Chapter Text
CHRISTMAS
To say that she was disappointed was an understatement.
No, Chu Min-ha was devastated. Maybe even a little bit heartbroken, as well.
She sighed as she read the text on her phone.
Sorry, just have dinner with your friends.
"He didn't even greet me Merry Christmas" she mumbles to herself as her thumb hovers over the screen, which displays the message.
It's my own fault. I did say no pressure, she thought to herself. Of course, he doesn't care about you, Min-ha. Someone like Yang Seok-hyeong is so above my league. Why did I even bother?
Now, she was sitting all alone at a restaurant on Christmas Day, surrounded by couples and families, all of them celebrating happily. Min-ha glanced at the seat across from her, where she placed a wrapped box. It was supposed to be his Christmas gift.
She had gotten him a yellow baseball cap because she had seen him sport hats when he changed out of his scrubs. She thought he would look good in brighter colors, and she wanted to give him a gift to make him smile.
*Ring Ring*
Min-ha glanced down at her phone to see someone calling her. It was her cousin, Min-goo.
"Oh, Min-goo-yah, what's up?"
"Sachon noona! Where are you right now?", her younger cousin yelled through the phone. Min-ha winced at the loud tone she heard and rolled her eyes at her cousin's antics. He sounded drunk.
"I'm about to head home" she says as she stands up from the table. With one hand holding her phone to her ear, she uses the other to grab her purse and the offending wrapped box and proceeds to walk over to the cashier to pay for her uneaten food.
"What? Why?" Min-goo all but grumbles while Min-ha settles her payment. She smiles at the cashier once she gets her receipt and leaves the restaurant as her cousin continues to make unintelligible noise on the other line.
"Because I'm tired and I switched shifts with someone at work and now I want to go home" Min-ha stated. She started her way towards the subway station, slightly shivering as the cold night Seoul air blew past her form.
"But it's Christmas, noona!"
"I am aware" Min-ha rolls her eyes. She makes hurried steps towards the station, hoping she can make it in time for the next train, which will take her back to her lonely apartment. She wonders if she could maybe call her parents tonight to greet them and make plans for New Year's Day once she gets home.
"Min-ha noona, come here instead! We're having a party at my house!" Min-goo exclaimed through the phone.
Min-ha was in no mood to go celebrate. Her feet ache from running around the ward that day and she was already upset because of her non-existent plans this evening. "I'm tired, Min-goo-yah."
"Please, noona! Please come! Your parents are here drinking with my parents. They'll get mad when I tell them you don't want to come!" Min-goo whined.
"My parents are there?" she questioned. Now, her mind wavered over her decision. She did miss her parents, and meeting them tonight would definitely beat greeting them over the phone.
"Yes, yes! Now come on, my house is only a couple of stops further from yours. Please say you'll come?"
Min-ha bit her lip as she thought through her choices. Min-goo's house really isn't that far from her apartment. She could already hear the train approaching.
She let out a deep sigh, and looked down at her hand that was gripping the small gift. She opened her purse and threw the box in.
It's Christmas. I shouldn't be sad today, she thought to herself.
"Okay, I'll be there in thirty minutes."
HALF AN HOUR LATER
Min-ha's parents were overjoyed when she arrived at her cousin's door. She then proceeded to hug them and tell them how she was doing these past couple of months, since they rarely met due to her parents living in the province and her busy work schedule at Yulje.
After taking a couple of minutes to greet her uncles and aunts, Min-ha was now seated with her drunk cousins as they argued over something.
She sat quietly and giggled as she watched her cousins banter, her hands wrapped around a cup of juice that Min-goo thrusted at her once she arrived.
"Yah! You babo! I'm telling you that her sister was a princess! The Wicked Witch of the East!" Chan-hyuk, one of her male cousins that was her age, yelled drunkenly.
"Nah, hyung! You're wrong!" Min-goo yelled back in the same manner.
Min-ha shook her head as the table erupted in arguments and she raised her cup to take another sip of her drink when she noticed only a couple of drops left in the glass.
"Need a refill?" a voice whispered beside her. Min-ha jumped a little at the sudden question and turned her head to her side.
She was met with a pair of amused brown eyes looking back at her. "Park Jun-woo?"
Stood beside her chair was a tall man with unruly brown hair. He was dressed in a wooly green jumper and was sporting a Santa cap.
This man was Park Jun-woo, her childhood best friend. The boy, now turned man, who used to watch over her and her cousin, growing up. A man seven years her senior.
"Hi, Min-ha-yah" he smiled brightly at her. Min-ha jumped out of her seat and grabbed Jun-woo into a bear hug. "Yah! Guess someone's happy to see me?"
