chase the cut - jeon wonwoo imagine
hello~ i've been wanting to write a med au for so long, i tried my best here so i hope you like it!🤍
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for my other svt fics, check them here
All works are copyrighted ©scarletwinterxx 2025 . Do not repost, re-write without the permission of author.
(gif not mine, credits to rightful owner)
You bolt out of the room like your life depends on it.
Behind you, heavy footsteps follow, growing louder with each second. "Come back here!" Wonwoo’s usually calm voice has a sharp edge, but you don’t dare slow down
"It’s just a scratch!" you yell over your shoulder
"A scratch?!" Wonwoo sounds offended. "You’re a surgeon, and you’re bleeding! Do you hear yourself?"
Mingyu and Seokmin barely react as you sprint past them. Mingyu, sipping his coffee, raises a brow. "What did she do now?"
"She got a cut," Wonwoo answers, still in pursuit
Seokmin blinks. "A cut? We’re literally surrounded by scalpels and needles every day—why is he freaking out?"
You duck behind a chair, panting. "Because he’s a pediatric surgeon," you whisper dramatically. "He deals with tiny humans, not full-grown surgeons with minor injuries!"
Wonwoo rounds the corner, eyes locked on you. "You. Sit. Down."
Mingyu, ever the agent of chaos, casually blocks your escape route. "Just let him patch you up. Or keep running—I’m entertained either way."
Seokmin grins. "I say we take bets. Five bucks says he tackles her."
You glare at them. "Some friends you are."
Wonwoo takes a step forward, and you take a step back. It’s a ridiculous standoff in the middle of the hospital lounge.
"Do not make me chase you around the hospital," he warns.
You make a break for it. Seokmin and Mingyu laugh as Wonwoo groans and sprints after you. He catches you in less than five seconds. He’s faster than he looks, and before you can dodge, an arm wraps around your waist, effectively trapping you.
"Gotcha," he mutters, his breath warm against your ear
You squirm uselessly. "This is unfair! You have long legs!"
"You have terrible decision-making skills," he counters, steering you toward the nearest chair with ease. Seokmin and Mingyu watch like it’s their favorite reality show, Mingyu even grabbing a snack.
Wonwoo lets go just long enough to grab the antiseptic wipes, and that’s when the real panic sets in.
"Wait, wait, wait—just let me mentally prepare—"
"You had plenty of time to do that while you were running," he deadpans
The moment the antiseptic-soaked wipe touches your skin, you jolt like you’ve been electrocuted. "Ow, ow, OW—"
Wonwoo sighs. "You literally cut people open for a living, and you’re whining over this?"
Seokmin snickers. "Zero pain tolerance. It’s honestly embarrassing."
Mingyu nods sagely. "Every time she gets a paper cut, she acts like she’s been stabbed."
You glare at them through watery eyes. "This hurts—"
"It stings," Wonwoo corrects, holding your wrist firmly as you try to pull away. "Stay still before you actually make it worse."
You groan dramatically, but Wonwoo, ever patient, finishes patching you up despite your flinching and whining. When he’s done, he presses the bandage down with a little more force than necessary, just to be petty.
"There. All better," he says, finally letting go.
You cradle your injured hand and pout. "You’re mean."
Wonwoo exhales, exasperated. Then, softer, "You should be more careful."
For a second, something unreadable passes between you. Then Seokmin ruins it. "So, who owes me five bucks? I said he’d tackle her, but technically, it was more of a grab—"
"Pay up, Seokmin," Mingyu smirks. "A catch is a catch."
You groan, while Wonwoo just shakes his head, rubbing his temples like he regrets ever being friends with you three.
As soon as Wonwoo walks out, probably to regain some of his sanity before starting his rounds, you finally relax. Big mistake because the moment the door clicks shut behind him, you feel it—the shift in atmosphere. You don’t even have to look up to know that Mingyu and Seokmin are staring at you with that look. The one that spells trouble.
Seokmin grins. "Sooo…"
Mingyu wiggles his eyebrows. "Are you two dating, or is Wonwoo just your personal on-call nurse?"
You groan. "Oh my god, not this again."
"Look, I’m just saying," Seokmin continues, leaning back like he has all the time in the world, "Wonwoo doesn’t act like that with anyone else."
"Yeah, I mean, I literally saw him step over a crying intern last week," Mingyu adds. "But the second you get a tiny little cut—"
"A painful cut," you interject
"—he’s running after you like you just lost a limb," Mingyu finishes, ignoring you
You roll your eyes. "He’s just like that."
Seokmin scoffs. "No, he’s not."
Mingyu hums. "Do you ever see him chase me down when I get hurt?"
"You get hurt on purpose for attention," you deadpan.
"Fair," Mingyu concedes. "But still. Wonwoo’s different with you."
You shake your head, standing up. "Whatever. I have patients to see."
As you reach for the door, Seokmin calls out, "Hey, don’t run too fast—wouldn’t want to scrape your knee. Wonwoo might carry you to the ER next time." Mingyu cackles as you slam the door on your way out.
It’s way past midnight—closer to 3 AM, when Wonwoo finally walks into the on-call room. His hair is slightly disheveled, white coat draped over his arm, and dark circles under his eyes deeper than before. It’s been a brutal shift.
Seokmin, who’s sitting at one of the desks, barely acknowledges his entrance, too focused on some patient charts. But Wonwoo doesn’t need to say anything. He just walks over to the bunk beds, takes one look at Mingyu—who’s sprawled out, snoring on the bottom bunk—and wordlessly yanks him off. With a loud thud, Mingyu hits the floor.
"Huh—?!" Mingyu startles awake, flailing like a fish out of water. "What the—?!"
"Get up," Wonwoo says flatly.
Mingyu groans dramatically, rubbing his eyes. "Dude, what is your problem—"
Wonwoo ignores him, already turning toward you. You’re curled up awkwardly on the couch, using a rolled-up hoodie as a pillow, arms folded in a way that guarantees you’ll wake up with at least three different cramps.
Wonwoo sighs. Then, in a tone much softer than the one he used on Mingyu, he murmurs, "Get in the bed."
You don’t stir at first, still half-asleep, but then you mumble, "‘M fine here…"
Wonwoo doesn’t buy it. "You’ll complain about back pain tomorrow, and we both know it."
Seokmin finally looks up, watching the exchange with thinly veiled amusement. Mingyu, still half on the floor, blinks at Wonwoo, then at you. Slowly, a knowing smirk creeps onto his face.
"Ohhh," Mingyu hums. "This is why you pulled me off the bed."
Wonwoo doesn’t acknowledge him. Instead, he reaches down and lightly taps your arm. "Come on, just sleep on the bed."
You grumble but finally crack your eyes open, too exhausted to argue. Wonwoo steps back as you groggily push yourself up, stretching. You shuffle toward the now-empty bottom bunk, collapsing onto it with a sigh.
"See? Much better," Wonwoo murmurs, pulling the blanket over you without a second thought.
Mingyu and Seokmin share a look.
"Dude," Mingyu says once Wonwoo turns around. "You could’ve told me to move instead of dragging me off like a sack of potatoes."
"You wouldn’t have moved fast enough," Wonwoo replies.
Seokmin smirks. "So, she gets the ‘gentle tuck-in’ treatment while Mingyu gets yeeted off the bed? Interesting."
Mingyu nods, still rubbing his shoulder. "Yeah, Wonwoo. Interesting."
Wonwoo gives them both an unimpressed look before muttering, "I’m going to sleep," and heading toward the other bunk.
Even with his back turned, he can feel their teasing grins.
You’re pretty sure you’ve ascended to another plane of existence. Or maybe you’ve died and are currently haunting the hospital as a sleep-deprived ghost. Either way, you’ve been awake for way too long over 32 hours, to be exact and your body is done.
Mingyu isn’t faring much better. He’s slumped over the shared office desk, forehead pressed against an open patient chart, lightly snoring. You’re half-sitting, half-melting into the couch, cradling a lukewarm coffee that does nothing to fight the exhaustion clawing at your soul.
And then because life isn’t unfair enough already, Seokmin walks in. Bright-eyed. Energized. Well-rested. The worst kind of person.
"Good morning, besties!" Seokmin chirps, stretching like he didn’t just take a whole day off.
You don’t even look at him. "I will kill you."
"I second that," Mingyu mumbles into his chart.
Seokmin gasps, clutching his chest dramatically. "Why the hostility? I thought you’d be happy to see me!"
"We hate you," Mingyu groans.
"You’re dead to us," you add.
Seokmin grins. "Wow, so much love in this room." He walks over and purposefully ruffles Mingyu’s hair, making him whine in protest. Then he turns to you, poking your cheek. "You look terrible."
"Thanks," you mumble. "Exactly what I needed to hear."
Seokmin flops onto one of the chairs, grinning. "You know what I did yesterday? Slept a full eight hours. Went out for brunch. Touched grass."
Mingyu lifts his head just to glare. "Leave. Now."
Before Seokmin can keep being insufferable, the door opens again. Wonwoo walks in.
And unlike Seokmin who is obnoxiously loud about being well-rested Wonwoo looks just as exhausted as you and Mingyu. His coat is slightly wrinkled, his tie is loosened, and there’s an untouched coffee in his hand that he’s clearly forgotten about. He glances at Seokmin who looks too refreshed to be tolerable then at Mingyu, who is back to pretending to be dead.
Then his gaze lands on you.
You blink at him, eyes heavy with exhaustion. "Hey."
"Hey," Wonwoo murmurs. He steps closer, eyes scanning over you in that way he always does when he’s subtly checking if you’re okay.
"Did you sleep?" he asks.
You let out a weak, humorless laugh. "Did you?"
Wonwoo doesn’t answer. Instead, he sets his coffee down and sighs, running a hand through his hair.
Seokmin—who has been watching the whole thing like a spectator at a soap opera—leans back with a smirk. "Wow, this is so interesting."
Mingyu groans, flopping back onto the desk. "Not now, Seokmin. I’m too tired for this."
Wonwoo ignores them both. He looks at you again, eyes softer now. "Eat something and get some rest."
"You too," you mumble, already sinking further into the couch.
Wonwoo exhales through his nose, shaking his head. "You’re impossible."
Seokmin wiggles his eyebrows. "Ohhh, this is fun."
"You know what else is fun?" You finally turn your head to glare at Seokmin. "Murder."
Wonwoo just sighs again and walks over to the bunk beds, mumbling something about how all of you are hopeless. Mingyu groans like he’s been personally attacked when his pager starts beeping. He doesn’t even look at it just slams his forehead against the desk.
"No. No, no, no. I reject this," he mumbles against the wood.
You barely have the energy to process the noise until of course yours goes off too. You and Mingyu make eye contact, equally dead inside.
Seokmin, the only one without a pager going off, grins. "Wow. Couldn’t be me."
"I will end you," you mutter, already reaching for your coat.
Wonwoo watches silently as Mingyu sluggishly gets up, flipping his pager over to check the message. He sighs. "ER’s a mess. Multiple traumas incoming."
You check yours, blinking slowly as the words process in your sleep-deprived brain. "OR needs backup. Guess I’m heading there."
Mingyu looks at you, eyes drooping. "Want to switch? I don’t want to talk to families."
"Absolutely not."
Mingyu pouts but doesn’t argue. He drags himself to his feet, rubbing his face aggressively like that’ll give him the will to live.
Seokmin claps his hands together, looking way too cheerful. "Well, have fun, kids! I’ll be here. Rested. Thriving."
Mingyu flips him off on the way out.
