24ES | Chapter 2.2

Lee Siyeon, now somewhat sober thanks to her remarkable recovery speed, patted Yesuh’s back as she wept. It seemed her “drink fast, sober fast” mantra wasn’t an exaggeration.

Yesung silently marveled at Siyeon’s detox abilities while sipping his beer to clear his mouth of its lingering bitterness. He could empathize with Yesuh’s frustration—pediatric patients’ families were often highly sensitive, and some took out their anger on doctors.

Yesung himself frequently dealt with such situations as a pediatric surgeon and understood her struggles better than anyone else at the table.

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The alcohol worked its magic, easing the tension in his chest. Meanwhile, next to him, Kang Baek-o was single-handedly fielding the grievances of both doctors.

“Professor. Do you know what happened in the ER during your last off-duty shift?”

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“Hm? During my off-duty shift? What happened?”

“Two heavily drunk people showed up and—get this—they tried to treat the ER like a motel!”

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“Haha, is that so?”

“Yeah! They said their friend’s house was too far, so they asked if they could stay the night in our ER! Can you believe that?”

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“Really? What did you do?”

“Obviously, I told them to go home and sleep! I mean, the ER as a hotel? Seriously, I couldn’t believe it!”

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“Well done, Dr. Baek. Nicely handled.”

“Thank you, Professor!”

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In response to Baek-o’s praise, Baek Euijun, a third-year ER resident, leapt to his feet and gave an exaggerated bow before being ushered back into his seat.

Watching the antics, Yesung clicked his tongue inwardly.

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He knew about it already but pretends it’s news….

Baek-o, well-known as the hospital’s social butterfly and gossip hub, likely knew everything happening in the ER, even on his off days.

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After Euijun settled down, the orthopedic fellow Jang Kihyun took his turn.

“Phew… The ER’s full of troublemakers, huh? Well, our department has its own idiot—a colleague who can’t communicate for crap and is terrible at their job.”

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“Oh, you mean that classmate of yours?”

Jang’s head shot up at Baek-o’s knowing tone.

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“That’s right! Professor, you know exactly who I’m talking about—that walking disaster!”

“Of course I know. Too well, unfortunately. Not just me—everyone does.”

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It was true. Everyone at the table, except for the new arrival, Jung Hageon, knew about the infamous doctor. Their reputation had spread widely throughout the hospital, albeit in a negative light.

“What did they do this time?” Baek-o asked, feigning interest even though he likely knew the story.

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“Well, Professor called for them to come to the OR, but they showed up an hour late. The professor cursed them out with every word under the sun, even telling them to quit being a doctor and leave the hospital. But guess what? Do you know why they were late? You won’t believe it.”

“Oh? Why? What’s the reason?”

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“…You overslept? You were too tired and just ignored the professor’s call and went back to sleep?”

“Hah…”

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Kang Baek-o couldn’t even find the words to respond, and the others were equally dumbfounded, left speechless by the sheer absurdity of it. The only one unaffected was Jung Hageon, who remained unbothered and continued to fix his gaze on Yesung.

If anyone were watching, they might think I’d smeared honey all over my face or something.

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The persistence of that earlier stare in the treatment room now felt mild in comparison. Even while listening to his colleagues’ drunken laments, Yesung found his attention involuntarily drawn toward Hageon, sitting across from him. His gaze was so incessant that it became impossible not to notice.

The discomfort only grew more acute when silence fell over the table. In the quiet, Hageon’s blatant stare felt even more pronounced. It was unbearable, to the point where Yesung silently wished someone would change the topic. Surprisingly, it was Hageon who made the first move, slipping away from the table.

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“…Hah.”

As Hageon left, Yesung let out a quiet sigh of relief, finally easing the tension in his shoulders that he hadn’t realized had built up.

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Even after Hageon left, the drinking party continued. Once Jang Kihyun finished his story, Baek Euijun eagerly launched into another tale about his experiences in the ER. Yesung listened, nodding along to the varying grievances of his colleagues, but eventually seized the chance to quietly excuse himself.

He’d only had a single beer, but he needed some fresh air. The tension from earlier had left him more drained than he expected. As he stepped outside, the cool night breeze brushed against his heated cheeks, a stark contrast to the warm, lively bar behind him.

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Stepping to the side so he wouldn’t block the entrance, Yesung took in the Saturday night scene.

People hurried by with their hands shoved into coat pockets, others leaned on friends to steady their drunken steps. Some passed by talking on their phones, while others stared down at their screens as they walked.

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Even at this late hour, the streets were bustling. Was it because tomorrow was Sunday?

On the road before him, cars with their headlights blazing zipped along the eight-lane asphalt. Beyond the road stood towering buildings, their lights still on in patches, evidence that, like the doctors back at the hospital, not everyone had the luxury of going home tonight.

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“…Hah.”

He had socialized enough for one night. It was time to head home. At this point, Yesung was like a smartphone with less than 5% battery, utterly drained and ready to shut down at any moment. Rubbing at his tired eyes, he resolved to leave quietly, just as he had slipped out unnoticed earlier.

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“…My stuff. I need to grab my things from inside.”

Turning to head back in, Yesung suddenly heard the bar’s door creak open beside him. The timing was perfect—or unlucky. As he turned to re-enter, someone else stepped out, their eyes meeting his in midair.

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“Sunbae.”

It was Jung Hageon. He had apparently gone to the restroom earlier, and Yesung had assumed he might have left entirely, given how long he’d been gone. Clearly, that wasn’t the case.

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Yesung’s eyes moved from Hageon’s face to the items in his hands—a coat and a phone. Specifically, his coat and phone.

A crease formed between Yesung’s brows as he stared at the familiar belongings. Noticing this, Hageon held them out.

