Kang Ji-hoon's POV
The moment I raised my head, my breath caught.
It was her.
For a brief second, I simply stared.
Seo-ah.
The name echoed silently in my mind.
Twelve years had passed, yet I recognized her instantly.
She looked thinner than I remembered. The warmth that had once filled her eyes had faded, replaced by a quiet exhaustion that made my chest tighten.
I forced myself to look away.
No matter how shaken I felt, I couldn't forget where I was.
I was her doctor.
Slowly, I put on the professional mask I had learned to wear over the years and gestured toward the chair across from my desk.
"Please, have a seat."
She nodded and sat down quietly, her hands resting on her handbag.
I lowered my eyes to her medical file, pretending to focus on the pages instead of the woman sitting in front of me.
After a long silence, I finally spoke.
"Do you understand that if you go through with this procedure, it may affect your chances of conceiving again?"
My voice remained calm.
"The possibility isn't certain, but there is a risk."
"I know."
Her answer was barely above a whisper.
I looked up.
She kept her eyes lowered, avoiding mine.
"And you've decided to go ahead with it?"
She hesitated.
Then she gave a small nod.
"I have."
I watched her fingers tighten around the strap of her bag until her knuckles turned pale.
The sight hurt more than I expected.
The professional distance I had been trying so hard to maintain began to crumble.
"Why, Seo-ah?"
The question escaped before I could stop it.
My voice was no longer that of a doctor speaking to a patient.
It belonged to the boy who had spent twelve years wondering what had become of his childhood friend.
She finally looked at me.
There was sadness in her eyes, but no anger.
"Personal reasons," she answered softly.
Those two words carried a weight I couldn't measure.
Life had changed her into someone I barely recognized.
I leaned back in my chair and let out a quiet breath.
"If there's something you're carrying alone…" I began carefully, "…tell me."
"Maybe I can help."
For a moment, I thought she might speak.
Instead, she lowered her head again.
Silence settled between us.
I closed the file gently.
"I'm not going to force you to change your mind," I said.
"But I'd like you to go home and think about it one more night."
"If you still feel the same tomorrow, we'll talk again."
She nodded.
"Thank you, Doctor."
Doctor.
The word sounded strangely distant coming from her.
As she stood to leave, I spoke again.
"Let me drive you home."
She immediately shook her head.
"No, it's alright."
"I insist."
"It's really not necessary."
After several refusals, she finally sighed.
"…Okay."
The drive was almost completely silent.
Neither of us knew where to begin after twelve years.
I kept my eyes on the road while she looked quietly out the window.
When she finally gave me her address, my hands tightened around the steering wheel.
That neighborhood…
It was one of the oldest and poorest parts of the city.
I glanced at her briefly before looking back at the road.
What happened to you?
Where did life take you after we said goodbye?
I wanted to ask.
Instead, I remained silent.
When we arrived, she reached for the door handle.
"Thank you for the ride."
Just before she stepped out, I gently took her phone from her hand.
She looked at me in surprise.
I quickly entered my number before handing it back.
"If you need anything," I said quietly, "call me."
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then she accepted the phone.
"…Thank you."
I watched until she disappeared inside the apartment building before returning to my car.
Yoon Seo-ah's POV
Why did the universe choose today…
Of all days…
Why now?
As I climbed the narrow staircase to my apartment, my thoughts remained with Ji-hoon.
The boy I had searched for so many years.
The boy I never thought I would see again.
When I opened the door, the apartment greeted me with the same heavy silence.
My eyes drifted toward the framed photograph of my adoptive parents resting on the small table beside the window.
I walked over and picked it up.
"I'm trying," I whispered.
"I'm really trying."
That night, I couldn't stop thinking about Ji-hoon's words.
"Go home and think about it one more night."
I placed a hand over my stomach.
No mother wanted to make this choice.
Not because she didn't love her child…
But because she was terrified she wouldn't be able to give that child the life they deserved.
Tears blurred my vision.
I wiped them away before they could fall.
Then I opened my laptop.
One by one, I searched for part-time jobs.
Anything.
Receptionist.
Cashier.
Office assistant.
Tutor.
I submitted application after application.
Maybe…
Just maybe…
If someone gave me a chance…
I could keep this baby.
Maybe I could work hard enough to give my child a future better than my own.
For the first time in weeks…
Hope returned quietly.
Kang Ji-hoon's POV
The hospital was unusually quiet that night.
I remained alone in my office long after everyone else had gone home.
From the drawer of my desk, I took out an old photograph.
It had faded slightly around the edges.
Two teenagers stood side by side.
Both smiling without restraint.
Without pretending.
Without carrying the weight the world would eventually place upon their shoulders.
Seo-ah.
And me.
Sixteen years old.
I stared at that photograph for a long time.
I couldn't remember the last time I had smiled like that.
Slowly, I reached for my phone.
Without thinking too much, I searched:
"How to care for a pregnant woman emotionally."
Then another search.
"What food is good during pregnancy?"
Then another.
"How to reduce stress during pregnancy."
One article became another.
And another.
Somewhere in the middle of reading them…
I realized something.
For twelve years, I had searched for Seo-ah.
Now that I had finally found her…
I couldn't bear the thought of losing her again.