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Sound of ECG monitor's beeping and some whispering chitchat can be heard throughout the entire emergency room on a Valentine’s Day. Today wasn’t so busy for the ER staff including one of the doctors, Park Jieun, for they have one patient only and is already waiting to be transferred to the intensive care unit. It was lunch time and half of the staff nurses went to eat lunch first, as per agreement that they should take turns.
Jieun received a message from her long-time businesswoman girlfriend Yuki saying that she's already waiting for her at the nearby café. Both agreed yesterday that they will eat lunch together to celebrate Valentine’s day since they're too busy to have a decent date and to be honest, Jieun was hoping that Yuki might pull something off for this year's hearts day. Being in a relationship with her for quite some time now, 5 years to be exact, she is already used to Yuki's nonchalant and not-so-thoughtful characteristics, especially when it comes to giving gifts or surprises, as well as her not so expressive side when it comes to her feelings. Nevertheless, this year, she is definitely going to ask her for it.
There's no harm in trying, I guess. Jieun thought as she grabbed her purse and went her way outside of the hospital to meet her girlfriend.
Jieun and Yuki used to be high school classmates. The doctor also hated Yuki's personality back then. She used to think that the girl is too cold for no valid reason that's why she doesn’t want to associate herself with the half-Japanese. Their parents are close and decided to sent them both at the same university for them not to have difficulties with being alone, much to Jieun's strong disapproval. They also bought them an apartment in which they'll be staying together. Jieun detested her parents that day. But not until they became roommates that she started to have feelings for Yuki. She tried to deny and hide it. Until one fateful day, Yuki shocked her when the half-Japanese asked her to be her girlfriend at the most random time of the night. She agreed instantly though. Since then, they've been having that domestic type of relationship.
The café which is approximately 500 meters away from the hospital looked so aesthetically pleasing contrary to its small space. There are only about six people inside and a slow jazz music is playing to add to the romantic vibe.
Situated at the far end of the tables is Yuki who is busy looking at her phone, not minding everyone around her that she didn’t even notice the arrival of her girlfriend.
“Hey,” Jieun greeted as she kissed Yuki's cheek which made the latter jolt in surprise. “Too engrossed of… what's that, an online magazine?” The doctor asked curiously.
“Hey too. And yes, I'm trying to find some good dresses.” Yuki answered and smiled at her girlfriend. “I’ve ordered already so we won't be late later, we have 30 minutes left.” She added and started eating her food.
Jieun looked at her expectantly. Is she going to buy me a dress? Or is she just trying to distract me because she actually have a gift with her right now? Thoughts like that entered the doctor's mind, seemingly forgetting that she have to eat too.
“Uhm… baby, aren't you gonna eat?” Yuki asked in concern.
Oh, so she's going to pretend now. It's not gonna work on me, Yuki.
“Baby, just please give me your Valentine’s gift already. We've been together for years. C'mon, don't be shy.” Jieun voiced out her thoughts.
“Who said about me giving you a Valentine’s gift?” The girlfriend asked innocently.
Ugh, such a prankster!
“Me? Because you're supposed to? You never gave me one since we became a couple, so I figured out you're trying to surprise me.” Jieun answered with a smirk. “Oh, before you give yours, here's mine. Hope you'll like it. Happy Valentine’s, baby.” She then handed the gift to the girl in front of her.
“You really didn't have to, but thank you. I'll open it later at the office.” Yuki said with a contented visage.
“Now, where's mine?” Jieun asked.
“Jieun, baby, I told you I didn't have one and I'm sorry. But you know I'm not that kind of person, right? I'm even surprised that you are asking me now, I mean, you never did before.”
So it's going to be one of those years, huh. I hate you, Yuki. The doctor's blood is already at it's boiling point. She is mad as hell. She had enough and her mouth is not stopping her.
“Not even a letter? A card? Chocolates? Or flowers?!” Jieun is so upset with her girlfriend who doesn’t seem to care at all. “You're unbelievable!”
“Fine, I'll send you a letter through email later today, when I have free time at work of course.” Yuki said to stop her girlfriend from whining and it worked, surprisingly.
The rest of the lunch break was just them arguing about Jieun's mad obsession with Disney character Elsa because according to Yuki, she's not worth the hype, and Jieun isn't the type to let it pass.
The ER doctor went back to the hospital just in time. On the other hand, her girlfriend is still on her way back to her office that is about a 20 minute drive from the hospital.
Two hours had passed and there was still not much going on inside the emergency room. Few patients arrived but only with minor cases. Jieun decided to check her email, hoping that Yuki already sent her the Valentine’s day letter she's been wanting to have, but unfortunately, there was none.
Now she's more enraged than she was back at the café. She dialed Yuki's office telephone number angrily and after a few rings, the other line answered.
“Hello, this is Mori Inc., how may I help you?” Yuki's young secretary Swan spoke.
“Swan, it's me Jieun. Is your boss busy? I need to talk to her.”
“Hold on a sec, I'll give her the phone.” Swan said with a sweet voice that Jieun almost melted.
“Hello? Jieun?” Now it's Yuki who is speaking.
“I thought you said you'll send me a letter? It's been two hours, Yuki!” Jieun blurted out.
“I already did, woman. Calm down.” The boss said irritatingly.
“I didn’t receive any!” Doctor Park claimed which is kinda true.
