"Ugh…" Gigi rolled her eyes as she sat on the waiting bench outside Sevan's office. "After getting my driver's license so easily, I thought everything else would be just as simple."
But she and Bubbles had been waiting for over an hour!
"Miss, maybe we just came too early?" Bubbles suggested. "We could've left and come back later."
"And you're just saying that now, after we've already waited this long?"
"I didn't think it'd take this long for him to return…"
"Never mind that. We're already here, and it's not like I have to wait every day." Gigi waved her off, though her patience was wearing thin with every passing second.
"I'm sure Doctor Sevan won't make you wait again," Bubbles said encouragingly. "If he finds out you've been sitting here this whole time, he'll feel bad."
Gigi arched a brow. "And why would he feel bad?"
"Because Doctor Sevan has a crush on you."
"Excuse me?"
"Young Miss, you don't remember because of your memory loss. But as far as I know, he once asked you out. You rejected him." Bubbles nodded sagely. "But it's obvious he still has feelings for you. He stayed by your side when you were hospitalized."
'You mean he stayed to ambush me because of Aqua?' Gigi thought, suppressing the urge to laugh.
Sevan? Having feelings for her? Impossible.
If anything, it was the other way around. The real Gigi had been infatuated with him, and she'd probably lied to Bubbles to save face.
"Ah, goodness." Gigi pinched the bridge of her nose. 'I feel like I'm going to faint.'
After a moment, she forced a smile and turned to Bubbles. "Bubbles, whatever I said in the past was probably… not true. So, can you just forget about it?"
"But Miss—"
"It's for the best." Gigi squeezed Bubble's hand. "Just say yes."
Bubbles pouted but relented. "Fine."
"Ha ha…" Gigi wiped a thin layer of sweat from her forehead, then caught a figure approaching from the corner of her eye. Sevan.
"Uh, Bubbles." She set her eyes back on her friend and smiled. "Can you get me something from the cafeteria?"
Bubbles nodded obediently and stood. As she turned, she spotted Sevan walking toward them. Her gaze flickered between them before she hurried off, deciding to take her time getting the biscuits her young miss had asked for.
As Sevan approached, his pace slowed when he reached Gigi. "Miss Valentine."
"Hey, doc." Gigi forced a smile.
He studied her for a moment before motioning toward his office. She nodded and followed him inside.
The moment she entered, she plopped down in the chair across from his desk. Sevan raised an eyebrow. Normally, she'd lounge on the couch, acting as if they were close.
"Miss Valentine, I apologize for making you wait," he said as he moved to sit across from her. "I was doing my rounds and didn't expect you to arrive so early."
Gigi waved it off with a smile. "It's okay, doc. It's my fault for not knowing you don't see outpatients until this hour."
Sevan frowned slightly. 'You didn't know?'
That was strange. Gigi had practically stalked him before, memorizing his schedule better than he did.
"Doctor?" Gigi tilted her head. "You're just staring at me."
"I'm just assessing you, Miss Valentine." He then pulled out her lab results. As he skimmed through them, Gigi stretched her neck, trying to sneak a peek.
'He's a genius doctor,' she mused. 'He could probably tell I'm fine with just a glance. Why did he need to read them?'
Sevan glanced up, catching her peeking. She let out an awkward laugh and quickly leaned back.
"All your test results are clear," he said. "Even your CT scan shows that everything is normal."
"Nice!" Gigi beamed. "My parents will be happy to hear that."
"However…" he continued, making her smile stiffen. "We still don't know the cause of your memory loss. It should be temporary, but it's been a week since the incident. Have you remembered anything?"
Gigi pretended to think before shaking her head. "Everything's still a bit foggy, but my friends and family are helping me. I hope I remember soon, so they won't worry anymore."
"I see. Then you're handling it well. Memory loss isn't easy."
"Thanks to everyone, it hasn't been too hard either," she said with a smirk. "Anyway, is that all?"
"Yes. Also…" He trailed off, pulling something from his drawer. He scribbled on a notepad, then handed her a prescription. "Take these. They're just vitamins for low iron."
Gigi took the slip and nodded. "Thanks, Doctor." She mused, tucking it into her purse and stood.
Sevan pushed himself up as well, walking her to the door. His eyes never left her, watching her glance at him before turning to leave.
How odd.
After all that waiting, she was just… leaving? Just like that?
He reached for the doorknob — but stopped.
Gigi looked up at him, brows raised in confusion. "Doctor?"
Sevan took a step forward, making her furrow her brows. Lowering his head until his face was only a palm's length from hers, he asked, "Miss Valentine, do you really not remember anything?" His voice was low, clearly doubtful.
"..." Gigi's expression didn't change. She looked him dead in the eye. "No."
A tense silence stretched between them. The air between them grew heavy, but neither stepped back. At least, not her. Looking away first meant giving up control, and Gigi never did that.
"Why, Doctor Sevan?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "Is there something I should remember?"
He held her gaze, then finally stepped back. "Nothing."
"I see." She nodded, watching him pull the door open. But just before stepping out, she paused.
"I heard Doctor Sevan is a genius and highly respected in the medical field," she said, her smile fading. "So now that you've made sure—whatever it is—I hope I won't have to be scrutinized so closely again. Frankly, I find it very uncomfortable."
Then her lips curled up again. "I'll see you in a week, Doctor."
With that, Gigi walked out, leaving Sevan standing by the door. His gaze followed her as she reunited with Bubbles down the hall.
"I guess she's not faking it," he murmured.
He had overheard her conversation with Bubbles earlier. That wasn't something the old Gigi would ever say.
Slowly, he shut the door.
"..." His lips pressed into a thin line, remembering their exchange just now.
She hadn't even flinched when he leaned in. If anything, she had the audacity to say she was uncomfortable when it was she who had been making him uncomfortable for months.
"… I forgot to tell her her parents invited me to dinner."