You barely register Wonwoo standing beside you until he tugs at your sleeve. When you look up, he’s frowning slightly.
"You sure you’re okay?" he asks, voice quieter now.
You exhale. "No, but I don’t have a choice."
Wonwoo’s frown deepens like he wants to say something else, but before he can, a voice crackles over the intercom calling for additional surgeons.
You sigh, giving him a tired half-smile. "See you later."
Wonwoo watches as you head out, his jaw tightening.
Seokmin hums as the door closes behind you. "You know," he says, stretching out on the chair, "for someone who refuses to admit his feelings, you really don’t do a good job of hiding them."
Wonwoo shoots him a glare, but Seokmin just grins.
A few more hours later, Wonwoo rubs at his eyes as he shrugs on his coat, his shift finally over. He grabs his bag from the office, shoulders aching from exhaustion. Just as he’s about to leave, the door swings open, and Mingyu stumbles in, looking like he’s barely holding himself together.
"ER was hell," Mingyu groans, dropping onto the couch with a loud thud. "I think I aged five years."
"You already look thirty," Wonwoo says, deadpan.
Mingyu glares at him, too tired to argue. Instead, he waves a lazy hand.
Then Wonwoo asks "Where’s she? OR still has her hostage?"
The other doctor nods "She hasn’t come back yet. She’s probably running on caffeine and spite at this point."
Wonwoo hesitates for a second before speaking. "Make sure she eats and gets some rest when she’s done."
Mingyu cracks one eye open, a slow smirk creeping onto his face. "You like her."
Wonwoo stares at him blankly. "Make sure she eats, Mingyu."
"You like her," Mingyu repeats, grinning now. Wonwoo doesn’t dignify that with a response. Instead, he slings his bag over his shoulder and heads for the door.
"Hey, where are you going?" Mingyu calls after him.
"Home," Wonwoo mutters.
"Liar!" Mingyu shouts, but Wonwoo is already gone.
What feels like hours to Mingyu before you entered the room. You trudge into the on-call room, every bone in your body protesting. Your scrub top is slightly wrinkled, your hair is a mess, and you’re running on nothing but sheer willpower at this point.
Mingyu is already knocked out on the bottom bunk, snoring lightly. You barely spare him a glance before collapsing onto the couch.
That’s when you notice it.
On the small coffee table, there’s a neatly packed meal. Your favorite.
You blink, staring at it like it’s a mirage. There’s even a bottle of water next to it, condensation still fresh, like someone just left it there.
Curious, you reach out and poke at the food, half-expecting it to disappear. When it doesn’t, you frown.
"Who…?" you murmur to yourself.
Mingyu shifts on the bed, groaning. "Shut up and eat."
You glance at him. "Did you get this?"
He grunts, eyes still closed. "Nope."
You pause. "Then who—?"
Mingyu cracks one eye open, smirking lazily. "Who do you think?"
That stops you. Your brain, sluggish from exhaustion, takes a moment to process.
Then it clicks.
Wonwoo.
You stare at the food, heart doing something weird in your chest.
Mingyu snickers before rolling over. "Just eat, dumbass."
You don’t argue. But as you take the first bite, you can’t help but think about a certain pediatric surgeon who definitely isn’t as subtle as he thinks he is.
You exhale, shaking your head to yourself. Subtle, Jeon.
Mingyu shifts on the bed again, cracking one eye open. "You’re thinking too hard about this," he mutters, voice thick with sleep.
You stab at your food with your chopsticks. "No, I’m not."
"Yeah, you are."
You roll your eyes, but there’s no real bite to it. "Go back to sleep."
Mingyu hums lazily, but then he adds, "He does this all the time, you know."
You pause mid-bite. "What?"
Mingyu smirks, barely awake but still committed to being a menace. "Making sure you eat. Checking if you’re okay. Wonwoo’s always been like that… but only with you."
Your stomach does something stupid at that. "That’s not true."
Mingyu chuckles, shifting onto his side. "Sure. Keep telling yourself that."
You open your mouth to argue, but Mingyu’s already passed out again, snoring softly. You sigh, leaning back on the couch. The food is warm, comforting, and frustratingly thoughtful.
You try not to think about it too much. You fail.
It’s another long shift for you.
After parting ways with Seokmin, you make your way to the nurses’ station, hoping to check on some charts before heading back to the on-call room. You’re running on fumes at this point, but the habit of making sure everything is in order before you crash is too strong to ignore.
As you approach, you hear a group of nurses talking in hushed but excited tones. You don’t think much of it until you catch a familiar name.
“Dr. Jeon is so amazing,” one of them gushes, practically sighing. “Did you see him with that little boy’s parents? He was so gentle and reassuring.”
“I know! And he’s always so calm, no matter how bad things get.”
“Not to mention how good he looks in scrubs,” another nurse adds, and they all giggle.
You freeze mid-step, blinking.
Are they seriously—?
“I swear, if he wasn’t so intimidating, I’d totally ask him out.”
“Right? But he’s always so serious. Like, have you ever seen him smile?”
“Only sometimes. But guess what?” The first nurse leans in, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “I did see him smile today.”
“No way. When?”
“When he was talking to Dr. Y/N.”
Your stomach drops.
Oh no.
“Oh my god, wait, you’re right! He actually looked... softer?”
“And she’s the only one he ever seems to talk to outside of work stuff.”
Another nurse sighs dramatically. “That’s so unfair. Do you think they’re, like, a thing?”
Your brain short-circuits. You have got to get out of here. Clearing your throat loudly, you step into their line of sight, making them jump. “Hey, uh… I just need to check some charts.”
The group scrambles, trying to look busy, but you can feel their eyes on you, filled with curiosity and knowing looks. Great. Just great.
As you grab the nearest patient file, you swear you hear one of them whisper, “Oh my god, she totally heard us.”
You pretend you didn’t.
You nearly drop the patient file when a rolling chair suddenly appears beside you.
“So,” Seokmin drawls, arms crossed as he lazily spins in the chair, “how do I break it to them that Wonwoo is a total softie for you?”
You glare at him, pressing a hand to your racing heart. “Can you not sneak up on me like that?”
Seokmin grins, completely ignoring your complaint. “Seriously, though. They think he’s this untouchable, brooding genius, but we both know he turns into a golden retriever when it comes to you.”
Your eye twitches. “He does not—”
Seokmin cuts you off with an exaggerated gasp. “Oh my god, you’re in denial.”
You slap his arm with the patient file. “I am not.”
He just laughs, rubbing his arm. “Y/N, I literally watched him rip Mingyu off the bottom bunk just so you could sleep comfortably.”
You open your mouth, then close it. Okay, fine. That was suspiciously caring behavior.
Seokmin smirks, clearly enjoying your inner struggle. “And let’s not forget how he tells Mingyu to make sure you eat and sleep. Or how he leaves food for you. Or how he only ever gets flustered when it involves you.”
You groan, dropping your head onto the counter. “I hate you.”
He pats your back like a supportive older brother. “No, you hate that I’m right.”
Before you can argue, one of the nurses clears her throat loudly, and you glance up to see them all very obviously pretending not to listen.
Seokmin leans in, whispering conspiratorially, “They’re totally listening.”
“I know, Seokmin.”
“Wanna give them a show? Maybe dramatically sigh Wonwoo’s name?”
You grab the patient file again and smack him with it. That’s when another doctor—Dr. Lee from orthopedics—walks up beside you.
"Dr. Y/N," he greets smoothly, offering a smile. "Haven’t seen you around much. Busy saving lives?"
You glance up, slightly caught off guard by the sudden conversation. "Uh, yeah. Something like that."
Dr. Lee leans casually against the counter, watching you with interest. "You should take a break sometime. Maybe grab a coffee?"
Oh. Oh.
Is he… flirting?
You don’t get the chance to react before you hear a loud, exaggerated cough from nearby. Seokmin is sitting just a few feet away, blatantly eavesdropping with zero shame. He’s pretending to look at a chart, but his expression is screaming Oh? What’s this?
You try to ignore him, forcing a polite smile at Dr. Lee. "That’s nice of you, but I’m actually running on negative sleep right now."
Dr. Lee chuckles. "All the more reason to step away for a bit. It’s just coffee, no pressure."
Seokmin lets out another obnoxious cough. "Thirsty, huh?"
You whip your head toward him, glaring. "Do you need medical attention, Seokmin?"
He grins. "Nah, I’m just—" he gestures vaguely between you and Dr. Lee "—observing."
Dr. Lee, bless him, is oblivious to the absolute menace that is Seokmin. "No worries. If you change your mind, let me know," he says with an easy smile before walking off.
The moment he’s gone, Seokmin wheels his chair over at full speed, stopping right beside you.
"So," he drawls. "Are you gonna tell Wonwoo, or should I?"
You groan, dropping your head onto the counter. "Seokmin, I swear to god—"
Of course it didn’t take long. Mingyu and Wonwoo are lounging in the on-call room when the door slams open. Seokmin bursts in, cackling like a maniac, running full speed across the room.
And right behind him. You.
"LEE SEOKMIN, I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!"
Before he can reach the safety of the bunk beds, you launch yourself at him, nearly tackling him to the ground. Seokmin barely stays on his feet, wheezing through his laughter.
Mingyu, sitting up from the bottom bunk, blinks in confusion. "…Do we want to know?"
Wonwoo, sitting at the small desk, doesn’t even look up. "No."
Seokmin, still trying to escape your grip, gasps between laughs. "I—I was just helping!"
"You were eavesdropping and causing problems on purpose!" you yell, tightening your hold around his waist as he tries to wriggle free.
Mingyu perks up at that. "Ooh, what happened? Spill."
Seokmin dramatically falls onto the couch, bringing you down with him. "Our dear Y/N here was getting flirted with."
Mingyu’s eyebrows shoot up. "What?"
Seokmin grins, panting slightly. "Dr. Lee. Ortho. Real smooth. Asked her to coffee."
Mingyu gasps like this is the most dramatic thing he’s ever heard. "And you tackled him over this?!"
"No, I tackled him because he ran in here to tell you two like a gossiping old lady!" you snap, still half on top of Seokmin, who is not helping by laughing even harder.
Mingyu turns to Wonwoo, who has yet to react. "Wonwoo. Thoughts?"
Wonwoo, still not looking up, simply flips a page in his book. Seokmin wheezes. You groan, letting your head drop onto the couch.
Mingyu clutches his chest, looking between you and Wonwoo with pure delight. "Oh, this is better than a telenovela."
You push yourself up from where you were half-crushing Seokmin, brushing off your scrubs as you glare at him. Before you can properly scold him for being the absolute worst, Wonwoo finally speaks—completely nonchalant, like this whole thing isn’t ridiculous.
"He asked if you wanted coffee?"
You pause. Seokmin and Mingyu do not. Seokmin looks thrilled. Mingyu straight-up leans forward, eyes sparkling with interest.
You narrow your eyes at Wonwoo. "Why do you sound like that?"
Wonwoo doesn’t even look up from his book. "Like what?"
Mingyu grins. "Yeah, like what, Wonwoo?"
Wonwoo flips a page. "Just asking."
You scoff. "You buy me coffee all the time"
Wonwoo hums. "Exactly."
Your brain short-circuits. "…Wait. What does that mean?*"
Wonwoo, still infuriatingly casual, finally glances up. "Nothing. Just seems unnecessary to get coffee with someone else when you already get it from me."
Seokmin and Mingyu explode.
"OH, THAT'S RICH—"
"DID HE JUST—"
You groan into your hands as they lose their minds. Wonwoo, unbothered, closes his book and stands. "I’m going to get coffee. You want one or not?"
