Whenever she tried to empty her heart by cutting it out, a new sprout would emerge from the remnants of her heart no bigger than a fingernail, defiantly sprouting again each time she cut it off.

It was all because of a man who carefully watered the sprout she kept cutting off.

“What have you been thinking about since a while ago?”
“No, nothing.”
Eun Jae forced a smile and started to fold the welldried towels. Mi Ran reached out and snatched the towel Eun Jae had been folding.

“It’s 3 o’clock. Go in now, don’t wait for the exact time.”
“Okay, I’ll finish organizing this.”
Eun Jae stubbornly snatched the towel back from Mi Ran and started to fold the towels one by one in a place far from Mi Ran.

She was neatly arranging the beautifully folded towels within Mi Ran’s reach when the phone bell rang from the phone Eun Jae had placed on the side table.

Mi Ran, who had glanced at Eun Jae’s phone, created a fuss.

“Yoon Sun Woo is calling. Look, I told you to go in quickly.”
Eun Jae, without even looking at the ringing phone, replied while organizing the remaining towels.

“No. It’s not yet time to leave work. It’s fine since I’m going to the officetel anyway.”
“Leave it and go quickly.”
“Ah, why is he calling…”
She had spoken that much when she felt Mi Ran’s sharp gaze, and Eun Jae quickly corrected her words.

“Why would our Mr. Sun Woo be calling…”
Eun Jae, who had forced a smile by lifting the corners of her mouth, abruptly turned, leaving Mi Ran behind and picked up the phone.

Her voice was the lowest and quietest, whispering as if to stifle the sound.

“What’s the matter?”
[Do I need a reason to call?] “Well, not that but…”
What business could we have to talk without a specific purpose.

She swallowed the question she wanted to ask immediately.

[Are you still at the hospital?] “Yes.”
[I should have waited and come.] The man’s tender words flowed into her ears. Eun Jae lowered her gaze to the watch on her wrist. It was a little past 3 o’clock.

“Have you already left work?”
[I had to review papers for a seminar, and all the reserved patients have left.] “Ah…”
[Will it take long? Should I come and pick you up?] Again, a useless anticipation arises at the words wearing a mask of tenderness.

It’s hard. Both the fluttering of my heart at your habitual kindness and the necessity to purposely ignore it.

If I could have inscribed your words into my heart rather than calculate them,

If you and I could have met normally, dated passionately, loved passionately…

Then a hollow laughter leaked out.

From one to ten, we had no common ground. It wouldn’t have been possible for us to meet normally.

“No, I’m going soon. It’s just around the corner.”
[Alright, then.] Why on earth did I end up liking someone like you?

Even though I couldn’t handle it.

Having succumbed to Mi Ran’s anger, Eun Jae had just stepped out of the patient’s room and descended from the elevator, heading towards the main entrance.

The man called again. Eun Jae, who had briefly stopped her steps, pressed the call button while standing in the middle of the lobby.

“Yes.”
[7 o’clock direction.] “Yes? What’s that about…”
Suddenly, what’s this 7 o’clock direction?

Eun Jae, who had been looking around, turned her body towards the direction he had mentioned.

[Here.] “Huh?”
Full of sunlight pouring in through the fulllength window.

Yoon Sun Woo was standing there, wearing a warm smile.

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