Chapter Text
“One Iced Americano to go, please.”
“That will be 3,500 won. May I have your name?”
Hiss went the espresso machine, announcing impending transfers of caffeine into waiting hands.
“Hot caramel macchiato for Ji-eun.”
“Welcome to Beans & Books, what can I get you?”
Sizzle went the grill pans in the tiny annex kitchen, sending whiffs of breakfast scents into the air.
“Second call for Ji-eun! Your hot caramel macchiato is ready. Please come up to the counter.”
It was the start of another day at Beans & Books as customers in regular clothes and hospital scrubs streamed non-stop through its doors, a testament to the popularity of its caffeinated and cooked offerings. While the latter group of customers may have been a strange sight for most coffee shops, Beans & Books was located near Yulje Medical Centre and was a favourite among medical staff wanting to escape the sterile environs of the hospital for a few minutes.
Upbeat music pulsed through the shop, purposefully selected to pump up the morning crowd for their day ahead. Wooden furniture of the dark, light and white varieties filled the space. Sourced and scavenged from various sources, and sometimes sanded and finished by the owner herself, they should have looked dissonant but were pulled together here by the green accents of leafy plants interspersed liberally throughout the shop and in smaller seasonal arrangements atop each table.
Against the back wall stood a massive bookshelf. Overflowing with books and magazines for browsing and exchange, each publication had been selected by the owner or contributed by shop regulars. Framed photographs punctuated the rows of books, each one a memory of the extensive travels the owner had made before she came back to Korea to open the shop.
The owner of Beans & Books, Jang Gyeo-ul, stood at the main counter, expertly working her prized espresso machine as the morning’s coffee orders flowed in. The pace was relentless as she grinded beans, steamed milk, pulled shots, and poured microfoam. But her hands were steady and sure as she worked through the orders, an island of calm and grace, dressed in a white t-shirt and blue jeans.
Her good friend Dr Chu Min-ha often wondered or perhaps more accurately bemoaned the fact that Gyeo-ul did not vary up her wardrobe choices more. And just as often Gyeo-ul would shrug and contend that it was more efficient not having to think of what to wear in the morning, that she liked her clothes and that she thought she looked good in them. And while Min-ha could argue the first two points, she had to agree with the last one. Wand-slim and of medium height, with a pair of silver wire rims that perched daintily on her nose and her hair usually tied up in a ponytail, Gyeo-ul exuded vibes of the casual-cool variety with her simple attire.
The morning’s hustle and bustle soon dwindled to a lull and Gyeo-ul poured out the last cup of coffee on the list. Seeing that it was for a regular, she left the counter to personally serve it to them. After a minute’s chit-chat, she circulated through the shop — clearing the odd cup or plate that had been missed earlier, wiping down tables or freshening the flower arrangements that dotted each table.
Back again at the main counter, Gyeo-ul watched as her three other staff went about their tasks, industriously cleaning up after the morning’s rush and prepping for the rest of the day. She cast her eyes out to the shop. It was currently half-full with patrons, most of them regulars who came into the shop for a shot of caffeine, a conducive work space and occasionally a spot of conversation.
Everything was as it should be and she heaved a satisfied sigh at the morning’s worth of good work and for the rest of the day to come.
She glanced up at the clock and noticed that it was almost 11.30am. Moving to the espresso machine, she began the making of two cups of coffee. She had just started on the second cup of iced americano when the door opened to admit her good friend, Dr Chu Min-ha.
. ☕ . ☕ . ☕ .
Chu Min-ha walked into Beans & Books, so ready for her lunch break and a sit-down after having been on her feet all morning. Being an Ob-Gyn resident who had to be at the constant beck and call of expectant mothers and terrified fathers wasn’t easy. Now well into her second year of residency at Yulje Medical Centre, Min-ha knew that the medical orders and advice she issued were to be taken seriously and yet she still felt so inexperienced as she continued training under her professors, still learning of the many surgical procedures in this chosen field of hers.
Walking this constant tight rope of authority and student was tiring, and it was why she treasured her Monday lunch breaks with Gyeo-ul. For an hour, she could shrug off Dr Chu Min-ha and be ARMY member Chu Min-ha, BTS fangirl extraordinaire.
As she crossed the café towards an empty table, Min-ha waved to Gyeo-ul who was preparing their cups of coffee. Gyeo-ul acknowledged it with a little wave of her hand. Their friendship had started quite by accident when Min-ha had spied a BTS badge on Gyeo-ul’s backpack. Back then Gyeo-ul was just the cool and quiet lady boss of Min-ha’s favourite coffee shop but after that discovery and several long and excited conversations about who was their favourite member, their favourite song, their favourite choreography, their favourite live performance, their favourite Run BTS episode, Chu Min-ha knew she had found a life-long friend in Jang Gyeo-ul.
