Side Story 1.10

“Dr. Lee! Come in and have a seat.”

“We saved you a spot. You must be hungry.”

Dr. Lee, impeccably dressed in his coat as always, entered the room like a victorious general, drawing the attention of the staff. He took off his coat, hung it on a hanger, and sat down. A brief commotion erupted as his beer glass was filled.

Jieun, who had momentarily lost the spotlight, quietly set down the vodka bottle and leaned over to whisper to Leeseo.

“Did you know? Dr. Lee always shows up in the middle of these gatherings. He’s got a main character complex.”

Leeseo couldn’t help but stifle a laugh at Jieun’s comment.

“You’ve noticed it too, huh?”

Jieun wrinkled her nose playfully and grinned. Leeseo merely smiled faintly, choosing not to say much.

Ever since Dr. Lee had caught her with Taegyeom about a month ago, she had resigned herself to the possibility that rumors might spread at the hospital. Yet, nothing had come of it. It seemed he had kept quiet. He hadn’t mentioned the incident nor acted any differently toward her, refraining from his usual habit of striking up conversations with her.

It was unexpected. Based on his outward demeanor, she had assumed he’d be the type to gossip. Feeling guilty for her preconceived notions, she realized she might have misjudged him.

“Oh… I’m sorry for being late to your farewell party, Pharmacist Hyun. Have you eaten much?”

Dr. Lee smiled awkwardly as his eyes met Leeseo’s.

“Yes, but you must be hungry too. Please, help yourself.”

“Thank you. And congratulations on all your hard work.”

“You as well, Dr. Lee.”

“Oh, I didn’t do much. Haha… Oh? Is that vodka you brought back from Russia?”

Dr. Lee pointed to the vodka bottle in front of Jieun, smoothly steering the conversation.

“Oh, yes. Would you like to try some?”

“Of course. I was secretly hoping you wouldn’t show up empty-handed. Haha. Thank you.”

He held out his glass without hesitation. Jieun tilted the vodka bottle and poured him a drink. Soon, the sound of glasses clinking filled the air. The sizzling grill and the lively chatter of the farewell party created a festive atmosphere that grew even more animated.

***

The drinking session didn’t wrap up until more than two hours later. Having drunk more beer than usual and downed a few shots of vodka, Leeseo’s face was flushed red. However, compared to the others, who were thoroughly inebriated, she was one of the more sober ones.

Jieun, on the other hand, was swaying her upper body slowly from side to side, her lips curved into a loose smile. Leeseo grabbed Jieun’s arm to help her stand.

“Jieun, hold onto me and get up. It’s time to go.”

Jieun had kept drinking vodka shot after shot, saying one was for how much she’d miss seeing Leeseo every day, another was to thank her, and yet another was to express her gratitude. Leeseo had never seen Jieun this drunk in all the time she’d known her.

“Are you okay?”

“Me? I’m fineee. Why? I don’t need any help. I can stand on my own.”

Although Jieun was shorter than Leeseo, her drunken state made it difficult to support her. She even resisted, insisting she was fine on her own, which only made her weight press down harder on Leeseo. As Leeseo staggered under the weight, Dr. Lee stepped in and took Jieun’s arm.

“I’ll help her. Otherwise, you might fall too, Pharmacist Hyun.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Leeseo looked at Jieun with concern. Known among their friends for her high alcohol tolerance, Leeseo had assumed Jieun would be fine. She was wrong. As the saying goes, even the strongest can’t stand up to vodka. Jieun leaned heavily on Dr. Lee, swaying as she walked.

Leeseo followed behind, carrying Jieun’s bag on her shoulder. Suddenly, she heard the sound of dry heaving. Fearing that Jieun might ruin his cherished coat, Dr. Lee instinctively pulled his arm away. Without support, Jieun’s body tipped over.

Unfortunately, they were at the top of a staircase. Losing her balance, Jieun tumbled down the stairs. The staff, who were just leaving the restaurant, gasped and rushed over, turning the hallway into chaos.

“Jieun! Are you okay?”

Leeseo knelt down beside Jieun, who was sitting on the stairs, and checked her for injuries.

