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Chapter 28
Housewarming
When Taehyuk entered the house, Oh Seungjun was in the living room, glued to his phone, enthusiastically messaging someone.
It was clear just by looking at his face that the blind date Cha Hyun had set up for him was going well.
“Professor Choi, can I borrow your car on Sunday?”
“No.”
The moment Oh Seungjun asked to borrow the car, Taehyuk coldly refused. Not a simple ‘no,’ but a blunt ‘I don’t want to.’
To Seungjun, it sounded like: “I can’t stand seeing you succeed.”
“Hey! I even gave up my house for this, and you can’t lend me a car? How petty!”
Seungjun immediately started whining about the house, and by now, it was getting tiresome. Taehyuk walked to the fridge, got a drink, and ignored him.
Seungjun, who needed a nicer car for dates, approached Taehyuk and tried a friendlier approach to get his approval.
“I overheard in the elevator that the building owner’s family lives in this officetel. Isn’t that crazy?”
“What does that have to do with you?”
Taehyuk gave him a look of disbelief. But Seungjun didn’t back down.
“I’m going to find out who that rich kid is and build connections. And when I do, you better not forget to lend me your car.”
As Seungjun extended his hand, Taehyuk immediately smacked it hard.
Clap!
“Ah!”
Seungjun’s hand instantly turned red, and he exploded in anger.
“Hey! Do you know how important a surgeon’s hands are? Don’t hit me like that!”
“If you know how important they are, don’t act stupid.”
Taehyuk walked toward the room with his drink, ignoring him, while Seungjun vented.
“You’re not scared of what I might say when we go to Moon Nayoung’s housewarming, are you?”
Taehyuk froze. He stopped, turned, and looked at Seungjun.
“You’re going to the housewarming too?”
“Of course! I’m the host!”
It made sense—since Nayoung was living with Seungjun’s sister, it would have been odd not to invite him.
Taehyuk, who had worked hard to earn the chance to attend, didn’t like Seungjun getting in so effortlessly.
Standing there with a slightly displeased expression, Taehyuk first asked:
“What time is your date on Sunday?”
“Why? So you’ll lend me the car?”
Seungjun’s face brightened immediately from the earlier scolding.
“If you do me this favor.”
“Fine. Anything you say.”
Seungjun nodded enthusiastically.
It was finally the day celebrity Eunbyeol was being discharged.
Thankfully, her health had improved enough to leave the hospital. If she repeated her old habits, she’d be back with stomach bleeding, but for now, it was a relief.
Eunbyeol, dressed in designer clothes like a true star, appeared in the general surgery ward, drawing everyone’s attention. She seemed like the female lead of a drama here, and everyone else just extras.
“Where’s Professor Choi Taehyuk?”
As soon as she said his name, the ward buzzed. The rumor that Professor Choi had secretly operated on a patient’s son late at night had spread just yesterday, making her appearance even more provocative.
Donggeon, who happened to be in front, stammered:
“Ah! I-I’ll call him for you. Just a moment.”
He hurriedly dialed Taehyuk’s number. Normally, a patient leaving wouldn’t need the professor called, but Eunbyeol’s commanding presence made it unavoidable.
Click.
Just as Donggeon was about to speak after the call connected, a hand snatched his phone.
It was Nayoung.
She pressed the end call button and spoke directly to Eunbyeol.
“Professor Yoonina is your attending physician. So it’s enough to say your goodbyes to her.”
Eunbyeol raised her eyes at Nayoung. Being in the entertainment industry, she instinctively guarded herself against a woman who was noticeably beautiful, even without makeup, wearing a plain white coat, and radiating subtle charm.
She had always done full makeup at the hospital, afraid to show her bare face. Now, Nayoung’s presence made her more stubborn.
Chin raised elegantly, Eunbyeol said:
“What’s wrong with me just wanting to say goodbye to the doctor who took care of me on my way out?”
Seeing that Eunbyeol wasn’t backing down, Nayoung looked around. The other patients’ families were already taking out their phones to film. Fighting here wouldn’t do any good.
“Then follow me.”
Turning, Nayoung quickly instructed Donggeon:
“Tell Professor Choi to come to the lab.”
Donggeon nodded. After Nayoung led Eunbyeol toward the research building, he muttered like a ghost:
“Why is Moon Nayoung getting involved in Professor Choi’s affairs?”
Normally, Nayoung wouldn’t intervene in someone else’s business. She only did this for patients like Lee Yoonji, who were special to her.
“What?”