“Hey, how are you today?” Gyeo-ul greeted her as she set down a tray of their coffees and some sandwiches.
“Pretty okay. Finished a shift of the outpatient clinic and one lap of the wards already." Minha picked up her cup of coffee and took a long sip. “New type of sandwich?” she asked as she picked one up.
“Yep, I am testing out this honey ham, apple and cheese combination. Let me know if it works?” Gyeo-ul said as she picked up her own cup and took a sip. “You had a day off yesterday right? Did you manage to get some sleep?”
“A LOT. But then I have three night shifts this week, so the sleep debt continues,” she lamented, throwing in a pout for good measure.
Well-used to her dramatic pronouncements by now, Gyeo-ul didn’t even react and only picked up her own sandwich. “Did you manage to catch up on the boys’ Tiny Desk live perf?
“Of course! They were so cute! I love how they could barely stay on their seats with all their grooving and bopping!”
“I know! I was practically dancing off my chair too!”
“If only your staff could see you, they would be shocked!”
“Haha. Please don’t tell them.”
“Your secret life as a fangirl is safe with me,” Min-ha said with a conspiratorial wink.
“Thanks,” Gyeo-ul said drily. “How’s the food?”
“It’s yummy! The apples were a surprise but it really cuts through the saltiness of the cheese and ham. Adds some crunch to the overall texture too.”
“Exactly what I was going for. I think it’s ready to go on the menu next week.”
“You’d better make lots. I have a feeling they will go fast!” Min-ha said she took another bite of her sandwich and chewed enthusiastically. “Speaking of next week, I heard from some of the other residents that there’s going to be four new professors arriving at Yulje from then. Apparently they are all university friends of Professor Chae Song Hwa. You know her, right?
“Yes. Neurosurgeon, petite lady with a bob. Prefers pour overs.”
“That’s her. I also heard that one of them will be a new OB-GYN Assistant Professor. He recently returned from America after his fellowship. His English must be quite good to have studied there,” Min-ha mused, “and quite brave to choose to train overseas.”
“I imagine it was a tough time too. Having to learn the way of American hospitals. Not to mention the culture differences,” Gyeo-ul added.
Min-ha nodded in agreement. “I hope he will share his experience. I don’t know any professors who have trained overseas. It will be interesting to find out the differences between the two countries and what he has learned from the American system.”
“You should ask him.”
“I will. I am sure you will meet them soon as well. Professor Chae or someone else will bring them here eventually.”
“Probably.” Gyeo-ul nodded distractedly. She had started watching the counter and noticed the queue of customers that was starting to build up. “I think I’d better go. Stay as long as you like to finish your lunch.”
“Okay, go go. I will stay a while more to watch a bit of the latest RUN BTS. God knows I could do with some laughs before heading back,” Min-ha said, already fishing in her pockets for her earphones.”
Gyeo-ul laughed as she stood up, “Okay, bye! See you next Monday if not sooner.”
. ☕ . ☕ . ☕ .
Ahn Jeong-won sat at his desk in his office at Kangwoon Medical Centre, going through the remaining files on his desk as he updated information from them to the patient records on the hospital’s computer system. It was his last day here and he was determined that his work would be handed over in a tidy manner.
His belongings, packed into several boxes, had already been conveyed to Yulje Medical Centre, his new workplace, or to the apartment he shared with Jun-wan. He had been surprised at how much he had accumulated in his five years here. The medical textbooks, journals and conference materials were to be expected, but he had also found more photographs and gifts from his patients and their families than he had remembered. Each memento had been carefully examined again before he had packed them into the boxes, each one of the patients in the photographs remembered and a prayer said for those who had been called home to be with the Lord instead of going home to their families.
As sad as he was to leave Kangwoon, his first professional home and where he had established his medical reputation, he was also excited to start at Yulje. At Yulje, he would be Assistant Professor and lead the Paediatric Surgery sub-department. There would also be access to more financial resources to really make a concerted effort to expand his Daddy-Long-Legs programmes for needy patients. In return, he would have to participate in some management matters, because despite his resignation from the board, Chairman Ju had indicated he wanted Jeong-won’s presence as a form of support. It was a small price to pay for the control of VIP ward funds.
He finished the last file he was working on and glanced at his watch. He had about an hour left before he needed to leave to meet his friends. He would go by the paediatric wards for one last visit.
. ☕ . ☕ . ☕ .
It took him some time to tear himself away for the last time from his soon-to-be ex-patients. By the time he stepped into the samgyupsal restaurant that Song-hwa had chosen, he was the last among his friends to arrive. He made his way over to the group, finding them already in fine form, working their way through several portions of meat. As usual, Song-hwa and Jun-wan were wolfing it down as if it was their last meal on earth, while Ik-jun tried to grill more to keep up with them and provide some for him and Seok-hyung.
