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Chapter 12
The Owner of the Bouquet
Nayeong took out her phone and checked the time.
By now, Professor Choi Taehyuk’s surgery should be over. It should be about time for him to discover the bouquet she had left in his office.
Did seeing the flowers make him feel a little better?
She kept thinking about it.
It would have been nice if he had at least sent one short message saying he received them. The silence made her feel disappointed.
Rrrrrrrr. Rrrrrrrr—
When the phone rang, she answered without even checking the caller.
“Hello.”
[It’s me, noona.]
The moment she heard her younger brother’s voice, her excitement disappeared.
Her younger brother, Hwiyeong, was a university student. He had received his military draft notice, taken a leave of absence, and was currently doing nothing.
[Mom told me to bring you the new clothes she bought. I’ll be at the hospital soon.]
Her mother must have gone out and bought her more clothes again.
“I told her I don’t need new clothes. I’m always at the hospital.”
[Don’t tell me. Tell Mom directly. I’m late for meeting my friends because of this.]
Nayeong sighed.
He scolded her even though he knew she couldn’t say that to their mother.
Taehyuk left the bar and took a taxi straight to the hospital.
Only after hearing Cha Hyun’s words did he realize how biased he had been.
He had listened to the residents’ gossip and believed it without question.
He had done the same thing as those who judged him based on rumors.
The most honest way was to ask Moon Nayeong directly.
If she really talked about another man, he knew it would hurt more.
But he hated himself even more for not having the courage to ask her properly.
When the taxi entered the hospital driveway, he saw Moon Nayeong coming out of the main entrance.
For a moment, he felt as if their hearts were connected. His expression brightened—
Then he saw the man walking toward her.
A tall man in his twenties with a bright, handsome face. The type any woman would like.
The man handed her a department store shopping bag.
She accepted it without hesitation.
When she reached out and grabbed the man’s hand as he turned to leave, something inside Taehyuk snapped.
The two spoke for a few more seconds.
“Sir, aren’t you getting off?”
The taxi driver looked at him strangely. They had already arrived.
Taehyuk couldn’t move until Moon Nayeong disappeared back into the hospital.
Click.
Taehyuk entered his office and collapsed onto the sofa.
The fifty-page report Nam Hojin had left was on the desk, but he had no intention of checking it.
It was probably just copied and pasted anyway.
He didn’t want to care about such trivial things.
The image of Moon Nayeong and that unknown man lingered in his mind.
When she first saw him at the hospital and avoided him, he had understood.
It would have been difficult to treat a man she had spent one night with as her professor.
So he had pretended not to remember—for her sake.
But now he realized.
It wasn’t only because of her training.
To her, he had just been a one-time thing.
That thought angered and hurt him.
For the first time, he regretted that night.
It would have been better if they had first met at the hospital.
Then he would never have seen her as a woman.
And he wouldn’t feel this pathetic today.
He closed his eyes.
Right now, he just wanted to rest without thinking.
The next day.
Nayeong arrived earlier than usual to prepare for rounds.
She thought Professor Choi must have seen the bouquet by now.
Surely his attitude would change.
It wasn’t even a confession.
But as the time for him to appear approached, her tension slowly rose.
She saw him walking from a distance and smiled slightly.
The moment their eyes met—
His gaze was cold and indifferent.
Her smile disappeared.
So even the bouquet had failed.
The more she tried, the more he seemed to dislike her.
Honestly, she now thought he was being too much.
It was the first time in her life she had bought a bouquet for a man.
And yet his attitude was colder than before.
If they were not in a professional relationship, she would have cut ties immediately.
How could someone be this heartless?
As he brushed past her, she impulsively called out.
“Professor Choi.”
His dry gaze turned to her.
“I think I’ve done everything I can. Can’t you forgive me now? We have to keep working together.”
“You’re asking me, your professor, to adjust myself to a first-year resident? So that it’s easier for you to work?”
He was never gentle, but today he sounded especially authoritarian.
Feeling that it was impossible to communicate, she turned away—
And noticed Nam Hojin grinning at her.
Why is he smiling like that?
He had complained about writing fifty pages because of her.
Was he happy seeing her get scolded?
Unbelievable.
After rounds, she headed to the ICU in a bad mood.
