Chapter Text
The lights were out when Nam Kyung entered the residents’ lounge, but she didn’t need to turn them on to recognize the familiar silhouette already there. Instead of staring blankly into space as usual, Yi Young appeared to be asleep, her head resting on the table at an awkward angle that would surely leave her neck sore later. She wondered if she should wake her up to move to one of the bunk beds but Yi Young started to move.
“Oh, it’s you,” Yi Young spoke groggily, her voice lower than usual. “Why are you here?”
“I think I should be asking you that.”
Yi Young glanced at the clock on the wall. “I thought I was only taking a few minutes of nap.”
“Were you on call?” Nam Kyung asked. Yi Young nodded. “You seem to be taking a lot of that these days. For someone like you, it just feels out of character.”
“I needed the money.” Yi Young automatically answered, not realising she had said too much to her.
Nam Kyung wondered, “Why should you need more money? Isn’t your dad super rich?”
“My-” She stopped herself. “Nevermind.”
An awkward silence ensued. Yi Young remained on her seat a strewn of papers under her arms while Nam Kyung stood looking everywhere but the person in front of her. It took a while for her to remember she held a cup on her right hand. She had ordered coffee for herself before coming in here.
“Here,” She stepped forward and handed it to Yi Young.
“What for?” Yi Young asked, surprised at this gesture.
“Rounds start soon and it looks like you need it more than I do.” She answered as Yi Young reluctantly accepted it.
“Thank you, I guess.” Yi Young held the cup with both hands. She felt the warmth from it. She opened the lid and watched the steam from the hot beverage rise. She then looked up at Nam Kyung, their eyes making contact.
“So…um…I should go change…” Nam Kyung said without breaking eye contact.
“Uh, yeah…you don’t have to tell me that.”
“Right, yeah.”
They go back into the silence again.
Then the door opened and the room became so bright. The both of them turned towards the door.
"Why is it so dark in here?" Um Jae Il stepped in, his smile bright as sunshine when he spotted the two. "Oh, it's you guys, you’re already here. Good morning!"
They both greeted him in return but didn’t move.
Kim Sa Bi followed shortly after, saying good morning to everyone in her usual AI-like tone and immediately fussing over the rounds coming up later. Neither of them seemed to notice anything unusual.
Yi Young broke the gaze first and held up the cup of coffee to Nam Kyung, thanking her once again, then stood to gather her messy pile of papers. The moment had passed—it was the start of another day.
Meanwhile, Nam Kyung lingered in her thoughts, uncertain. It wasn’t until Sa Bi reminded her about the rounds that she snapped back to reality.
She glanced around, but Yi Young was already gone.