Chapter Text
Inside a room with woods ornament decorated entire room, kitchen sets and rows of tables filling up the room along with a dozen of people were wearing a match emerald apron. Kitchen ware sitting in the sink, flour scattered here and there, a chocolate scent was hanging in the air.
Some people cleaning their table, some already saying goodbye to their teacher chef, and there were two women in the same row who were packing their cake to be brought home. A classical music still heard and the short hair woman humming to the song while closing her cake box.
“Son Seungwan. You really love today’s menu, huh?” the other woman said while re-doing her ponytail.
Seungwan smiled brightly. “Of course! My mom loooooves tiramisu! And you know what, she said that was the first cake she ate together with my dad. Guess I can bake this for their anniversary this year.”
Done with the packing, both women took their go-to bag then didn’t forget to greet the other cooking class members and the teacher as well. As they wait for the elevator, the older woman checked her wristwatch then asked, “You're going home, Wannie?”
“Nah. Need to see my friend down there.” Her finger pointed through the glass window at the apartment building that seen from where they stood. “Joohyun unnie, going home?”
The said woman nodded her head. “Need to organize some stuff before I started school next month. Umm, well, next two month exactly.”
They walked into the empty elevator. “Ahh, yes. The residency! Don’t you live a little bit far from the campus?”
Joohyun softly sighed and laid her back on the steel wall. Feeling tired already with how busy and tiring she was going to be. “It’s one and a half hour from the campus, one hour from the hospital.”
“You don’t want to like.. apply for a dorm, mess, or nearby apartment?”
They exited the building and automatically greeted by warm, or rather, a hot wind. Summer was hitting in. Seungwan let out an 'oof' and Joohyun answered, “I don’t know, Wan. It’s just in two months, I’ve got so much to do and I don’t think I have much time and energy to move around. You know, like, surveying the place, asking about the details, making conversation with new people. I already drained just by thinking of it.”
Seungwan was thinking for a second and blurted, “What if the said apartment is my friend’s?” Joohyun raised her brows. “Well, my friend didn’t say anything about renting her space, but her brother just moved out and one room is empty. I can ask her if you want?”
They stopped at Joohyun’s car and Seungwan’s was parked not far from hers. “I- Honestly, I don’t know what to say. Like I said, won’t it be too sudden? I need to talk to my parents too. And I really really don’t want to bother you with this. Don’t you still have the agenda with your café team later? It’s okay, I’ll manage with the distance.”
Seungwan playfully jabbed her shoulder. “Unnie, you helped with some ideas for my future project, I even used a location that you suggested! It’s only fair I return the favor. Besides, think about it. You’re gonna start your residency, you’ll spend more time at the hospital/campus and go home only for sleeping, right? If you live with my friend, no need to worry about cleaning up the space by yourself. Also, the budget! Your study needs a lot of money. You can cut the cost and even time and energy, so you’ve said. If you worried about surveying and stuff, I’ll be the middleman of this business transaction! She’s my best friend after all.”
Joohyun knew if Seungwan was so into a subject, she wouldn’t budge. The soon to be pediatric resident exhaled. Besides, Seungwan had a point. It’s not like her friend willingly to help last minute too, right? Nothing to lose, then. “Fine. Just ask your friend first, okay? No pressure. But, I really appreciate your help, Wannie.”
“No biggie! See you around, unnie!” Seungwan also waving her hand before Joohyun closed her door.
Seulgi, with her yellow pajama pants and a red shirt, toss around her utensil rack, looking for a fork.
“Yah, Seulgi! I have a question. Well, kind of. Or maybe a suggestion?” said Seungwan a little bit shouting since she was sitting at the living room.
A shiny fork stabbed at the cake in Seulgi’s hand and she’s walking to where her best friend at. “Shoot.”
“So, Garam just moved out, right?” Seulgi nodded and crossed her leg at the couch. “What are you gonna do with his room?”
Seulgi munched slowly, knitted her brows and turned her gaze toward the animal documentary they played not a while ago. “Honestly, I don’t know if he’ll extend his contract or not in the next 2 years. So, I don’t know. I just let it be.” Seulgi swallowed the cake and looked at Seungwan.
"Are you not feeling lonely?" Seulgi only gave her a look because Seungwan sure knew Seulgi had no problem with a quiet place.
"Well, I was thinking to adopt a cat." Seulgi said jokingly. A little bit. But once in a while she had a thought of it. She then smiled teasely, “Why? Do you want to move here?”
“Eh? No way! You know I can’t leave my house!”
Seulgi chuckled. She knew that Seungwan’s mother had food and beverage business that need Seungwan’s help from time to time since her sister was abroad for a while too. “Then why are you asking me that, my dear chef?”
“Well, how about… you rent the space? I know a friend who might be interested though.”
Seulgi lifted her brows and smirked. “A friend?”
