Work Text:
It is now the middle of December, but it seems that winter has reached its peak. The weather is unusually cold, with a strong cold wind blows in the air, even though there's no snow falling. Since the thermostat only available inside the rooms, the hospital halls are the worst place to be during this harsh condition, since the long hallway is the perfect tunnel for the wind to pass through, even thought there's no windows or doors open to the outside. The nurse station of OBGYN department possibly have the worst location ever, lodged in a corner between two hallways, it supposed to be warmer, but no. The intersection between two hallways seems like the perfect tunnel for those cold winds to blow through, even though there's no direct contact from the hallways to the outside. No thermostat on the hall is also no help to control the temperature.
Chu Minha has only been sitting in the station for an hour. She has the graveyard shift today, and it is start in 50 minutes. She's already in the hospital, reading patient chart, while her colleague, Myung Eun Won updating her with the patient condition. She feels a shiver coming in, and her ears already numb because of the cold. We’re inside, why is it so cold? she thought to herself as she try to concentrate on her colleague explanations. The shift handover will be starting soon, and she can see her other colleague as well as her juniors getting ready for the last round call before the night shift.
"Good evening" a tenor voice breaks the hustle in the nurse station. Minha looks up from her chart and see her boyfriend standing there in front of the station, putting some disinfectant on his hand while smiling at her, still on his scrubs and his doctor's coat. "Shall we start?" he asked around.
"Nde, gosyunim" his team answered immediately. Minha stand up from her chair and a shiver runs through her body. She spasm a bit while her body adjusted to the cold and exclaim "Brr..." while shaking her limbs. She sense her boyfriend took a glance at her while he was entering the station.
They start to sit around the table inside the nook on the nurse station when Chu Minha observe one of the resident, Kim Eunmi is putting on a long dark navy hoodie over her head.
"Ah! Ottoke..." she exclaim softly
"Wae, Minha-ya?" Yang gosyunim asked her
"Ani... it's just I forgot to bring a jacket today" Minha just remember that she put her fuzzy vest that she usually wear over her scrubs in the dry cleaning and she hasn't retrieved it yet.
"Oh, you didn't have anything in your locker?" he asked again.
"No, I forget to retrieve it from the dry cleaning" she pout a bit while rubbing her own arm, trying to get some warmth.
"Aigoo, Chu Minha seonsaeng, it is going to be a tough night for you" Nurse Han Seojeong added from her left side.
Minha let out a small laugh at Nurse Han comment's while from the tail of her eyes, she sense Yang Gosyunim pursed his lips and squint his eyes, his habit, Minha notices, that he always does whenever he thinks of something.
"Okay, let's start the update" he said after a while.
The team start the evening update.
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It's only been 15 minutes since the night shift started and 10 minutes since the evening updates. Minha still sitting on the round table inside the nook, updating her notes when her phones vibrates, indicating an incoming messages.
Come to my office.
A short message from her boyfriend. Minha frowns a bit. It's only been 10 minutes, and he didn't ask her to bring any documents/notes. Confused, Minha excuse herself to her colleagues at the nurse station and headed to his office.
When she arrives in front of his office, she peek through the small window. His office are always dimly lit, due to the small size of the room, the mountain of stuff his roommate piles around the room, and the fact that his office located in the middle of a long hallway, without a single window inside. She can only observe his back. Knocking twice, she immediately opens the door, a habit she started doing when there's only the two of them in the area.
"Oppa, wae?" she asked as soon as she enters the room.
"Ah, Minha-ya" he turns around, smiling brightly
"Wae...?" she asked again as he engulf her in his embrace
"You must be cold on the nurse station" he spoke, a bit muffled because his mouth is directly against her shoulder as he rest his head there.
"Ah, nde, I forgot to bring anything warm, my usual vest was still on the dry cleaner.... gwenchana Oppa, I'll manage" she said softly as she hug him back.
He let her go a little bit, hands still on her waist, pouting a little
"What will I do if Uri Minha is sick?" he asked while pouting
"Aah, Oppa, I'll be fine, jjinja" she said, holding a laugh while seeing her boyfriend being childish
"Wear this then" he said as he handed her a pile of grey clothing. Minha accept the pile while looking at it.