"Jun-woo oppa! You ass! I haven't seen you in so long," she whined. She pounded her fist lightly against his shoulder.
"Yeah, it's been a while. Two years, right?" he responded back. The two old friends made their way to the kitchen after their embrace.
"I haven't seen you since just before I started my residency. How was America? You trained in California, right?", Min-ha inquired as she leaned against the sink. She watched as Jun-woo opened the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of juice.
"It was hot and medic training was tiring. And busy.", says Jun-woo as he brings the pitcher over to the counter.
"Oh, busy, huh? I heard from Min-goo that you came home a few months ago..."
Jun-woo lets out a nervous noise and scratches the back of his neck, "Well, you know, I was busy being a Marine."
"Too busy to call once in a while?" Min-ha challenged teasingly.
"Someone has to protect our great nation from enemies," Jun-woo challenged back before adding with a smug voice, "And don't talk like you have any excuse either; last I heard, residents still have the time to pick up the phone."
"Ugh, I forgot how annoying you are" she mock-grumbled and stuck her tongue out at him.
"Yeah, I missed you too" he responded cheekily.
"I love the outfit, by the way" Min-ha chuckled, her eyes narrowing at the Santa hat and atrocious green sweater he had on. Jun-woo let out a soft laugh and adjusted the cap on his head.
"It was your cousin's idea", he pouted shyly, the tips of his ears turning red in embarrassment.
"Of course it was. You always agree to his requests" she pointed out, remembering all the times in her childhood when she, her cousin, and Jun-woo would play together. Min-goo would always be the one to make the declarations and demands, and Jun-woo would grant his wishes time and time again.
"Remember when we used to bake in this kitchen?"
Min-ha chuckled as she thought back to her memories. As kids, the trio would run around Min-goo's house, wreaking havoc in his kitchen as they tried to bake cookies while his mom, her aunt, was out shopping with her mom. She had very fond memories of flour on the floor and hands filled with mountains of sugar.
"Yeah, I think I still have baking soda in my ear from all the mess we made", she joked.
"Ah gosh, I remember how I used to clean up the mess", said Jun-woo as he reached into one of the cabinets and grabbed a glass for himself.
"Hey, I mean we tried to help you...but in some ways, it was your fault", she pointed out.
Jun-woo gave her a pointed look, "My fault?! How?"
"Well, you were the oldest. You were supposed to be babysitting us!", reasoned Min-ha.
"Yeah, but the three of us were a chaotic mess either way"
"That's true.", she acquiesced, "You're staying in Seoul for good now, right?"
"Yes, I got a new job and everything." He announced rather proudly, his hand raking through his hair.
"Min-goo says you broke up with your girlfriend", said Min-ha in a quiet voice, reluctant to bring up the topic.
Her friend shrugged and proceeded to pour juice into Min-ha's empty cup. He handed the cup back to her and she thanked him before taking a sip.
"Eh, it was bound to happen someday."Jun-woo filled his own cup and took a sip of his own. "And besides...she wasn't the one."
Min-ha pursed her lips at that response, "I'm sorry, anyways."
"How about you? Have you found the one?" He raised an eyebrow at her, giving her a questioning gaze.
"I-I thought I did." She hesitated on the thought. Her mind pictured Yang Seok-hyeong and that mess of emotions. Before she could further bring up the topic of her failed love life, her cousin staggered into the kitchen. Min-goo spots the two of them and gives them a wide smile.
"Yah! You guys were having your own party over here the whole time!" He exclaims as he crosses the room and places his arms around both Min-ha and Jun-woo's shoulders, pulling them towards him. "I see you guys got reacquainted. It's just like old times, eh?"
"You are way too drunk, Min-goo" Jun-woo points out in the same breath that Min-ha says, "Make sure you drink some water."
Min-goo rolls his eyes at them and pats the top of their heads with his hands. "Aish...you two are and have always been party poopers."
The three start talking and catching up, with Min-ha laughing as Jun-woo forces her cousin to chug a cup of juice in order to sober up.
As Jun-woo talked about his experiences with his comrades in America, they are interrupted by Min-ha's phone ringing. She answers the call and is informed that she has to go back due to a lack of residents in the ward. She thanks the nurse for informing her and tells her that she'll be on her way.
"Oh okay, I guess I should head out soon" she sadly announces. Her sudden departure saddens her cousin who hugs her tightly.
"Do you need a ride? I'm heading out too." Jun-woo points towards the door. Min-ha is thankful for the ride and bids her parents goodbye, making promises to spend the morning of New Year's Day together.
After spending fifteen minutes in the car wherein they talked about medical procedures they had done respectively, Jun-woo and Min-ha reached the hospital's drop-off zone.