Mingyu is on the floor laughing. Seokmin is gasping for air. And you—you are never going to hear the end of this.
Wonwoo, as unbothered as ever, grabs his ID badge and heads for the door.
Mingyu and Seokmin are still wheezing from his last comment, but you’re too busy processing to move.
He’s almost out when he pauses, tilting his head slightly. "Not coming?"
You cross your arms, still suspicious. "I think I’ll stay here and recover from whatever that was."
Wonwoo shrugs. "Suit yourself."
He steps out. You don’t follow but right before the door swings shut, you shout after him
"Caramel macchiato, extra shot, not too sweet!"
Seokmin and Mingyu stare at you. You stare back.
Then Mingyu loses it, laughing so hard he nearly falls off the bunk. "OH, SO YOU’RE NOT GONNA FOLLOW HIM, BUT YOU’RE STILL MAKING HIM GET YOU COFFEE?"
Seokmin clutches his chest, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "Unbelievable. Absolutely shameless."
You sigh, rubbing your temples. "I hate you both."
Mingyu wipes fake tears. "No, you hate that you’re in too deep and we’re just here to witness it."
It’s your well-deserved day off, which means the hospital is not your problem for once. But unfortunately for Wonwoo, it means he is the problem of the two very nosy individuals stuck with him today.
Mingyu and Seokmin have been relentless since morning, waiting for the perfect opportunity to grill him—and the second they’re all in the on-call room, Seokmin strikes.
"So... you and Y/N."
Wonwoo doesn’t even look up from his tablet. "What about her?"
Mingyu flops onto the couch dramatically. "You know exactly what about her."
Seokmin leans forward, grinning. "You act different around her."
"I don’t."
"Oh, you absolutely do," Mingyu says, propping his chin on his hand. "You let her get away with things you’d never tolerate from us."
Seokmin nods enthusiastically. "Like running away when she has a cut?"
"Or demanding coffee like she’s a queen and you’re her personal barista?" Mingyu adds.
Wonwoo finally glances up. "She doesn’t demand. I offer."
Silence.
Mingyu and Seokmin gasp.
"HE ADMITS IT!" Seokmin nearly topples over. "HE VOLUNTARILY GETS HER COFFEE!"
Wonwoo sighs. "You two have too much free time."
"And you have too much denial," Mingyu shoots back. "Be honest, if she asked for your left kidney, you’d at least consider it."
Seokmin laughs. "He’d have it prepped and ready before she even finished asking."
Wonwoo rubs his temples. "You’re both insufferable."
"And you’re in love," Mingyu sing-songs.
"I am not," Wonwoo deadpans.
Seokmin smirks. "Would you say no if she asked you out?"
Wonwoo doesn’t answer immediately, making the two guys exchange another look.
"Oh my God," Mingyu whispers. "You wouldn’t say no."
"Pack it up, folks, we got him," Seokmin grins. "That’s a wrap."
Meanwhile it’s your day off, technically you were supposed to be having a relaxing day off. No pagers, no surgeries, no Mingyu whining for coffee or Seokmin launching into dramatic gossip. Just a simple grocery run—bread, eggs, maybe even some overpriced snacks if you were feeling indulgent.
But fate, as usual, had other plans.
The sound of screeching tires and the crash of metal on metal jolts you from your thoughts as you step out of the store. A small crowd is already forming near an intersection, the sight of two badly dented cars making your stomach drop.
Then you hear it—panicked voices.
"She’s pregnant!"
Your body moves before your brain fully catches up. Pushing past stunned bystanders, you rush toward the most damaged car, where a man is frantically trying to pry open the passenger door. Inside, a woman—clearly pregnant—clutches her stomach, her face contorted in pain.
"Ma’am, can you hear me?" you ask, voice sharp with urgency.
She gasps, nodding weakly. "M-My baby—"
You glance around. The fire department isn’t here yet, neither are the paramedics. The door is crushed in, and she’s stuck.
Your pulse pounds, but you push the panic aside. Focus.
You turn to the man still struggling with the door. "We need to get her out, but carefully. Do you have something I can use to break the glass?"
He nods shakily, rushing to his car. Meanwhile, you crouch by the woman, speaking in a soothing tone even as your mind races through possible complications.
"You're doing great. Just keep breathing, okay? Help is coming."
She nods again, but her grip on her belly tightens.
You don’t have your scrubs, your hospital badge, or even your gloves. But right now, none of that matters because doctor or not—you have to help her.
You refuse to leave her side. Even as sirens wail in the distance and bystanders are urged to step back, you stay crouched next to the woman, monitoring her breathing, checking for signs of distress.
"You're okay. Just hold on," you murmur, your hand steady on her wrist, feeling the rapid pulse beneath your fingers. The first responders finally arrive, moving quickly to assess the scene.
A firefighter rushes toward you. "Ma’am, we need to extract her now. You should move back."
"Not until she’s safe," you insist.
They're working on prying the door open when it happens—
An explosion.
A sudden BOOM rocks the area as flames burst from the wreckage. The force knocks you backward, and before you can react, shards of glass and debris fly straight toward you and the pregnant woman.
Your first instinct is to shield her. You duck, arms raised, making sure not a single piece touches her. She screams, but the paramedics quickly cover her with a thick emergency blanket.
You barely notice the sharp stings as glass embeds itself into your arm, your shoulder, a few grazing your cheek. The pain is secondary.
"She’s stable!" one of the EMTs shouts, carefully moving the woman onto a stretcher. "Let’s transport her now!" You exhale in relief, watching as they wheel her toward the ambulance. You step back, feeling a slight dizziness, but shake it off.
"Doctor?" One of the firefighters eyes you carefully.
"I’m fine," you say automatically.
The ambulance ride is a blur of flashing lights and hushed urgency. The paramedics work efficiently, monitoring the pregnant woman’s vitals as you sit beside her, keeping her calm. You press a gauze pad against one of the deeper cuts on your arm, but otherwise, you don’t acknowledge your injuries.
When the ambulance finally arrives at the hospital, the woman is rushed into the ER. You climb out right after them, rolling your stiff shoulders, determined to go check on her—
Only to run straight into Mingyu.
"Hey, we got a—" His usual laid-back tone vanishes the moment his eyes land on you. His brows shoot up. "What the hell happened to you?"
"I’m fine," you say immediately, waving him off. Big mistake.
The moment you move, dizziness washes over you. You stumble slightly, catching yourself against the wall.
Mingyu lunges forward. "Yeah, okay, fine people totally do that."
His eyes sweep over you. Your torn sleeve, the cuts littering your arm, the faint streak of blood on your cheek. "Are you serious right now?"
You sigh. "It’s not that bad—"
"Not that bad?" He gestures wildly at you. "You were supposed to be on your day off, not playing action hero in the middle of the street!"
Mingyu groans, already reaching for his pager. "Seokmin and Wonwoo are going to kill me."
Mingyu barely has time to react before your knees buckle.
"Oh, for—okay, nope, you’re done," he mutters, catching you before you hit the ground. His hands grip your shoulders, guiding you onto a nearby gurney despite your weak protests.
"I—I'm fine," you mumble, though the dizziness makes your head swim. The pain you’ve been stubbornly ignoring is very much making itself known now, sharp and stinging from every cut.
"Uh-huh, tell that to your blood loss," Mingyu huffs as he quickly assesses the wounds. "How are you this dumb?"
You try to glare at him, but it’s half-hearted at best. He just sighs, guiding you to the nearest vacant bed then grabbing antiseptics and bandages from a nearby tray.
"This is gonna sting," he warns, dabbing at the gash on your arm.
The burn makes you flinch. "Mingyu—"
But before you can complain, the door to the ER slams open.
"Where is she?"
Your stomach drops.
Wonwoo stands at the entrance, still in his scrubs, his chest rising and falling like he ran all the way here. His usual composed demeanor is nowhere to be seen.
The moment his eyes land on you—bruised, bloodied, and definitely not fine—his expression shifts into something dark.
"You have got to be kidding me," he mutters, storming over
Mingyu looks up but barely gets a word in before Wonwoo cuts in, voice tight. "What the hell happened?"
You open your mouth, but Mingyu beats you to it. "She was out running errands and decided to become a damn superhero. Got caught in a car explosion or something—"
"It wasn’t an explosion—" you try, but Wonwoo turns his glare on you so fast you shut up.
"You refused to tell anyone you were hurt?" Wonwoo’s voice is low, laced with barely contained frustration. "Do you even know how reckless that is?"
You blink at him, a little caught off guard. Wonwoo gets annoyed, sure—but this? This anger? This fear simmering under his words?
Mingyu shifts awkwardly. "Uh, so, I’ll just—keep cleaning these wounds?"
Wonwoo ignores him.
"You should’ve been treated immediately," he snaps. "You could’ve gone into shock, Y/N. You could’ve—" He exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair.
You swallow, voice quieter now. "I had to make sure she was okay."
Wonwoo stares at you for a long moment. His jaw clenches. Then, without another word, he grabs the antiseptic from Mingyu’s hand and kneels down beside you.
"Hey, I was—" Mingyu starts
"You’re taking too long," Wonwoo says flatly, inspecting your arm.
Mingyu throws his hands up. "Oh, I’m the problem? Sure, yeah, okay."
But you don’t pay attention to Mingyu anymore—because Wonwoo is suddenly so close, his fingers gentle as he carefully tends to your wounds. The frustration is still in his eyes, but his touch is steady, precise.
You wince when he presses the gauze against a deeper cut, and his grip instinctively tightens around your wrist. His voice softens, just a fraction.
"I don’t care how capable you are," he mutters. "Don’t ever do that again."
You bite down hard on your lip, willing yourself not to cry. But the antiseptic burns, and the way Wonwoo presses down on your wounds with such precision makes it impossible to ignore the sharp sting.
Your eyes start to prickle. You will not cry. You refuse.
Mingyu, ever the observant one, notices immediately. He leans in slightly and mumbles, “Hey, man, she’s already injured. You’re making her cry.”
Wonwoo freezes.
Your head snaps up. “I am not crying.”
Mingyu raises an eyebrow. “You sure? You kinda look like you’re about to.”
You glare at him. “Shut up.”
Wonwoo sighs, rubbing his temple. “Mingyu, stop talking.”
Mingyu just shrugs, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips. “I’m just saying, maybe be a little gentler? You know, since you care so much.”
Wonwoo pointedly ignores him, but his grip on your arm loosens just slightly, his movements becoming even more careful. He still looks pissed, but his touch is softer now, like he’s trying to make up for it.
You try to focus on anything other than the fact that your face feels ridiculously warm.
Mingyu stands, stretching with an exaggerated groan. “Alright, I’m gonna check on the woman since someone needs to be useful around here.”
You shoot him a half-hearted glare. “I’m useful.”
“Yeah, yeah, tell that to your blood loss.” He waves you off, throwing Wonwoo a quick glance before walking out, leaving the two of you alone.
The silence that follows is heavy. Wonwoo is still focused on cleaning your wounds, but his jaw is tight, and his movements though gentler now are still a little too precise.
You watch him for a second before speaking. “You’re really mad, huh?”
He exhales sharply through his nose, shaking his head. “No.”
You raise an eyebrow. “Really?”
His grip tightens just slightly before he lets out a quiet, frustrated sigh. “…Yes.”
You shift a little, suddenly feeling weird under his gaze. “It wasn’t that bad.”
Wonwoo finally looks up at you, and the way his eyes darken makes you shut up real quick.
“Not that bad?” he repeats, voice low. “You were in an accident, Y/N. You got caught in a literal explosion.”
