Ha Ni-ah.. has been acting strange lately..

"Night, Ha Ni-ah," I said rather casually. I was lying on my side - as I always am - with one of my arms, that I like to think fit around her form perfectly, hugged Ha Ni around her abdomen.

"Oh.. N-night," I noticed she awkwardly replied, unlike how she usually said it, the way in which I can sense her exuberant smile - No. This time, she went rigid when I tried to clasp our hands together, "It's a bit hot.." she off-handedly commented, shifting away from me.

"Huh?" I asked, rather dumbly, as her incomprehensible actions sunk in - She removed herself from my embrace and slid to the very edge of her side, "Yeah, whatever," I had replied after a few moments, I really hated going to sleep in a bad mood.

I felt her move a few times and heave a deep sigh before settling down, I was this close to telling her to stop moving around and go to sleep. Stupid Oh Ha Ni.

She wasn't there when I woke up - I didn't even have to turn over to check - I didn't hear anything like 'Ah, Baek Seung-Jo! It's too early.. Stop..' or 'That tickles! Noo~' coming from her side of the bed.

Our shifts were only slightly different today - Mine started at 10AM and hers at 9AM - I assumed we'd be going together. She's probably waiting for me, though, that's definitely it! She's probably sat herself down infront of an early-running drama waiting for me.

With this in mind, I decided to race around - I had a shower first, those who work in a hospital should be thoroughly clean and tidy - then dressed myself in dark jeans, a v-neck thermal shirt and a heavy winter coat.

Which reminds me, how could it be hot when it's the coldest month of Winter right now? YAH, OH HA NI! I fumed as I walked down the stairs, mumbling something about her being a stupid, bad liar.

"Yah - Seung Jo! Why are you still here?" Dearest Mother asked, scurrying over to the bottom of the staircase, she had that 'I'm-waiting-to-scold-you' look on and for what, I did not know.

"What do you mean?" I leisurely glanced at my watch and walked past her, holding my brown, leather bag slung over my shoulder and moving towards the kitchen, "It's only 7:43, where else would I be?"

"Eh? But didn't you say you had close starting shifts with Ha Ni-ah?" She tilted her head at me, like I had gone crazy. Yes, I had told her that, so I don't see the problem.

"Yes.. and?" I drawled. Popping two pieces of bread into the newly-purchased toaster and going off to find some jam. While I waited for the toast to brown, I began brewing some coffee, which I was in dire need of.
I mean, what? Who didn't sleep to think about Ha Ni's weird behavior? Not me, not Baek Seung-Jo! Who would? Over that stupid girl.. Huh? Why am I embarrassed in my own head? I don't have to explain anything here.

Absently, I sat myself at the table, while Mother looked dumbfounded at me, "So, where's Ha Ni-ah?" I asked, wanting rather feverishly to interrogate her - Who does she think she is, denying her most beloved husband when she's the one who wanted him to hold her at night? Gahh!

"Well.. She left.. I thought you were going with her! Such an early shift, too.." She pondered to herself, trailing off as she took light steps back to the kitchen, preparing breakfast for everyone, "Will you be eating with u- Huh? Baek Seung Jo?!"

I don't know why.. I really am at a loss.. I have no idea why I stomped out of my warm, cozy home, into the shin-high snow, hiking through cold air, jam-smeared toast hanging from my mouth and a tightly-clenched fist around my suitcase's handle.

Because Ha Ni left without me? No way! What a waste of my effort.. But it's pretty cold, right? It's REALLY cold, right? I've been taking her to work, even if I started later or it was my day-off, because snow is a hazard in itself, but if you add the clumsy, idiotic Oh Ha Ni, there's bound to be an accident.

I slammed the driver's seat door to my apple-red car, which I bought because Ha Ni seemed to like it so much, though I'll never admit it if she were to find out, and stuck my key into the ignition with force to spare, expertly steering my way out of the snow that was strewn in discord.

