As Seojin pressed against the door, Taeha yanked it from the other side, causing her to lose her balance. She stumbled backward, crashing into Taeha, who was standing behind her. The unexpected collision threw him off balance as well, and they both tumbled to the floor with a loud thud. Report cards and files flew across the room in all directions.
Groaning, the two tried to recover.
Seojin was stunned. Her mind blanked for a moment as reality sank in.
Oh no. Did I just fall on top of Mr. Kang Muha, a heart attack patient? I'm done for!
She sprang to her feet, only to find, much to her shock that Kang Muha was lying peacefully in his bed, looking utterly confused. He had just woken up from the noise. Seeing him unharmed, her panic eased slightly… until her eyes landed on Kim Taeha, who was still on the floor, now slipping on one of the scattered reports as he tried to get up again.
Taeha finally rose, his face twisted with fury. His eyes were blazing and he looked absolutely livid. Seojin instinctively stepped back, feeling smaller than ever under his seething gaze. Just as she braced herself for what she thought would be a verbal explosion, Taeha's phone buzzed. The sound cut through the tension like a blade. He checked the screen, scowled, and without saying a word, stormed out and slammed the door behind him.
Seojin let out a long breath of relief. Her hands trembled as she gathered the scattered documents.
"Are you okay?" asked Kang Muha gently, watching her pale face with concern. "Despite his hot-tempered nature, he always care about people" Kang Muha added. Seojin offered a soft smile to reassure him. Inside, though, she was silently screaming "Caring my foot" as she limped on her sore foot.
The rest of her day passed uneventfully, until she ran into someone unexpected in the hallway.
It was the hospital director… and he wasn't alone.Next to him stood a woman Seojin hadn't seen in years—her best friend, Lee Minci. Her jaw dropped.
"Oh, hello there, Ms. Kang," the director said with a polite nod.
Seojin quickly bowed and smiled.
"I'd like to introduce you to our newest recruit," the director continued, gesturing to Minci as though presenting a prized jewel. "She'll be working with us from now on. Could you show her around while you're at it?"
"Yeah, sure! I'd love to!" Seojin replied, beaming. She was overjoyed to reconnect with Minci after such a long time.
As soon as the director left, the two girls squealed and hugged tightly.
"So this is the surprise you were teasing me about?" Seojin laughed.
"Yep! Looks like my plan worked even better than expected," Minci grinned.
They spent the next hour wandering the hospital, chatting non-stop. Eventually, they arrived at Seojin's office.
"Any plans for tonight?" Seojin asked, plopping down in her chair.
"Nothing special," Minci replied, settling into the seat opposite her.
"Great! Then let's hang out at my place and celebrate your arrival. Pizza night….my treat!"
Minci smiled, but her attention drifted. She dug through her handbag, leaving Seojin puzzled.
"Did you lose something?"
"Nope," Minci said, her grin widening. "I have another surprise for you."
"What is it?" Seojin asked, intrigued.
Minci pulled out two glossy tickets and handed one over.
The curiosity on Seojin's face melted into stunned silence. She stared at the ticket in her hand.
It was for none other than two tickets for upcoming Five gang fan meeting.
"Seriously? This is your surprise?"
"Yeah! I know you're freaking happy inside, so don't pretend to be cool," Minci teased. "I know you better than anyone. You've always wanted to meet Kim Taeha in person."
"Well… not anymore," Seojin mumbled under her breath.
Even though she had known about the fan meeting, and once longed for the chance to meet Taeha, the way she had humiliated herself in front of him earlier today left a bitter taste. There was no way she could explain any of that to Minci.
"The fan meeting is in two weeks, right?" Seojin asked, trying to sound casual. "I don't think I'll be able to make it. I've got a lot on my plate; surgeries, patient rounds…" She exaggerate a bit, but she wasn't lying. Her schedule was packed. But she also didn't want to face Taeha again, at least, not so soon.
"Whatever," Minci said with a smirk, checking her wristwatch. "I know you won't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." She stood and grabbed her bag. "I've got to meet the director now."
But just as she reached the door, she paused and turned back with a playful wink.
"Don't forget- 8 p.m. at your place. We had a deal!"
With that, she rushed off, leaving Seojin chuckling to herself. Minci hadn't changed at all.
As Seojin turned to tidy her desk, her eyes drifted back to the ticket still in her hand.
She held it a little tighter.
But said nothing.
Later that day, the two friends spent time at Seojin's place just as they had planned. They had a blast reminiscing about old memories, laughing at the ridiculous things they'd done, and even sharing some of their most embarrassing moments. Yet, despite the warmth and comfort of their friendship, Seojin held something back. She didn't tell Minci about what had happened with Taeha.