You try to brush it off. “It wasn’t that big—”
"You were bleeding and didn't even think to get yourself treated first."
You falter. His shoulders rise and fall with a deep breath, like he’s trying really hard to rein himself in.
“Do you know how many times I’ve seen people come in, thinking they were fine, only to collapse later?” His voice is quieter now, but it’s laced with something heavier. “You’re lucky it wasn’t worse.”
You don’t know what to say to that.
Wonwoo’s gaze softens—just barely—before he looks back down, carefully placing the last bandage over your arm. His hands linger for a second, his fingers warm against your skin.
“…Just don’t do that again.” His voice is quieter now, almost pleading. “Please.”
You sniffle, trying to hold it in, but a few tears betray you, slipping down your cheek before you can stop them. Wonwoo notices immediately. His hands, still hovering near your arm, tense.
“Hey—”
You quickly wipe at your face, sniffling again. “I’m fine.” Your voice wobbles, completely betraying you.
Wonwoo exhales through his nose, and before you can react, he’s reaching for the tissue box nearby, wordlessly handing you one.
You take it, mumbling, “Thanks.”
There’s a beat of silence. Then, in a small voice, you ask, “Is the woman okay?”
Wonwoo doesn’t answer right away. Instead, he watches you carefully before finally saying, “She’s stable. Mingyu’s checking on her now.”
You nod, squeezing the tissue in your hand. “That’s good.”
Wonwoo still doesn’t look away. His lips press together like he wants to say something else, but in the end, all he does is let out a quiet sigh.
“You should rest,” he says softly. “You lost some of blood, you might feel light headed”
You huff, forcing a weak smile. “You sound like me when I tell my patients that.”
He doesn’t smile back. Instead, he reaches out, hesitates, then gently presses his hand against your head, smoothing down a stray strand of hair. The touch is so light, so careful, that it nearly makes you tear up all over again.
“Then take your own advice for once.”
Before you can even process the warmth of Wonwoo’s touch, the door bursts open.
“OH MY GOD—YOU’RE ALIVE!”
Seokmin practically lunges toward you, arms wide like he’s about to hug-tackle you, but Wonwoo smoothly steps in his way, stopping him with a single hand to his chest.
“Seokmin.” Wonwoo’s voice is flat. “She’s injured.”
Seokmin blinks, then gasps like he’s just realized something. “YOU’RE INJURED?!”
You stare at him, deadpan. “Did you think I was just here for fun?”
Seokmin dramatically grips his chest. “I—I just thought maybe you were being dramatic again! But you actually got hurt?!”
Wonwoo sighs, stepping aside because, at this point, there’s no stopping Seokmin. Sure enough, he leans down, carefully inspecting your bandages like a concerned mother.
“How bad is it? Are you dizzy? Do you need water? Do you need me to spoon-feed you soup?”
You groan, pushing his face away. “I’m fine.”
Seokmin ignores you and turns to Wonwoo. “Doctor, will she survive?”
Wonwoo looks unimpressed. “She lost blood but nothing major. She just needs to rest.”
Seokmin gasps again, gripping your hand. “BE STRONG, MY FRIEND.”
You shove him. “You’re the worst.”
Seokmin sniffs dramatically, wiping an imaginary tear. “If you do die, can I have your favorite pen?”
Wonwoo pinches the bridge of his nose while you grab a pillow and throw it at Seokmin’s face.
After everything that happened, of course Wonwoo refused to let you out of his sight or atleast have someone watching over you while the three guys finish their shift.
After work, the four of you go to a barbeque place you're a regular at.
You’re all starving by the time you reach the restaurant, exhaustion from the day momentarily forgotten at the sight of sizzling meat and bubbling stews.
Mingyu and Seokmin are loud, bickering over who gets to grill first, while you just lean back in your seat, still pretending to sulk.
Wonwoo, sitting beside you, wordlessly places some meat on your plate before you can even lift your chopsticks. Then, as if it’s second nature, he reaches over and rolls up the loose sleeve of your hoodie, neatly tucking it to make sure it doesn’t dip into the sauces.
Mingyu pauses mid-bite, eyes flicking between the two of you.
Seokmin, in the middle of arguing over dipping sauces, suddenly stops and squints.
The most shocking part?
You don’t even react. You just pick up your chopsticks, casually eating the food Wonwoo put on your plate like it’s the most normal thing in the world.
Mingyu slowly puts his chopsticks down. “Okay, hold on.”
Seokmin leans in. “Have you always been like this?”
You blink. “Like what?”
Mingyu gestures vaguely at you and Wonwoo. “That.”
Wonwoo raises an eyebrow, sipping his water. “You’ll have to be more specific.”
Seokmin waves his chopsticks between you two. “You’re basically a married couple and she doesn’t even blink when you baby her.”
You scoff, but before you can argue, Wonwoo speaks first. “She’d spill sauce on herself if I didn’t.”
Mingyu stares. “So you admit you’re babying her.”
Wonwoo shrugs. “She doesn’t complain.”
You shove a piece of meat in your mouth to avoid answering, but your reddening ears don’t go unnoticed. Seokmin and Mingyu exchange knowing looks before grinning at each other.
Oh, they’re never letting this go.
The two of you are crammed into the back of a small van, bumping along a dirt road on the way to the rural clinic. It’s too early, you’re running on barely any sleep, and Mingyu has already decided now is the perfect time to interrogate you.
“So.” He leans back against his seat, arms crossed, looking far too entertained. “You and Wonwoo.”
You groan immediately. “Absolutely not. We’re not doing this.”
Mingyu grins. “Oh, we’re definitely doing this. We have, like, four more hours to go.”
You glare at him, but he just continues. “I mean, come on. He feeds you. He rolls up your sleeves. He practically tracks your movements in the hospital without even trying. And you don’t even react anymore.”
“Maybe I’m just used to it.” You shrug.
Mingyu narrows his eyes. “That’s what I’m saying! You’re used to it. As in, it’s been happening for so long that you don’t even notice.”
You roll your eyes. “It’s just how we are.”
Mingyu scoffs. “Please. If Seokmin tried to do that for you, you’d stab him with your chopsticks.”
You snort. “Yeah, well, Seokmin deserves it.”
Mingyu ignores that. “Just admit it. You like him.”
You pause. Then, after a beat, you say, “Of course I like him. He’s my friend.”
Mingyu groans dramatically, flopping onto your shoulder. “You’re impossible.”
You shove him off. “And you’re annoying.”
He smirks. “I know. But I’m also right.”
You refuse to answer, choosing instead to look out the window. But you can’t shake the way your stomach flips at Mingyu’s words.
Mingyu stretches out his legs, looking way too comfortable for someone who’s supposed to be working. “Alright then, since you’re so sure it’s nothing—explain this to me.”
You sigh. “What now?”
He smirks. “Why hasn’t Wonwoo dated anyone since med school?”
You blink. “What?”
Mingyu tilts his head, looking far too smug. “I mean, Seokmin and I have dated around. You’ve had, like, two almost-relationships. But Wonwoo? Not a single girlfriend. No dates. No flings. No nothing.” He raises an eyebrow. “Isn’t that weird?”
You scoff. “Maybe he’s just not interested.”
Mingyu shakes his head. “Nah. I asked him once, and you know what he said?”
You hesitate. “…What?”
Mingyu grins. “‘I don’t have time for that.’” He leans in, lowering his voice dramatically. “But I think the real reason is that he’s been too busy looking after you.”
You open your mouth to argue, but nothing comes out.
Because now that you think about it… Mingyu’s kind of right.
Wonwoo has never once shown interest in dating. Even during med school, when everyone else was either in relationships or at least going on dates, he never did. He was always around, always steady, always—
You shake your head. No. No way.
Mingyu watches you, eyes glinting. “Oh my god, you’re actually thinking about it.”
You shove him. “Shut up.”
He cackles. “I love being right.”
You groan, turning to the window to ignore him. But your heart is beating just a little too fast, and your mind keeps replaying Mingyu’s words.
Why hasn’t Wonwoo dated anyone?
And more importantly, why does the answer make your chest feel tight?
Once you’re done with the medical mission, you go back to the hospital. You push open the door to the on-call room, utterly drained from the long day. Mingyu had peeled off somewhere to check on the ER, but you went straight here, hoping to collapse onto the couch for at least a few minutes.
The room is dimly lit, quiet except for the faint ticking of the wall clock. At first, you think it's empty—until your eyes land on Wonwoo. He’s at his desk, head slightly tilted down, eyes closed.
You pause, debating whether you should leave him be. But before you can take a step back, his voice—low and a little rough from exhaustion—breaks the silence.
"You're back."
You blink. "I thought you were asleep."
He opens his eyes, looking at you with that unreadable expression of his. "Just resting my eyes."
You scoff lightly, stepping further inside. "You say that like it’s any better."
Wonwoo watches you as you drop your bag onto the desk, stretching your arms over your head with a tired groan. You don’t notice the way his gaze lingers, just for a second, before he leans back in his chair.
"Long day?" he asks.
You sigh, rolling out your shoulders. "Very. Mingyu was extra annoying, as usual."
Wonwoo hums, amused. "What did he do now?"
You hesitate, suddenly remembering the entire conversation about him. About how Mingyu basically implied that Wonwoo hasn’t dated anyone because of you.
You glance at Wonwoo, who’s waiting for your answer with a neutral expression. And for some reason, you can’t bring yourself to bring it up.
“Just the usual nonsense,” you say instead.
Wonwoo doesn’t press, just nods before looking back at his desk. There’s a brief silence—comfortable, familiar. The kind you only get with someone you’ve known for years.
Then, softly, he says, “You should eat before you sleep.”
You glance at him, arching a brow. "Did you just give me my own advice?"
A small smirk tugs at his lips. "You never follow it yourself."
You shake your head, but there’s something warm in your chest that wasn’t there before.
Damn Mingyu. Now you can’t stop noticing things.
You drop onto the couch, exhausted but still watching Wonwoo out of the corner of your eye. He hasn't moved from his desk, but now you notice the way he's rubbing his temples, his brows slightly furrowed.
His glasses aren’t on, which is rare. Wonwoo without glasses usually means one of two things—either he’s about to sleep, or he has a headache.
Judging by the way he keeps pinching the bridge of his nose, it’s definitely the latter.
"You okay?" you ask.
"Mhm." He doesn’t look up, still rubbing slow circles into his temples.
You frown. "Did you even rest today?"
"I did," he says, but you don’t believe him for a second.
With a sigh, you push yourself up and walk over to him. He barely reacts when you place a hand on his shoulder, but he finally opens his eyes when you gently pull his hand away from his forehead.
"You have a migraine, don’t you?" you ask, squinting at him.
Wonwoo blinks at you, then exhales through his nose—something between amusement and surrender. "Just a small one."
You roll your eyes. "Right. Small enough that you’re sitting here rubbing your head like an old man."
He gives you a flat look. "Thanks."
Ignoring his sarcasm, you reach for his desk, rummaging through one of the drawers. You know he keeps medicine in here somewhere—he’s always prepared for everyone else’s headaches, just never his own.
After a few seconds, you find what you’re looking for and shake two pills into your palm before grabbing his forgotten water bottle. You hold both out to him expectantly.
"Take these."
He doesn’t move at first, just stares at you with that unreadable look again.
"Wonwoo," you say, more firmly. Finally, he sighs and takes the pills from your hand, swallowing them with a sip of water.
You nod, satisfied. "Good. Now go lie down before you pass out at your desk."
He exhales slowly, then mutters, "You’re bossy."
