"She was a very special person to me…"
Seju stared at her food, recalling her memories with Yeonhwa.
"She was the one who always made me smile, even though she's kind of cold she never ceases to make me smile, especially at the times that I need her. She always makes me feels so special"
Rohanne just looked at Seju, listening to every word that came out from the woman's lips. It's all a compliment but why does she feel so guilty?
"What happened?"
She asked, as if she doesn't know what really happened. She's playing the curious colleague card on Seju.
"She suddenly disappeared on us; I want her to come back, to hear an explanation even a sloppy excuse, I'll accept it but… She's already dead. I can save people as a doctor but I can't resurrect the dead."
"Do you know why she suddenly left?"
"I don't know… She didn't even say a single word, or even left a letter or a message…" Seju gritted her teeth with annoyance as she remember how Yeonhwa suddenly disappeared "She didn't even attend to our best friend's funeral"
Rohanne looked at Seju, she did Attend Seungjae's funeral, but she was just on the sidelines grieving, watching.
"We had a very close friend named Seungjae… After Yeonhwa left, Jae died…"
Seju let out a heavy sigh before she continued eating. Remembering the times where the three of them were still hanging out at the student council office. It was the happiest years of her life. But also the saddest, because she wasn't aware of the tragedy that would befall them.
"She must be the very worst then…" Rohanne said before going in for a sip on her cup.
"She is… I hate her so much…"
Rohanne just looked at Seju; restraining herself from crying; she wanted to hug Seju so badly and tell her that she's sorry. She's sorry for leaving, for abandoning her, but she can't… She already claimed herself as dead; She's not Yeonhwa anymore, She's Rohanne…
"… To the point where I want to resurrect her and beat her to death… I want to yell at her face so much, but there's nothing I can do… She's long dead… and… I was left here again…"
"I'm sorry…" Rohanne suddenly blurted out, her apology was for Yeonhwa's behalf. Her old self.
"Don't be…"
"Still I'm sorry…"
Seju just smiled bitterly and began to eat again. No matter how good the food was, Seju can't eat properly. Just remembering Yeonhwa pains her so much. They can both feel the sad atmosphere around them.
"I shouldn't have brought that up…"
"No it's fine…"
===
November 19, 2007
It was a normal day for Seju; well that's what she thought until she saw Yeonhwa sitting alone on the field with a flower in her hand. It wasn't normal… well at least for her, she never saw Yeonhwa hold anything aside from pen and paper.
She wants to surprise her friend by startling her, but her mood suddenly went sour when she heard what Yeonhwa was mumbling.
"I like her… I like her not…"
Yeonhwa was pulling the petals of the flower she was holding, determining her feelings for someone.
'She likes someone…?'
She can't understand why her mood turned sour upon learning that her best friend likes someone, in fact she should be happy...
"I like her not…" Yeonhwa pulled the second to the last petal. When she was about to pull the last one Seju spoke behind her.
"You like her…"
Yeonhwa almost fall from her seat when she heard Seju's voice
"What the hell?! Don't scare me like that!" She looked at Seju while holding her chest, her heart was beating fast, firstly because she was startled and second Seju heard her.
Seju laughed at Yeonhwa's priceless face.
"Oh my gosh… Hahaha!" She was trying to say something in between her laughs but Yeonhwa's surprised face keeps coming back to her mind.
"Yeah, yeah. Laugh all you want…"
"Tha—that's why I told you not to drink too much coffee…" She managed to say, she was wiping her tears from laughing too much and looked at the flower Yeonhwa was holding.
"So who's the unlucky person?" She asked as she sat beside Yeonhwa
"Se—"
"Sejeong?!"
"What?! No!"
"Then who?"
"Se—"
"Seungjae?! You're not in love with him are you?!"
Yeonhwa just looked at Seju with disgust.
"Why would I like that Idiot… Only an Idiot would like him… and that idiot is you" She said looking at Seju
"So who is it?"