"What is it, Oppa?" she asked as she unfold the clothing. As soon as she unfold it, she recognize it immediately. It's his hoodie, a light grey hoodie, with red and blue colors at the end of the sleeves.
"That's my hoodie, you can wear it tonight" He added as he now continues tidying up his table and putting stuff into his bag. Minha observe her boyfriend and realize he is only wearing a simple t-shirt under his usual grey coat.
"Ah , Oppa, aniya.... you will be cold" she said as she shoves his sweaters back at him.
"Gwenchana Minha-ya, I will be at the warmth of my house, you still have a long night to go Minha-ya, wear this" there's a finalized tone on his voices as he wrapped the sleeves around her neck.
"Ah, aniya..." she said as she tries to shove it away
"Minha-ya, I can't be here hugging you for the rest of the night, I'll leave this for you, as my subtitution" he added now tying the sleeves around her neck. "See, you look warmer already" he chuckles
"Ah... people might recognize this as yours!! what would I say to them when they recognize that I wear my Gosyunim's clothes?" she stubbornly stays her ground.
"Nobody pays attention to me that much, they won't recognize it Minha-ya, trust me" he said again, pushing her towards the door.
"Bu..but... people already seen you in this clothes!!" She stays her ground as she refuses to move, hands already on the knot around her neck, ready to loose it.
"I come very early in the morning today, because of Mrs. Kang caesar procedure. Nobody sees me come in, nobody remember my clothes but you." he grabbed her hands away from the hoodie and give her more persistent push towards the door. Come on, you need to go back to the station Chu Minha seonsaeng-nim" he added as he guide her out of his office.
"but..." Minha start to protest again, but he quickly shut her up by giving her a peck on her cheek, while still holding both her arms at her side, just outside his office. Minha startled, and looked around, afraid somebody might caught them. Seokhyeong chuckled, "See you tomorrow, Chu Minha seonsaeng" he said as he quickly walk away from her.
Minha sigh as she watch him walk away.
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Minha walk back to the OBGYN nurse station while still observing the hoodie. She already take it off from her neck and now holding it in her hands and observing it.
I think it will be fine. She assures herself. He's right, probably nobody pays that much attention to his clothes, I can tuck in the sleeves and it looked like an ordinary hoodie. She thought to herself as she inspect it again as she pulls the sleeves into her arms. It is definitely oversized, but so does my jacket and coat. I have used some oversized items.
She gains her confidence as she walks near the nurse station, with the hoodie dangling on her arms. As she enters the station, she goes back to her previous seat, while fully putting it on through her head. And Minha freeze.
Inside the hoodie, she can smell his cologne. Ottoke?! will the other notice?? she frantically think as she pulls her head out of the hoodie. Tense, she looked around, she is alone on the round table. The intern and one of the nurse are sitting in front of the monitor on the main nurse station, while Nurse Han is sitting on her usual place, in front of the PC at the back. Exhaling slowly while hoping nobody notice his cologne on the hoodie. She tries to calm herself as she continues her previous works when Eunmi come out from the staff room, bringing a stacks of medical journal and joined her. Eunmi just about to sat down, when she stop and asks:
"Chu Minha Seonsaeng, is that your hoodie?" she asked loudly
"Eh? Why, of course it is" Minha startled, as the rest of the group look up at her. She barely speaks a few months ago and now she screamed about it?
"It is my first time seeing you in it, but it looks vaguely familiar" Eunmi added
"It's just your feeling, it is mine, and it is new.... I haven't been around to use it yet"
"I thought you didn't bring your jacket today Chu Minha Seonsaeng" Baek Yeonwo, the new intern added.
"Ah, yes, I left this one at the GS staff room few days ago when I was with Jang Gyeoul Seonsaeng, I just grabbed it few minutes ago" Minha tries to cover her tracks as she pretends to busying herself with her notes.
"It looks very familiar tho..." the other resident added, Minha decides to ignore that and focus on her notes. She can feel her heart thumping loudly.
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It is now 2:46 am. Minha just woke up from a quick nap.
He's so right. She thought to herself, wrapping her arms around herself as she stretches her feet, still lying down on the mattress. It felt so warm. She added as she smiles to herself. She woke up then looking around. The room is dark, she can hear the soft breathing of the other people that is currently napping in the room. She climbs down from the bunk bed, and walk out to the nurse station. When she arrives, only nurse Han was present, filing document to the computer.