“No, don’t give me that look! This is a real friend! I met her at the cooking class one year ago and we hang out sometimes. This is not what you think it is.” Seulgi laid her back on the couch and encourage the short hair woman to continue. “She’s a doctor and starting her residency in March. Which is in 2 months. The time is tight. She already has her own place, but it’s too far from where she studies. You can share the rent too! Saving money is important! So… what do you say?”
Seulgi scrubbed her chin with her forefinger. She looked around the place. One apartment with two bedrooms, one bathroom, and the living room spacey enough that a kitchen island and big couch sitting properly in it. Seulgi even managed to put three medium sized plant at the corner. She looked at her brother’s room that had been emptied for months now, and it left with necessity stuff only.
Big enough. They rent this apartment because it was designed for two people to live in. Seulgi tried to think about it through.
“Okay, umm. First, my brother still sent me some money, for taking care of the place, so money isn’t actually a problem. Second, I never met her. I don’t know her! Okay, she’s your friend, but do you know how she lives? What if she’s a weirdo? Does she know boundaries? Does she like to bring a one-night stand? My God, what if she’s loud? I can’t work if it’s loud! And it’s getting worse if she’s a clean freak! No, it’s worst if she doesn’t clean at all! Or is she a psycho? Or-”
Seungwan threw a pillow at her and Seulgi just sit still receiving it. “Stop! You’re watching too much series and movies! She’s not, okay?! She’s a decent person! Come on, you know me since high school. I always befriend with good crowds. Remember, she also at the same cooking class as me. Means what? She might not as good as me, but you can eat some tasty meals! If she had time of course. And if you’re being nice to her.”
Seulgi furrowed her brows, moved her fork onto her lips and she bit it. “Hmmmm. I don’t know. It’s a big step, Wan, living with a stranger, and I don’t see the urgency of it. And she's a doctor for God's sake! She won't cook for me in her free time!”
“She’s not a stranger if you know her! That’s why if you’re willing to do it, I’ll introduce you and you can, uh, get know her and decide whether she’s okay or not. Maybe you don’t need it, but you can help someone! Oh! Let’s just check her insta!” Seungwan swiftly grabbed Seulgi’s phone on the table and, like her own, she opened the lock easily. She typed Joohyun’s name on the search bar but at the same time her phone beside her vibrated. “Hello, dad?”
Seungwan dashed out, went to the kitchen island after she threw Seulgi’s phone onto her lap. “Oh my God. Why are you so worked up!?”
Seulgi looked at the screen: hyunnn.bae, and clicked it. But unfortunately, the profile was set on private.
Bae Joohyun
45 Posts 998 Followers 303 Friends
Trying my best | ⚕️🩺 @clinicwheresheworkedat
Seulgi pouted her lips, raised her left brow, and clicked at the profile picture.
Not that different from how Joohyun set the profile on private, her picture was Joohyun holding an ice cream cone and hide half her face behind it. Seulgi sighed. And what Seungwan want me to see from her profile?? Seulgi turned her gaze to her best friend, and it seemed like Seungwan was in the middle of serious conversation with her father. Seulgi looked at her phone again and scanning the profile picture once more.
It seems like she sat in an outside café with a wooden table and a yellow cup peeking at the corner and a sun light shone a little bit through what appeared to be a shadow of some plants and stopped at the stone wall esthetically placed behind. Wearing pink cap with the lid pointed a little bit upward, a broken white tank top hidden behind light purple oversized shirt.
Seulgi never had a doctor friend before. But she always imagined they were composed, elegant, and put their social media as well behave as possible. Because people lately, including the patient, were eager to know who and how was the person that was going interact with them. Seulgi once saw a quote: 'People these days turned instagram into LinkedIn', Seulgi knew, and Seulgi sometimes did it either.
She looked back at the picture again, Joohyun looked like she's holding a laugh and being care-free with whoever taking the picture. She seems fun? That eye smile is cute though.
“Seul, I need to get back. My dad’s car got some trouble, everything’s fine I just need to pick him up.” Seungwan said in a hurry.
“Oh? Okay. Say hi to your dad?” Seulgi stood up from her seat while following Seungwan fast walking to the door while grabbing her bag nearby.
Her feet quickly got into the slip on. “Will do. Don’t forget about the offer, okay?! Bye, Seul!” Then, she turned the metal knob.
For Seulgi, at her age and with her work piling up on her shoulder, she rarely met a new person and too lazy to make a new connection with people outside her circle. Being socialized in work setting? That was a need, a must. So, it was new to let someone into her life, into her safe sanctuary. But saving money, that’s not a bad option since everything’s getting expensive lately and her favorite gadget need to be treated well every few years. She had a 2014 Hyundai Sonata that she bought with her brother but upgrade it into a new car wasn’t a bad idea either.
Instantly she remembered some problems she faced recently with her old car. Ugh, I still need to change all the tires next week.
“Fine, fine, I’ll think about it!”