Chapter 1

It was a tiny hand clasped at the very hem of his nurse coat that made Soobin stop in his tracks.

Yet another tranquil Sunday morning at the hospital cafeteria came, uneventful as always. The male was holding a tab in one hand, heading back in after finishing a round of check-ups at the courtyard. Not many patients were inside, save for a few children finishing up their breakfast and some elders in need.

Upon feeling the tug, Soobin immediately turned, coming face to face with the owner of the hand. It belonged to a small girl—young, rather pale, her frame frail. Soobin made a mental note to ask for her name so he could put in a word or two with her nutritionist later.

She had hair that was as dark as night, silky like black jade. Her eyes were wide and round as they stared straight at him—almost alarmingly big in proportion to the rest of her tiny features. Her frame was dressed in a plain white dress, oddly ambiguous. But then again, this was a hospital gown.

The child had a Peitero duck plushie in her free hand, possessively clutched to her chest. Her fist was oddly clamped, and only then did Soobin realise there was something else poking through the gap of her stout fingers.

"Hello there," he flashed her a warm smile, quickly crouching down to meet the child's eye level. He was rewarded with a shy one in return. "How can I help you?"

"Mister nurse." Meekly mumbled the girl, eyes wide with a hint of curiosity in them. They were clear as day as those obsidian orbs blinked at him. Soobin's crinkled. "I… I found something."

"You did? Would you like to show me?" Soobin hummed, eyes gazing at the girl's clamped fist, waiting for it to unturn. And so it did.

What laid in the girl's palm, however, made his expression shift.

Clutched in the middle of her small hand was a crinkly paper heart. Neatly folded, but with edges worn. It wasn't an uncommon sight for him, but for whatever reason, his guts told him that Soobin recognised all too well just where this particular one came from.

"Oh? Where did you find this?" He tried to keep the smile plastered on his face, unstretching his own palm to hold the child's.

The girl fidgeted, shifting her weight between her feet; reluctant to answer—like a child afraid of reprimanding because she was caught doing something she shouldn't be. "It's okay to tell me, I promise." He added, for extra reassurance which he was certain she needed.

This sparked a glint of hope in her eyes. "I found this in the room next to mine! There were so many! It was like a Barbie movie, mister nurse!"

Soobin's heart dropped.

A heartbeat too late, he inquired, his voice wavering just in the slightest. "What's your room number, little one?"

"554!" Chirped the child, and something unreadable flashed across Soobin's usually bright visage.

"You went in there?" Said Soobin, his cheerful tone from earlier completely absent.

"I-it was unlocked." Fumbled the child, her grip on the plushie tightening. She was looking away now, and the hand situated on top of Soobin began to tremble.

The room is never left unlocked. Then, how...?

Nevertheless, Soobin cooed, shaking his head and reaching out to stroke her back; something he was trained to do to comfort children. "Shh, it's okay. It's alright. Why don't we return this to where it belongs?"

She meekly nodded, putting the crumpled paper heart in Soobin's much larger palm. Soobin carefully held it, like he was afraid it would break under the gentlest of touches; and put it in his coat pocket.

Long time no see.

He then stood up, took the child's hand in his, and began walking. It was a tiny hand clasped at the very hem of his nurse coat that made Soobin stop in his tracks.

Yet another tranquil Sunday morning at the hospital cafeteria came, uneventful as always. The male was holding a tab in one hand, heading back in after finishing a round of check-ups at the courtyard. Not many patients were inside, save for a few children finishing up their breakfast and some elders in need.

Upon feeling the tug, Soobin immediately turned, coming face to face with the owner of the hand. It belonged to a small girl—young, rather pale, her frame frail. Soobin made a mental note to ask for her name so he could put in a word or two with her nutritionist later.

She had hair that was as dark as night, silky like black jade. Her eyes were wide and round as they stared straight at him—almost alarmingly big in proportion to the rest of her tiny features. Her frame was dressed in a plain white dress, oddly ambiguous. But then again, this was a hospital gown.

The child had a Peitero duck plushie in her free hand, possessively clutched to her chest. Her fist was oddly clamped, and only then did Soobin realise there was something else poking through the gap of her stout fingers.