In truth, it wasn't because she didn't trust her, she did, with her whole heart. But for some reason, a sense of uneasiness weighed heavily on her chest, stopping her from spilling the truth. No matter how much she wanted to confide in her best friend, something inside her whispered to keep it to herself.
Kang Seojin and Lee Minci had been best friends for almost two years. They first met during their hospital internship. While Minci was bubbly and outgoing, Seojin was the opposite, reserved and introverted, finding it difficult to connect with people. But fate had plans. One day, during a lecture, they were paired for a group project. That project changed everything. They quickly became inseparable.
It was Minci who brought Seojin out of her shell. Thanks to her, Seojin transformed from a shy introvert into someone who now enjoyed meeting new people. She even became a Five Gang fan because of Minci. To Seojin, Minci wasn't just a friend, she was family. Whenever something troubled her and she didn't want her real family to find out, she knew Minci would always be her safe space.
That night, time slipped away as they lost themselves in laughter and conversation. By the time Minci left, it was nearly 1 a.m. Seojin had tried convincing her to stay the night, but Minci, ever the stubborn soul, insisted on leaving. Despite her concern, Seojin let her go.
The following week was brutal for Seojin. She could barely rest. Her workload skyrocketed; six surgeries, fifteen new patients, all demanding her time and energy. Each morning, she woke up earlier than usual, and each night she returned home exhausted, often too drained to do anything else. On several nights, she didn't even make it home, falling asleep on the couch in her hospital room instead.
Life felt overwhelming, like a non-stop whirlwind. She had no time to think about anything else, except, of course, Kim Taeha.
Avoiding him had practically become a full-time job in itself. But it was proving impossible. As the attending doctor for Kang Muha, Taeha's adoptive father, their paths were bound to cross. And to make matters worse, they were also next-door neighbors, though at this point, their relationship felt like anything but neighborly.
After everything that happened, Seojin hadn't even worked up the courage to apologize properly. All she could do was continue avoiding him.
One day, on her way to Kang Muha's hospital room, she spotted Taeha in the hallway. Without a second thought, she turned around and walked away as quickly and inconspicuously as possible. Running would've drawn attention, not to mention look completely insane, especially in a hospital full of eyes. Even Taeha might've thought she'd lost her mind. She thought she'd feel proud for walking away so smoothly, but the feeling didn't last. In fact, she began retreating into avoidance mode everywhere; the hospital, the apartment complex, the parking lot, and even the tiny convenience store next door. Every time, she'd pull the same disappearing act, and it was clear that Taeha was starting to notice her out-of-this world behavior.
One particular morning, just as Kang Seojin was about to leave for work, she cautiously turned her apartment doorknob and opened it just a crack. Like always, she peeked through the small opening to make sure the coast was clear, specifically, that Kim Taeha wasn't anywhere in sight. She had gotten used to this spy-like routine to avoid any awkward encounters with her fake neighbor.
But fate had other plans.
Instead of Taeha, she saw the other four members of Five Gang standing in front of his apartment. Her heart skipped a beat. She felt like a robber caught mid-heist, not to mention, in her own house. She quickly cleared her throat and opened the door fully, trying to act normal as she greeted them politely.
They responded with warm smiles and greetings, but just as she started to breathe easier, Taeha emerged from the apartment. Her stomach dropped. It was like getting caught red-handed doing something criminal. She longed to retreat inside, but her body betrayed her. It simply refused to move. Taeha's cold gaze met hers, and she froze.
With no choice, she forced a small, awkward smile and started walking toward the elevator, praying desperately that none of them would follow. She had no intention of taking the stairs just to avoid her favorite idol.
But luck wasn't on her side.
Just as the elevator doors began to close, a foot shot out and stopped them. Taeha stepped inside, eyes fixed on her like daggers. The other four members followed, positioning themselves behind her.
Now, Seojin was stuck. She stood at the front of the elevator, near the doors, her heart pounding so loud it echoed in her ears. She could swear the others could hear it too. No one spoke. The silence was deafening, and the air felt thick with tension.
Trying to stay composed, she reached out to press the parking lot button, only to accidentally brush fingers with Taeha, who was also reaching from behind. The moment their skin touched, Seojin turned bright red and instantly withdrew her hand. Taeha did the same.
Neither of them pressed the button.
Still flustered, Seojin began fidgeting with her fingers. Taeha caught sight of her flushed ears peeking through her hair, and despite himself, a small smirk played on his lips. Then, calmly, he reached forward and pressed the parking lot button, but what he did next was unexpected!