Golden Time

“Professor!” called an intern who rushed toward the professor urgently just as Suhyuk was about to open his mouth.

“There is an emergency patient.”

A thick cigarette smoke puffed into the air from the professor’s mouth.

He rubbed out the cigarette and looked up at Suhyuk.

“PK student, I’ll see you next time.”

So the professor left the room, and Suhyuk looked up at the sky and said in a soft voice,

“In my dream, it was him that I learned from, and he was a very scary person. It’s a dream... It’s like a dream,” his muttering spread into the sky.

Surprisingly someone replied to it. She had been leaning against a drink vending machine as if she were hiding there. It was Choi Suryon.

“In a dream? Humm.. you’re talking about some strange things...”

A dark shadow covered her face, but her white teeth were s.h.i.+ning brightly.

—–

Suhyuk immediately went to see Professor Lee Mansuk.

“You’re a little late.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. That can happen when you’re busy.”

When Suhyuk sat down, he opened his mouth,

“Anyway, did you catch the suspect? That’s why you disappeared without a word yesterday.”

“I was absent-minded yesterday. I’m sorry.”

He could not remember how he caught the suspect. As he was drunk, he fell asleep soundly soon after the incident.

At his words, the professor nodded his head approvingly.

He seemed to show he was a generous person.

“Have you thought about my offer?”

He asked him to be his a.s.sistant.

“I’m sorry,” replied Suhyuk.

The professor’s expression was surprisingly calm.

He just nodded and lifted his coffee cup.

“Anytime, you can come and see me if you change your mind.”

“Thank you.”

After that, they exchanged some trifle conversation...

Suhyuk then said goodbye and rose up from his seat.

The professor fixed his gaze on the back of Suhyuk, who went outside.

‘You will come to me at the end of the day. I will make you come to me.’

Suhyuk came out into the hallway and went straight to Kim Jinwook.

Kim greeted him with great delight.

He handed suhyuk a cup of coffee that he brewed himself, and talked for a while about what happened yesterday. They did not exchange any particular conversation.

“Yeah, I’ll see you again tomorrow,” said the professor.

Suhyuk, who went out of the faculty room, shook his head.

As things stand now, he may have to stop by the two professors’ offices every day first thing in the morning.

“Huhwoo...”

He did not expect that he would be so busy like that.

With a low sigh, he moved to the elevator to return home.

Then his cell phone vibrated. It was a call from Dongsu.

“Are you busy?”

“I’m going home now.”

“I’ll introduce you to a girl. So, come to my place.”

Suhyuk shook his head without realising it.

“Are you not studying?”

“I got first place in the cla.s.s this time,” Dongsu said.

Was he a genius?”

“Introducing me to a girl at this hour? I’m going home.”

It was already 9 o’clock at night.

“Come out. I’m in front of the hospital.”

Suhyuk was blown away by his insistence.

When did he get here?

“I’m tired today.”

“Just get out here.”

The phone was hung up like that.

When Suhyuk walked out of the hospital, Dongsu, leaning on the street pole, revealed himself sneakily.

“Why did it take so long for a trainee to go home?”

“Did you wait for me? Do you even know when it is that I finish?”

“No, I didn’t wait. I was nearby, and came here as you were done.”

Suhyuk looked at him up and down.

Dongsu was dressed up in a clean, unusual suit.

Suhyuk soon realized his intention.

“No way.. Are you here for a blind date?”

“You’re quick witted! Actually I want you to meet a lady whose partner didn’t come.”

“Go somewhere else to find her partner. I’m so tired today. I even got aboard a helicopter.”

“What?! Helicopter?”

Dongsu quickly caught up with Suhyuk, who was walking ahead.

“Please do me a favor only this time. Please, brother Suhyuk!”

Dongsu was staring at him with earnest eyes.

“Well... Let me just sit down briefly and leave after, brother!”

***

A man in front of the bar welcomed Dongsu.

He was in the same cla.s.s from the same law school.