Min-ha turned in her seat to face her friend. She pointed at him with her finger and waved it in front of him. "Don't disappear on me again, Park Jun-woo."
Jun-woo smiled and nodded his head, "Don't worry, you'll be seeing a lot of me this year."
She got out of the car, waving her old friend goodbye as his car drove off. As she entered through the sliding doors, Min-ha hoped for a relaxing night in the ward.
However, just one minute later, as Min-ha is about to head over to the on-call room to change into scrubs, Dr. Bong comes running at her.
"Oh thank god you're here, Dr. Chu! There's an emergency C-section incoming! Get changed quickly and meet me in the OR" he yells at her before speeding off, probably towards the OR.
There's never a relaxing night here, Min-ha thinks as she runs to get changed.
A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER
"Thank you for assisting, Dr. Chu" says Dr. Bong as they walk out of the OR.
"Thank you for letting me assist you, gyosunim." Min-ha says, bowing to show her respect to her superior.
"You're on-call for the rest of the night?" He asks as they walk in the hallway.
Min-ha pouts but nods her head, "Yes, unfortunately, I was supposed to have the night off, but they really need some helping hands in the maternity ward."
Dr. Bong nods in understanding and pats her on the shoulder, "Ahh that must be tough. You're still young and you can't even spend your Christmas night celebrating."
"It's okay, gyosunim. I was able to spend a few hours with my family earlier."
"Well, at least, there's that. Go get changed and rest before you head to the ward. You just got off a surgery, anyways" he recommends. "Take my card. Go get yourself some coffee at the cafe."
He hands her his card and she thanks him for the offer before bidding him goodbye.
Min-ha gets changed and takes her time walking to the cafe. She relishes the small moments in between, times where she doesn't have to think too hard or do anything. She revels in moments where she can just be.
As she crosses the lobby to get to the cafe, she spots a familiar figure entering the lobby. It's the one and only Dr. Yang Seok-hyeong.
Oh my god, he's here. She panics. Why is this day like this?
Min-ha doesn't want to face the man after he blatantly rejected her, and she has no choice but to hide behind a pillar as she sneaks a peek at the object of her affections.
To her surprise, Dr. Yang isn't alone. What's even more surprising is that his companion isn't someone she was expecting. No, this person wasn't one of the five 'Lacking Five' members she has grown accustomed to seeing alongside with her mentor.
Instead, standing beside Dr. Yang was a tall, slender woman. The woman looked like she had prestige and money. She was sophisticated.
Dressed in a black dress that was partially covered by a brown trenchcoat, the woman matched her outfit with sleek-looking heels that also somehow blended in with her silky-looking hair.
Dr. Yang seemed to be in a conversation with the mysterious woman, and they looked quite comfy with each other. Her arm tucked around his forearm, the woman stepped closer to speak to the doctor.
"Oh, Dr. Chu! You're still here!" a voice exclaimed, disrupting Min-ha's observations. Min-ha turned swiftly towards the source and came face to face with a confused-looking Nurse Song. "What are you looking at?"
"Ah, Nurse Song! Yes, hi. I was called to do a shift at the ward. I'm just on my way to the cafe. Please, join me." Min-ha hurriedly drags Nurse Song to accompany her before her cover is blown.
Her diversion doesn't work as nicely as she wanted to, though, because Nurse Song spots Dr. Yang anyways. "Oh there's Doctor Yang. I didn't know he was coming in at this time too"
"Yeah, me neither. Shall we head to the cafe now?" Min-ha pleads, hoping her voice doesn't sound too desperate to get away.
Nurse Song seemed to be unaware of Min-ha's hurried state. The older woman gasps in surprise and brings her hand over her mouth. "Omo, isn't that Dr. Yang's ex-wife?"
Ex-wife!? Min-ha stops her walking and glances back at the couple by the entrance. She feels her heart drop, and a heaviness settles in within her.
They look good together, she thinks.
Shaking her head, she swallows down the feeling of crying.
So, this is why he said no to me , she surmises. He was spending time with the woman he actually cares about.
Nurse Song, oblivious to her conflictions, walks with her to find a table to sit at in the cafe. "I heard that he's technically not over her since he felt sorry that his family was too much on the poor woman."
The nurse volunteers to go to the counter and purchase their drinks, leaving Min-ha alone with her feelings.
It is at exactly 3 am on the morning of December 26 that Min-ha's heart officially breaks.
She was never going to be anything to Yang Seok-hyeong.
It was never going to be enough with him.
She was never going to be enough.
It's time I forget about him. I will move on from Dr. Yang Seok-hyeong, she vows to herself.