"You kept interrupting me, when I was trying to tell you so I'm not telling…" Seju was quick to slap Yeonhwa's shoulders, which made the latter flinch and glare at her.
"That's unfair! I told you I like Seungjae, you should also tell me the name of the person you like!" She said as an excuse, but deep down she just really want to know who captured her best friend's heart.
"Nope, even if you hit me a hundred times" Yeonhwa was firm on her words, so to squeeze out the answer from her Seju used her ultimate weapon… Cuteness; She looked at Yeonhwa with her ultimate puppy eyes, but the latter wasn't affected by it… well A little bit, but she restrained herself well.
"Unfair!"
"Maybe if you didn't interrupt me earlier" Yeonhwa teasingly said and gave Seju a smirk
===
February 16, 2008
It was the most awaited day of everyone… Graduation, in the next few months they would be High Schoolers. And a few more years and they're already in college, in just a matter of time they would fulfill their childhood dreams.
Seju's Mom was present as well as her siblings and her cousin Hyujin. It was a first for Seju; her mom and siblings attending a ceremony, usually it's just her cousin Hyujin.
"… Baek Yeonhwa!"
Yeonhwa was called on the podium to deliver a speech, as the former Student Council President and as well as the top student.
She was walking towards the podium, her hands were cold from the nervousness and her facial expression was stiff, she was looking for someone.
While she was delivering her speech, she was roaming her eyes looking for one person, and as soon as she saw her, her facial expression softened, her nervousness was eased and she delivered her speech smoothly.
Even though that person was already someone else's, she can't get rid of the fact that, that person makes her calm, just a glance at her makes her heart and nerves calm.
"And lastly…"
Seju's eyes were glued to Yeonhwa all throughout her speech; they were unknowingly staring at each other.
"I want to thank these people for being a dear friend to me…"
Seju can hear the chattering of her classmates as well as the other students…
"Seungjae…" Yeonhwa looked at Seungjae's direction and smiled at him. The latter smiled widely too and lifted his fist. Yeonhwa did the same; they looked like they were doing an air fist bump.
"And…" Yeonhwa's eyes were already glued to her
"Seju…" Yeonhwa smiled sweetly her eyes were like the crescent moon.
Seju just smiled back at her… Her heart beating rapidly, her body felt warm, that was the first time she saw Yeonhwa smiled genuinely. The indistinct chattering that can be heard from the students were slowly vanishing, all she can see is the two of them… She was wishing, that time would stop for the two of them…
===
After the Ceremony all the graduates went out to take pictures; with their friends, their parents, their teachers… Of course the first people Seju ran to was her two best friends...
"Yeon! Jae! Let's all take a picture!"
The three of them took a picture; the next one was for the couple, Seungjae and Seju.
"Alright!"
Yeonhwa was about to go to her Cousin and her Aunt when Seju called her over to take another picture.
"Where's the idiot?" Yeonhwa asked finding Seungjae
"He's with his teammates"
Seju was smiling from ear to ear while clinging to Yeonhwa. She asked her cousin Hyujin to take a picture of them.
"Okay! One… Two…"
After taking a picture Yeonhwa was about to go ahead but Seju stopped her, she hugged the taller girl tight…
"What is it this time?" Yeonhwa just asked, she sounds pissed but she hugged Seju back.
"Thank you?"
"Huh? For what?"
"For being my friend and also…"
Seju paused for a bit so Yeonhwa looked at her waiting for her next words
"Okay…?"
"I love you…"
Seju absentmindedly said, they both paused for a moment and pulled away from the hug…
"I mean… I love you as a friend"
She immediately defended. She didn't know why she suddenly blurted it out.
"Y-Yeah… I love you too…" Yeonhwa trailed off, she was hesitating to say it but fuck it… "As a friend…" She added in a low tone
Seju doesn't know why, but she felt ecstatic when Yeonhwa told her that she loves her. But when the latter added as a friend… Her heart felt heavy, and she was disappointed.