"Ah, Chu Minha Seonsaeng, good nap?" she ask her.
"Nde, thank you Nurse Han, you can take your nap now, I'll take over the watch" she added as she sit down beside Han Seojeong. She start to roll up the sleeves, and she realize that Nurse Han seems to watch her moves very intently, unconsciously leaning towards her.
"Chu Minha Seonsaeng, do you want some coffee?" she suddenly stand up from her seat. "Eh? alright, I'll have some, thank you Han Seojeong seonsaeang-nim" Minha added, still puzzled by her action.
Han Seojeong nodded, as she walks towards the pantry. "Say Chu Minha Seonsaeng-nim...." she say as she prepared the mugs. Your hoodie smells so familiar" She added, now grabbing the packets.
Minha freezes at her chair, her fingers stop typing on the keyboard, she tilts her head slightly, stealing glances at Nurse Han. She was looking at her while holding the two mugs, her body facing her, as if she waits for her reaction. Minha looked at her face, and Nurse Han gives her a faint smile. Minha felt her cheeks starts to burn as she whipped her head back towards the monitor. Her heart leapt to her throat, and she can feel it thumping in hear ear.
Does Nurse Han know?? She knows Oppa's cologne??? Does this means the others knows too??? Minha frantically ask herself. As she steal a glance at Nurse Han, the nurse is humming softly as she stirs in the coffee. Minha looks back to the monitor, tries to calm herself as she continues her work.
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Yang Seokhyeong just sat down on his girlfriend's couch, when she shoves his grey hoodie in front of his face. He look up at her with his questioning look as his girlfriend sigh, put the hoodie his lap and throw herself beside him.
"Are you canceling our dinner?" he asked. He just got back from the hospital, and goes to his girlfriend apartment immediately, since it become a habit for them to spent the night together few times a week.
"Aniya.. Oppa, I think Nurse Han knows about us... she recognize your smell.. how can she recognize it? maybe you cologne is too strong, people start recognizing it. They also seems to familiarized themselves with your style Oppa" she said while pouting and crossed her arms. Seokhyeong chuckles.
"I really doubt it Minha-ya, it is just in you head. People doesn't pay attention to me that much. Maybe she though it just your usual perfume, I wash my clothes in your house sometimes" he said as he wrapped his hand around her shoulder, pulling her into his embrace.
"Not this one, you haven't! also you are not there! they are very suspicious." she whines, leaning her head against his chest.
"Why is it matter? Sooner or latter we will tell them about our relationship, and our OBGY family is probably be the first one to know aside from my friends and Jang Gyeoul Seonsaeng" he added.
"True, but not now Oppa, I am still your resident. At least we keep it on the down low until I finished" She look up to him. I do not want people to think I got a special treatment just because I am dating my Gosyunim"
"Nobody will think that Minha-ya, we're keeping it very professional at work you know. If it's not enough for you, I'll act like we were strangers at the hospital "
"Yah, Oppa! That would be more suspicious!!" She whines again, rising from his chest while slightly slapping his shoulders.
"Arasso, arasso, the usual then" he gives up. "So that means no more lending you my warmth then?" he asked while he pick up the hoodie from his lap, offering it to her. Minha pouts while she thinks.
"Hm, maybe... if you could find something that you never worn at the hospital that would be fine... the one that not a lot of people see yet"
"I'll buy a new one and give it to you" he said.
"Ani.... just... something that you've used before..... I like the smell... also it felt warmer on me" she added sheepishly. Her cheecks turn pink.
He smiled at her answer. "Arasso, I'll find one" He said, as he gives her a kiss on her forehead. "Now about that dinner?"
As Minha walks up to the kitchen she called him up "Do you really think Nurse Han already know about us?"
"Do you want to bet?" Seokhyeong ask as he put away his hoodie.
"Why are you so nonchalant about this?, Oppa" she whines again from the kitchen as she prepare their food.
Seokhyeong chuckles again. "It is really not a big deal Minha-ya" He said again.
It is really not a big deal for him if the whole hospital knows about their relationship, in fact, he really wants to tell the whole world about them. But he will follow her comfortable pace, he can wait for her to be ready to be open to the world. Right now there's something more important to do. Find her some of his old sweater.