Work Text:
President x Pediatrician: in which a surprise Sunday visit brings about a sign that seals Seung-hyo and No-eul's future.
*** *** *** ***
“You should sleep. You look exhausted,” No-eul sighs. Seung-hyo is visible on her laptop screen as he rubs his eyes and stifles a yawn.
He had been busy that Saturday— he and his parents had gone to a small piece of land that he had purchased since his mother had recently grown fond of gardening. Seung-hyo, with his father, had to dig through the soil to pull out rocks and weeds, but the old man had avoided helping him by pretending to survey the neighborhood. No-eul praises his lone effort and how he had survived working under the sun the entire day.
Seung-hyo smiles. He loves how No-eul always finds a way to let him know how much she believes in his capabilities. “Well, what about you? You’ve been working on that case report since—”
“Chief needs it tomorrow so we can move Soo-bin to Seoul." No-eul shows him one of the textbooks she's using as a reference. "The surgical oncologist at Gangneung Hospital had moved overseas— the child’s best option would be to bring her to the city.”
“Is there a chance you could come here with Soo-bin?” Seung-hyo places another pillow on top of the one he’s already resting on so he could see his girlfriend better. “Someone’s been missing you a lot.”
“Who could that be?”
“This guy…” Seung-hyo pans his phone's front camera from his head to his stomach, where Nighty was already sleeping, undisturbed.
“Ah..." No-eul squints at him after he reappears on the screen. “I do miss Nighty. And you too.”
Seung-hyo lets a yawn escape him. “Tell me more about your patient.”
“Soo-bin was diagnosed with bone cancer last month. She’s only eight—“ Her phone rings and she pauses mid-sentence; it’s the chief of the Pediatrics department. Seung-hyo knowingly nods as the doctor takes the call, keeping his silence and listening to No-eul’s polite responses.
Without realizing it, he’s slowly blinking in a weak effort to stay awake. He closes his eyes and figures he’d open them once she gets back to him, but he drifts off to sleep within a minute. No-eul, relieved that he’d finally given in, whispers goodnight and ends their video call.
***
The choir sings a hymn in a glorious harmony before the attendees flock out of Seocho-dong Community Church. A petite woman with short, permed hair walks out with a few other ladies, vowing to meet again next Sunday. No-eul had told Seung-hyo that her mother had turned 60 recently, but to him she looks like someone in her early 50s. She parts from her companions, at which point Seung-hyo takes the chance to finally approach her.
“Good morning,” he greets her warmly.
Apprehensive, Mrs. Lee steps back and stares him down.
Seung-hyo anticipates her reaction and bows deeply. “I’m Gu Seung-hyo, eomoni . I am No-eul’s—”
“I know. She's shown me pictures of you.”
He doesn’t say anything but walks alongside No-eul’s mother.
“What are you doing here?" She clings to her shawl. "I won’t be having lunch with you and my daughter for another two weeks.”
“No-eul mentioned you had a fever a few days back. I wanted to check if you were already feeling better.”
“She tends to fuss about my health more than necessary. I wouldn’t be out here if I was still unwell, would I?” Mrs. Lee says coldly. "We can meet again next time. Goodbye, Mr. Gu.”
"Could I at least drive you home?"
"I prefer walking. But are you sure about...” Mrs. Lee takes another glance at him.
“Absolutely.”
"I actually need to buy groceries..." She raises an eyebrow at him.
"My car is close by." Seung-hyo gestures toward the parking lot behind the church. "Shall we go there together? I can help you."
***
No-eul arrives at her apartment in Seocho-dong thirty minutes before noon. She had wanted to surprise her mother by not announcing her sudden visit to Seoul, but she had been the one caught off guard upon seeing a pair of men’s shoes by the door; it was the same brown loafers that Seung-hyo loved wearing.
The kitchen is cramped with boxes of fresh produce and a sack of rice, putting to shame the basket of fruits No-eul had bought at a nearby traditional market. Mrs. Lee doesn't hear her daughter arrive due to the blaring radio, playing songs reminiscent of her youth. She's busy stirring a large pot while two other pans occupy the stove, the aroma of food being cooked filling the air.
" Eomma! " The pediatrician calls loudly, turning the radio down. "What's all this for?"
"What are you doing here?" No-eul's mother gasps.
"My schedule got switched at the last minute." She sets her bag and the fruit basket on the dining table and notices Seung-hyo's olive green jacket draped around one of the chairs. "Where is he?"
"Oh." Mrs. Lee faces the sink, looking guilty. "He…"
Seung-hyo steps out of the bathroom beaming, unaware of No-eul's presence. "Eomoni , you won't have to worry about the toilet anymore," he announces proudly, walking barefooted into the dining area with his beige pants rolled up to his knees. As soon as he spots his girlfriend with her arms crossed, he slips off the rubber gloves he's wearing and needlessly hides it behind him.
His eyes grow wide, confused yet delighted to see her. "I thought you were working today."