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“What’s this? Why do you have my stuff?”

The words came out sharper than intended. The mix of exhaustion, lingering tension, and alcohol made it harder to keep his usual composure. Or perhaps it was the memory of Hageon’s persistent stares earlier.

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Despite Yesung’s bristling tone, Hageon’s expression didn’t falter.

“…I saw them on the floor when I came back from the restroom. I was going to hang them back on your chair, but your phone started vibrating. I thought it might be something urgent, so I brought them out.”

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Though it saved Yesung a trip back inside, it felt unnecessary. Shooting Hageon a slightly annoyed look, Yesung snatched his belongings from his hands.

He turned to leave, but Hageon called out again.

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“Sunbae.”

There it was again—that casual yet loaded address. Yesung didn’t even remember this guy, but Hageon acted as if calling him “sunbae” was the most natural thing in the world.

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‘Same school, same club. Of course, he would.’

Yesung inwardly tried to rationalize it, forcing himself to brush off his discomfort as he turned back to Hageon. Meeting Yesung’s puzzled gaze, Hageon pressed his lips into a straight line. His dark eyes gleamed momentarily, giving away nothing of his thoughts.

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“Sunbae, are you gay?”

The unexpected question hit like a bolt from the blue.

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***

“Haah.”

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Back at the hospital after the unsettling events of the night out, Yesung found himself pressing his forehead against the cool, hard surface of the hallway wall. It wasn’t a hangover troubling him—it was the memory of what had happened two days ago that made his head throb.

“Why did it have to happen right then…”

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He shifted his hands from his temples to his forehead, feeling the coldness of the wall seep into his skin, slightly easing the rising surge of frustration.

“Sunbae, are you gay?”

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Yesung had barely processed Jung Hageon’s question before he caught a taxi and hurried home, despite the distance being walkable. The shock had been too much, his mind too scattered. The cab driver, delighted by the late-hour fare, had frowned upon hearing Yesung’s address, murmuring under his breath before swiftly dropping him off.

Once out of the taxi, Yesung immediately checked his phone.

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“Of course. This was the problem…”

Unsurprisingly, he found a notification from an app on his lock screen and bit his lip in annoyance. It was from a dating app popular among the gay community.

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Fortunately, his phone was locked, and the content of the messages wasn’t visible. But still…

“I’m sure I turned off the notifications…”

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Grasping his head in frustration, Yesung sighed deeply. It seemed the app had updated and reset its settings, a common annoyance after updates, which he hadn’t had time to adjust due to his busy hospital schedule.

“Of all the apps to act up… This had to be the one.”

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Yesung had never spoken to anyone about his sexual orientation; even his closest friend, Kang Baek-o, was unaware. Now, it had been inadvertently exposed to Jung Hageon, practically a stranger, as Yesung had no memory of him.

The situation was incredibly awkward. Yesung chewed on his lip, tormented by the thought.

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“Jung Hageon…”

He let his forehead fall away from the wall, his eyes sharpening with realization.

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“If the phone was locked and he couldn’t see the messages, then he must have recognized the app icon… which means…”

It implied that Jung Hageon had either used the app himself or seen someone else who did.

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“That means he’s likely in the same boat as me.”

Given that Hageon hadn’t seemed like someone who would gossip about others’ secrets, especially if he shared the same inclination, Yesung felt somewhat assured that the details of his orientation wouldn’t spread within the hospital.

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“At least there won’t be rumors… But the problem now is with Jung Hageon.”

Yesung was usually calm, but he had been visibly shaken that night, almost fleeing the scene. By not denying the accusation, he had almost confirmed it.

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Regardless, Jung Hageon had seemed certain of it already.

It was a draining ordeal. Yesung’s brows furrowed as he returned his head to the wall, but he was interrupted by a noise behind him.

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“Uh? Dr. Han? What are you doing there?”

It was early morning, and the hallway was relatively empty except for a nurse from the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit who had just appeared.

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Quickly pulling away from the wall, Yesung adjusted his hair and composed himself, meeting the nurse with a faint smile.

“Oh. Just needed a moment to think. It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

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“Is that so? Okay then.”

After a slightly awkward exchange and a deeper smile from Yesung, the nurse nodded coolly and moved on.

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Putting the unsettling thoughts aside, Yesung resumed his duties. Walking into the PICU, he was greeted by another nurse.

“Dr. Han, you’re here?”

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“Yes. How has Seungchae been doing in my absence?”

“There were no major issues, just a slight fever last night.”

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“What was the temperature?”

“37.5°C, but it dropped quickly.”

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“That’s good. Just keep a close watch then.”

“Will do.”

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After thanking the nurse, Yesung approached Seungchae’s bed. The boy had been admitted to the emergency department the day Jung Hageon started and had undergone emergency surgery.

Yesung checked Seungchae’s vitals and the efficacy of his medications. Then, wearing sterile gloves, he carefully inspected the surgical site, which was healing nicely.

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He finished dressing the wound and moved to the laptop stationed between the pediatric beds to document the patient’s status.

Seungchae was doing well, potentially ready to move to a regular ward soon. After completing the charts, Yesung scrolled through them for a final check but accidentally scrolled too far, revealing a chart above his, clearly written by another doctor.

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“Cardiothoracic Surgery, Jung Hageon.”

The chart was from last night. Jung Hageon had checked on Seungchae’s condition, understandable since the surgery was a joint effort with thoracic surgery, and suturing was handled by plastic surgery.

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Confronted with Hageon’s name so soon after their awkward encounter made Yesung pause momentarily before he shook off any lingering feelings and moved on to check on another patient.

Today was no day to dwell on personal matters; there were other tasks at hand.

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