Overworked

"The number you have called is not answering, please leave a message after this-"

Leira bit her lip as her call was unanswered and looked back to the text she had sent earlier that had been left on read.

Bothered by it, she walked through the forest and put her mind, focusing on her purpose on being there.

"Spooky vibe y'all. This place gives me spooks."

"Be nice." Leira said lowly.

"Have you researched about this community?" Dohyon asked as he looked around. They were going into a rural village and the people in there all looked at them with looks that none of them could comprehend.

Hwiyun nodded as he pulled Leira to walk by him.

"We did but nothing came up. We just know that we have to ask the headman of the village's permission to go through the jungle. Lei, slow down."

Leira let out a huff and keep the same pace as her friends.

"The faster we go there, the faster we get the hell out of here." Chae hissed.

"I already called him for an appointment yesterday. This should be the house." Leira said as they stood in front of a big wooden house.

"Hello? Mr Itom?" She called out.

But nobody responded to her and Chae is getting more anxious every second they stood there. Dohyon took her hand, calming her down while analyzing the place.

"Maybe he's not home." Hwiyun said looking at the closed doors and windows. Leira sighed.

"I guess so...it's getting dark anyways."

They started walking back to where they came from until a voice shook them.

"Mahu apa kamu di sini?"("What are you doing here?")

"Jesus Christ." Chae startled.

The big machete that the man held on his right hand doesn't help the situation either.

"Are you Mr Itom?" Hwiyun asked him politely but the guy seems to not like it.

"You are not welcome here. I'm not selling my property." He said seriously with a menacing glare.

"We don't want to buy your property. We just-"

"No."

Dohyon hides Chae behind him when he saw how scared she was.

"Um, Mr Itom? We spoke yesterday on the phone. My name is Leira, this is Hwiyun, Dohyon and Chae, we are the one that wanted to-"

"Ohhhh the university students? Right right. Come on in, let me tell you a bit of this village history before I let you go in exploring." Mr Itom broke into a smile. He had changed his intimidating tone to a very friendly one.

"I'm sorry I was like that just now, people come here with bad purposes." He apologized as they got into the house. He gestured for them to take a seat while his wife make some tea

.

"Not at all. I'm sorry for making you worry." Leira said, sitting down on the floor around the table along with her friends.

"If you don't mind me asking, why do you mean by bad purpose?" Hwiyun asked as he got his attention.

Mr Itom frowned a bit.

"This is a sacred land, child. Those who know this place is either wanted to make use of it or like you, just wanted to know the beauty of it."

They all nodded in agreement knowing fully well how preserved things often ruined by the hands of mankind.

"Before we start on the tale telling, do any of you want to try reading palms? You perhaps?" Mr Itom looked at Leira in the eyes.

Chae sat up straight full of participation. Dohyon could only chuckle.

Leira blinked in confusion with the sudden offer but nodded anyways so that he would give them the permission.

"Shall we begin?"

::

"You sure you could do another surgery?"

"Yes, don't worry. You could take over mine when I need to be away in the future."

Seunwo walked with his fellow practitioner after they finished the surgery. His phone rang and after glancing at the caller id, he turned his phone into a silent mode.

"Really? Han Seonwo, I know you too well. You will always find a way to squeeze in another even though you had a full schedule." Dr Byun slapped his shoulder rather hard but playfully. "Anyways, thanks Han. I really appreciate it. Don't push yourself too hard."

"Yes, yes. I'll keep that in mind." Seunwo smiled and bid goodbye to him. . Walking to his department, he heard a familiar voice said to him.

"Seunwo, your all smiley facade is getting worse."

"Go pester someone else. This is a hospital."

"Seriously, you look like those people who smile for a dollar. Forced." Taejin said flatly making the doctor sighed.

"Not today satan."

"You're lucky its Taejin today."

"No. Go home, Jin." Seunwo said as he arrived at his office.

"Be aware of Kai. I know this is taking a toll on you. You're burying yourself with work."

The pop star said suddenly making him halt from getting into the office.

"Kai likes your girlfriend, heck everyone knows it except the girl herself."

