"Is this seat taken?" Someone suddenly asked, causing Dal Rae to snap out of her absentminded state. She looked up to see Dr. Nam. He wore a gentle smile as he waited for her answer. But Dal Rae being stupefied, pointed at herself in response.
"Are you asking me?" She blurted. Dr. Nam couldn't help but stifle a laugh. "Could there be anyone else I would be asking if not you?" He returned, amused at her reaction.
Dal Rae looked around to see that there were only a few people present at the cafeteria. Majority of them were far away so Dr. Nam couldn't possibly have asked someone else. "S-sure." She stuttered, tilting her face downwards to somehow hide her half nervous and half excited expression.
"Are you okay?" Dr. Nam asked out of the blue. Dal Rae's head shot up and she gave him a questioning look. 'Do I look like I'm not okay?' She wondered. Sh**! Her hand immediately began fixing her hair. She must've been going around looking like a stressed cow for him to ask that! How embarrassing.
"Oh, I didn't mean it that way." He said. "I was just wondering since I noticed that you've been sitting alone these days."
Dal Rae always sat with Eun Young. But she had been absent at work for the past few days and when Dal Rae takes initiative to check on her, she doesn't answer her phone. Dal Rae was hoping that everything was alright. Meanwhile, she had been pulling up consecutive all-nighters to cover for Eun Young.
"I'm okay." She shrugged. "I don't see anything wrong with sitting alone. I mean... who knows right? Maybe the love of my life would suddenly appear and sit with me like magic!" She joked, before picking up a slice of apple to munch on.
After a few seconds, Dal Rae's eyes went wide. She... she didn't just say that in front of him, did she? Dal Rae turned to look at Dr. Nam. Even he was surprised by her words! To clear out the misunderstanding, Dal Rae spoke again. "Th-that's not what I meant! I mean... It's not like that... It's just... I was just..."
Dr. Nam smiled. "It's okay, I understand."
Dal Rae exhaled in relief. Geez, this mouth! She was embarrassing herself in front of him... again! This wasn't the first time. She hadn't even moved on from that night when he found her all drunk! It was just a few days ago... Eun Young left first because she said she had an emergency back home. Dal Rae stayed for a few more drinks. What she didn't expect was that Dr. Nam was there too! He had to help her get home because she was to drunk to even walk straight!
Dal Rae's cheeks reddened as the thoughts came back to her. "How have you been?" He asked next. "I was surprised to see you at work the next day. Didn't you have a hangover that morning?"
Of course she did! She had a terrible one! Fortunately her cousin came by to help her out that morning. "I did but... I quickly recovered." She replied. "By the way, I... I didn't get to pay you back last time. Hold on, I think I have my wallet here with me--"
Just as she was about to reach for her bag, Dr. Nam intervened. "Can I ask for something else in exchange?"
Dal Rae's hand froze. What? Soemthing else? What does he mean something else? Weird thoughts became circulating in her mind and when they were slowly becoming green and dirty, she instantly shook her head to make them disappear. "What?" Dal Rae muttered.
Dr. Nam paused to think about it for a while. And after a few seconds, he responded. "Dinner."
"Dinner?!" Dal Rae shrieked. She covered her mouth.
"Yeah, dinner. You walked out on the waitress that night without paying for everything you ordered so... I think dinner would be fine." He explained.
Dal Rae inwardly gaped at what she just heard. She owed him that much? How could she be that reckless?! In a span of one night she actually got to owe him as much as paying for dinner! Wow... she really outdid herself this time.
"So... is that a deal?" Dr. Nam curiously waited for an answer. He seemed to be really looking forward to it. With the look on his face, Dal Rae could've mistaken him as someone desperately trying to ask her out!
"Fine. But I get to choose the restaurant!" She conditioned.
"By all means." He agreed right away.
Dal Rae was already internally screaming her head off. Their going out! For dinner! That's already as close as a date can be! She could settle with that... Hopefully, this guy wouldn't be another jerk in the sand. Else, she might just be someone much worse.
"Here, have some more apples." Dr. Nam offered. He lightly pushed his own bowl of freshly cut apples towards Dal Rae.
Raising an eyebrow, she pointed at the fruits. "Are you trying to poison me?" She cracked.
Dr. Nam quickly caught up to Dal Rae's sense of humor. And with a scoff, he answered. "My dear Snow White, you're still buying me dinner. How could I poison you right now?"
"Point well made." She commended, taking a single piece from his bowl and popping it in her mouth.