"Hello there," he flashed her a warm smile, quickly crouching down to meet the child's eye level. He was rewarded with a shy one in return. "How can I help you?"

"Mister nurse." Meekly mumbled the girl, eyes wide with a hint of curiosity in them. They were clear as day as those obsidian orbs blinked at him. Soobin's crinkled. "I… I found something."

"You did? Would you like to show me?" Soobin hummed, eyes gazing at the girl's clamped fist, waiting for it to unturn. And so it did.

What laid in the girl's palm, however, made his expression shift.

Clutched in the middle of her small hand was a crinkly paper heart. Neatly folded, but with edges worn. It wasn't an uncommon sight for him, but for whatever reason, his guts told him that Soobin recognised all too well just where this particular one came from.

"Oh? Where did you find this?" He tried to keep the smile plastered on his face, unstretching his own palm to hold the child's.

The girl fidgeted, shifting her weight between her feet; reluctant to answer—like a child afraid of reprimanding because she was caught doing something she shouldn't be. "It's okay to tell me, I promise." He added, for extra reassurance which he was certain she needed.

This sparked a glint of hope in her eyes. "I found this in the room next to mine! There were so many! It was like a Barbie movie, mister nurse!"

Soobin's heart dropped.

A heartbeat too late, he inquired, his voice wavering just in the slightest. "What's your room number, little one?"

"554!" Chirped the child, and something unreadable flashed across Soobin's usually bright visage.

"You went in there?" Said Soobin, his cheerful tone from earlier completely absent.

"I-it was unlocked." Fumbled the child, her grip on the plushie tightening. She was looking away now, and the hand situated on top of Soobin began to tremble.

The room is never left unlocked. Then, how...?

Nevertheless, Soobin cooed, shaking his head and reaching out to stroke her back; something he was trained to do to comfort children. "Shh, it's okay. It's alright. Why don't we return this to where it belongs?"

She meekly nodded, putting the crumpled paper heart in Soobin's much larger palm. Soobin carefully held it, like he was afraid it would break under the gentlest of touches; and put it in his coat pocket.

Long time no see.

He then stood up, took the child's hand in his, and began walking. It was a tiny hand clasped at the very hem of his nurse coat that made Soobin stop in his tracks.

Yet another tranquil Sunday morning at the hospital cafeteria came, uneventful as always. The male was holding a tab in one hand, heading back in after finishing a round of check-ups at the courtyard. Not many patients were inside, save for a few children finishing up their breakfast and some elders in need.

Upon feeling the tug, Soobin immediately turned, coming face to face with the owner of the hand. It belonged to a small girl—young, rather pale, her frame frail. Soobin made a mental note to ask for her name so he could put in a word or two with her nutritionist later.

She had hair that was as dark as night, silky like black jade. Her eyes were wide and round as they stared straight at him—almost alarmingly big in proportion to the rest of her tiny features. Her frame was dressed in a plain white dress, oddly ambiguous. But then again, this was a hospital gown.

The child had a Peitero duck plushie in her free hand, possessively clutched to her chest. Her fist was oddly clamped, and only then did Soobin realise there was something else poking through the gap of her stout fingers.

"Hello there," he flashed her a warm smile, quickly crouching down to meet the child's eye level. He was rewarded with a shy one in return. "How can I help you?"

"Mister nurse." Meekly mumbled the girl, eyes wide with a hint of curiosity in them. They were clear as day as those obsidian orbs blinked at him. Soobin's crinkled. "I… I found something."

"You did? Would you like to show me?" Soobin hummed, eyes gazing at the girl's clamped fist, waiting for it to unturn. And so it did.

What laid in the girl's palm, however, made his expression shift.

Clutched in the middle of her small hand was a crinkly paper heart. Neatly folded, but with edges worn. It wasn't an uncommon sight for him, but for whatever reason, his guts told him that Soobin recognised all too well just where this particular one came from.

"Oh? Where did you find this?" He tried to keep the smile plastered on his face, unstretching his own palm to hold the child's.

The girl fidgeted, shifting her weight between her feet; reluctant to answer—like a child afraid of reprimanding because she was caught doing something she shouldn't be. "It's okay to tell me, I promise." He added, for extra reassurance which he was certain she needed.

