Mission One: Marry You

hospital

.

happily walking inside the biggest hospital in ilsan with a wide smile on her face. she arrived in the morning and took some time to come here.

aeri wants to surprise her father so she will make sure she comes at the time when he is in the rest. yea, hopefully, he is now because here she is in the hospital. walking straight to the inquiry counter.

"hey there, how could i help you?" the nurse greeted her, but then she frowned.

before aeri could speak anything, the nurse lean to her friend beside her and started to whisper something leaving aeri confused about what happen. is she looks bad? or maybe something on her face?

"uh- hello?"

the nurse comes back to her place, still with her suspicious face. "yea, who is the patient are you looking for?"

aeri shook her head. a smile on her face, she spooks, "i want to meet dr.choi, please," both of the nurses at the counter started to gasp but then look back to aeri.

"are you related to dr.choi? dr.choi's daughter?" they asked and aeri slowly nodded with a shocked expression. she had never been here before, never thought people here know her.

"you look pretty just like what mr.choi described! ahh," aeri laughed at her statement. kinda surprised he's father told his co-workers about her.

the nurse was about to tell her about her father but then her friend spook, "where's your brother?" she questioned her with a smirk on her face. looking around aeri if there any boy comes along.

"you know my brother too? my father must talking too much about us hahaha... my brother is not here, he got work to do so i'm here alone," she answered.

later then, she sat on the chair. the nurse told her dr.choi got surgery to do. she needs to wait for 30 minutes for the surgery to be done.

it was too boring for her to just sit so she started to walk around the hospital like her father own everything here. the park, playground, and everything are here just perfect.

she wonders what it feels like to be treated like a patient here. that must be great. you just need to eat some medicine, stay hydrated, and food is served. oh gosh, what she's even thinking. she can be a patient if she wants to but she refused two years ago.

comes back to the place she sat. the nurse started to wave their hand, signing her to get over the counter again.

following their request, she's walking excitedly. her father should be done doing the surgery now, it's about 40 minutes passed after she's doing the short hospital tour.

"follow me, i'll show you where your father is," said the nurse. aeri nodded and followed her behind. she took a look at her nametag, saying her name is 'yu-mi,'.

they stopped in the 'staff only' room. the nurse knocked as she let aeri be in front of the door and she walked away, back to the counter.

aeri nervously waiting for the door open. it's just her father and that's not the reason she's nervous. how does she want to tell him about the operation she wants to do?

the door opened, revealing dr.choi with his tired face that changed into a surprising one. his eyes widened as he open his arm so aeri could hug him. without saying any words, aeri runs to his arm to get his father's warm.

"what are doing here? you don't even tell me, at least i can prepare lunch together at my apartment!" his father jokingly pout as she laughed and shrugged her shoulder.

"i miss you!" oh those three words, she wants to say to heeseung too.

"alright then. let's go eat?" she nodded as her father offered. maybe the restaurant they go to will be the place she tells him about it.

but something seems wrong with his father. she has been looking at his father clean up his place to get out of the hospital but he looks kinda... sad?

"dad... are you okay?" he stopped doing what he do, eyes not looking straight at his daughter. stay silent in the place without any words.

the files he was supposed to put inside his bag, stopped. aeri sighed, "i'm always here if you want to talk," she spook when she realized she may be talking about something that hurts his feelings.

maybe he want to forget what happen but when she asked if he was okay. the problem started to come back to him?

she was right.

"i failed," he said out of sudden after a long silence.

aeri gulped. she doesn't know what he means by that. as she knows, his father is a doctor. not a student to fail an exam but bro... he's clever as fck and there's no way he took an exam again.

before aeri was about to speak to him, he cut it with sobbing while explaining what happen to him just after the surgery he do on her arm.

"the patient died. she is just like you and i'm scared if i'm losing you like how i lost my patient. i failed to make her live well. i can't help her fight her brain's tumor, i'm scared i can't help my own daughter too," sobbing hard as aeri just comfort him. patted his back slowly.

aeri was too stunned to speak, she can't say anything and now she needs to fight the urge to not tell her father about the operation she want to do.

what she can say? it's her father after all. she wants to do the surgery with his father, at least if she dies, she will die in front of his father, am i right?

"dad, you are human too. it's okay to make mistakes. you tried your best to help your patient right? there are so many people you saved, dad. you should see the bright side instead," she comforted his father as his father still sobbing. it will get harder to tell him.

she sighed, still hugging his father tightly. "i want to do the operation, dad. i know you won't fail when it comes to me. i promise i'll be fine with it," she whispered to his father's ear as the man let go of the hug. looking at her with eyes widened.

not believing what he just heard while aeri just chuckling. she can't control her tears anymore. she looks at her father's eyes with blurry version, trying hard to smile.

the situation became quieter. her father can't be mad at her because that is her decision but for some reason, he feels sad.

two years ago, she's the one who disagreed with the surgery. she crying out loud, saying everyone will die soon or later. she refused to do the surgery, no matter how many people tried to persuade her.

although, she knows the tumor in her brain will grow bigger. she still refuses to do anything to put on her will to live.

it's been many years, for sure the tumor became bigger and she will soon stop breathing because her brain would stop working. everyone accepted the fact she's will die unless she do the operation.

but now the tumor is bigger. the operation would help but the opportunity to live is... low?