“I don't know. I already sent you one about an hour ago. It should be there already. Try checking it again.” Yuki explained.
“Stop playing with me, Mori Koyuki.” At the mention of her full name, Yuki felt a little scared because when her girlfriend does that, it means she's drop dead serious. But what can she do? She really sent the email awhile ago. She checked her sent files and it was really there.
“Fine, I'll send this to you a hundred times. If you won't receive any of these 100 emails, it's not my problem anymore.” Yuki proclaimed and started sending the same email.
Now she's being ridiculous! Jieun thought that made her became even more angry at her girlfriend.
“You know what, never mind. Bye!” She spoke with more volume to express her feeling and ended the call, not waiting for Yuki to reply. She then ordered Ireh, her secretary, to block all calls from Yuki's company and she also did it with Yuki's number on her phone.
Call me petty or anything, I don't care. The young doctor thought, went back to check her email only to find out there is still no letter from her.
Over thirty minutes later, one of the hospital's ambulances arrived at the emergency room. Doctor Park put her work mode on and calmly but swiftly went out from her office to handle the newly arrived patient. It's a young woman, unconscious, face covered with blood which made her unrecognizable at farther view.
“A car accident?” Jieun guessed as she hurriedly put on the gloves. The assisting nurse Goeun, who just finished preparing the defibrillator, answered with “yes, doc”. She then proceeded on cleaning the patient's bloodstained face, not waiting for Jieun to instruct her. Goeun's a reliable ER nurse, after all.
The doctor immediately went closer to the patient and as she does, a sense of familiarity occurred to her. The closer she went, the more clearer it is to her that the woman lying on that stretcher is her girlfriend Yuki.
Jieun's world stopped, her vision became blurry, her voice lost, her knees numb, and it seems like she can't move her whole body. Tears of pain started flowing freely like waterfalls.
Upon seeing the situation, the other doctor on duty, Jang Dosie, hurriedly went on to handle the patient while saying “Keep yourself together, Doctor Park!” But Jieun didn’t seem to hear anything. She was just standing there, crying, whole body is shaking, still unable to say anything, having lost consciousness of what's happening around her while the whole room is busy trying to save the life of her girlfriend.
“Time of death, 3:15 PM.” Doctor Jang announced and everyone in the room fell silent and gloomy.
One year later…
It's 6 PM on a Valentine’s Day. A romantic day/night for every happy couples out there. It's not just about people in a relationship though, it could also be celebrated by friends and families. It's a day full of love… but not for Park Jieun. Valentine’s day is a curse for her. It's remorseful, depressing, and full of grief.
She just arrived at her place from buying groceries and she was welcomed by a cold empty pad, and by her dog Mimi. Not that her apartment didn't have anything on it to be empty, in fact, it had everything an apartment with someone staying in it should be. But it lacked life and warmth. There's no use having everything in it yet the owner's heart feels empty, cold, and lifeless. The home she used to share with the love of her life is now like an abandoned space despite it being clean and in order. All of it is nothing to her now. Everything became uninteresting.
Jieun carried her excited dog in her arms and proceeded in preparing a meal for the cute white Maltese.
After giving dinner to her pet, Jieun went inside her spacious bedroom and opened her laptop. She's tired from all the grocery thing and she's not in the mood to cook or eat dinner that night. It's almost as if she is not in the mood for everything since that day happened.
Her train of thoughts were cut short by a notification displayed on her laptop's screen. It's an email from G**gle itself.
“Sorry for the inconveniences, emails from previous months or year was delayed due to some technical issues.” She read the content. Just before she can grasp the massage, succeeding notification sounds came and when she checked, all of it was from the same sender she's unfamiliar with.
She was about to delete it one by one thinking it's a spam until she noticed the date. The emails were sent exactly one year ago. Jieun started to feel nervous and decided to open one.
As she did so, there emerged a letter with Disney character Elsa as the background.
“Dearest Jieun,
I'm sorry I made you a little upset today by not giving you anything for Valentine’s day. I am just not that kind of person, right?
Anyway, you also know that I suck at telling someone how I feel so I'm just going to express it through this letter.
I am so happy that you gave me a camera today. I did not expect that. I'll make sure to use it only in taking pictures of you and us.
I may not tell you everyday, but this day, I say to you, I love you Jieun.
Will you marry me?”
Jieun's whole body shivered and she started crying loudly as she finished reading the letter. Her heart ached so much that the pain seemed unbearable.
With shaky hands, she press the reply button and typed something.
“Yes, I will marry you.” She sent the message 100 times too along with remorseful and agonizing cries.
The next few days, she got the guts to contact one of Yuki's employees and close friend Miss Lee to inquire about what really happened at the time before the accident. It is only at that moment Jieun had the courage to know about everything for she's been escaping from it since that horrible day. Chaein told her that the moment she hung up the phone, Yuki got worried and tried to call again. Upon knowing that the calls are blocked, Yuki immediately went out from the company and drove her way to the hospital only to be hit by a speeding truck just a block away.
To Jieun, grief is an understatement. She's a mess and she couldn’t help but blame herself for what happened. No narcotics can take the pain away.
From then on, every year on Valentine’s Day, Doctor Park Jieun would open her emails, read Yuki's letter, and reply “Yes, I will marry you” a hundred times.
END