverted her gaze. Doing so had always helped her muster all the courage she needed. She couldn't tell why but everytime she looks at him, she feels weak. She feels as though she could give him whatever it is he wanted. For years she had always looked at him with love and patience... even though she knew he would never look at her the same way.
"Min Jae, you don't have to do this. We'll find another way." Eun Young said. "You have great responsibilities in your own company. People look up to you, people depend on you... you can't risk letting them down. Also, I know that you're terribly busy..." Painful memories suddenly flashed through Eun Young's mind. But before her emotions could take over, she held her composure tightly.
"I mean, you already have so much on your plate right now." She sighed. "I don't think my conscience can tolerate it if anything bad happens in the future." Eun Young admitted. Eun Young hastily glanced at him. And when she saw that he was still looking at her, she looked away again.
Min Jae watched as Eun Young spoke. He couldn't tell why but every word that escapes through her lips seemed like weights piling up in his stomach. She was looking away and he realized that she's been like that for the past few days, always avoiding his gaze. And every time she does, for some reason he finds himself disappointed.
"Eun Young, I have greater responsibilities too--far greater than being a CEO." He muttered. "I understand that it won't be an easy task... but I won't voluntarily do this if there isn't anything greater at stake."
With this, Eun Young finally spared him a glance. After taking a deep breath, he continued. "Jung Hyun and Hye Soo look up to me too. They're also depending on me and certainly they are more important to me than my employees."
"Min Jae--"
"I can do it, Eun Young." He said with utmost determination. Min Jae cautiously stepped forward so that he was now only a few steps away from her. "Trust me." He swore.
This time, Eun Young didn't divert her gaze and instead, she looked at him directly in his eyes. There was moisture in her eyes that beneath the lights, her beautiful eyes glistened under her long lashes. "I do, Min Jae." She whispered. His heart skipped a beat. "I always have but after everything that happened, I'm not sure if I still trust you the same way." She said before slowly walking away and heading upstairs, leaving Min Jae with her voice echoing in his mind.
---
"Dr. Oh, the patient on room 510 was asking for you." The nurse said upon encountering Dal Rae on the hallway.
"Really?" She asked. She read the patient's information sheet on the clipboard given to her. After a quick scan, her assumption was correct. This was indeed the patient she had been monitoring for the past week.
"The little guy's a bit upset since his favorite doctor didn't come to see him yesterday. I hope you got some consoling tactics up your sleeve, Dr. Oh." The nurse advised jokingly.
Dal Rae chuckled. "Alright, I'll see him soon after I drop these off by the lab." She replied with a smile.
With that said, Dal Rae shortly stopped by the lab to handover some samples. She went straight to visit the patient on room 510 afterwards. Of course, she came with a peace offering. The kid loves ripe mangoes so she was very fortunate to find some in the hospital's cafeteria. Stopping by the door, she lightly knocked with a pattern that she always does before entering to announce her presence.
Dal Rae grinned widely as she entered the room. The place was filled with laughters and her guess was that the patient was having fun with his family. However, when she turned to greet the child, he wasn't with his parents. Instead, he was laughing at a goofy-looking man in a doctor's coat.
"Dr. Oh! You're here!" The child exclaimed, beaming as soon as he saw her. Dal Rae's attention then quickly snapped back to the little boy.
"Hey kid! You got a new friend?" She asked, glancing at the doctor with the funny-looking glasses he was wearing.
"Yeah!" He merrily answered. "Meet Mr. Quackadoodles!" The kid announced and the doctor bowed upon being introduced.
Dal Rae raised an eyebrow. Quackadoodles? What an... unusual name. Dal Rae also bowed out of courtesy. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but be suspicious of this man. This Quackadoodles dude seemed familiar.
"Don't be confused, Dr. Oh." The kid whispered at Dal Rae. "This is just Dr. Nam in disguise." He said. And as if on cue, the doctor lowered his glasses and winked at her. Dal Rae's brows furrowed in confusion but after a few seconds, she finally recalled the familiar person. Sh**!