———— A mild look of surprise crossed her typically stern features, eyes showing her shock more than she would prefer. Assumptions had once been used as a defense mechanism in a world that expected so much of her. She had judged people for as long as she could recall. Her parents had always insisted that such things could protect her from those who would eventually make poor decisions - or worse, those who did not deserve her precious time. How ridiculous such things had turned out to be, as her family was dead due to her poor judgement. Yet, she held onto these notions until her knuckles turned white, especially in their current environment. Letting people in was opening yourself up to being hurt again. No one here would survive to live their days until old age. Faces came and went in they time they resided in, and such things forced themselves to become a routine.
In the beginning of the disease spreading, she was not as closed as she was, even when the burdens she bore were just as heavy. Kyungah made friends, sat by fires and laughed. How she loved to laugh - and those lucky enough to hear it never forgot it. There was a collection of happy memories, but they were tainted by the faces of ghosts that lingered in her ebony crown. A queen of woe, dressed in white. Why she had survived over anyone else, she did not know, for the fire and will to live had been put out long ago.
“No one here has asked me genuinely about myself, you’ve surprised me, Seth… Such things are not easily done.” She stated, her fingers running over the sketch book between her hands. Memories only she lived to know, ones she could share with him if she became willing. If only she could trust him, but trust from her was not easily earned. Perhaps she would offer general information about herself, but telling what happened to her family was another beast.
“Meet me on the rooftop in a bit if you’re really so curious. My shift was over a while ago and I need to shower.” Her legs stretched out before her, meeting the ground as she stood. “You’re right, you know, If I tell you nothing it’s almost the same as telling you everything. Besides, you have likely already figured out who I’m drawing.” Her eyes refused to meet his, they looked towards the ground, a sudden shyness washing over her. “Don’t let me telling you you’re right go to your head too much, you still do most things backwards.” A chuckle turned up the corners of her lips, eyes raised and met his. “By the way, the report on the newcomer you did, it’s missing some information.”
The end of her statement was a jest, something to hopefully cause him confusion in the way he had to her. It had been years since she met someone who could play intellectual games with her with good spirit. Something in her began to come alive again, even if slightly, in a way she never thought it would. Hope, a funny thing, one day a blaze and the next a mere whisper in the wind.
It was a surprise to him that apparently the only one in the whole of the hospital to express any kind of interest in Kyungah. By all accounts, he and Kyungah lived with a bunch of unsociable people; which Seth didn’t completely agree with once he studied that thought. Perhaps Kyungah’s reputation as an ice queen may have something to do with the others’ hesitancy to get to know Kyungah. But as it appeared that Seth may be melting the ice queen’s walls just a little with his persistent charm, that excuse wasn’t going to fly with him for much longer. Seth didn’t dare to mention this out loud to Kyungah yet but he was getting the impression that they may be able to be friends.
Kyungah decided to surprise him further with her invitation to join her on the hospital’s roof later on, with a sudden shyness Seth hadn’t seen her show before. But before Seth could form any kind of comment about that, she gave him a couple familiar cutting comments, reverting back to the behaviour he was used to from her.
He let out a genuine laugh as he got up and went over to where the patients’ files were kept. He located the one in question and after a quick check, he realised Kyungah had a point. He grabbed a pen and prepared to fix his mistake on the paperwork. “This place would fall apart without you, Kyungah,” he told her as she got up to leave the clinic. “See you on the roof.”
About an hour later, Seth’s paperwork was correct (hopefully to Kyungah’s exacting standards) and another on-site medic was now holding the fort in the clinic. Seth made his way to the roof of the hospital with a quick stop at the cafeteria to grab some snacks for him and Kyungah.
“Kyungah?” He called out her name once he reached their agreed destination, unsure she was up there already. If she was, he was expecting her to him out on his tardiness. To which he was going to reply with the snacks as a peace offering. “I have cookies and if you’re nice, I’ll share them with you.”
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