POV: Male Lead (CEO – Ahn Min-jae)
Ahn Min-jae had met countless doctors in his life. Some were nervous, others overly confident, but all of them had one thing in common—they treated him like he was made of glass.
This one was different.
Jung Ha-neul stood before him with an infuriating smirk, completely unaffected by his usual cold demeanor. It was as if she found him amusing.
Min-jae hated that.
He closed his tablet with a sharp click. "Let's get this over with," he said flatly.
Ha-neul's eyes twinkled. "Wow. You're really excited about this checkup, huh?"
Min-jae ignored her and rolled up his sleeve. "Just do your job."
She chuckled but got to work, her fingers brushing against his skin as she checked his pulse. It was steady, but for the first time in a while, he was aware of someone's touch.
Annoying.
"Your heart rate is fine," she said, jotting something down. "But tell me, do you always glare at people like you're planning their downfall, or is it just me?"
Min-jae's jaw tightened. "Are you always this talkative with your patients?"
"Only the grumpy ones," she shot back, placing the stethoscope against his chest.
Min-jae felt his patience wearing thin. She was too bold, too comfortable, too...unaffected by him.
No one ever spoke to him this way.
After a moment of silence, Ha-neul stepped back and folded her arms. "Well, good news. You're still alive."
Min-jae gave her a blank look. "No kidding."
She grinned. "But you should be more careful. Stress isn't good for your heart, you know. Maybe try smiling once in a while?"
Min-jae exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Are you done?"
"Almost. I just have one last question."
Min-jae glanced at her, waiting.
"Why do you act like you don't care about anything?" she asked, her tone softer this time. It wasn't teasing anymore—it was curiosity.
For a brief second, Min-jae almost answered. Almost told her that caring only led to pain. That emotions were a weakness. That his heart, both physically and emotionally, had been damaged beyond repair.
But then he remembered who he was.
Cold. Detached. Untouchable.
He smirked instead. "Because I don't."
Ha-neul studied him, as if trying to read something hidden beneath his mask. Then, to his surprise, she shrugged.
"Well," she said cheerfully, "I'm going to change that."
Min-jae blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," Ha-neul said, picking up her clipboard. "I'll make you care about something. Maybe even smile."
Min-jae scoffed. "Good luck with that."
She grinned. "Challenge accepted, Mr. CEO."
And just like that, she walked out of the room, leaving Min-jae sitting there, for the first time in years, completely speechless.
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