His eyes became wide at Suhyuk.

“Was he really your friend?”

“Yeah, I told you man, he was a real friend of mine.”

Suhyuk first greeted him.

“h.e.l.lo.”

“h.e.l.lo. I’ve heard a lot about you from Dongsu, and I’ve seen you on TV too.”

When Suhyuk smiled awkwardly, he said to Dongsu playfully,

“Did you bring too strong of a compet.i.tor?”

“Do not worry. He’s such a fool, so he will stay like a mannequin and go away.”

So, they went in. The bar was buzzing with singing and people’s voices.

They sat at an appropriate place and waited for their partners.

A short time pa.s.sed. After 20 minutes, three beautiful women came to the spot.

They were dance majors.

“h.e.l.lo.”

The eyes of the three guys began to s.h.i.+ne brightly. Not only their faces but also their figures were great.

No wonder those dance girls were clearly different from other girls.

“Oh, you must be Lee Suhyuk, right, right?” a girl who recognized him said.

Not only she but the other girls also recognized him.

“I saw you on TV when I was a middle school girl. I heard that you caught a criminal suspect this time.”

All of their gazes were fixed on Suhyuk.

“Don’t you have a girlfriend? How come you are here for a blind date?”

At that moment Dongsu interrupted, “I also was on TV hahaha.”

Unfortunately, they did not recognize him.

“Oh, you were...”

They then introduced themselves naturally. First, the men simply told the girls about their age and name, and the women followed suit.

“h.e.l.lo, I am 22 years old and my name is Han Isul, Korean dance major.”

She had big beautiful eyes resembling a puppy’s. She also had a good impression.

After she introduced herself, Dongsu whispered to Suhyuk, “She’s mine.”

Suhyuk shook his head and nodded with a sip of water.

“h.e.l.lo, my name is Im Heeyon, and I’m of the same cla.s.s with Isul.”

She was an exotic girl with a small face and well-defined features.

When she smiled shyly, the dimples gently setting in her face looked pretty.

“h.e.l.lo, my name is Yun Kahee. I’m also of the same cla.s.s.”

She was like a modern chic woman. Yun’s v-necked clothes showed her breathtaking b.r.e.a.s.t.s every time she moved.

After the introduction, they exchanged drinks a few times.

The awkward atmosphere was soon gone and they were having a great time gradually.

“Aren’t you medical students busy? I was told that you were too busy to even eat...”

“Not necessarily...”

Actually it’s when they became interns that they start become hectically busy.

Suhyuk poured beer into his cup.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Let me pour it for you.”

“Thank you.”

Then Dongsu rose from his seat.

“We can’t skip this game at a drinking party like this. Do you know the number-matching game on the bottle cap?”

“Of course!”

So they played various games.

Suhyuk never got tricked during the game. Others put their brains to work to tempt him to get tricked, but it was not easy. The containers of soju and beer changed from time to time, but did not land on Suhyuk. Suhyuk rose from his seat while they were laughing and talking like that. Opening their eyes widely, the female students looked up at him.

Dongsu asked hastily, “Where are you going?”

“To the bathroom...”

When he was heading to the bathroom, his phone was ringing.

“You are not going home, right?”

“No, don’t worry.”

“Leave your phone here when you go to the bathroom.”

With a feigned smile, Suhyuk walked into the bathroom, shaking his head.

At that moment he heard some voices from behind him.

“h.e.l.lo...”

Suhyuk looked back. It was Im Heeyon who looked pretty.

“Yeah?”

She showed hesitation at Suhyuk’s response.

Her cheeks blushed.

“Can I get your contact number?”

Throughout the drinking binge, she remained silent all along, and he heard vaguely that she was forced to come to this place by her friends.

It would not have been easy for her to pluck up her courage like this.

With a gentle smile, Suhyuk put his number on the phone she gave him.

She bent to say goodbye.

“Let me leave first because of the curfew hour... Nice to meet you.”

She ran away from the bar as if she were fleeing.