“Hey guys, sorry I am late.” He apologised as he sat down.
“I bet you went to the wards, didn’t you?” Jun-wan grumbled.
Jeong-won nodded. “I wanted to see the children one last time.”
“How were they? They must be really sad that you are leaving?” Song-hwa asked.
“They were.” Jeong-won sighed as he remembered how hard a few of them had cried. “It made me wish I didn’t have to tell them. But I know they are in good hands with the team and I will keep checking in with them until my last patient is discharged.”
Song-hwa nodded. “That’s really nice of you to do so.”
“I figure I won’t be so busy at the beginning.” Jeong-won turned to Ik-jun. “How was your first day?”
“It went well! The place is pretty big and it was mostly about showing me where everything was. But Jeong-won, did you know? General Surgery will have 13 surgeons once you join. And there is only one resident. One. resident.” Ik-jun held up a finger to underscore his point. “How is that possible? How are we going to cope?!” he complained.
Jeong-won shrugged as he picked up some meat from the grill. There was finally some to go around now that Jun-wan and Song-hwa had finished. “It doesn’t matter to me. I prefer working alone anyway.”
“Yes, yes. You are a one-man paediatric surgery wonder. But what about the rest of us who have children to go home to take care of. My time is precious!” Ik-jun retorted.
“I am sure you will figure it out as you always had.”
Ik-jun made a face at that. “Fine, I am going to make sure we get more residents somehow. Be extra nice to the interns so that they choose our department. I can’t survive opening and closing on a daily basis.”
“Well, I am looking forward to my own office. Finally! My own space after so many years.” Jun-wan declared as he sat back in his chair.
“Lucky you. Us lowly Assistant Professors have to continue sharing.” Ik-jun lamented.
Jeong-won averted his gaze and wisely decided not to say anything by stuffing his mouth with food. As Associate Professor, Jun-wan was certainly eligible for his own office but Director Ju had informed Jeong-won that there wasn’t enough office space at the moment and they would have to share an office for the time being. Jeong-won figured Jun-wan would find out soon enough so here was no point in subjecting himself to his friend’s complaining more than he had to.
“When should we schedule our first band practice?” Seok-hyung piped up suddenly. “Does next Thursday night work for everyone?”
“Yes! I can’t wait to sing!” exclaimed Song-hwa.
At that, Ik-jun, Jun-wan and Jeong-won shared a grimace. Which they tried to turn to encouraging smiles when Song-hwa glared at them.
“I have been practicing and I have gotten better!” she insisted. “Seok-hyung thinks so too!”
“We didn’t say anything!” Ik-jun held up his hands in defence.
“So,” continued Seok-hyung, “8pm at my place?” They all nodded.
“When are the two of you starting?” Song-hwa asked, looking at Jun-wan and Jeong-won.
“We start on Thursday. We are going home tomorrow to see our family first.” Jeong-won said.
“How are you adjusting, Seok-hyung? I didn’t see you today. It’s been a few months since you worked right?” Ik-jun asked.
“Three months. I start consultations next week but won’t start lecturing for a while yet. The department seems well-staffed and I hope to keep my schedule light enough to spend time with my mum.”
Jun-wan scoffed. “In your dreams, pal.”
Seok-hyung just shrugged.
Song-hwa shook her head and turned to Jeong-won. “When everyone is in, I will buy you all a welcome cup of coffee at Beans & Books the first chance we get.”
“Beans & Books? That’s the name of the hospital cafe? I thought it was something else?” Confusion crossed his face.
“No. It’s the name of a coffee shop about five minutes away. The coffee is amazing and it’s nice to walk over when the weather is nice. The owner also has all these great books that she’s collected and puts in the shop for people to read.”
“Is the food good?” asks Jun-wan.
“Very. She comes up with them herself and she’s always introducing new sandwich combinations or pasta dishes.”
“Okay! Let’s go!”
“U-ju likes sandwiches and if it’s really good, I can bring him there sometimes.” Ik-jun mused.
“I promise you, it’s excellent. The owner is also really interesting. She backpacked a lot when she was younger and there are some really beautiful photographs of her travels displayed in the shop.”
Jeong-won listened as Song-hwa continued to sing the praises of the coffee shop while Jun-wan interjected with more questions about the food. Seok-hyung had picked up his phone, probably to call his mother to check in. Ik-jun was also beginning to fiddle with his phone, his attention diverting to one of the many games he had going.
Being able to work together under one roof was a possibility they had dreamed of as young medical students, musing how fun it would be to hang out during the pockets of time they would have between consultations, rounds and surgeries.
Twenty years later, he had made it come true.
He smiled to himself. It was going to be a good year.