The car ride started and so did the solicitude in the back of her head. She couldn't help but notice Yohan's face every now and then. He was never usually the quiet type but the silent treatment he was giving her creeped her out. At one point, she dug her fingernails into her palms and ended up asking what the matter with him was.
Yohan blinked twice looking confused. His hand from the steering wheel now travelled to his forehead and finally landed on his shirt, unbuttoning the top button. He pouted a little before sighing and giving the lady her answer
It's the hospital. They want me to become the head of the newly opened department for neonatal care unit.
Hyena raised her eyebrows, with her lips parted from one another, clearly looking happy and surprised at the same time. She knew how much her boyfriend loved kids and how much he longed for spending time with the newborns. This was his perfect opportunity ...
That's ... That's great. What's wrong with it then?
It's just ... I'm busy as it is, I don't get enough time to spend with you and I curse at myself for it everyday. And once I become the head, I- things might change. We may not ... have more time for ...
Yet another sigh escaped his heavy lungs. Hyena didn't know what to come up with. She couldn't ask him to give up his dreams just so he could spend time with her, neither could she ask him to take up the job, showing that she would be okay not being able to spend time with him. The situation turned ambivalent and they just ended up smiling at each other, more like faking them.
They soon arrived at the café where they planned to go to a week ago. It was the first time they met there. And to mark their 1000 days anniversary, Yohan came up with a pleasant surprise for her, although it was less than anything but a surprise since she already knew where they'd be going.
A couple of smoothies and thick shakes finally put a smile on their faces but Hyena's heart suddenly got heavy with the sudden flash of Seongwu's image before her eyes. It was as blurred as a distant memory yet at the same time, as potent as if it happened just then.
Her face changed its Color from flushed pink to deep red. With every further dig into his details, her heart raced. Luckily for her, Yohan went to the counter to finish their payment and she had enough time to return to her original pink hues ....
She thought she'd get better with time, but with each passing second, she started feeling uneasy and ended up grabbing her waist, with her face buried between her legs. Yohan upon noticing this, rushed to her side and carried her towards his car while asking for what she was going through.
Just get me home. I guess it's my periods ... I'll be fine, I'm not dying ...
Hyena joked as she noticed her boyfriend's baffled expressions and like medicine, her words worked on him and he dropped his chest lower in relief.
They reached her place in no time. They did have further plans for their special day, but considering Hyena's situation, her boyfriend insisted she rested at home instead. He pushed back their date to some other day and reached for the elevator.
As the doors opened, Hyena's knees grew weaker and weaker. She thought she'd collapse any second. Reluctantly, she forced her chin up and took a look inside. A deep sigh escaped her lips upon finding it empty.
As they reached her flat, Yohan's phone rang and he excused himself to take the call. Meanwhile, Hyena got inside her house and kept the door open for Yohan to walk in.
She soon threw herself onto the couch. She knew her periods was over the past week, but she lied inorder to save her boyfriend from worrying about her. She wanted to be as care giving as her boyfriend was to her, but she always lacked in showing her true feelings. It couldn't be helped, she grew up that way. In that moment, she just wanted to stay home and maybe watch some movie with her boyfriend. So once Yohan, entered the house after ending the call, her eyes sparkled like a little puppy's and she gestured with her arms tapping on the sofa asking him to sit next to her.
He smiled at her cute gesture, crotched down to her level and asked for one last time if she was okay. She nodded her head tiredly yet again.
It was my sister earlier ... On the phone. She asked me if I could go visit her before she leaves to Jeju for her field trip. I told her about our special day and so I'm not go-
You should go.
Yohan raised his eyebrows but Hyena's strong, determined eyes didn't make him argue with her anymore. He knew there was no point in doing so. They've been there before quite a lot of times. He knew that she was the type of girl who knew what she wanted and what was best for her. And she knew how important his sister was to him, how much he adored her since she was born.
So without further discussions, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead followed by a light peck on her lips and left her place in no time.
With the sound of the door closing, she fell on her couch and closed her eyes. As soon as she closed her eyes, the same image crossed her mind and she sat up at once, placing her hand on her rapidly beating heart. And subliminally she spoke out the name out loud
Seongwu
.