I wake up to the ringing of my alarm, i.e, my girlfriend forcing me awake.
Today, we will be observing Dr. Kai Masashi, my father go about a heart transplant.
Begins in about two hours. Lucky for us, the operation room is just a few minutes away from our flat.
I place a gentle kiss on Kusagi's lips and get up and make my way to the showers. Kusagi joins me in for the shower.
I ain't telling you anything else man.....
We get out, dress ourselves in formal attire for work.
I prepare ramen for the both of us and we enjoy my delicacy.
We then walk up to the Hanyang University and make our way to our department of medicine to the Operation Room.
My father is standing right over there, fully prepared to do his job. He says, "You're late. I didn't expect this from you Pochinki."
Damn, I hate it when people call me by my given name. I look at my watch and tell him in all the fervour and arrogance of a five year old, "I am not late. If I arrived a minute later, I would be late. But, as you can see, I did not arrive a minute later."
My father snortd and says, "Well, get ready and get into the room within fifteen minutes."
And there goes my Valentine's spirit just like that. Now, the warlord in my mind has come into business and starts plotting ways to get dad in trouble with mum. He deserves it!!
I only came into this stream because my dad forced me into it. I wanted to become a pop singer and dancer!!
When I told my parents my desire, my father had scoffed and said, "You? A singer? You wanna die broke?!! I will disown you if you get into that useless, broken and dying field. Even if you succeed, it's only for a few years. You'll fall out! Besides you don't even have the talent for it!"
I wanted to go to music school but I had no one to sponsor me. So I got in to the same field as my father to spite him, get better than him and eventually fire him myself.
From the time I was in preschool, nothing I did ever satisfied him. I was never enough. I will show him that I am the better man, then in a spur of hypocrisy, fire him for revenge. What can I say, I am a very very vengeful man.
I feel a smack on my head. "Aiish!! What the hell did I do?"
Kusagi twists my ears and says, "The operation is beginning. You're late!"
"I'm coming... There's no need to be so forceful...."
In my musings I completely lost the Valentine's fervour the morn.....
We observed the operation from the sidelines. At least Kusagi did. I was sleeping with my eyes open the entire way. I ain't gonna give my dad any credit.... Na ah!!
I've seen enough of these to know what happens in any given five minutes of the transplant and this patient wasn't a special case anyway so, I will be a die loser about it, to my dad at least. He has skill. Never tell him I said this. I mean never... He'll never let me live it down.
The end of the operation at 1600 hours sees my father come talk to me, "Why must you be so disrespectful? Can't you at least be respectful of the patient whose transplant you're observing? People's lives are in the line in or field of work. I don't care if you are disrespectful of me, but at least be respectful of the donor who gave his life got the recorder whose life is on the line!"
I am also deaf.....
"He has a point you know." says Kusagi.
"Doesn't mean I should concede it. And besides, I see not disrespectful of any patients." say I like the sore loser that I am.
"He doesn't see it that way. Besides, he is your father. He wants nothing but good for you."
"Does he though.... Cause I am not sure..."
"Well, at least you have a father. Don't be so distant. You'll only know the value of people when they're gone. Don't be so angry with your father all the time. Cherish him while you still have him"
Oh yeah. That's a sore spot. For the both of us. Kusagi lost both her parents to heart diseases.... She is their third daughter has no brothers. She saw both her parents succumb to a heart attack in front of her own eyes. Unlike me, she came into this field so that no other child has to go through what she went. Thus her determination.
"Fine... You're right. I shouldn't behave like this... But I only do cause he treats me like a five year old, all the goddamn time. He deserves my treatment!!" I hold up
She giggles at my words. And just like that, all my hatred for my father vanishes and love returns to my eyes.
Ahh, today is Valentine's Day.... I'd totally forgotten... how rude of me.....
I smile at Kusagi and say, "Let's go out. I've a wonderful evening planned for today....."
"Oh? Is that so, prince charming? Let's see what you have in store for me, oppa...."
We go a Chinese restaurant and order Lobster.
I help Kusagi break open hers and feed it to her with my chopsticks. Everytime she takes a bite, she makes this wonderful face while enjoying the taste. Everytime I see her face, I forget everything in the world. The only thing I remember is her face.
We finish eating and walk home. There's a bridge we need to cross on the way home. There we stand, basking in all the wonderful starlight. We kiss on the bridge, explore each other as we stay like that.
Our location stays private only for fifteen seconds. The bridge soon follows it example and people are practically waiting in line to kiss in the centre. There is another couple on the opposite side. I swear I heard someone tell us to make it quick, and I happily complied. I have a home for stuff.....
Well see you later, Po-chin-ki has a vast hall to explore....