As soon as Taehyuk exited the OR, he received a call from Donggeon and could hardly believe his ears.
“Did Moon Nayoung really guide Eunbyeol to my lab herself?”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t tell her to do it?”
“No, she told me herself. She said to tell you to come to the lab.”
“Got it.”
Hanging up, Taehyuk crossed his arms, trying to make sense of the situation.
The reason Eunbyeol came before discharge was clear—probably to remind him again of Cha Hyun’s film.
He had never imagined Nayoung would personally block her in front of everyone.
He hurried to the lab, feeling that being late could be serious.
When he burst in, to his relief, nothing hostile had happened. Eunbyeol was simply sitting on the sofa, accompanied not by Nayoung, but her manager.
“Where’s Moon Nayoung?”
Breathing heavily, Taehyuk asked. Eunbyeol smiled cynically.
“I already suspected something, so I asked her about her relationship with you.”
Taehyuk, curious about Nayoung’s response, instinctively moved toward the sofa.
“And what did she say?”
Eunbyeol slightly frowned at his informal tone, then smirked:
“If I get confirmed to appear in Director Cha Hyun’s film, I’ll tell you then.”
Damn it. He nearly cursed at a patient about to be discharged.
Sunday was the day Nayoung had her housewarming.
It was less than a five-minute drive, so Taehyuk and Seungjun arrived promptly at her door.
Seungjun muttered while looking at the familiar entrance.
“I can’t believe I’m invited to my own house as a guest. What’s going on?”
“You’re not taking the car for your date today, are you?”
Seungjun smiled immediately and reached for the door lock, but Taehyuk swatted his hand and commanded:
“Press the doorbell.”
Seungjun, silently repeating to himself that he’d be taking his sedan for the date, pressed the doorbell firmly as instructed.
Ding-dong.
After a few seconds, footsteps approached, and the door opened.
“Welcome, Professor Choi.”
Seunghee, Seungjun’s sister, greeted Taehyuk warmly. Seungjun, annoyed, muttered:
“Don’t you see your real brother?”
“Professor Choi, you dress so well in casual clothes. Looks like a date!”
Seungjun, who really had a date today, glared at his sister, then pushed past her to enter first.
He sniffed the air, noticing a different scent.
“What’s that burning smell?”
“Oh! Nayoung burned the galbijjim.”
“What!”
Seungjun thought she had set the house on fire and dashed to the kitchen. Taehyuk followed.
Nayoung, finishing her dishes on the table, smiled and greeted them.
“Welcome.”
Busy finishing her somewhat clumsy cooking, she looked more natural than usual, like someone who had just woken up and hadn’t had time to get ready.
Taehyuk couldn’t help but smile. Seungjun, however, tried to spoil the mood.
“No more cooking in this house. What if you start a fire!”
“Then get fire insurance. Just cook.”
“Hey! It’s not your house!”
“I’ll pay the insurance.”
The two men bickered over her cooking, and Nayoung quickly intervened.
“I won’t cook again, so please stop arguing.”
The two stopped and looked at her, and she gestured to the table.
“Consider it my effort today. Just taste it.”
Taehyuk noticed a bandage on her thumb.
Even though he remained composed seeing patients with severed fingers in the ER, seeing her tiny bandage made his chest ache. It embarrassed him that something so small could affect him.
“I’ll just use the bathroom for a moment.”
Taehyuk walked straight to the bathroom Seungjun had pointed out and went in.
Nayoung turned to the Oh siblings.
“You two sit first.”
Seunghee sat at the table first. Seungjun’s phone rang. Without checking the caller, he answered.
“Hello? Mother? What? Come home immediately?”
Nayoung and Seunghee looked at him simultaneously.
Seungjun hung up and said to Seunghee:
“We need to go home. Get up quickly.”
“What? Why all of a sudden?”
“I’ll explain on the way. Come on!”
Seunghee hurriedly got up, thinking something urgent must have happened at home.
Just then, Taehyuk emerged from the bathroom. Seungjun walked straight up to him, holding out his hand.
“Lend me the car.”
As soon as Taehyuk handed over the keys, Seungjun headed to the front door.
“Oppa! Come with me!”
Seunghee grabbed her phone and hurried after her brother.
In an instant, the Oh siblings left, leaving only Nayoung and Professor Choi in the house.
Nayoung explained:
“Something urgent must have come up at home.”
“Oh! Really?”
Taehyuk finally reacted, realizing the situation. In fact, he had been the one who had called Seungjun in the bathroom.