She decided to just focus on work.
Then a message from Seunghee arrived.
<You little brat! You got a bouquet from a man and didn’t even tell me?>
What was she talking about?
It seemed people had seen her carrying the bouquet and created their own story.
She sighed and replied.
<I bought it to ask Professor Choi for forgiveness. But it didn’t work.>
Beep.
A reply came immediately.
<Professor Choi doesn’t look like someone who likes flowers. You should’ve given him alcohol.>
So her choice of gift was the problem?
She laughed bitterly.
Right. I was too romantic.
When patient Lee Suji called him a rose with thorns, she had impulsively wanted to give him roses.
Now she realized how naive that was.
But she didn’t feel like giving him another gift.
She put her phone back in her pocket and entered the elevator.
Ten minutes later, another message arrived.
After reading it, she grabbed the back of her neck.
Why would you ask without telling me?!
This was getting worse.
Professor Yoon would probably think she was desperate to win points with Professor Choi.
Her blood pressure rose.
Now everything felt exhausting.
She just wanted to go home.
Taehyuk left work earlier than usual.
He was more emotionally tired than physically.
Every time he saw Moon Nayeong, his heart felt uneasy.
The thought of continuing to work with her made his head ache.
Should he have just asked who gave her the bouquet?
But that would look pathetic.
Even if he knew, what would change?
Would he steal her back?
He forced himself to stop thinking and walked toward the elevator.
“You’re leaving early today.”
Of course, he ran into Yoon Ina on a day like this.
He deliberately avoided her gaze.
She stopped beside him.
He intended to avoid conversation—
“I thought Moon Nayeong was special to you.”
He turned when he heard that name.
Yoon Ina even smiled slightly.
“But I guess she’s not.”
“Still, it’s definitely not you.”
His firm denial made her eyes shake for a second, but she quickly recovered.
Yoon Ina maintained her pride by pitying others.
“I feel sorry for Moon Nayeong.”
What nonsense was this?
He was the one treated like a disposable item.
Why feel sorry for her?
Ding.
The elevator doors opened.
“I’ll take the next one. You go first.”
She looked at him calmly and stepped inside.
Then she turned.
“Did you throw away the bouquet?”
He frowned, not understanding—
Then his eyes widened.
He suddenly remembered Nam Hojin’s report on his desk.
“I think I’ve done everything I can.”
And her words from that morning.
He realized he had missed something important.
He quickly turned and ran.
Through the closing elevator doors, Yoon Ina watched his back and frowned.
Bang!
The duty room door burst open.
Professor Choi Taehyuk suddenly appeared.
The resting residents jumped up in shock.
“Where is Nam Hojin?”
His voice was terrifying.
The residents exchanged looks.
Did Hojin mess up again?
I don’t know.
At that moment, Nam Hojin returned from the restroom, whistling cheerfully.
When he saw Professor Choi, he instinctively turned to run—
But Taehyuk grabbed his shoulder like an iron claw and pushed him against the wall.
The residents gasped.
If Hojin weren’t a man, it would look very suspicious.
“What did you do in my office yesterday?”
Even though he was caught, Nam Hojin answered casually.
It was just a bouquet, after all.
He hadn’t stolen an important paper.
“Oh! The bouquet looked like it was wilting, so I gave it some water. I forgot to put it back.”
Hearing that Hojin had taken it, Taehyuk felt as if he had been hit on the head.
The report he had dismissed as trivial had caused all of this.
Nam Hojin quickly brought out the bouquet he had hidden and handed it over.
It was a bouquet of white roses.
Taehyuk had never imagined roses would become so deeply connected to him.
“The card is still there.”
Without being told, Nam Hojin even showed him the card.
<I’m truly sorry for taking your photos without permission. I am deeply reflecting. Please accept these flowers and forgive me. – Moon Nayeong>
The bouquet was for him.
She had not received it from another man.
Even after finally learning the truth, his chest tightened.
How was he supposed to guess it was for him?
Why flowers…
Professor Choi Taehyuk had appeared suddenly in the duty room—
And now he left just as suddenly, holding the bouquet.
Since he had done something wrong, Nam Hojin politely saw him off.
“Professor! Please travel safely!”
But where was he rushing off to like that?
