The cafeteria was filled with chatter, but Aaron barely heard any of it. His gaze was fixed on Cora, who sat with Covey at a nearby table. She laughed, her eyes crinkling with amusement as Covey told her something.
Aaron's grip on his fork tightened. His jaw clenched. Without another word, he pushed back his chair, the screech of metal against the floor cutting through the noise, and walked away.
Cora's laughter faded instantly. Her gaze followed Aaron as he left, and a weight settled in her chest. The air around her suddenly felt heavier. Covey, who had been laughing just moments ago, now sat in silence. Then, without a word, he stood up and left.
But his mind was restless.
That evening, Covey found Aaron standing alone in one of the corridors. Without hesitation, he walked up to him. "Why are you treating Cora like this?" he asked, his voice steady.
Aaron scoffed, folding his arms. "Wow. You seem to care a lot about her. What exactly is your relationship with Cora?" His voice was laced with sarcasm. "Never mind. I don't even care."
Covey didn't flinch. "She's my friend. We've known each other since 11th grade, graduated together, and even joined this hospital at the same time." He took a deep breath. "But that's not the point. The point is—why are you doing this? You don't know what she's been through. How hard she's struggled to rebuild herself. And now, just when she was finally moving on, you've come back into her life. If she breaks again, Aaron, it won't be good. So please, for her sake, stay away from her. It's the best thing you can do."
With that, Covey turned and walked away, leaving Aaron standing there in silence.
Later that night, Aaron stood by his office door, watching Cora from a distance. She looked… sad. His chest tightened. If I could just talk to you once… if I could just explain everything… he thought.
Cora, on the other hand, had already made up her mind—she would avoid Aaron at all costs. But fate had other plans.
Despite her unwillingness, Cora was transferred to Aaron's team. She didn't react much to the news, but when she saw Covey, a small sense of relief washed over her. To her, Aaron was nothing more than a stranger now.
Their team consisted of six people—Aaron, Cora, Covey, Sao, Sakura is her school time best friend, and Kia. One evening, Sao suggested, "Sir, how about a team dinner tonight?"
Aaron simply replied, "Whatever works for everyone."
Cora, however, declined. "I have other plans. It's my friend's birthday, and I need to be there."
Aaron nodded. "That's fine. We can have the team dinner another day. Let Cora go."
---
A week later, during her rounds, Cora was walking with a cup of coffee in hand when she unexpectedly collided with Aaron. The coffee spilled onto his shirt.
Her face turned pale. "I-I… I'm so sorry, sir," she stammered, eyes wide with panic.
The coffee was still hot. Without thinking twice, Cora grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward the washroom, quickly dabbing at the stain to prevent it from setting.
"I'm so sorry," she repeated frantically. "I didn't even see you. My phone rang, and I got distracted."
Aaron simply watched her. "It's fine," he said finally. "Mistakes happen. And this isn't even a big one."
Cora still looked guilty. "But sir, I—"
"It's fine."
At that moment, she hesitated before saying, "Give me your scanner. I'll transfer the money for the dry cleaning."
Aaron saw an opportunity. He handed her his scanner, knowing that it would mean exchanging numbers. If nothing else, at least this would give him a chance to talk to her again.
After transferring the money, Cora looked up. "Okay, sir. Bye. Take care. I have a lot of work to do."
Aaron opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, she was already walking away.
---
The next day, a new resident moved into the apartment next to Cora's. Thinking she should introduce herself, she rang the doorbell.
The moment the door opened, her heart nearly stopped.
"You—" She froze. "You're here too?"
Aaron leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Yes, I'm here too."
Before she could react, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside. "Help me with my unpacking," he said casually.
Cora knew she had no choice. Begrudgingly, she helped him. As she moved a box, her foot accidentally hit another one, making her lose balance.
She gasped as she fell—right onto Aaron.
Time froze.
Their lips brushed in an unintentional, fleeting kiss.
Cora's eyes widened in shock. Heart pounding, she quickly scrambled to her feet. "I-I'm sorry!" she stammered, avoiding his gaze. Without another word, she turned and rushed out of the apartment.
Aaron remained where he was, staring at the door she had just run through. A small, unreadable smile played at his lips.
Fate really has a funny way of bringing us back together…