'As a friend… yeah…'
===
After eating breakfast, they both received a text message from Doah, telling them to be at her office by 9
"Well, I guess we have to get going…" Rohanne said while she was preparing some clothes for Seju to borrow "I'm sorry these are just the clothes I have."
Seju looked at the clothes Rohanne prepared. They were all luxury brand clothes
"A-Are you sure I can borrow these?"
"Hmm? It's fine… I haven't worn those so it should be fine" Rohanne said as she smiled at Seju
'S-She hasn't worn these? That's more the reason I should refuse right? These are technically brand new clothes… And to think I still have her coat... '
"Y—"
Seju was about to say something but Rohanne was already nowhere to be found
'Perhaps she already went to her room'
As soon as she entered the bathroom she can't help but be amazed, it was so spacious…
'Damn is she secretly the Chairman of the hospital where we work?'
While taking a shower Seju can't help but cry. The loud sound of the water hitting the floor were drowning her loud sobs, the tears on her face were washed away. Crying… She has been crying for the past 12 hours. But she can't help it, she's mourning over the death of her best friend.
"Yeon…"
As soon as she finished bathing, she reluctantly wore the clothes Rohanne let her borrow. She looked at the mirror and saw that she looked good in the clothes… but still she feels like she was bothering Rohanne too much.
'Is this really okay?'
===
As soon as she stepped out of Rohanne's car the interns and the Nurses were looking at the two of them. The walked side by side looking like some rich lesbian couple.
"Dr. Baek…"
"Just call me Rohanne" The latter said and looked at Seju with a smile.
"T-Then just call me Seju too"
"Okay, Seju" Rohanne said while smiling, walking towards the Doah's Office
Oddly, when Rohanne calls her name it sounds right, like her ear was itching for Rohanne to call her by her name for a long time.
As soon as they arrived at Doah's office they were welcomed by a couple of new faces. It was another batch of new interns
"Okay since you two are here, these three are our new interns"
The interns introduced themselves one by one; Seju and Rohanne introduced themselves as well.
"Dr. Kim is on leave today, she's the best-behaved among the three…" Doah commented as she massages her temple
The two just glared at their boss but at some point it was true.
"But we can't do anything about that. So for now if you guys have any questions ask Dr. Baek and Dr. Park. They might have answers to your questions… That's all for now, you're dismissed"
As soon as the five of them exited Doah's office Seju and Rohanne were bombarded with questions, just like how Rohanne bombarded Seju with question on her first day.
"Dr. Baek is it true that you studied in Seoul National Uni?"
"W-Where did you get that Info?" Rohanne uncomfortably asked the intern that was asking her
"Dr. Choi told us"
'She really is giving out my information like that? Is she so proud to be one of my mentors?'
She just awkwardly chuckled and answered
"Y-Yeah… haha…"
The new interns were bugging Rohanne and Seju with questions that seem to be never ending while they were touring them around the hospital.
After they tour the new interns they started their rounds. The first patient was their VIP Patient: Mrs. Ahn.
When they entered her room she was eating her lunch, Jin-Ae was there feeding her mother.
"Hi Auntie! How are you feeling?" Seju asked as soon as she was beside Jin-Ae who was just looking at her and Rohanne while they were checking Mrs. Ahn's condition.
"Seju?"
"Yes Auntie?"
"Have you called Yeonhwa already?" Mrs. Ahn asked
Seju's smiled faded and was replaced by a sad frown, but she smiled again but this time it was a bitter smile.
"I-I haven't… I was so busy so I forgot… I'll call her soon… I promise…" Seju said, she was feeling guilty that she keeps lying to Yeonhwa's aunt but she can't bear to see that hysterical state of Mrs. Ahn again
While she was entertaining Mrs. Ahn; Rohanne was simply checking her vitals.
After checking Mrs. Ahn they bid her goodbye
"We're going, Auntie! I'll visit you again later!" Seju said but Mrs. Ahn wasn't paying attention to her. The latter was looking at someone else, she was looking at someone else.
"Yeonhwa…?"