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Seung-tak had become accustomed to the daily life of a first-year resident. Rarely did a day go by without some type of drama, and sometimes, all he wanted was an easy shift.
Attending general patients with treatable wounds wasn’t his favourite activity, but it had to be done nonetheless. Practice was necessary, after all. He would still grimace at the sight of blood, even though he was trying his best to overcome his discomfort. And of course, Young-min would always be there beside him, insulting his technique or Seung-tak himself, words unheard by anyone other than him.
Seung-tak rolled his eyes, trying his best to remain focused.
He glanced over the next patient’s forms, noting their name and occupation. The first wasn’t familiar in the slightest, but it also wasn’t exactly rare for police to turn up with wounds received in their line of duty. Walking out to where the untreated patients were waiting, he called their name, startled as to what happened next.
Locking eyes on a tall, handsome man-- Seung-tak couldn’t help but stare.
He’d had a preconceived assumption of what his next patient would look like. A silly habit, but a habit that persisted. The man’s name was Ryu Su-yeol, a detective, and apparently, the type who was often on the receiving end of one too many fists to the face.
So it was a surprise when Seung-tak laid eyes on him, and saw a very attractive and charming man behind the blood and bruises. It seemed almost like an insult that someone with his appearance would be a detective. In fact, Seung-tak wouldn’t be surprised to see a man this good looking on the cover of a magazine or starring in a film.
Even in such a dishevelled state, he was gorgeous.
Seung-tak shook his head.
Now is not the time to ogle patients… he had a job to do.
Su-yeol was expecting a nurse, but that’s not exactly who had come to his aid.
Naturally, he was expecting a woman-- perhaps a cute young resident, new to the field, a little shy, even. Maybe he could partake in some mild, harmless flirting, as per usual. But no, that’s not at all what was taking place in the current moment.
This doctor, this man, he was… like a puppy dog, almost. His hair was a fluffy mess, face young and perhaps yet to see the horrors of years of hospital work and injured patients. But there was something else there, behind the young man’s eyes.
A sadness, if Su-yeol was reading him correctly.
Something was happening, something Su-yeol couldn’t quite explain, even to himself. He’d become immediately smitten, and wanted to learn more about the young resident, even if it was the least appropriate time to ask.
He wanted to see him smile.
By the time Su-yeol had been patched up and discharged, he no longer had an excuse to remain, even though he wished to linger. It was clear that Resident Ko was busy, and technically, he was still on duty.
Exiting the hospital, Su-yeol glanced back, filled with a newfound sense of longing. Perhaps, if he could come up with a good enough excuse… he’d have a reason to return, and catch another glimpse of the cute young doctor again.
Su-yeol returned a few days later, covered in a new set of fresh, tender wounds.
K had chastised him over his crush, but he chose to ignore his other self, determined to capture the eye of the man who he was currently smitten with. Eventually, K agreed to his demands-- getting them both into enough trouble that they reigned victorious, but came out of the fight with more than a few injuries.
Seung-tak was surprised to see him back again so soon. He patched him up with that same tenderness Su-yeol had received the first time, to no surprise, and managed to get a few curious words in before the job was done.
It was obvious that the young resident was not interested as much as Su-yeol had hoped, but he wouldn’t allow that to be the reason why he backed down now.
As days progressed, it had become somewhat of a habit.
Su-yeol continued to turn up at the hospital mere days apart. He’d now found himself on first-name basis with most of the staff, especially those who were easily smitten by his charms.
But that wasn’t the reason for his constant presence.
By now, it appeared Resident Ko had caught on. If Su-yeol didn’t know any better, he’d say he was being avoided. He couldn’t blame the young resident if that were the case, as Su-yeol was well aware of how persistent he had been in his pursuits. Though he hoped he hadn’t scared off the other just yet.
Regardless of that, Su-yeol remained insistent. He had a single question to ask of the other, and hoped he’d be granted the chance before the opportunity escaped him.
Nearly another week went by without incident.
The moment Seung-tak wondered if he’d see the detective again, he saw him the moment he rounded the corner.
This was the fifth time this month-- and he couldn’t avoid him forever.
With a surprised expression, Seung-tak couldn’t suppress an eye roll, shaking his head. The detective was persistent, turning up more and more often, always requesting Seung-tak to be the one to treat him, regardless if he was free or not.
Seung-tak wondered if he should become worried about the attention he’d been receiving, but the detective seemed harmless enough, and… he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t enjoying the company.
With a deep, calm exhale, Seung-tak made his way over to his patient.
“Again?” Seung-tak muttered, feigning annoyance. “If I didn't know any better, I’d say you were getting hurt on purpose,” he added with a light-hearted tone, an attempt at a joke.
He set down the necessary medical supplies, inspecting Su-yeol’s wounds without further comment. The detective had a rather nasty cut to his forehead, requiring stitches. And as Seung-tak got to work, he tried his best not to focus on how close he was to such an intimidatingly handsome man.
“Well, what if I am?” Su-yeol asked, smiling the way he knew would always win over the ladies. “What would you say if that were the case?”
“Then I’d call you an idiot,” Seung-tak replied.
Su-yeol laughed at that. “I already knew that,” he admitted softly.
Seung-tak ignored him, remaining focused on the wound dressing. He didn’t want to linger any longer than necessary, and he could already hear Professor Cha’s constant commentary behind him. The ghost was impossible to escape on days such as this, making it even more frustrating when trying to concentrate.
Then as soon as Seung-tak pulled away, Su-yeol caught his wrist. Their eyes locked, the detective’s gaze intense, and Seung-tak was too startled to speak.
“Go out with me.”
They were four, simple words. A solidly structured sentence. Together, it was a request-- of probable romantic intent. As it repeated in Seung-tak’s mind, it finally registered.
After another awkward moment, Seung-tak could only mutter a single, befuddled word:
“What?”
The detective laughed once more, his smile almost infectious. “You heard me.” Su-yeol cocked his head to the side, shooting him another sly grin. “Go out with me.”
“I, uh--” Seung-tak flushed, having never been asked so directly. “I don’t think--”
“Don’t decide yet. Think about it, at least.” The detective rose back to his feet, towering over Seung-tak, voice remaining uncharacteristically gentle. “I’ll pick you up. I’ll pay. And if you don’t enjoy yourself, I’ll never bother you again.”
“Detective…” The resident trailed off, awkwardly shifting his weight from one foot to another. How could he possibly respond to that?
Su-yeol was cradling his hands. “Everything happens for a reason. Meeting you was fate.” Seung-tak stared down at his hands, noting how large and warm the other man’s were against his own. Then, Su-yeol pulled away for a moment, returning to slip a business card carefully between Seung-tak’s hands. “Call me when you’re ready,” the detective requested with a wink.
With a sly expression and a newfound kick in his step, Su-yeol showed himself out.
Seung-tak was bewildered, remaining confused as to how such an ordinary guy like himself could catch the interest of someone so handsome and charming as Detective Ryu.
A ghostly figure stepped up beside him. “You’re not really going to consider going, are you?” Young-min asked, growing ever frustrated and being ignored. “Resident Ko, answer me. Don’t you dare--”
Seung-tak smiled, giggling to himself like a schoolgirl before heading off to end his shift. Young-min continued to repeat himself, tailing behind him, threatening to possess him if questions remained unanswered.
Staring at the card in his hand, Seung-tak had made up his mind. He failed to see any harm in taking up Su-yeol’s offer-- after all, a single date couldn’t hurt now, could it?