Han Aera trudged through the front door, exhaustion weighing heavily on her limbs. The tense conversation with Minjin still echoed in her mind, tightening the knot in her chest. Just as she was about to take a deep breath, a small, excited voice cut through her haze.
Her four-year-old son ran toward her with open arms. Han Aera forced a weary smile, bending down to lift him up. As she held him close, his little arms wrapped around her neck.
Han Aera carried him into the kitchen, where the sink overflowed with dirty dishes and half-eaten side dishes were left in Tupperware on the dining table.
She let out a long sigh and set him down.
Inside, another mess awaited her. Her husband's clothes were scattered across the floor, and his shoes were haphazardly left by the bed. There he was, sleeping and unaware of the emotional storm brewing within her.
Something inside Han Aera snapped.
She picked up one of his shirts and tossed it at him, then another, and yet another. Her hands moved independently as she repeatedly smacked him with the wrinkled fabric.
"Wake up! Wake up, you selfish bastard!" she cried.
Her husband jolted awake, "What the hell, Aera—?"
She kept hitting him, her tears blurring her vision as she pounded against his chest. He tried to grab her wrists, but she wouldn't stop. Eventually, her strength gave out. Han Aera staggered backward, gripping her temples, her breathing uneven.
"What's wrong with you?" her husband asked.
She lifted her head. "I want a divorce."
A heavy silence settled between them before he gave a low, disbelieving chuckle. "Really? Again with this? You've been saying it for years but never actually go through with it."
"I'm tired. I'm tired of this marriage."
"You married me for my wealth, right? Because my family could save yours from drowning in debt? So why are you giving up now? Oh—don't tell me it's about Kang Minjun again?"
Han Aera stiffened.
Her husband scoffed. "Aera-ah, he never liked you. Why are you still stuck in the past?"
"You don't understand my feelings for him!" she blurted out before she could stop herself.
His expression darkened. "You're not cheating on me, are you, Aera-ah?"
She shook her head and turned away, but before she could leave, his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. He spun her around, his grip tightening as he cupped her face in his hands.
"You think I'll let you go that easily? You used me, Aera-ah. That means I have the right to use you too."
Han Aera's breath caught as she gazed into his piercing eyes.
###
Han Aera's husband paced intensely around the hospital grounds. He approached the reception desk to inquire about the room number for Kang Minjun, but the receptionist sensed his agitation and hesitated to provide the information. ask about Kang Minjun's room number. Frustrated, Han Aera's husband cursed at her before rushing to resume his search. The receptionist quickly picked up the phone and called security to report the incident.
Han Aera's husband asked every nurse and patient he met for directions to Kang Minjun's clinic. Some were able to tell him the room number and floor. He headed straight for the elevator, and when it arrived at the correct floor, he walked with determination, taking each step with purpose.
While searching for Kang Minjun's clinic, he encountered several people in the hallway. When he finally found the door, he opened it quickly. Inside, he noticed a few patients in the waiting area. The secretary spotted and attempted to approach him, but he rushed into the Kang Minjun clinic while she attended to another patient.
The secretary tried to intervene, but the man yelled angrily as he approached Minjun. Minjun turned to his patient with concern and asked him to excuse himself. However, Han Aera's husband struck him in the face before he could finish speaking.
The secretary attempted to intervene and asked for assistance from the others outside.
"You're an adulterer! Why are you taking someone else's partner? Everyone should know that Kang Minjun is worthless! He's stealing my wife away from me!"
Before the husband could throw another punch, security rushed in swiftly to stop him. The secretary hurried to Minjun and asked if he was okay as he held his jaw.
"Bring that jerk into the precinct! He's a well-known doctor, but he's also my wife's lover!"
The incident brought Minjun and Han Aera's husband to the department head's office. Security was behind them as the husband ranted and complained that Minjun was having an affair with his wife, Dr. Han Aera.
The department head calmly asked Minjun if the accusation was true. Minjun smirked and replied, "I am not, gyusonim."
"Liar! She wants to divorce me because of you! You are ruining my family!"
Suddenly, some police officers arrived. The husband explained everything to them and wanted to file a complaint against Kang Minjun. After that, the door swung open, and Han Aera rushed inside, looking worried. She noticed a bruise on the side of Minjun's lips.
"Did you do that to him?" Han Aera asked.
Her husband smirked. "Did you hear that? She's much more concerned than me!"
Han Aera turned to the head of the department, bowed deeply, and apologized to him. She then apologized to Minjun, denying any romantic involvement between them. However, her husband insisted that they were lovers.
