"Good thing you acted fast with the patient" Doah mentioned while she and Rohanne were inside her office
"Yeah… Good thing it went well, and the patient is okay now" Rohanne took a sip form her cup of coffee while sitting across Doah who was looking at some papers.
"I'll apologize on Dr. Park's behalf, she's usually not like that" Doah said as she looked at Rohanne who was enjoying her coffee
"Its fine, I mean it happens all the time Sunbae, let's just let it slide this time"
"She's one of my best residents more like one of the two best residents that I have, now I have three, including you" Doah said and smirked at Rohanne who was shocked at the revelation.
"Sunbae I'm so flattered by your words~" She chuckled as she placed down her cup of coffee. She was trying to tease her Sunbae but the latter was really sincere to her words.
"No, I'm being serious Rohanne, when we were in Uni I knew you were something, but now that I've seen it first-hand I did not regret every hour that I spent with your annoying ass to tutor you back then." Doah looked at her feeling proud that she was once a part of Rohanne's growth.
Rohanne on the other-hand was laughing at the memory.
Doah and Rohanne were Sunbae and Hoobae at Seoul National University, Doah was known as the Evil Satan Senior and Rohanne was known as the Spawn of Satan Freshie because they were always together studying and snobbing people around them, glaring at them.
Their relationship started when they both didn't attend their department's welcoming party, Rohanne saw Doah at the library studying so she decided to ask random things to a stranger because she was bored and when she learned that Doah was her Sunbae in their department, she annoyed her to teach her some of the stuffs.
Doah being the devil she is rejected Rohanne's attempts but eventually she gave in. Like, who wouldn't give in if you're getting followed and annoyed by the same person everyday telling you to teach her the ropes?
"Do you feel proud?" Rohanne asked while still smiling
"Of course, you're my one and only direct disciple" Doah said and the both of them laughed at her remark "But seriously Rohanne, It's really a blessing that you're here. Things wouldn't get these easy without you."
"Now, you really are flattering me Sunbae"
"Getting a compliment from me is a once in a lifetime chance you should cherish it" Doah said with a smug face
"I will cherish it forever Sunbae" Rohanne said in a sarcastic tone and chuckled.
"Anyway you should get some rest; you've been working nonstop for the past few days, you need a day off"
Rohanne looked at the calendar on her phone to check the date, and saw that it was 'that' day of the month.
"Actually, I'll be asking you for a leave tomorrow" Rohanne said as she looked at the event on her calendar
"Granted" Doah said and took a sip from her cup. "Oh and by the way, can you check on Dr. Park, she's probably sulking somewhere…"
'Even if she looks and acts like a devil she cares for her people'
"I've been meaning to…"
Rohanne said and took a final sip form her cup before standing up.
"Rohanne…"
"Hmm?" Rohanne was fixing her coat when she felt Doah looking at her intently, so she looked at her superior.
"Do you like Dr. Park?"
Rohanne was taken aback by Doah's question but she was quick to hide her reaction.
"What? Me liking Dr. Park? Are you out of your mind Sunbae?" Rohanne retorted and let out a snort
"See, you're even snorting, and raising your tone"
"You know you should've been an interrogator instead of a doctor"
"And now you're redirecting the topic…"
Rohanne looked at Doah straight in the eye and Doah did the same, they looked at each other for a few seconds as if they were engaged in a staring contest.
"If I were you, stop whatever you're feeling for her" Doah said firmly.
"You're not making any sense, Sunbae" Rohanne said still denying what Doah is saying
"By the way since you're going to see Dr. Park, tell her that her request for a three day leave is granted"
'A three day leave?'
"I'll make sure to relay that message" Rohanne said before leaving the office.
Rohanne didn't even need to find Seju, because as soon as she passes by the garden she saw Seju sitting on a bench alone, she was about to call her when she realize that the woman was crying.
Her heart suddenly ached at the sight of Seju crying, she was about to throw herself and hug the crying woman but she realized…
'She doesn't know that I'm Yeonhwa'
She shut her eyes closed and took a deep breathe, as soon as she opened her eyes she tried her best to restrain herself.
She took out her handkerchief and slowly walked towards Seju and called her name
"Seju…"
"Dr. Baek…"
As soon as Seju looked up at her, her urge to hug the woman became stronger, just looking at the face of the woman she loves crying in front of her, it makes her knees weak.
'I'm so sorry I broke my promise…'
She looked at Seju with concern and care. She offered her handkerchief to Seju but the latter was busy crying she didn't even notice that Rohanne was offering her a handkerchief. So the latter just decided to wipe the tears on Seju's face.
"Just let it all out…"
Rohanne said while still wiping Seju's tears.
