24ES | Chapter 5.1

“Great job, everyone. Dr. Han, you can finish up with this patient and head straight home. It’s been a while since you’ve been able to go home, hasn’t it?”

Yesung, who had been handing over an instrument to a nurse, widened his eyes in surprise at Dr. Jin’s unexpected kindness.

“…Pardon? Is that really okay?”

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“Of course, Dr. Han. Please, take a day off and get some proper rest. I sent you to catch some sleep earlier, but judging by your face, you clearly didn’t rest at all. How are you supposed to take care of patients like this? Besides, I’m here, Dr. Ha is here, and we have Dr. Seol and even our own Park Joohyuk. Everything’s under control.”

“Exactly, sunbae! Do as the professor says!”

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As if he had been waiting for his cue, Park Joohyuk quickly chimed in, siding with Dr. Jin’s firm emphasis on his name.

After a brief hesitation, Yesung eventually nodded, unable to resist the combined persuasion of his superior and junior.

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“Understood, professor. Thank you very much.”

Dr. Jin waved a hand dismissively at Yesung’s gratitude, walking toward the OR door and nudging it open with his foot before turning back.

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“Alright, good work, everyone.”

“Yes! Thank you for your hard work!”

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“Thank you, Professor!”

“Thank you for your efforts.”

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With the final “thank you” from Yesung, Dr. Jin left the operating room, leaving the medical team behind. As the others saw him off, Yesung lowered his gaze and stretched out his hand.

“Shall we wrap this up quickly too?”

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“Yes!”

“Got it!”

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Almost immediately, long forceps and a tie were handed over to him. The experienced nurse assisting made the process efficient, allowing Yesung to finish the surgery faster than expected.

The emergency patient had arrived early in the morning, but by the time the surgery was completed, the sun was already up. Removing his surgical gown and tossing it into the bin, Yesung turned to the team.

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“Great work, everyone.”

“You worked hard too, Dr. Han.”

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“You were amazing, sunbae.”

“Thanks. Dr. Park, great job as well. If there’s any issue while I’m gone, call me immediately.”

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“Don’t worry, Dr. Seol is here. Dr. Jin’s around too. While you’re off, stop stressing and just rest up properly, sunbae.”

His cautionary reminder was met with a playful scolding. Yesung, momentarily taken aback, smiled knowingly at the well-intentioned remarks before turning to leave.

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“Alright. Take care.”

“See you later!”

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With Park Joohyuk’s farewell trailing behind him, Yesung made his way straight to the pediatric surgery fellow on-call room. Once inside, he removed his mask and peeled off his surgical cap, revealing hair matted from hours of sweat and effort.

Staring blankly at his familiar reflection in the mirror, Yesung changed into fresh clothes and pulled a cap low over his head. Exiting the room and passing through the hospital’s front doors, he squinted against the bright morning sunlight.

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Climbing into one of the ever-present taxis waiting outside, he gave the driver his destination.

“Hanguk Officetel, please.”

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The taxi began moving immediately. Yesung’s home was only a 15-minute walk from the hospital. If starting from the nearby bar, it’d be less than 10 minutes.

Though walkable, he opted for a taxi; even 15 minutes of walking felt like too much. The gentle vibration of the taxi’s seat was comforting, and the sunlight streaming through the window warmed him.

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Perhaps that’s why…

“…Doc! Hey, Doc! We’re here. You’re home! Go in and get some rest!”

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Apparently, he had dozed off. Startled awake by the driver’s cheerful voice, Yesung quickly apologized.

“Oh… Oh, yes. Thank you.”

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“No need. You doctors work so hard. Get inside safely!”

With the warm farewell still ringing in his ears, Yesung stepped out and watched the taxi drive off.

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“How did he know I’m a doctor?”

Blinking in confusion, he began trudging toward the building. The mystery solved itself when he reached the elevator.

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“Oh… That’s why.”

Catching sight of his reflection, Yesung chuckled dryly. Around his neck hung his medical ID, which clearly identified him as a pediatric surgeon: Han Yesung.

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He’d thought he had stuffed it into his pocket but must have put it back on after changing clothes. It was a mistake born of exhaustion. Taking off the ID and clutching it tightly, he pressed the button for his floor.

Ding. The elevator arrived at the 13th floor.