You smirk. "And yet you listen to me."
He doesn’t argue. Just shakes his head with the smallest hint of a smile before standing up. And for some reason, as he moves toward the bunk beds, you feel that warmth in your chest again.
You leave the room after turning the lights off to let him rest. You find Mingyu, maybe grab some late night snacks. As you and Mingyu walk through the hospital corridors, making casual conversation, a familiar figure approaches.
It’s him—Doctor Lee, the one who had flirted with you before.
Mingyu notices the way your shoulders tense and immediately perks up, eyes darting between you and Doctor Lee with barely concealed interest. "Oh, this should be fun," he mutters under his breath.
You shoot him a look. "Shut up."
Before Mingyu can tease you further, Doctor Lee reaches you, flashing that same confident smile.
"Hey, fancy seeing you again." His tone is smooth, casual, but there’s something pointed in the way he looks at you.
"It’s a hospital," you reply dryly. "You’ll probably see me a lot."
Mingyu barely hides his laugh behind a cough.
Doctor Lee, unfazed, chuckles. "Right. Still, I was hoping I’d run into you. Thought maybe this time I could convince you to grab a coffee with me?"
Mingyu freezes beside you, his head snapping toward you so fast you think he might give himself whiplash. He is way too interested in this.
You open your mouth to respond—politely decline, of course—but before you can, a voice cuts in.
"She already has a coffee supplier."
You turn your head just in time to see Wonwoo standing a few steps away, arms crossed, looking completely unimpressed. His tone is calm, but there’s an edge to it, something just sharp enough that it makes both you and Doctor Lee pause.
Mingyu, of course, is thriving.
"Oh, do you now?" Doctor Lee glances between you and Wonwoo, one eyebrow raised.
You sigh, rubbing your temple. "Wonwoo, don’t—"
"She never has to ask. Her coffee order just appears," Wonwoo continues smoothly, ignoring you. "Sometimes with snacks too."
Mingyu wheezes.
Doctor Lee blinks, clearly trying to figure out if there’s something more to Wonwoo’s words. You’re pretty sure you know exactly what he’s doing, but before the other man can press further, you exhale and take a step back.
"Anyway, I have rounds to finish," you say quickly. "See you around."
Before Doctor Lee can respond, you grab Mingyu’s sleeve and yank him along with you, leaving the poor guy standing there confused.
Mingyu is absolutely dying.
"Wonwoo totally just alpha-blocked that guy," he laughs, struggling to keep up with your fast pace. "Like, not even subtle. That was lowkey territorial."
You groan. "Don’t start."
"Oh, I’ve already started." Mingyu grins, wiggling his eyebrows. "So… your coffee supplier, huh?"
You don’t answer. Instead, you walk even faster, pretending you don’t hear Mingyu’s continued teasing all the way down the hall.
As you speed-walk down the hall, Mingyu still snickering beside you, you hear the sound of familiar footsteps following behind. You don't even need to turn around to know who it is.
You sigh dramatically, slowing your steps just enough to glance over your shoulder. "Weren't you suffering from a migraine?" you ask, narrowing your eyes at Wonwoo.
Wonwoo, walking at a completely casual pace as if he didn’t just interrupt an entire conversation to assert his place in your life, simply shrugs. "It went away."
Mingyu claps a hand over his mouth, trying so hard not to burst out laughing. He fails.
"Ohhh, interesting," Mingyu chokes out between laughs. "So you had a migraine, but the moment Doctor Lee showed up, you were suddenly fine? Wow. Almost like it wasn’t that serious to begin with."
Wonwoo shoots him a blank look. "Or maybe I just recovered."
"Right, right," Mingyu nods, "or maybe you just didn’t like what you were seeing."
You groan, rubbing your forehead. "Mingyu, please—"
"No, because listen," Mingyu continues, fully ignoring you now, "if I had a migraine, I would not be up and walking this fast just to make sure my ‘friend’—" he even throws up air quotes, "—wasn’t having coffee with someone else."
"I wasn’t walking fast," Wonwoo deadpans.
"Okay, but you were there," Mingyu counters. "Like, right there. That’s suspicious, man."
You throw up your hands. "Oh my God, both of you, stop."
Wonwoo just blinks, completely unbothered. "Do you still want coffee?" he asks, as if the last five minutes of chaos didn’t just happen. Mingyu wheezes again.
You groan even louder. "You are so annoying."
Later Wonwo drove you and Mingyu home. The car ride is quiet after Mingyu gets dropped off, leaving just you and Wonwoo. The city lights blur past the window, and you drum your fingers lightly on your thigh before finally speaking
"Hey."
"Hm?" Wonwoo doesn’t take his eyes off the road, but you know he’s listening.
"That thing Mingyu said … about you not dating anyone since med school—"
Wonwoo glances at you briefly before looking back at the road. "What about it?"
"Is it true?" you ask, shifting slightly to face him. "You really haven’t dated anyone all these years?"
He doesn’t answer right away, but you notice the way his fingers tighten slightly around the wheel. "I was busy," he finally says, voice even.
"We were all busy," you counter. "Mingyu dated. Seokmin dated."
Wonwoo exhales softly through his nose. "And you?"
You blink, caught off guard. "What about me?"
"Did you date?" He doesn’t look at you, but there’s something in his voice, something careful, deliberate.
You hesitate, then shrug. "Not really."
That makes Wonwoo glance at you, just for a second. "Why?"
You huff a quiet laugh. "Why are you answering my question with another question?"
"Because you’re deflecting," he replies easily.
You frown, arms crossing. "Maybe I just didn’t feel like it."
Wonwoo hums, the sound low and thoughtful. "Then I guess we’re the same."
That makes you pause. He’s right, in a way. You never thought much about dating, always too caught up in the chaos of work, of life. But hearing that he was the same—that he never even tried—makes something uneasy stir in your chest.
"So…" you start carefully, "was there really no one? Not even someone you liked?"
The streetlights cast long shadows over his face, and for a moment, you think he won’t answer. But then, softly—so softly you almost don’t hear it—he says,
"I wouldn’t say that."
Your breath catches, but before you can press further, the car slows. You realize, belatedly, that you’ve already arrived at your place.
Wonwoo shifts into park and finally, finally looks at you. His expression is unreadable, but there’s something in his eyes, something deep and quiet and there.
You swallow. "Wonwoo—"
"Go inside," he says gently, cutting you off.
You hesitate. The air feels heavy, thick with something unspoken.
But in the end, you don’t push.
"Okay," you mumble, unbuckling your seatbelt. "Drive safe."
He nods, watching as you step out and close the door behind you.
As you walk up to your building, you don’t turn back snd inside his car, Wonwoo stays parked for a long time, staring at where you were.
You’re never like this.
You’ve known Wonwoo for years, been friends with him for so long that his presence has always felt natural, something you never had to think about. But now? Now, after what Mingyu said, after what Wonwoo didn’t say, you’re noticing everything.
The way he automatically sets a coffee cup in front of you in the morning, the way he subtly reaches out like he’s ready to catch you when you take a sharp turn in the hallway, the way his eyes linger when you’re talking—like he’s listening to every word, even the useless ones.
It’s worse in the on-call room.
Wonwoo’s at his desk, writing notes, glasses perched on his nose. It’s a normal sight, something you’ve seen a thousand times before. But for some reason, today, you can’t stop looking. The way his brows furrow slightly in focus. The way he absentmindedly taps his pen against the desk. The way he reaches up to push his hair back, exposing his forehead just a little more.
Seokmin, lying on the bottom bunk, suddenly snickers. "You good over there?"
You snap your head toward him. "What?"
He grins, flipping through his phone lazily. "You’re staring."
"No, I’m not."
"Uh-huh."
Wonwoo, completely unaware, flips to the next page in his notes. You glare at Seokmin before quickly grabbing your own chart, pretending to focus. But even then, you’re way too aware of the fact that Wonwoo is right there.
And maybe you have been staring.
The moment you walk out, Seokmin doesn’t even wait.
He turns to Wonwoo with a slow grin, tossing his phone onto his chest. "So…"
Wonwoo doesn’t look up. "So?"
"She was staring at you."
That gets Wonwoo’s attention. He finally lifts his eyes from his notes, blinking at Seokmin. "What?"
"She. Was. Staring." Seokmin emphasizes each word like Wonwoo is dense. Which, honestly, he kind of is. "Like, full-on eyes stuck on you. If I wasn’t here, she probably would've burned a hole through your head."
Wonwoo frowns, shifting slightly in his seat. "You’re exaggerating."
"Am I?" Seokmin smirks. "I don’t think I am."
Wonwoo doesn’t say anything to that. He just exhales through his nose and turns back to his notes. But Seokmin knows him too well—sees the way his ears go just the slightest bit red.
Seokmin grins. "Dude, I’m telling you, she’s noticing things. That’s a good sign."
Wonwoo rolls his eyes, flipping a page in his notes. "Go to sleep, Seokmin."
"Oh, I will. But just so you know…" Seokmin stifles a laugh. "I think you’re in trouble, man."
The rest of the day is… annoying. Not because of any difficult surgeries or unbearable patients, but because you are now painfully hyper-aware of Wonwoo. It’s stupid. Like when he rolls up his sleeves before scrubbing in for surgery, and you catch yourself staring at his forearms for half a second too long.
Or the absolute worst—when you’re eating lunch with the others, and Wonwoo absentmindedly pushes the side dishes you like closer to you. It’s such a small, automatic thing, and normally you wouldn’t even blink at it.
But today? Today, you almost drop your chopsticks.
"You good?" Seokmin asks, raising an eyebrow at you.
"Fine!" you say way too quickly, shoving food in your mouth to avoid talking.
Mingyu, the menace that he is, narrows his eyes at you. "Are you sure? You’ve been kinda weird today—"
"She’s fine," Wonwoo interjects smoothly, taking a sip of his coffee.
And just like that, you’re spiraling again. Because now you’re overthinking that. He just said you were fine. That’s normal, right? That’s just Wonwoo being Wonwoo. But now it sounds like he knows something, like he can see how much you’re overthinking him—
You hate this.
By the time your shift ends, you’re exhausted—not just physically, but mentally from all the overthinking. So when Wonwoo casually says, "Let’s go," and gestures toward the exit, you don’t even question it.
It’s routine, anyway. You don’t drive, and if Mingyu isn’t around to make you suffer through his questionable playlist, it’s usually Wonwoo who gives you a ride home.
The car ride is quiet at first, just the low hum of the engine and the faint sound of the radio playing some late-night ballad. You try to focus on anything else, but of course, you’re hyper-aware of every small thing he does.
"You were weird today," he says suddenly.
You stiffen. "No, I wasn’t."
He hums, like he doesn’t quite believe you. "If you say so."
You scowl, slumping in your seat. "You’re annoying."
"And you’re terrible at hiding things."
You whip your head toward him. "Excuse me?"
Wonwoo glances at you with the tiniest smirk before turning his attention back to the road. "You keep staring at me."
You nearly choke. "I— that’s not—you—"* You shut your mouth before you embarrass yourself even more.
"Don’t overthink it," he says, like he can hear your brain short-circuiting.
You glare at him, crossing your arms. "I’m not."
"Sure."
He pulls up to your place, and before you can even reach for the door handle, he beats you to it, leaning over to unlock it from the inside. You freeze for half a second because he’s too close, and you swear he hesitates too before leaning back.
"Get some rest," he says simply.
You step out, and just as you close the door, he rolls down the window. "And stop staring so much. It’s obvious."
"I WAS NOT—!"