'I'm so sorry Seju, I promised not to let you shed any more tears but for some reason I'm the reason you were crying for the past few years…'
"I'll be here to wipe your tears…"
A few more seconds and it started to rain, but they weren't moving from their positions even though the rain was already falling hard. Seju was thankful that the rain was masking her tears but she was also worried that the woman in front of her would get sick.
Seju looked directly into Rohanne's eyes, and as if she saw Yeonhwa in Rohanne's eyes she hugged the latter and cried harder. She buried her face on the crook of Rohanne's neck and continued sobbing. Rohanne just hugged her back and comforted her.
===
"Please make sure that you have plenty of rest and please avoid any work that might stress you. Also drink plenty of water. Don't also forget to exercise; it'll help you recover faster" Sejeong explained while writing a prescription for her patient.
"Here's your prescription Mr. Song" She handed her prescription to her patient "Don't forget to drink that every night after eating dinner"
The elderly man smiled at Sejeong "Thank you Dr. Kim"
"You're always welcome Mr. Song" Sejeong smiled at the man and called a nurse to help the elderly man. Before completely getting out of the building the elderly man waved one last time at Sejeong.
"You look so tired Dr. Kim" The nurse, Soah offered Sejeong a chocolate.
Sejeong politely declined Soah's offer and took the clipboard in front of her "Yeah, there's so many patients coming in, the interns and I are having a hard time" She said as she pointed out the interns who're doing their best at their jobs accommodating every patient they can.
"Where are Dr. Baek and Dr. Park when we needed them the most?" Minkyung, one of the interns said while taking a bite from Soah's chocolate.
"Dr. Baek is on leave, the chief's order and Dr. Park is on a three day leave, she asked it in advance" Sejeong explained while still looking the patient's charts.
"Oh is it this day of the month?" Soah asked
"This day of the month?" Minkyung asked
"Every 23rd of the month Dr. Park asks for a leave… for personal matters" Sejeong said and place the clipboard down.
"If there's an emergency call me, I'll just be in the garden" Sejeong said as she was walking out of the ER
"Dr. Kim's kind of off these past few weeks…" Minkyung said as he watched Sejeong walk away.
"Yeah, and for some reason I think I know why…"
Minkyung looked at the nurse who was looking at a distance, worried for Sejeong.
===
As soon as Rohanne's alarm rang she immediately got off of her bed and prepared her breakfast, she did her usual routine and went out to buy chrysanthemums, Red Velvet Cake and tteokbokki. If you see her walking on the street, you would think that she'll be visiting a lover.
As soon as she stepped out of her car she walked around the place, the flowers, cake and tteokbokki in her hands.
She was constantly here when she was still studying in Seoul National University, making sure that the he was okay, and always talking to him. But for the past few months she wasn't able to visit because she was back in Canada and as soon as she landed in Korea she was busy with 'stuff'.
After a few minutes of walking she stopped in front of him.
Son Seungjae
September 22, 1993 – January 23, 2010
"Hey Idiot…"
She slowly sat down on the ground and placed the flowers and the food that she bought for Seungjae beside his gravestone.
"Idiot… No. Seungjae…" She chuckled, it's been a long time when she last caled Seungjae by his actual name.
"How are you? I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit you for a couple of months. I was busy, I went back to Canada to visit my parents and when I came back to Korea I became super busy. You know with my work and all." She said as if Seungjae was just beside him listening.
She smiled bitterly as she was looking at the name at the gravestone. She caressed it carefully and smiled.
"After all I fulfilled your dream."
She smiled proudly and took out her Doctor's coat as if bragging her Profession like a kid.
"You said you wanted to be a doctor right?"
She looked down; tears starting to well up in her eyes.
"I became a doctor for the both of us…"
Rohanne started to softly sob
"Oh and by the way, I saw her… She's still beautiful as ever, it's as if she didn't age at all. She still look the same. Still the Park Seju that I love"
She looked at Seungjae's gravestone and smiled like a lovesick idiot.
"But I don't know what to do… I want to tell her that I'm Yeonhwa. But… I'm scared… I don't know what she'll say. I know she's mad, because… because she thought that I left her…"
While she was talking with Seungjae's gravestone she can't help but wish that her best friend was still… alive, to tell her what to do. If it's Seungjae he'll know what to do.
"You fucking idiot… Why did you leave us? Why did you leave her? You shouldn't have left…"
Even though 10 years have passed it felt like it just happened yesterday. She met Seungjae. She met Seju. The three of them became inseparable when they were in primary school. Then love came knocking at their doors. Seju's crazy over Seungjae, and She fell in love with Seju. Eventually Seungjae fell in love with Seju…
"I was always the third wheel"
She said out loud with a bitter smile. It left a bitter taste at her lips but it is the truth. She was always the third wheel in Seju and Seungjae's relationship. She even became Seungjae's wingman at some point.