"Let's talk. Now." No-eul glares at him and storms out of the apartment.
They stand face to face in the empty hallway like a teacher about to give her misbehaved student a scolding.
"Why did you buy my mom those? I had her groceries delivered last week!"
"I only realized that as soon as we got home." Seung-hyo shrugs. "Besides, I don't see anything wrong with it. She didn't ask for too much—"
"You suppose a woman living alone can consume that much food?"
"She said she'd send some for me to take home later. I couldn't say no to that."
"And the rest of it?"
"You could take some of it with you to Gangneung—"
"That's not my point— she could feed everyone on this floor with what you bought her!"
"And how is that a bad thing?"
"Ugh!"
Seung-hyo hugs No-eul, sighing. "I just wanted to treat your mom, you know."
"You spoiled her and let her treat you like a slave. Why did you have to clean the bathroom?"
"She didn't force me to. I only offered to fix the light— you told me it was broken, remember? The toilet's flush was acting up too so I…" He smiles smugly at his achievement. "Anyway, might as well clean the entire thing after fixing it, right?"
"You should've told me you were going to meet her."
"I wanted to keep it a surprise. Isn't that why you didn't tell me you were coming to Seoul?"
"Mine was sudden. Yours was planned." No-eul's lips remain pursed as she looks up at him.
Seung-hyo leans forward to press his lips to hers. "Stop being mad at me."
"I'm upset that you're tiring yourself out on a day you're supposed to be resting."
"Don't be. I'm glad I met your mom today. She's a lovely woman, like you."
"Whatever."
"Please forgive me?" Seung-hyo lightly kisses No-eul until she finally gives in, parting her lips and pulling him closer.
The couple barely gets to reunite in peace when a 6-year-old boy, hand in hand with his mother, walks in on them in the hallway.
" Annyeonghaseyo , Dr. Lee!" The child cheerfully chimes in, oblivious to what he had interrupted. The three adults share a knowing look of embarrassment after nodding politely at each other.
"Si-hoo, how are you?" No-eul greets the boy, patting him on the head. "You've grown a lot taller!"
"Really?" Si-hoo jumps upon hearing the compliment. "Do you think I can be as tall as him?"
"Even taller, I bet." No-eul rubs Si-hoo's cheek as Seung-hyo nudges her, unamused.
"Are you her husband, ahjussi?" The boy looks up at Seung-hyo expectantly.
He opens his mouth to answer but No-eul beats him to it. "He isn't."
"Not yet," he swiftly adds, placing an arm around her shoulder.
"When will you marry him—"
" Aigo Sihoo-ya, you can't ask her that!" The child's mother covers her son's mouth and laughs awkwardly. "I'm so sorry," she tells the two.
"Why not?" Si-hoo mumbles, but his mother hurriedly bids them goodbye and heads to their unit a few doors away.
"Si-hoo's one of my patients back at Sangook. He hated me a lot when I had to give him a flu shot," No-eul tells Seung-hyo.
He doesn't seem to regard the fact of much importance and bites his lip. "So… when would you like to get married?"
She ignores his question and returns inside the apartment. "I'll get you one of Dad's shirts. Get changed before we have lunch."
***
Mrs. Lee prepares three bowls of steaming rice for them. "I guess I should apologize to your boyfriend for putting him through all this trouble."
"Mianhae, Eomma. I didn't mean to go off on you earlier." No-eul takes her mother's arm and squeezes it. "Seunghyo-ssi really wanted to help us out today."
"I could tell that he did— and not just so he could make a good impression," Mrs. Lee tells her daughter. "He even sat through this morning's Mass to see me..."
"He did?"
Seung-hyo quietly steps out of the bathroom, snugly wearing the late Mr. Lee's button-up shirt. He pauses to listen in on the two women.
"Your awful ex-boyfriend never did any of this, plus he—"
"Why are you bringing that up?"
"I still remember how you scraped your knee on the way home from school all those years ago. How can you expect me to forget how that scum cheated on you?" Mrs. Lee removes her apron. "What I'm trying to say is this— Gu Seung-hyo? I approve of him."
"Eomma… " The younger Lee hurries to cuddle her mother. "Gomawoyo."
"So when will you marry him?"
"You too?" No-eul laughs. "This is the second time I've heard that question today!"
"Must be a sign," Mrs. Lee teases her daughter.
"You said you didn't believe in serendipitous signs." No-eul sets the utensils and side dishes on the table.
"Only if they're God-given signs, I do. And you know I pray for you both, everyday..."
The Lees continue to busy themselves while chatting, not knowing that Seung-hyo had overheard their conversation.
He recalls how No-eul had blushed when her young neighbor first asked her the question, and how she proceeded to laugh it off with her mother just now. He wonders how he would have answered if it had been him—
When will you marry her?
More determined and surer than he's ever been, Seung-hyo smiles to himself as he returns to the dining area, immensely grateful to the two women for preparing a table full of food.
I must propose to No-eul soon….