Minjun responded with a grin, "I'm willing to hand over my phone to the police so they can investigate whether I'm really your wife's lover." He reached into his pocket, took out his phone, and handed it to one of the officers. "I've been using this phone for the last two years, and I've had the same number for five years. Look for any evidence you find; if you discover something, I will gladly revoke my license."
Han Aera turned to him and said, "Oppa…"
The husband smirked at the suggestion. Minjun then turned to him with a grin and added, "If you find nothing, I will file a complaint against him for assaulting me and barging into my clinic while I was attending to my patient."
###
Minjin was assigned to be the guardian for Tae-sung during his shift. Only the interns visited Tae-sung's room as evening approached to check on him. Minjin wondered where Minjun was, as he usually accompanied them.
"Kang-seonsaengnim won't be able to come for a while. We will take care of your needs until he returns," one of the interns said.
After the interns finished their check-up with Tae-sung and bowed their heads in respect, Minjin followed them outside. "Excuse me, seonsaengnim," Minjin called out to one of the interns.
The interns turned to her and exchanged glances until one of them spoke up. "Agasshi, we've been curious about your relationship with Kang-seonsaengnim."
Minjin's eyes widened momentarily, but then she smiled sincerely. "He was a friend."
The interns exchanged glances once more before one of them turned to her. "Kang-seonsaengnim was brought to the precinct earlier. Han-seonsaengnim's husband came to complain that Kang-seonsaengnim is having an affair with his wife."
Minjin's eyes widened in shock, and she quickly blurted out, "Bo?!"
"It was reported that he was punched in the face."
Minjin chuckled in disbelief and anger. The interns noticed her unusual reactions and glanced at each other again.
###
Minjin stood outside Tae-sung's room, pacing back and forth, consumed by guilt over what had happened to Minjun. She blamed herself for the chaos surrounding Minjun because she had confronted Han Aera the previous day.
Suddenly, she stopped and clutched her head, groaning, "Argh! I'm so dumb!" With a deep sigh and slumped shoulders, she continued, "The young Minjin inside me has never truly disappeared. Whenever Minjun is involved, I always act recklessly and foolishly!"
She lowered her head and grasped her hair again as she bent down. "What should I do now? Think, Minjin-ah. Think!"
Minjin stood up and leaned against the wall as she looked for Bang Eun-Kyung's number in their group chat list. She quickly sent him a message asking if she could call him.
As she waited for his reply, she stared at her phone, noticing that he hadn't seen her message yet. She kept glancing at the time on her screen, and when a minute had passed, she impatiently dialed his number.
The phone kept ringing for quite some time, making Minjin impatient until Bang Eun-Kyung finally answered.
"Hello?"
"Eun-kyung-ah, it's Minjin."
"Minjin?"
"Yeah, are you busy right now?"
"Kind of. Why?"
"Minjun got into trouble today."
"What happened?"
Minjin sighed. "Han Aera's husband confronted Minjun and accused him of being her lover."
"What?! What the heck… that woman! She just won't leave Minjun alone!"
"Minjun isn't here right now. Can you check on him?"
"Araso, I will."
"Keep me updated, okay?"
"Araso."
When the call ended, Minjin brushed her face in guilt. "What have I done?"
Bang Eun-Kyung was in the middle of a meeting discussing the evidence they had gathered for a case. Once his call with Minjin concluded, he quickly turned to his colleagues with urgency.
"Sorry, but I need to leave early. I have an emergency," he said before rushing outside. "Ya, Eun-Kyung-ah!" one of his colleagues called after him.
As soon as Bang Eun-Kyung left the room, he quickly dialed Minjun's number. He hurried through the hallways, trying to avoid bumping into anyone, and rushed down the stairs. However, Minjun's number was unreachable. He felt the urge to call again, but once he got to his car and started the engine, he finally set his phone down and drove away. Just then, he received a message from Minjin and quickly grabbed his phone to read it.
"Don't tell Minjun that I was the one who told you."
Bang Eun-Kyung couldn't help but smile and shook his head. Moments later, another message popped up.
"Don't be too obvious. You know what I mean."
He gently chuckled to himself, thinking, "Both of them are still stupid with each other."
###
Minjun was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling with his forearm resting on his forehead. He let out a series of deep sighs, troubled by the thought of his license being revoked due to a scandal. Guilt washed over him again as he recalled what he had done to Han Aera. A part of him felt he deserved the consequences. Then, Minjin crossed his mind.