At Seungjae's funeral, she was just standing from a distance as she watch her best friend get buried six feet below the ground. She watched as Seungjae's family grieved for him. Most especially Seju.
"I wanted to hold her that day and tell her that I'm here…"
She said in a bitter tone
"Why did you have to leave Jae? I was fine with being single all my life and be the third wheel in your relationship with Seju. I was even willing to be her bridesmaid if you two get married. You didn't have to leave…"
She placed her left hand in her face as she sobbed louder. She was the only person in the cemetery, the only thing that can be heard was her loud sobs and the rustling of the leaves.
"You're so unfair… You told me that you'll take care of her. You told me that you'll never leave her, that you'll cherish her forever… So why? Why? Did you know how much she grieved for you? Why did you have to leave early? I even thought I'd leave earlier than you… Why Jae, why?"
Then again the already loud sobs from Rohanne became louder, she sounded like a child. Like before she can't do anything but cry.
Before she just watched as Seungjae and Seju became happy, she smiles and conceals her emotions like she usually does. But as time pass by she couldn't keep it anymore. Smiling wasn't enough. She started crying, whenever she can't take the madness anymore she would lock herself up in her room, hug her legs and cry, because if she don't, it felt like she would explode from it.
She hates feeling emotions, she hates crying, she hate it but she can't help but lean on it because it was the only thing she can do when she feels helpless.
"If only tears could solve all of my problems"
Rohanne was startled when she heard a car engine nearby. She looked behind her and saw a Blue car, as soon as she recognize who was the owner of that blue car she immediately picked up her coat, the food and the flowers, and then hid on the nearest tree she saw. It was a good thing that the tree was big enough to hide her.
She secretly watched as Seju sat on the floor and placed the flowers the latter bought beside Seungjae's gravestone
"Jae…"
Just from the words that came out of her lips Rohanne already knew how Seju felt. Sadness, regret, sorrow.
"It's the 23rd of the month again… I'm starting to think that this number is cursed… People always leave on the 23rd don't they?"
She smiled bitterly. Rohanne felt a sharp pang on her chest.
"I have a ton of stories for you… Many things happened this month…"
'Is this what she does every 23rd of the month?'
Rohanne looked at Seju with pity in her eyes, she wanted to hug the woman right then and there but she can't get herself to do so.
"Did you know, there's a new doctor in our department and she…"
She smiled as if she remembered something happy.
"… She reminds me of Yeonhwa too much."
'Am I too obvious?'
"Her name is Baek Rohanne, even their surname are the same. But she has an English name since she came from Canada."
She smiled once again as she carefully held Seungjae's gravestone.
"I just remembered, there was this time that I thought that my phone was ringing because of the ringtone, but it was Dr. Baek's phone. That ringtone… was Yeonhwa's favorite song, that became my favorite song too because she always blasts it on the student council office's speakers..."
She laughed at the memory.
===
October 23, 2007
"magkahawak ang ating kamay at walang kamalay-malay~
na tinuruan mo ang puso ko na umibig ng tunay~"
"Is that a foreign song?"
"I already told you, you friggin' airhead that the student council office is not the student lounge" Yeonhwa said sternly not batting an eye on the woman in front of her watching her do the paper works.
"I have a name you know" Seju said ignoring Yeonhwa's statement
Yeonhwa just let out a sigh and looked at Seju
"What do you want?"
Seju smiled from ear to ear as she looked at her best friend with her puppy eyes
"Nothing in particular, but we've been friends for almost all our lives Yeon, why don't you just call me by my name?"
Seju said in the cutest way possible but the woman in front of her just looked at her with a stone face.
"What? Airhead suits you… coz you always daze off somewhere" Yeonhwa said and continued her paperwork.
"If that's the case then I should just call you stone face Buddha too. Because you look like one" Seju said in a cheeky tone with a smirk on her face.
Yeonhwa just glared at her and furrowed her brow.
"Oh no! The stone faced Buddha furrowed her brows. Wait let me fix that" Seju marched closer to Yeonhwa and straightened the latter's brows using her index finger and thumb. "Yep, that looks better."
Yeonhwa can't help but blush at Seju's actions, so she tried to hide her embarrassment by looking like she was busy with the paper works on her desk.
"But seriously what are you doing here?" She asked without batting an eye on Seju.
"Finding Seungjae…" Seju said as she roam her eyes around the office
Usually Seungjae hangs around the student council office too, to chat with Yeonhwa and hide from their coach.
"Seungjae again…"
"Of course he's my one and only Seungjae you know"
"Don't you get tired of his face? Because I do..."