“Huh? Oh… I’m fine, I’m fine.”

Jieun waved her hand dismissively, laughing sheepishly.

“Can you stand?”

“I’m sorry, Pharmacist Hyun. My hand slipped for a moment… Let me carry her.”

Apologizing for his failure to properly support her, Dr. Lee crouched down and offered his back to Jieun. Despite his insistence, Jieun stubbornly refused, saying she could stand on her own.

After much persuasion, Dr. Lee finally managed to carry Jieun on his back and stood up with a grunt. But as soon as he took a step, he let out a groan and stumbled forward, falling down the stairs with Jieun still on his back. The two ended up sprawled on the landing.

“Ow…”

Dr. Lee rubbed his knee, which had hit the floor, and muttered an excuse.

“I’m sorry. It’s not that you’re heavy. I just drank too much, and my legs gave out…”

“Ugh… Seriously. I told you I could stand on my own. Get out of the way. What kind of man has such weak legs?”

Jieun grumbled as she grabbed the railing and pulled herself up. Leeseo quickly stepped in to support her by placing an arm around her waist.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. But I think I twisted my ankle. It hurts quite a bit.”

Jieun winced, lifting one leg off the ground. The clinic was closed for the day, so a trip to the emergency room seemed inevitable. Dr. Lee offered to carry her again, but he didn’t inspire much confidence. For now, they needed to get a taxi outside the restaurant.

“Hold onto my shoulder. Let’s get you to the hospital.”

“Okay.”

Jieun nodded apologetically and leaned on Leeseo. Just as Leeseo braced herself for the weight, the pressure on her shoulder suddenly lifted.

“Huh?”

Jieun let out a surprised gasp. When Leeseo looked up, she saw a broad chest in front of her. The tailored shirt and muscular build were unmistakable—it was Taegyeom.

“Leeseo.”

“How did you…”

Had I told him the location of the farewell party? 

She couldn’t remember. She wanted to ask how he had found her but decided against it. Knowing him, he probably had no qualms about investigating her whereabouts.

Taegyeom didn’t respond. Instead, he gave her a calm look before turning his attention to Jieun.

“Are you alright, Ms. Jieun?”

“Oh… Hello. It’s been a while. I meant to thank you, but I… I’m fine, really…”

“I’ll drive you.”

Ignoring Jieun’s rambling, Taegyeom took her bag from Leeseo and handed it to a man standing behind him. The man, one of Taegyeom’s personal assistants, stepped forward and bowed politely.

“Excuse me.”

Without hesitation, the assistant lifted Jieun into his arms and carried her out of the restaurant. Jieun, who had been stunned into silence, blushed and quietly let herself be carried away.

Leeseo turned to the staff, who were still frozen in shock.

“I’ll take her to the hospital.”

“Oh, okay. Please let us know when you get there.”

“I will. Don’t worry too much.”

“Alright. Be careful.”

Though the staff were bursting with questions about Taegyeom, none of them dared to ask. After saying her goodbyes, Leeseo hurried out of the restaurant.

Walking beside her, Taegyeom exuded an air of authority that was almost palpable. His towering presence seemed to create a strange, unexplainable tension.

Once the two disappeared from view, the staff finally let out the breaths they had been holding. They exchanged meaningful glances, each trying to process what they had just witnessed. Suji, in particular, looked the most shocked.

“That was him, right? I wasn’t seeing things, was I?”

“Is he really Pharmacist Hyun’s husband? Seriously? This isn’t some collective dream, right?”

“Wow, I’m speechless. Jieun seemed to know, but how did she keep it a secret?”

“And he’s even better-looking in person. His voice, too…”

While the staff exchanged their thoughts in hushed tones, Dr. Lee quietly approached the counter. He handed over the bill and pulled out the corporate card.

“I’d like to settle the bill.”

“Oh, the tab for Room 1 has already been paid.”

“What? By whom…”

Dr. Lee looked up in confusion, just in time to see a large sedan gliding away through the restaurant’s glass window.

He let out a sigh of frustration. Smiling bitterly, he watched the car disappear into the distance.