But he’s already driving away, leaving you standing there, burning with embarrassment.
Wonwoo didn’t mean to say it.
But the way you froze, the way your eyes widened in sheer panic before you tried to deny it—yeah, that reaction was worth it.
He’s not stupid. He noticed the shift in you over the past few days. The way you’ve been watching him more, like you suddenly started paying attention. Like you were seeing things for the first time that have always been there. It would’ve been amusing if it wasn’t also kind of frustrating.
Because he’s been looking at you like that for years.
He doesn’t usually let things slip. He’s careful, measured. But with you? It’s always been a little different.
As he drives away, he catches a glimpse of you in the rearview mirror—still standing there, fuming, probably cursing him under your breath. He exhales through his nose, the closest thing to a chuckle he allows himself.
"Took you long enough."
He doesn’t realize he’s smiling until he catches his own reflection in the mirror. And he definitely doesn’t realize that his fingers tap against the steering wheel the entire way home, like he’s buzzing with something he refuses to name.
After that you try to avoid him. Not in an obvious way, just enough to make sure you don’t end up alone with him again. It’s stupid, but you can’t help it. Unfortunately, Mingyu and Seokmin have noticed.
“You’re acting weird,” Mingyu says while stuffing his face with food.
Seokmin leans in. “Super weird. Suspiciously weird.”
You roll your eyes. “I’m not acting weird.”
“You literally just turned around when you saw Wonwoo walking this way,” Seokmin points out.
Mingyu snickers. “Yeah, and you ran in the opposite direction.”
“Okay, first of all, I had places to be.”
“You went to a supply closet.”
“…Shut up.”
Mingyu and Seokmin exchange a look before turning back to you, both wearing the same smug expression.
“You’re doomed,” Mingyu says with a grin. Seokmin agrees.
Before you can threaten them, someone clears their throat behind you. You turn around—and there’s Wonwoo.
His eyes flick between the three of you. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” you blurt out, grabbing your tray and bolting.
From behind you, you hear Mingyu snicker, “Yup. Doomed.”
Later after another very long shift, you all but crawl out. There you see him. Wonwoo is standing outside the hospital entrance, hands in his coat pockets, glasses perched on his nose, looking completely unbothered by the cold night air. His eyes flick up the moment you step outside, and your heart does a stupid little flip.
“I thought you went home,” you say, stopping in front of him.
He raises a brow. “You were gonna chase the bus, weren’t you?”
You cross your arms. “Maybe.”
He huffs out a small laugh, then tilts his head toward his car. “Let’s go.”
You hesitate for half a second before following him. Because, well—this is Wonwoo. And he’s always been there, hasn’t he? Even when you didn’t notice.
You freeze halfway to the car. Wonwoo stops too, turning to face you. His expression is unreadable, but there’s a slight furrow in his brows, his hands still tucked in his coat pockets.
"Why are you avoiding me?" His voice is steady, calm—but you know him well enough to hear the shift in his tone.
"I’m not," you lie, immediately looking away.
"You are," he counters easily. "You barely look at me during rounds, you leave the on-call room the second I walk in, and you suddenly act like you're allergic to coffee when I offer."
Okay, maybe you were being a little obvious. You shuffle your feet, gripping the strap of your bag. "I—it's nothing."
Wonwoo doesn’t budge. He just stares, waiting, and you swear the silence between you feels louder than anything right now.
Then, quieter, he says, "Did I do something?"
That makes you look at him. His expression hasn’t changed much, but there’s something in his eyes—something careful, hesitant. You shake your head quickly. "No! You didn’t—You never—" You exhale sharply, running a hand through your hair. "It’s just… I don’t know."
That’s a lie. You do know. It’s because of everything—Mingyu’s words, Seokmin’s teasing, the way you suddenly can’t stop noticing every little thing Wonwoo does. And the way it’s making your heart act in ways it shouldn’t.
But how the hell are you supposed to say that?
Wonwoo studies you for a moment, then sighs, shaking his head. "Get in the car," he says, walking ahead. "We’re not doing this while you're sleep-deprived."
You stare after him, a little dumbfounded, before scrambling to follow. Because, well. This is Wonwoo. And he's always been there, hasn’t he?
The car ride is quiet. Not the usual comfortable silence, but something heavier. You glance at Wonwoo from the passenger seat—his fingers tapping lightly against the steering wheel, eyes focused ahead, his expression unreadable. He looks deep in thought.
And so are you.
Something stirs in the back of your mind. A memory, hazy but persistent.
It was years ago, after a long semester. You remember celebrating—too many drinks, too many laughs. And then… nothing. Just the aftermath. A raging headache, and the strange shift in Wonwoo’s behavior.
The day after that night, he started avoiding you. At first, you thought you were imagining it, but it became obvious—he wouldn’t meet your eyes, he stopped sitting next to you in class, and any conversation felt painfully awkward.
It lasted for weeks.
You never knew why.
Now, sitting next to him again, the memory presses into your chest. You glance at him once more, debating whether to ask.
But before you can, the car slows to a stop in front of your place.
"We’re here," Wonwoo says, voice even. He finally looks at you, and for a split second, there’s something in his gaze—something almost hesitant.
You swallow the words sitting on your tongue.
"Thanks for the ride," you mumble instead, pushing the door open.
But even as you step out, the question lingers.
It’s been bugging you for days. You try to brush it off, but the memory keeps surfacing at the most random moments—during surgeries, in the on-call room, even when you’re just grabbing coffee.
So, on a completely random day, when it’s just you and Wonwoo in the break room, you finally blurt it out.
"Why did you avoid me back in med school?"
Wonwoo, who was in the middle of sipping his coffee, freezes for a second. He lowers his cup slowly, eyes flickering to yours. "What?"
"You know," you insist, leaning against the counter. "After that one night out. The next day, you just—" You wave a hand, frustrated at how much this has been bothering you. "You barely talked to me for weeks. I thought I did something wrong, but I never knew what."
Wonwoo stares at you, his expression unreadable. For a moment, you think he’s going to brush it off or change the subject. But instead, he exhales and places his cup down.
"You don’t remember anything from that night?" he asks carefully.
Your brows furrow. "Not really. Just that I drank too much, and I felt like death the next morning."
Wonwoo is quiet. Too quiet. Now you’re nervous.
"What did I do?" you ask cautiously.
He hesitates, then sighs. "You… said something."
Your stomach drops. "What did I say?"
"You were drunk. I didn’t think you meant it, but—" He rubs the back of his neck, looking uncharacteristically unsure. "You told me you liked me."
Your brain short-circuits You what?
Wonwoo keeps going, voice softer now. "I didn’t know how to react. I thought maybe you’d forget, or that you didn’t mean it. So I just… avoided you." He exhales sharply, shaking his head. "It was stupid. I know that now."
You stare at him, your heart hammering against your ribs. You think your brain might actually shut down.
Wonwoo looks down at his coffee cup, almost like he's debating whether to continue. Then, with a small sigh, he says it—
"And you kissed me."
Your mouth opens, then closes. You blink at him, trying to process what he just said. You kissed him?
Wonwoo glances up at you, his expression unreadable, but you can tell he’s waiting for your reaction.
"I—" You swallow, scrambling for any memory of that night. But all you can remember is drinking too much, maybe laughing too loud, and then waking up with the worst hangover of your life. "I what?"
"You kissed me," he repeats, slower this time. "Just once. It wasn’t… it wasn’t a big thing. But you looked at me like—" He stops himself, shakes his head. "I don’t know. I didn’t think you meant it, so I thought it was better if I just avoided you until things went back to normal."
Your heart is hammering now. You kissed him. You kissed Wonwoo. And he never said a word about it.
"Why didn’t you ever bring it up?" you ask, your voice quieter now.
Wonwoo lets out a short, humorless laugh. "What was I supposed to say? 'Hey, do you remember kissing me that night?' You never brought it up either."
You stare at him, still trying to wrap your head around this. It’s not just the fact that you kissed him—it’s the fact that he’s looking at you now like this matters. Like maybe it wasn’t just a stupid drunken mistake to him.
And the worst part? You’re starting to think that it wasn’t just a stupid drunken mistake to you either. You hesitate for a moment before asking, "Is that why you weren’t dating?"
Wonwoo blinks, clearly caught off guard by the question. His fingers tighten slightly around his coffee cup before he exhales and leans back against the chair.
"I don’t know," he says slowly, like he’s choosing his words carefully. "Maybe. Part of it, yeah."
You feel something twist in your chest.
"What does that mean?" you press, your voice quieter now.
Wonwoo looks at you then, really looks at you. Like he’s debating whether or not to say what he actually wants to say.
"It means," he finally murmurs, "that maybe I was waiting."
Your breath catches. He doesn’t elaborate. He doesn’t need to. You can read between the lines. And suddenly, everything—the way he always looked out for you, the way he always made sure you ate, how he was always there—feels different. Feels heavier.
Like maybe you were supposed to notice a long time ago.
"I told you I liked you," you say, your voice sharper than you expected. "And you never told me."
Wonwoo doesn’t respond right away. He just watches you, unreadable, his grip tightening around his coffee cup.
"You were drunk," he finally says.
You let out a frustrated scoff. "And? That doesn’t mean it wasn’t true."
He exhales slowly, looking away. "I thought you wouldn’t remember. Or that maybe you’d regret it."
Your jaw clenches. "So you just decided that for me?"
Wonwoo rubs the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable. "I didn’t want to risk losing you."
You let out a breath, your chest tight with something you can’t quite name. You’re mad—at him, at yourself, at the way this conversation is only happening now.
"That’s so stupid," you say, shaking your head. "That’s so—you’re so—"
You stop, because you don’t even know what you’re trying to say. You just know it makes you angry.
Wonwoo gives you a small, almost apologetic smile. "Yeah," he murmurs. "Maybe."
You push past Wonwoo, your head spinning with frustration, and storm out of the room. You make your way to the surgery ward, still replaying the conversation in your head. Your steps are heavy, your thoughts even heavier.
Seokmin is at the nurses’ station, casually flipping through a patient chart when he sees you approaching. He immediately notices your expression and sighs. “Alright, what did Mingyu do this time?”
You shake your head, dragging a chair and plopping down beside him. “Not Mingyu.”
Seokmin raises an eyebrow. “Then why do you look like you just found out your whole life was a lie?”
You groan, resting your forehead against the cool surface of the desk. “I did find out something. From med school.”
Seokmin hums in interest. “Go on.”
You lift your head slightly, hesitating before mumbling, “Apparently, I told Wonwoo I liked him back then.”
Seokmin freezes. Blinks. Then leans forward dramatically. “You did what?”
“I don’t remember, okay?” you hiss, slapping his arm. “I was drunk. But he remembered. And guess what? He never said anything.”
Seokmin lets out a low whistle. “Oof. That’s tough.”
You slump back in your chair. “I don’t even know why I’m mad. Am I mad at him? At myself? At the universe?”
Seokmin clicks his tongue. “I’d say all of the above.”
You glare at him.
He chuckles before getting serious. “Look, you’re mad because it meant something. Even if you don’t remember confessing, the fact that he never responded—never even acknowledged it—hurts.”
You bite your lip, looking away. “Yeah.”
Seokmin nudges you. “So, what are you gonna do?”
You exhale sharply. “I have no idea.”
Seokmin grins. “Well, this is gonna be fun to watch.”
And so, you do what any reasonable person would do. You avoid Wonwoo.
You’re not dramatic about it—at least, you tell yourself that. You’re just busy. Too busy to sit in the on-call room when he’s there. Too busy to grab coffee at the same time. Too busy to share a ride home.