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Leaning against the wall, Yesung straightened himself and stepped out, heading for his door. He entered the passcode with a practiced motion, slipped off his shoes, and…

Click.

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The sound of a door opening stopped him in his tracks.

What? A burglar?!

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Panicking, Yesung fumbled through the shoe cabinet and pulled out a baseball bat he had stored “just in case.” Turning around, he prepared to face the intruder, only to drop everything in shock.

Clatter, clang.

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The loud noise echoed as the bat and some clothes he had been holding fell to the floor.

Standing in the bathroom doorway was none other than Jung Hageon.

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Yesung’s eyes widened to near-cartoonish proportions. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, but no sound came out.

Why is he here? How is he here?

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While Yesung stood frozen, Jung Hageon nonchalantly greeted him, towel-drying his hair as if this were the most normal thing in the world. Thankfully, he was fully dressed, which was a small consolation.

“Oh, sunbae. You’re back?”

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You’re back? YOU’RE BACK?!

Pointing an accusing finger at Jung Hageon, Yesung stammered.

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“You, you…!”

What the hell is this lunatic doing here?! Did I accidentally enter the wrong house because I’m so out of it?

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But no, he had entered his own code. If this were someone else’s home, the door wouldn’t have opened in the first place.

Still reeling from the shock and fatigue, his brain sputtered, failing to process the situation.

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Seeing Yesung at a loss for words, Jung Hageon fully stepped out of the bathroom and approached him.

His gaze dropped to the baseball bat amidst the scattered clothes on the floor, and he chuckled softly.

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“Looks like you didn’t know, sunbae.”

“Know what?”

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A rare smile spread across Jung Hageon’s face, though Yesung was too rattled to appreciate the peculiarity of the sight.

“That I’m your new roommate.”

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The subtle amusement in Jung Hageon’s eyes made Yesung’s face undergo a four-step transformation: shock, horror, disbelief, and finally, pale resignation.

“Ha…”

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A deep sigh escaped from Yesung, rising from the depths of his chest. He pressed his hand to his forehead, as if trying to stave off a growing headache.

The officetel where Yesung lived was owned by Hanguk University Hospital, part of a system to provide housing for medical staff who lived far away or had particular circumstances. Yesung had chosen to move in as a way to save money. The only condition was sharing the space with one roommate, but compared to his days growing up in an orphanage, it was hardly an inconvenience. In fact, he had been grateful for it.

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About three months ago, Yesung’s previous roommate, a physician from internal medicine, had moved out after earning their specialist license and deciding to open a private clinic. A month later, the hospital’s operations team called Yesung to inform him that a new roommate would be moving in and even mentioned who it would be. The problem was, Yesung had taken that call while half-asleep. He only vaguely remembered hearing that someone new would be joining him and had hung up without paying attention to the rest.

Given how little time he spent at home, he hadn’t been particularly curious about who the new roommate was. All he had hoped for was that they’d be a quiet person, since their off-duty days might overlap. He never imagined that person would turn out to be Jung Hageon.

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If anyone was to blame, it was his half-conscious self for brushing off that phone call. It was entirely his fault.

Yesung felt the urge to smack himself on the forehead repeatedly. If he could go back in time, he’d grab his sleep-deprived self by the collar and shake him until he paid attention to the details of that call. Not that it would’ve changed anything, but at least it might’ve served as an outlet for his frustration.

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He quickly resigned himself to reality.

He had rejected Jung Hageon’s confession once, and the guy had said he wouldn’t give up. But never in his wildest dreams did he think they’d cross paths again so soon—especially in his own home.

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Yesung had been relieved when emergency surgeries had kept him stuck in the operating room for days, sparing him from facing Jung Hageon. That brief reprieve had been the happiest half-day of his life.

But now? They were going to be roommates, sharing the same space indefinitely.

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A hollow laugh escaped him before he could stop it.

“Ha, haha…”

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“Let’s get along well, sunbae.”

Even as Yesung let out a laugh devoid of soul, Jung Hageon cheerfully extended his hand.

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But Yesung ignored the gesture entirely and walked straight past him into his room.

“This is just a dream. It has to be. Please, let this be a dream…”

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He was sure that his exhaustion and lack of sleep were making him hallucinate.

Desperately denying the grim truth, Yesung flopped onto his bed with a dramatic dive. The moment he closed his eyes, sleep overtook him, pulling him into unconsciousness as if to grant his wish.

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