"If I get tired of him then it means that I don't really like him" Seju defended and smirked at Yeonhwa
"…" Yeonhwa intently looked at Seju who was looking around the office for something to do, as if she was relaying a message to Seju.
"You were saying?" Seju turned around to look at Yeonhwa
"Nothing…"
Seju looked around the Office looking at the books and some stack of papers.
"I didn't know you were into foreign music…" Seju said as she sat down on a chair across Yeonhwa's table
"Well my father is, I used to hear this song from him. He said that my mom liked this song when she was still alive"
"I see, it's kind of calming and at the same time it sounds like a lovely music" Seju said as she closed her eyes and immerse her self in the music
"It is, that's why it eventually became my favorite song."
===
Rohanne was thinking about those days, the days when the three of them were happily hanging out in the student council office. Talking about random stuff, just having fun while Seju and Seungjae were annoying her.
'Just thinking about those days makes me want to just go back and do it all again'
Rohanne remained hidden behind the tree silently listening to Seju
"Dr. Baek is like the enhanced version of our Yeonhwa… "
She smiled as she remembered her best friend
"She has that intimidating aura when you first see her but turns out she's not that bad."
She remembered when she first saw Rohanne in the ER with the flashy classy foreigner look.
"She also looks like Yeonhwa sometimes, she's just a little taller than Yeonhwa and a little more mature, she even sounds like Yeonhwa, that's why sometimes when I'm dozing off and she calls my name I always thought Yeonhwa was calling me."
'It's because I AM Yeonhwa…'
"They also have the same habits, like brushing their hair on the side, biting their lips when they're immersed in something, and the way they handle things calmly… they're the same"
'I didn't know she's that observant… Or am I just too obvious?'
"Even their stance when they're thinking deeply it's the same. The only difference is their personality… Yeonhwa tend to be cold, but Dr. Baek is the complete opposite of Yeonhwa, if Yeonhwa's here she'll probably smack Dr. Baek on her head just to shut her up."
She chuckled at the image of the two in her head
'That won't happen because I'm both Rohanne and Yeonhwa'
"But sometimes, Dr. Baek tends to be so quiet when she's seriously working… just like Yeonhwa…"
She remembered back in middle school, whenever she watches Yeonhwa work she always gets fascinated. She doesn't get bored of watching her.
"But do you know what catches my attention the most?"
She paused as if she's waiting for Seungjae to answer.
"She cares so much for me just like Yeonhwa did before."
Rohanne stared at her secretly while Seju continued to tell Seungjae her story.
"She even said the exact same lines… The same lines Yeonhwa said at my father's funeral"
She smiled as she remembered the first time Yeonhwa willingly hugged her.
"Sometimes I even think that I'm with Yeonhwa whenever when I'm with Dr. Baek… I already miss that little bitch. Yeah. I'm mad at her, I can even slit her throat right now if a saw her…"
'I… Damn she's gotten aggressive…'
"But I can't get rid of the fact that I miss her… I badly miss her… I've been so sad when you and Yeonhwa left me at the same time. You, you even bid me goodbye when you passed away but her… that little shit… She didn't even say goodbye. She just left me alone, you two left me alone…"
Rohanne frowned at the revelation she heard. Seju has all the right to get mad at her, after all, she left without saying a single word to them.
Seju glanced at her wrist watch and then stood up. She dusted her pants and then smiled
"Jae, I have to go… I'm going to visit your mom, I haven't been able to visit them for a while"
She took a last glance at Seungjae's gravestone before she turned around and walked back to her car.
Rohanne made sure that Seju was already gone before she came out from her hiding place
"That was close…"
She placed the cake, tteokbokki and the flowers back beside Seungjae's gravestone. She was about to sit back on the ground when she heard Seju's car came back again, She didn't have time to pick up the flowers and the food. She immediately ran back behind the tree to hide.
Seju was running back to Seungjae's grave and as soon as she got there the box she was holding fell from her hands.
"Yeonhwa…"
Rohanne immediately hid her head when she saw Seju look around the place.
'Please…. Not today…'
"Yeonhwa!"
She screamed, she continued to look around the place screaming her best friend's name
'I was just here a few minutes ago, She's still here, I'm sure she's still here'
"Yeonhwa! Damn it"
She screamed and screamed with all her strength. She didn't care if her throat felt dry. She continued to scream until there's nothing left of her voice.
"Yeonhwa!... Please…"
She slowly knelt on the ground. Tears escaping her eyes. When she felt a sharp pang she held onto her chest tightly.
Though her eyes are blurred by her tears it didn't stop her to look around, hoping that she would see Yeonhwa in front of her. But still… nothing, nothing's happening, she's not coming out. There's no Yeonhwa in front of her, no matter how many times she call for her name, there's no Yeonhwa
"Yeonhwa!"