Mingyu and Seokmin notice immediately.
Seokmin corners you first, casually blocking your way to the scrub room with a patient chart. “So, avoiding your not-boyfriend now?”
You groan. “I’m not avoiding him.”
“Oh yeah?” He tilts his head. “Then why did you suddenly start doing your post-op notes in this hallway instead of the lounge?”
You cross your arms. “I like the lighting here.”
Seokmin snorts. “Right. Because overhead fluorescent lights are so flattering.”
Mingyu, on the other hand, doesn’t even bother being subtle. He slaps a tray of food down at your table during a late dinner break. “So, what’s the plan?”
You blink at him. “For what?”
“For whatever mess you and Wonwoo have gotten yourselves into.” He waves his chopsticks. “It’s been days. Wonwoo looks like he’s about to lose his mind, and you look like you’re trying to ascend into another plane of existence just to avoid eye contact.”
You scowl. “I just need time to think.”
Mingyu raises an eyebrow. “And what exactly are you thinking about?”
You hesitate. “I don’t know. Everything? The fact that I apparently confessed years ago and he never told me? The fact that he’s acting like it doesn’t matter? The fact that maybe it does matter, but I don’t know what to do with that?”
Mingyu chews thoughtfully, then points his chopsticks at you. “Sounds like you’re not over him.”
You groan, dropping your head onto the table.
He pats your shoulder. “Just talk to him. Before one of you explodes.”
The moment the hospital alert blared through the speakers, it’s like everything was put on hold. A mass casualty incident. Multiple vehicles. A bus, a few cars.
The ER instantly became chaos—stretchers being wheeled in, nurses and doctors shouting orders, the smell of antiseptic and blood thick in the air. Wonwoo moved on instinct, running toward the commotion just as Mingyu turned to him, face pale.
“She took the bus today,” Mingyu said.
Wonwoo’s stomach dropped. He didn’t even need to ask who she was. His feet were moving before his brain caught up. He barely heard Mingyu yelling for him as he shoved past people, making his way to the hospital entrance. Paramedics were still unloading patients. Some were conscious. Some weren’t moving at all.
He turned, gripping the arm of a paramedic. “The bus—where is it? Was everyone taken out?”
“There are still people at the site,” the paramedic said. “Some are trapped. First responders are working on it.”
Wonwoo didn’t wait to hear the rest. He ran.
The crash site was a scene of wreckage—twisted metal, shattered glass, the air heavy with smoke and the sharp scent of gasoline. Emergency lights flashed red and blue against the darkening sky, casting eerie shadows over the scene.
Wonwoo barely registered the shouts of firefighters and paramedics as they worked to extract victims from the wreckage. His mind had narrowed to one thing—you.
He scanned the scene frantically, his pulse hammering in his ears. People were being pulled from the bus, some dazed, some unconscious. His breath hitched when he saw a familiar figure slumped against the pavement, a paramedic crouched beside you.
"Y/N!"
His voice was hoarse, nearly breaking as he sprinted toward you. Your head turned sluggishly at the sound of his voice. Blood streaked down your forehead, a cut splitting just above your eyebrow. Your white coat was smudged with dirt, torn at the sleeve, and you had one hand pressed to your side, wincing.
“Wonwoo?” you murmured, blinking up at him, disoriented.
He dropped to his knees beside you, hands hovering over your face, your arms, as if afraid you’d shatter at his touch. “What the hell—why—why are you still here? You should’ve been in the hospital already—”
“Dr. Jeon?” The paramedic beside you spoke up, recognizing him. “She’s stable for now, but we need to move her. There might be internal injuries.”
Wonwoo clenched his jaw. He knew that but it was different when it was you, when he was staring at your bloodied form and realizing how close he’d come to—
No. He refused to think about it.
“Let’s go,” he said, voice tight, as he helped lift you onto the stretcher.
Your fingers curled around his wrist, gripping weakly. “Wonwoo,” you murmured.
His heart stuttered. “What?”
“Don’t look so sad.” Your smile was faint, barely there. “I’m okay.”
He exhaled sharply, gripping your hand. “You better be.”
Your eyelids felt impossibly heavy, the pain dulling into exhaustion. The sounds around you—sirens, shouts, the rustle of movement—were starting to blur together.
“Hey, hey—no.” Wonwoo’s voice cut through the haze, sharp with panic. His grip on your hand tightened. “Stay with me.”
You hummed, barely nodding. “Just… tired.”
“I don’t care. You’re not sleeping right now.” His other hand cupped your cheek, the warmth grounding you. “Look at me.” You tried. Really, you did. But the weight behind your eyes was unbearable. Your head lolled slightly, and that’s when his voice broke—
“Y/N, please.”
Something in his tone made you fight harder to stay conscious. Your blurry vision focused just enough to see his face—his usual calm was gone, replaced with pure, raw worry.
“You’re always… so bossy,” you mumbled, forcing a weak smirk.
“And you never listen,” he shot back, his thumb brushing over your cheek. “So listen now—stay awake.”
The paramedics lifted your stretcher, and Wonwoo moved with them, never letting go of your hand. “We’re almost at the hospital,” he told you, voice softer now. “You’ll be fine.”
You weren’t sure if it was the exhaustion, the pain, or the way he was looking at you, but for a moment, you believed him. Wonwoo’s heart nearly stopped when your body went limp. He swallowed hard, his mind racing even as his training kicked in. You’d lost blood. Too much. Your skin was too pale, your breathing too shallow.
"Dammit," he muttered under his breath.
As soon as they reached the ambulance, he climbed in with you, pressing two fingers to your wrist again just to reassure himself that your pulse was still there.
"Stay with me," he murmured, more to himself than to you snd when the ambulance doors shut, sirens wailing as they sped toward the hospital, he didn’t take his eyes off you for even a second.
The ambulance screeched to a halt outside the emergency entrance, and the doors flew open. Wonwoo barely waited for the paramedics before he moved, helping guide the stretcher out.
“Female, late twenties, sustained injuries from the crash site,” one of the paramedics called out. “Multiple lacerations, possible concussion, and significant blood loss—she lost consciousness on the way.” Mingyu was already there, his eyes widening the moment he saw you.
“Shit—Get her inside. Now! Bay 7!”
Mingyu paled but immediately snapped into action, helping the nurses prep you for assessment. Seokmin rushed in a second later, his expression shifting from relief to worry in an instant.
“Her BP’s low,” a nurse reported. “We need fluids started now.”
Wonwoo knew he should step back, let the trauma team handle it. But his feet refused to move. His pulse was racing, hands clenched at his sides.
“You need to get checked, too,” Mingyu said, glancing at the blood on Wonwoo’s scrubs—not his own, but yours.
“I’m fine.” Wonwoo’s voice was tight. “She—” His words caught in his throat. “Just take care of her.”
Mingyu exchanged a glance with Seokmin, who rushed down the ER the moment he heard about the accident, before nodding.
“Wonwoo,” Seokmin said carefully, “let them work. She’s in good hands.” he pulls Wonwoo out the hallway to let Mingyu and his team do their work.
Wonwoo’s jaw locked. He knew that. He did. But watching you, lying there so still, covered in bruises and blood—he’d never felt this helpless before. His mind was a mess. He should have driven you home. He should have made sure you weren’t avoiding him. He should have—
The doors burst open. A nurse rushed past him. Then, through the small window of the ER, he saw Mingyu and the rest of the team working frantically around you. Something was wrong.
He stepped forward, but Seokmin was suddenly there, blocking his way. “They’re doing everything they can,” Seokmin said, his voice firm but laced with worry. Wonwoo barely heard him. His eyes were locked on the room, on Mingyu pressing down on your chest.
You had coded.
A sharp breath left him as he staggered back, hitting the wall. Seokmin’s hand tightened on his shoulder. Neither of them spoke. Wonwoo’s hands were shaking. He curled them into fists. He’d never been this scared before. Not once in his life.
Wonwoo tried to push past Seokmin, but Seokmin held him back, gripping his arm tightly.
"Wonwoo, stop," Seokmin said firmly, his voice steady despite the tension in his face.
"I need to be in there," Wonwoo snapped, his breathing uneven. "I need to—"
Seokmin shook his head. "Mingyu’s got this. Do you think he’d let anything happen to her?"
Wonwoo clenched his jaw, his entire body tense, but he didn’t push forward again. He knew Seokmin was right but knowing didn’t make it easier. All he could do was stand there, watching through the window as Mingyu fought to bring you back.
Mingyu gritted his teeth, his hands steady even as the tension in the room thickened. The sound of the flatline rang in his ears, drowning out everything else.
"Charge to 200," he ordered, his voice sharp and controlled.
The nurse complied, handing him the paddles. Mingyu placed them on your chest, his heart hammering. "Clear!"
Your body jerked slightly as the shock coursed through you.
He checked the monitor. Still flat.
"Again! 300!"
Another shock.
Nothing.
Mingyu refused to let panic settle in. His friend was on this table. No, not just a friend. You were family.
"Come on," he muttered under his breath, sweat forming at his brow. "You're not done yet."
He pressed his hands to your chest, beginning compressions. "Give me one milligram of epi!"
Time blurred. His arms burned from the force of CPR, but he didn’t stop. He wouldn’t.
Then A blip. Another. A weak, slow rhythm appeared on the monitor.
He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "We've got a pulse," he announced, his voice hoarse but firm. The tension in the room eased slightly, but Mingyu knew it wasn’t over yet. He looked at you, unconscious but breathing, and exhaled sharply.
"You scared the hell out of us," he muttered under his breath. Then, he turned to the nurse. "Get her to the ICU. I'll update the others."
As the team moved into action, Mingyu pulled off his gloves, exhausted but relieved. Now, he just had to face Wonwoo.
Mingyu stepped out of the ER, exhaling deeply as he ran a hand through his hair. The hallway felt suffocating with tension, and the moment he looked up, his gaze met Wonwoo’s.
Wonwoo was still pacing, his fists clenched at his sides, eyes dark with worry. Seokmin stood nearby, watching carefully in case he had to physically restrain him again.
The second Wonwoo saw Mingyu, he froze. "How is she?"
Mingyu sighed, pulling off his surgical cap. "She coded."
Wonwoo’s face drained of color.
"But we got her back."
The relief was visible—Wonwoo’s shoulders slumped for just a second before he straightened, jaw tight. "Where is she now?"
"ICU. We stabilized her, but she’s not awake yet."
Wonwoo didn’t wait for another word. He turned on his heel, heading straight for the ICU.
Seokmin let out a breath. "I’m going after him before he scares the nurses."
Mingyu didn’t stop him. Instead, he leaned back against the wall, exhaustion hitting him full force.
"You better wake up soon," he mumbled to himself. "Or he’s gonna lose it."
Wonwoo barely made it past the ICU doors before the nurses blocked his way.
"You can’t see her yet, Dr. Jeon," one of them said firmly. "She’s still unconscious, and we need to monitor her closely."
His jaw tightened. "I just need to see her—"
"Wonwoo."
Seokmin grabbed his arm before he could push past them. "Stop."
Wonwoo turned sharply, eyes flashing. "She almost died, Seokmin. I—" He clenched his fists, unable to finish.
Seokmin’s grip didn’t loosen. "I know. But you barging in there isn’t going to change anything. Let them do their job."
Wonwoo’s breathing was heavy, his body tense as if he was holding himself together by a thread. His gaze flickered toward the door, frustration clear on his face.
Seokmin sighed. "Come on, man. Let’s sit for a second. You’re no good to her if you pass out from exhaustion."