“I think I should leave too, so that the others can enjoy themselves as a pair.”

Suhyuk quietly went out of the bar.

***

The cold air of the outside made him feel strangely excited.

He was sober because he drank only a few gla.s.ses.

It was 10:30pm. Hana’s Rice and Soup store was not yet closed at that time.

They will be busy preparing to close a bit later.

He visualized the sight of Hana and her father cleaning up the tables and was.h.i.+ng the dishes piled up like a mountain. Suhyuk moved without hesitation. At that moment he saw a bus destined for Hana’s store arriving at the bus top. He quickened his gait to the stop.

***

As he opened the door, Hana was sweeping the floor and cleaning the table as expected.

“Hi?” said Suhyuk.

She leered at him as if she were asking him why he came again, and as soon as she was about to say something, he had already disappeared into the kitchen.

“How are you sir?”

“Hey, why are you here? We’re almost closed for the day.”

“I’m bored.”

The kitchen sink was piled up with pots.

Suhyuk rolled up the sleeves of his s.h.i.+rt and pushed him out inch by inch.

“Let me do the dishes.”

Hana’s father stepped away from Suhyuk looking at him as if he were resigned.

Suhyuk immediately began was.h.i.+ng dishes.

Finis.h.i.+ng the dishes quickly, he came out alone, dusting off his hands, and he checked his cell phone. It was a little past 11pm.

“Oh, look at that.”

Suhyuk, who put down his cell phone at the table, approached him.

Hana’s father watched the news with a frown. The news had it that a house was robbed and all the family members were killed. Suhyuk also looked sad. Death due to excessive bleeding.

“If they were taken quickly to the hospital, they could have survived...”

Of course, as long as the organs were not damaged.

Then he said, “Ooops, I’m being absent-minded. I have to throw away the garbage.” He moved in with limp.

But Suhyuk moved faster.

“Let me throw it away.”

Suhyuk grabbed a bag of garbage that was on one side.

Beep. The cell phone rang at the table. The message screen was displayed openly, which read “It’s Im Heeyon. Are you still the bar? It was really fun today. I want to see you again if a chance comes along...”

When Suhyuk was about to catch his cell phone, Hana s.n.a.t.c.hed it quickly as if she were taking away the trash bag.

“Isn’t it a lie that medical students are busy? You have plenty of time to see a woman and drink.”

After throwing icy remarks like that, she went out with the garbage dump.

Hana’s father laughed silently at her gesture like that. And he looked at Suhyuk scratching his head. His daughter’s gaze at Suhyuk. How could he not know the meaning of such a gaze as her father?

“Suhyuk?”

“Yeah?”

“What do you think about Hana?”

Suhyuk answered with a smile, “She is pretty, popular and works at large company. She seems to be the perfect girl.”

“Of course, she is. I mean, what do you think of her as a woman?”

Suhyuk was speechless at that moment.

Wu-dang-tang! A loud sound was heard from outside.

“d.a.m.n it. They have to learn how to drink...”

Hana’s father shook his head.

At this time of the day there were constant noises of drunk people and those talking loudly.

Then, he came to think of his daughter who went out to throw away the garbage.

With an anxious expression, he was about to stand up, but Suhyuk moved quickly.

“Let me go out.”

He opened the door.

Vroom!

It seemed that a bike pa.s.sed by. He saw a motorcycle disappearing rapidly.

‘How can a motorcycle drive that fast in an alley like this? What if they had caused an accident?’

Looking at the disappearing motorcycle with an upset expression, Suhyuk moved toward the garbage collection box. Walking a few footsteps like this, he tilted his head sideways.

The garbage bag that Hana carried was thrown onto the street with its side broken open.

And Hana was there fallen down.

“Oh my G.o.d, Hana...”

Staring at her blankly, Suhyuk quickly came to her. A red stream of blood from her body flowed along the slope of the road. Her eyes closed halfway. Hana opened her mouth as if she was murmuring.

“I am so sleepy...”