"We can't control feelings. Leira can choose whoever she wants, I don't own her." Seunwo turn the door knob and took off his lab coat.

Busying himself with the fax machine, his friend ignore the stares from the other doctors and kept on engaging with the conversation.

"Whoa so its true. You don't care about her. Why don't you just break it off then? Why hold her back? You wouldn't have this burden anymore."

Perhaps that ticked him.

"Leave. Being a celebrity doesn't mean you can get inside anywhere however you like. You're bothering the other doctors here."

Taejin looked at him annoyedly and turned to leave not before apologising to the doctors.

"Sorry for the interruption."

Walking to his car, he sighed as he shook his head gingerly.

"I thought he changed but I guess he still keeping up with that attitude."

::

"Dr Han."

"Dr Han!"

Seunwo snapped back to reality as he realized he had just got lost into his thoughts. He blinked as everyone in the operating room looked at him quizzically.

"I suggest you step out for this surgery." The senior surgeon said to him seriously.

"I-"

"Get some rest, Dr Han. You need it." He dismissed him and continue with the operation.

Seunwo could only nod and bowed apologetically before moving his legs out of the operating room. As he was stepping out of the room, he could hear the surgeon said to the practices.

"This is why you need to rest well, medical errors happened mostly because of fatigues. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

Am I tired?

Seunwo took off his surgical gloves and mask with a frowned on his face. Why is he distracted? He never did spaced out in a surgery.

People's life is in his hands.

"I haven't seen her in awhile.." He muttered as he finished scrubbing his hands.

What Taejin said earlier came to his mind and suddenly he felt anxious.

"So you don't care about her?"

"You're fine with Leira leaving you?"

Seunwo felt his head throbbing as the headache came back and wobbled. He touched his head as the pain worsen. Holding the nearest wall to balance himself, his eyes becomes blurry before hearing his name being called.

"Yah Han Seunwo!"

"Lei?" He thought to himself and everything went black.

"Dr Han! Somebody help, he collapse!"

"Seunwo, can you hear me?"

::

The lights makes him winced because of the sudden brightness. He pushed himself up and realized that he was on a hospital bed.

"You are a dumb ass. I don't know what Lei sees in you."

Seunwo frowned and turn his head to the owner of the voice. Kai was seating on the sofa in his lab coat while playing with his phone.

"What happened?" He asked.

"You overworked."

"Huh?"

"When is the last time you had a proper meal? Pushing yourself like this, are you stupid? If you don't feel well, tell people. There are other doctors in this hospital." Kai nagged.

Seunwo broke into a smile.

"You're nagging, that's rare."

"Don't use that smile on me, it won't work."

"....Do you know where is Lei?" Seunwo asked as he thought about it.

Kai balked at him.

"My god, you really are a dumb ass."

"Wh-"

"She's in Indonesia. She was just here for a few days, you forgot or something?"

Seunwo frowned as he remembered what she said on the phone. Kai looked at him disgusted, he felt like he wanted to whack his head.

"Now that explained why she looked so sad that day. Her own so called boyfriend decided to give her a cold shoulder on her last day here."

"Please stop talking. Where's my phone?"

"How the hell should I know, dumb ass?" Kai rolled his eyes.

"Come on, that was uncalled for."

"Your face is uncalled for."

"You're making my headache worsen." Seunwo groaned and Kai just smirked.

"Serves you right."

::

"Sis, what are you staring at? Whose phone is that?"

"Oh, mine. I bought a new one." Elaine said hiding the phone behind her back.

Her friend raised her eyebrow weirdly at her.

"You look like you wanted to put a hole on that phone. Anyways, come on. We have jobs to do, stop spacing out, kid."

"Ah yes, I'm sorry. Be right there!" She said giddily like her usual self.

Her friend walked off and Elaine looked back to the phone.

"This is his phone. ...oh!" She gasped when it rang so she immediately put it on silent.

Looking at the caller id, Elaine felt her emotion boiling. Without thinking twice she rejected the call and put it in her pocket.

"Maybe god is siding with me now."

With a triumph smile,, she neatly brush her ponytail and fixed her uniform before knocking on the door.

"Dr Han?"