Wonwoo didn’t move for a long moment, but finally, he exhaled sharply and let Seokmin pull him back toward the waiting area.
Still, he kept his eyes locked on the door, like sheer willpower alone could wake you up.
Hours passed, dragging on painfully. Wonwoo sat hunched forward, elbows on his knees, his fingers laced together so tightly they were turning white. Mingyu and Seokmin were on either side of him, equally exhausted but keeping watch.
No one spoke much. The weight of everything that had happened hung heavily in the air.
Then, finally, a nurse stepped out of the ICU.
"You can see her now."
Wonwoo was on his feet instantly, not even waiting for the others as he rushed through the doors. His heart pounded as he stepped into your room, his breath catching at the sight of you.
You were stil unconcious, but you were breathing. There were bandages wrapped around your head and arms, an IV hooked up beside you. But your chest rose and fell steadily.
"You’re an idiot," he muttered, voice hoarse. But even as he said it, his hand hovered over yours, hesitant, before finally resting gently over your fingers.
Hours passed before you finally regained consciousness. The first thing you notice is the hand holding yours. The weight of everything sinking in.
You gently squeeze his hand making Wonwoo sit up and look at you, “Hey you” you mumble at him. He didn’t say anything at first, just looking at you. Making sure he isn’t dreaming, he takes your warm hand pressing it against his cheek
“You scared me” he whispered
“Sorry”
He shakes his head. He stands up, leaning down to give you a kiss on the forehead. His lips lingering there for a while like he’s savoring every second. When he pulled back, his gaze met yours, filled with something unspoken.
“You should rest,” he murmured, voice still rough with emotion.
You gave him a small, tired smile. “Only if you do too.”
“I’m not leaving.” You already knew that. Even if he didn’t say it, you could see it in his eyes—he wasn’t going anywhere.
The door swung open, and Seokmin practically burst in, arms spread wide. “She LIVES!” he announced dramatically, as if you had risen from the dead.
You gave him a tired glare. “Was that necessary?”
“Yes,” he said without hesitation, plopping down in the chair beside you. “Do you know how much stress you caused us?”
Mingyu walked in behind him, arms crossed. “You had me working overtime,” he said, half-joking, half-serious. “And I don’t even get paid extra for that.”
You rolled your eyes, but there was warmth in your smile. “Oh, I’m sorry. Next time I’ll schedule my near-death experience at a more convenient time.”
Mingyu clicked his tongue. “That’s all I ask.”
Seokmin gasped. “Excuse me? That is not all we ask! How about you don’t get into life-threatening accidents at all?”
You sighed, leaning back into the pillows. “Noted.”
Wonwoo, who had been quiet this whole time, just exhaled, shaking his head. “They’re never gonna let this go, you know.”
“Obviously,” you muttered, but your chest felt lighter. Because as much as they nagged, you knew it just meant they cared.
Your recovery days were… frustrating, to say the least. As a surgeon, you were used to being the one treating patients, not being the patient. And the worst part? Your own friends were your caretakers, which meant zero chances of slipping out of bed unnoticed.
Seokmin was the worst about it. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked one afternoon when you tried to stand up.
“For a walk,” you said.
He pushed you back down with one finger to your forehead. “You’re on bed rest, doctor.”
“I’m fine,” you grumbled.
Seokmin gasped dramatically. “You coded! You died for a minute, and now you want to go for a walk?”
Mingyu walked in just in time to hear that. “Wait, she tried to get up? I knew we should’ve strapped her down.”
You scowled at both of them. “I’m not a psych patient—”
“Then stop acting like one,” Mingyu shot back.
But it wasn’t just them. The nurses were in on it, too. They absolutely loved watching the usually stubborn and independent surgeon get bossed around. Every time Wonwoo came to check on you, you swore you saw them watching from the nurses’ station, whispering to each other.
And speaking of Wonwoo…
He was quiet but relentless. While the others nagged, he just watched you, making sure you ate, making sure you took your meds, making sure you rested. He didn’t have to say anything—his mere presence was enough to keep you in place.
But one evening, when the others had left, you finally had enough. “Wonwoo, I swear if you tell me to ‘take it easy’ one more time—”
“I won’t,” he said simply, sitting beside your bed.
You blinked. “Oh.”
He looked at you for a moment, then exhaled. “I just… I was really scared.”
Your throat tightened. “Wonwoo—”
“I almost lost you,” he murmured.
You stared at him, heart pounding. “…Okay.”
He gave your hand a light squeeze. “Good.”
“But that’s unfair, you can’t use that on me everytime”
Wonwoo’s lips twitched, barely holding back a smirk. “Use what?”
“You being all—” you waved your free hand vaguely, “—soft and serious. Making me feel bad for worrying you. That’s not fair.”
He let out a quiet chuckle, rubbing his thumb over the back of your hand. “It’s not fair that you keep scaring me either.”
You groaned, sinking further into your pillows. “Fine. Truce?”
Wonwoo tilted his head slightly, pretending to consider it. “…Only if you promise to stop being reckless.”
You narrowed your eyes at him. “Define reckless.”
He sighed. “I hate you.”
You smirked. “No, you don’t.”
“…No, I don’t,” he admitted, his voice softer this time.
You stretched your arms as you walked into the hospital, feeling a mix of exhaustion and relief. Being back at work after weeks of recovery felt oddly normal, except for the way your friends hovered around you like you were made of glass.
You sat across from Wonwoo at a quiet restaurant near the hospital, picking at your food while he watched you like a hawk. He had already subtly pushed a side dish closer to you twice, and when you slowed down again, he raised an eyebrow.
"Eat," he said simply, taking a bite of his own food.
You sighed, shoving a spoonful into your mouth to appease him. “Happy?”
He hummed in approval before sipping his drink. The meal went on in comfortable silence, but your mind kept drifting back to the last real conversation you had before the accident.
“Wonwoo.”
“Hmm?”
You hesitated for a second, then pushed forward. “Before the accident, when we were talking… You said I kissed you.”
His grip on his drink tightened slightly. “Yeah.”
“And you never told me,” you continued, voice steady but firm. “I told you I liked you, and you never said anything. Is that… is that why you never dated anyone?”
Wonwoo let out a slow breath, placing his drink down carefully. “I thought you were drunk.”
“I was drunk,” you admitted. “But I wasn’t lying.”
He leaned back slightly, eyes flickering with something unreadable. “I didn’t know that.”
You exhaled sharply, running a hand through your hair. “So what, you avoided me for weeks, pretended like nothing happened, and then just… never dated anyone because of it?”
Wonwoo didn’t respond right away. He stared at you for a long moment, like he was deciding something. Then, finally, he spoke.
“I didn’t want to ruin what we had.” His voice was quiet but firm. “I thought if I told you, it’d change everything. And I didn’t—I couldn’t—” He exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. “I just didn’t want to lose you.”
Your heart twisted painfully in your chest. “And what about now?”
He met your gaze, something softer in his expression now. “Now, I think I almost did anyway.”
The weight of his words settled between you, and for the first time in weeks, maybe years, you felt like you were finally getting somewhere.
You stared at him, processing everything he’d just said. The years of friendship, the silent moments, the things left unsaid—all of it led to this.
“So,” you started carefully, your fingers tracing the rim of your glass, “you spent all these years… what? Waiting?”
Wonwoo let out a short, breathy laugh. “I don’t know. Maybe.” He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “It’s not like I planned to. I just—no one else ever felt right.”
Something in your chest tightened. “Wonwoo.”
He looked at you then, really looked at you. “Do you regret it?”
You blinked. “Regret what?”
“Telling me you liked me back then.” His voice was quiet, almost hesitant.
“I don’t regret it. What I regret is not remembering anything”
He chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. “You really don’t?”
“Not even a little,” you admitted. “If I had, we probably wouldn’t have wasted so much time.”
“And now?”
You held his gaze. “I don’t want to waste any more.”
For the first time in weeks, Wonwoo smiled—not the small, fleeting ones he’d been giving you, but a real one, the kind that reached his eyes.
“Then let’s not.”
The moment stretched between you two, something unspoken settling into place. Wonwoo didn’t say anything else instead he reached for your hand across the table, his fingers brushing yours before curling around them. It was such a simple gesture, but your heart still stuttered at the warmth of his palm against yours.
“You’re really doing this, huh?” you murmured, unable to stop the small smile tugging at your lips.
Wonwoo’s thumb traced lazy circles over your skin. “I should’ve done it a long time ago.”
You squeezed his hand, rolling your eyes playfully. “You should’ve.”
After your shift of course he waited for you to drive you home, the drive was quiet. Like how it usually is. But this this there's a sense of peace, something more comforting. Wonwoo made a thoughtful hum before, to your surprise, he reached over at a red light, fingers brushing against your hand. Then, in the most unexpected act of affection, he intertwined his fingers with yours.
“What—”
“I like holding your hand,” he admitted casually, as if this wasn’t the first time he was doing something like this outside of a life-or-death situation. “It’s warm.”
You blinked at him. This man. “Wonwoo,” you deadpanned, but your grip on his hand tightened, betraying you.
“Do you have any idea how confusing you are?” you muttered, squeezing his hand.
Wonwoo chuckled again, the sound low and warm. “I think I’m making it pretty obvious now.”
Your face heated up. You turned to look out the window, trying to hide the giddy feeling bubbling up in your chest. And just like that, the rest of the ride home was spent with your fingers still laced together, neither of you letting go.
You swallowed, heart stuttering in your chest at his words. Wonwoo's hand was still in yours, warm and steady
“If I’m reading this wrong,” he said, voice softer than before, “we can stop. I don’t want to force anything on you.”
You turned to him, watching how he kept his eyes on the road, his usual unreadable expression now laced with something else—something hesitant, something careful.
Your chest tightened.
“You think you’re reading it wrong?” you asked, your voice quieter now.
Wonwoo sighed through his nose, thumb unconsciously brushing against your knuckles. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I don’t want to assume anything. And I don’t want you to feel like you have to go along with me just because…” He trailed off, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter with his other hand.
Just because he’s Wonwoo? Just because he’s been there always, in ways you never fully understood until now?
Your lips pressed into a thin line. You weren’t used to this—him being the one doubting things when it was usually you who overthought.
The car slowed as he pulled up in front of your place, but he didn’t make a move to let go of your hand. His fingers curled around yours loosely, like he was giving you the chance to let go first.
You didn’t.
Instead, you took a breath and turned to face him fully. “You’re not reading it wrong,” you said, firm but not unkind.
Wonwoo finally looked at you, the flickering streetlight outside casting shadows on his face.
“You’re not forcing anything,” you added, squeezing his hand. “I like this, okay? I like… us.”
Wonwoo just smirked, giving your hand a squeeze. “This is years in the making,” he murmured, like it was the simplest fact in the world. “Let me hold my girl’s hand for a minute more.”
You huffed out a laugh, shaking your head, but your heart was doing something completely different—stumbling over itself at the way he said my girl.
You swallowed, feeling warmth bloom in your chest. Years in the making. You’d never thought about it like that, but now that he said it, you realized—he was right.
All those late-night study sessions, the quiet moments in the on-call room, the way he always made sure you ate, the way he was just… there. It wasn’t sudden. It wasn’t new. It was just something that had always been there, waiting for the two of you to finally stop dancing around it.
“…Fine,” you muttered, fighting the smile but failing miserably. “One minute.”
Wonwoo chuckled, and instead of arguing, he just laced his fingers through yours, holding on like he never planned on letting go.



