This sparked a glint of hope in her eyes. "I found this in the room next to mine! There were so many! It was like a Barbie movie, mister nurse!"

Soobin's heart dropped.

A heartbeat too late, he inquired, his voice wavering just in the slightest. "What's your room number, little one?"

"554!" Chirped the child, and something unreadable flashed across Soobin's usually bright visage.

"You went in there?" Said Soobin, his cheerful tone from earlier completely absent.

"I-it was unlocked." Fumbled the child, her grip on the plushie tightening. She was looking away now, and the hand situated on top of Soobin began to tremble.

The room is never left unlocked. Then, how...?

Nevertheless, Soobin cooed, shaking his head and reaching out to stroke her back; something he was trained to do to comfort children. "Shh, it's okay. It's alright. Why don't we return this to where it belongs?"

She meekly nodded, putting the crumpled paper heart in Soobin's much larger palm. Soobin carefully held it, like he was afraid it would break under the gentlest of touches; and put it in his coat pocket.

Long time no see.

He then stood up, took the child's hand in his, and began walking. It was a tiny hand clasped at the very hem of his nurse coat that made Soobin stop in his tracks.

Yet another tranquil Sunday morning at the hospital cafeteria came, uneventful as always. The male was holding a tab in one hand, heading back in after finishing a round of check-ups at the courtyard. Not many patients were inside, save for a few children finishing up their breakfast and some elders in need.

Upon feeling the tug, Soobin immediately turned, coming face to face with the owner of the hand. It belonged to a small girl—young, rather pale, her frame frail. Soobin made a mental note to ask for her name so he could put in a word or two with her nutritionist later.

She had hair that was as dark as night, silky like black jade. Her eyes were wide and round as they stared straight at him—almost alarmingly big in proportion to the rest of her tiny features. Her frame was dressed in a plain white dress, oddly ambiguous. But then again, this was a hospital gown.

The child had a Peitero duck plushie in her free hand, possessively clutched to her chest. Her fist was oddly clamped, and only then did Soobin realise there was something else poking through the gap of her stout fingers.

"Hello there," he flashed her a warm smile, quickly crouching down to meet the child's eye level. He was rewarded with a shy one in return. "How can I help you?"

"Mister nurse." Meekly mumbled the girl, eyes wide with a hint of curiosity in them. They were clear as day as those obsidian orbs blinked at him. Soobin's crinkled. "I… I found something."

"You did? Would you like to show me?" Soobin hummed, eyes gazing at the girl's clamped fist, waiting for it to unturn. And so it did.

What laid in the girl's palm, however, made his expression shift.

Clutched in the middle of her small hand was a crinkly paper heart. Neatly folded, but with edges worn. It wasn't an uncommon sight for him, but for whatever reason, his guts told him that Soobin recognised all too well just where this particular one came from.

"Oh? Where did you find this?" He tried to keep the smile plastered on his face, unstretching his own palm to hold the child's.

The girl fidgeted, shifting her weight between her feet; reluctant to answer—like a child afraid of reprimanding because she was caught doing something she shouldn't be. "It's okay to tell me, I promise." He added, for extra reassurance which he was certain she needed.

This sparked a glint of hope in her eyes. "I found this in the room next to mine! There were so many! It was like a Barbie movie, mister nurse!"

Soobin's heart dropped.

A heartbeat too late, he inquired, his voice wavering just in the slightest. "What's your room number, little one?"

"554!" Chirped the child, and something unreadable flashed across Soobin's usually bright visage.

"You went in there?" Said Soobin, his cheerful tone from earlier completely absent.

"I-it was unlocked." Fumbled the child, her grip on the plushie tightening. She was looking away now, and the hand situated on top of Soobin began to tremble.

The room is never left unlocked. Then, how...?

Nevertheless, Soobin cooed, shaking his head and reaching out to stroke her back; something he was trained to do to comfort children. "Shh, it's okay. It's alright. Why don't we return this to where it belongs?"

She meekly nodded, putting the crumpled paper heart in Soobin's much larger palm. Soobin carefully held it, like he was afraid it would break under the gentlest of touches; and put it in his coat pocket.

Long time no see.

He then stood up, took the child's hand in his, and began walking.