He sighed again, wondering why this was happening now that Minjin had returned. She had helped him become a doctor, and he feared she would be disappointed if he lost his license.
This time, he sighed deeply and covered his face with his forearm. He knew Minjin would be even more upset if she learned that he was involved in a cheating scandal, as she had always despised cheaters.
His mind was disturbed by the sudden ringing of the doorbell. He pushed his forearm away from his eyes and wondered who could visit him at this hour.
He slowly got out of bed and went to open the door. His eyes widened in shock when he saw Bang Eun-Kyung standing there, smiling.
"Have you eaten? I brought food," he said, holding up the paper bags.
Minjun was about to protest, but Bang Eun-Kyung nudged his arm and walked inside.
Minjun sighed as he lifted his head to follow him. "What are you doing here?"
Bang Eun-Kyung went to the dining table and set down the food he had bought. "I tried to call you, but you didn't answer. I got worried and went to the hospital, and they told me what happened. How are you? Are you okay?"
Minjun sighed again. "I'm fine."
Bang Eun-Kyung then set the meal on the table. "Come on, let's eat." He sat down while Minjun reluctantly took a seat across from him. "Are you even eating, Minjun-ah? You look pale."
"I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me," Minjun replied, picking up the wooden spoon to dig into his meal.
"Minjun-ah, can I be honest with you?" Bang Eun-Kyung asked while he tried to mix his food.
"Sure," Minjun responded flatly.
"You used to be more expressive, but now you keep everything to yourself. You have studied brain and human psychology, Minjun-ah. Haven't you learned anything?" Bang Eun-Kyung said, looking intently at Minjun.
Minjun sighed deeply and turned to look at him.
"I know I've been busy, and I'm really sorry for not asking about your feelings more often. This time, I'll do my best to communicate with you, and I hope you'll do the same with me, Minjun-ah."
Minjun smiled faintly. "Are you asking me to be your boyfriend?" he teased, lowering his head to eat.
Bang Eun-Kyung chuckled lightly and went back to his meal. "You look worse, by the way. Did he just punch you once?" he asked before taking another bite.
Minjun chuckled softly. "Yeah."
"What happened next?"
"We were taken to the precinct. He said he would file a complaint."
"Has Xiumin-hyung already done that?"
Minjun shook his head after swallowing. "No, please don't tell him."
Bang Eun-Kyung then turned to him. "Why couldn't I reach you on your phone?"
"I surrendered my phone for the investigation. They need proof that I am her lover."
"Did the hospital impose any sanctions against you?"
Minjun sighed deeply. "I was told to take a two-day leave of absence after the investigation into my phone."
Bang Eun-kyung chuckled in disbelief and annoyance. "Bo? They already did that to you?"
Minjun turned to face him. "Cheating is an unethical and immoral act. It goes against our oath."
"Come on, there are plenty of cheaters in that institution! They pretend not to know anything but stay silent to protect their reputations!"
"I'm just unlucky," Minjun replied.
Bang Eun-Kyung then looked seriously at Minjun. "You aren't her lover, right?"
Minjun smiled back at him. "You think so little of me."
Bang Eun-Kyung returned the smile. "I just want some assurance. But I know you wouldn't do that. I trust you." He then lowered his head to eat but continued speaking. "Do you want to know a secret, Minjun-ah?"
Minjun grinned teasingly. "Are you finally going to tell me now?"
Bang Eun-Kyung swallowed before turning to Minjun. "We had a welcome party for Minjin last night."
Minjun smirked and continued with his meal. "That's fine with me."
"But, Minjun-ah, I think it was right that I didn't tell you about it. She has changed a lot," Bang Eun-Kyung said as he resumed his meal.
Minjun smirked again but didn't respond. Then he suddenly paused mid-air with his spoon and asked, "Does she know what happened today?"
Bang Eun-Kyung shook his head and replied while his mouth was full, "I don't know. She didn't ask me, and I didn't ask her." After swallowing, he turned to Minjun. "Ya, Minjun-ah, don't be so curious about Minjin-ah. Just focus on your own life. She has hers."
Minjun smirked but continued eating. "You don't need to tell me that."
Bang Eun-Kyung watched Minjun as he ate. He sighed quietly, considering that it might be a good idea for Minjin to return to Minjun's life. He believed that since Minjin was the one who had caused Minjun to build a wall around himself, she might also be able to tear it down.
After contemplating this, he lowered his head to resume his meal. It was a risky proposition, but he hoped it would have the same positive effect as before.