It might've been against the law, but I decided I'd better check in with her friends - I flipped open my cellphone and called their contacts, which I kept purely for convenience;

"Huh? Ha Ni? I saw her a minute ago, near the bus stop,"

"Ah~ Seung Jo Oppa? Funny that you'd call me, I was just thinking abou-"

"Looking for a concubine so soon, Oppa? Of course I'd be happy to com-"

"Eh? She's right here - Being yelled at, see," Then he must've held out the phone towards Ha Ni and Nurse Kim, "NURSE OH, DON'T YOU KNOW HOW TO DO ANYTHING RIGHT?! RE-DO THEM, RIGHT NOW!" "Uhhh! Y-y-yes, I will, right away.."

That girl.. I swear.. Sheesh. Well, I can't deny that I'm relieved, though it sounds like she still doesn't do anything right, except..

"Your wife has been doing well lately, Dr. Baek, you must be helping her alot, huh? I'm impressed," was what that same Nurse Kim, one of the head nurses, had said a week shy of today.

Something must be off..

"Ah.." I heard escape Ha Ni's lips before she looked down, hugging her clipboard. Why was she acting like that? Like, I was someone who she needed to be cautious, even afraid, of.

"Ha-" I stopped short saying her name, my feet carrying me, as if to say 'emotion is dangerous', and she didn't seem to oppose, even the usual hurt that shortly crossed her face in these situations was absent today.

It was.. It was, as if.. Ha Ni's love for me had.. gone out for a break?

I looked back at her, wondering what could be wrong but the only thing I caught was the sight of her biting her bottom lip, while desperately holding her chest. What's up with that, anyway?

"Dr. Baek?" I faintly heard the voice of my superior, Lee Ho-Kyun, "Dr. Baek?" He called again, and I finally woke from my trance.

"Oh, forgive me. I was a bit distracted," I said as professionally as I could without giving too much away - This superior of mine, Dr. Lee, was nosy, to say the least, and he's taken a particular interest in Ha Ni - "An interesting girl to have snagged the great and cold Baek Seung Jo, isn't she cute, though?" Was what he said exactly and I memorized it, because, I got jealous.

Over the months, he's become less of a rival and one of the few people who aren't interested in my brains, or looks, or connections, or wealth. He's generally just a laid-back, out-of-place guy who likes to tease.

I can't hate him for liking to tease, because I love to tease Ha Ni the most. It's my favorite past time, even if that's a little sadistic.

It's good that I wasn't zoning out during work hours, right now, it was our lunch break. A welcome break, if you'd ask me, since the hospital was absolutely flooded with flu patients due to the cold weather - I've always had a warm body temperature, so it hasn't happened to me.

"So.. Problems with your cute wife, eh?" He grinned, taking a large bite out of his chicken and mayo roll.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Oh, here we go. What a nosy guy, always sticking himself in my business. I poked my salad aimlessly, obviously not planning to put it in my mouth anytime soon.

"You look like a lovestruck teenager, a girl, even," Ho-Kyun said bemusedly, watching his friend while filtering lettuce from his teeth.

I coughed, embarrassed, "Ahem. It's just a bit of a family issue, nothing more," I said matter-of-factly, trying to stop his prodding. I decided to take a small sip of my water that sat idly next to my tray.

Dr. Lee looked at me for a bit, I could feel his eyes on me, before diverging and nodding in seemingly understanding, "Ah! A dry spill, eh?" He said, a bit too loudly for my tastes, patting me on the shoulder, "Don't worry, it happens to the best of us,"

I stuttered before choking on the small amount of liquid descending my throat, almost spewing it from between tightly-clenched teeth, "Wh-what?" I outright bursted.

"You know, the mysterious female gender is all about atmosphere, my stoic friend," The doctor had looped around with a goofy grin and had his arm hung lazily over Seung-Jo's shoulder, "A few candles, some soft music, she'll be gushing, gushing more than words, I might say, not from her mouth, either - If you know what I'm saying," he winked sleazily before swaggering away confidently.

There's something seriously wrong with that Lee Ho-Kyun, but I'm more concerned about what's wrong with my Ha Ni-ah..