Chapter 24: Christmas

The rain already stopped but the two of them remain seated under the tree. The sky was starting to get clear; it was almost 7 in the evening.

When they were waiting for the rain to stop, Rohanne just sat beside Sejeong, but she was still covering the latter's ears, so that it would suppress the sound of thunder.

Hours ago Sejeong thought that she won't be able to come back down to the hospital, especially when it started raining and thunders started to roar. Since childhood she was afraid of thunders, and no one knows, because she always acts tough. Only one person noticed her astraphobia and she was the only one who ever made her safe and that was Yeonhwa. The same person who is sitting beside her.

"Let's go… The rain already stopped."

Rohanne stood up and offered her hand to Sejeong. The latter looked at Rohanne's hand and was still hesitant to take it.

"Aish!"

Getting impatient, Rohanne took Sejeong's hand and pulled her up.

"Thanks…"

Sejeong Timidly said.

"It was nothing"

As they started walking Rohanne didn't let go of Sejeong's hand. The latter was continuously looking at their hands the whole time they were walking. Rohanne thought that it was dangerous for Sejeong to let go of her hand so she held Sejeong's hands tightly. Sejeong was like a kid that was following Rohanne.

Suddenly Sejeong stepped on something and then twisted her ankles. When Rohanne felt a tug behind her, she immediately looked over her shoulder to check Sejeong, and saw the latter sitting on the ground.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

"I think I sprained my ankle"

Rohanne knelt and checked Sejeong's ankle. It was swelling badly.

"It's sprained" She said and Sejeong tried to get up but it was really painful. "Don't push it. You have to let it rest and don't apply pressure on it."

Rohanne then turned around

"Hop on…"

"W-What? I'll be fine"

"I know you're still mad at me but just hop on Sejeong…"

She was still hesitating whether she should or not but then Rohanne looked at her and let out a sigh.

"Are you going to get on or I'll leave you here alone?"

Just thinking about the rain and the things that might happen to her, Sejeong got scared and immediately get on, on Rohanne's back.

Yeonhwa has been the athletic student so she wasn't surprised if the latter can even lift her. She smiled a little bit.

"Did you gain weight… Have you been binge watching the dramas and eating junk food all day?"

Her smile faded as soon as she heard that from Rohanne, she punched the latter's shoulder and argued with her.

"Aw!"

"I did not!"

"Eh? Then why did you gain weight?"

She tried to defend herself and told Rohanne that she did not gain any weight for the past week, but Rohanne kept telling her that she gained weight. And they continued bickering.

Even though the two were bickering they can't help but secretly smiled, even if Sejeong was still mad at her at least they're not that awkward like before.

===

Meanwhile, After Seju came back earlier she immediately asked where Rohanne was, because the latter called her earlier checking on her so she thought Rohanne was waiting for her, but to her disappointment, Rohanne was nowhere to be found. When she asked the staff around and they told her that she went after Sejeong, who went up the mountain.

She was thinking that maybe Rohanne or Yeonhwa rather was getting used to her presence now after what happened, and the awkward atmosphere around them would disappear, or even better they would be back like before, like nothing happened.

As time passes by Seju grew worried and when the heavy rain poured she knew she had to look for them, but the doctors and the staff in the hospital told her not to go because the area was prone to Landslide. But it was all the more reason for her to look for the two, but when she heard the loud thunder, she immediately froze in her spot.

She can't… She can't go out there…

"Yeonhwa…"

After the rain stopped, she immediately went out to find the two, but the locals told her that it would be dangerous because the soil was still wet. She can't do anything about it so she just stayed in the hospital and wait for the two.

A few moments has passed and she was now taking a break. While she was walking towards the lounge, a nurse paged her, and asked for her in the lobby.

As soon as she arrived she was informed that a local has seen Rohanne and Sejeong, and they are already headed back to the hospital.

"Thank God…"

She smiled as she went out of the hospital and waited for the two to arrive, she was planning on talking with Rohanne since she thinks that they were already okay. But as soon as she saw Rohanne and Sejeong, her smile faded.

Her heart felt heavy seeing the two together. A heavy feeling that she can't explain.

She let out a bitter smile as she looked at the two who were laughing and bickering as they walk closer to the hospital, and on top of that, Rohanne was carrying Sejeong on her back.

As soon as the two were inside the hospital, Rohanne immediately asked the nurses for an ice and bandage for Sejeong's sprained ankle.

After tending to Sejeong, Seju approached Rohanne. She wanted to fix the things between them before it everything gets worse around them, because as the days passes by that they don't talk to each other the more Seju feels like Rohanne was growing apart from her.

"Dr. Baek, can you spare me some time?"

She asked, Rohanne just looked at her, trying to figure out what Seju wanted from her but she can't think of anything so she just agreed blindly.

"Yeah, sure… what is it?"

She said as she walked closer to Seju, the place they were right now wasn't really crowded, and the people around them won't understand them if they speak in Korean, so it was fine.

"Can… Can we… Can we go back?"

Rohanne knew what Seju was talking about, but she needs to pretend that she doesn't care about it, she needs to pretend that she doesn't know

"Go back where?"

"… To the same way we were before…"

She didn't answer. She just looked at Seju who was looking back at her.

"I wish…"

Rohanne mumbled.

"What?"

Rohanne let out a soft chuckle and smiled

"I really wish we could go back…"

Seju's hope skyrocketed when she heard those words. She can feel it, she knows that Rohanne was telling her the truth. She can't help but feel happy. She was about to answer Rohanne when the latter suddenly spoke…

"But we just can't…"

It was like a bomb has been dropped in front of Seju, it wasn't the answer she was expecting. It's like her world crumbled down once again in front of her eyes.

She was wishing that Rohanne would at least be her best friend once again, but it seems like, even that has been robbed off of her.

"W-what?"

"I'm sorry Seju. But I already made up my mind…"

Rohanne turned her back on Seju and walked away. She was hoping praying that Seju would reach out to her and stop her from walking away, she walked slowly as possible, waiting for latter, because if Seju stopped her she would drop everything and just run away with Seju, somewhere far, somewhere they won't be recognized, but the latter was frozen in her place.

'Guess she's okay with it.'

Seju on the other hand was watching her as she slowly walked away from her

'I don't understand… Why?'

===

"Are you really sure you're okay?"

Sejeong looked at Rohanne with a look of disbelief. She wanted to work already but the woman in front of her was pushing her to rest more. But her being the ever so hard headed Sejeong doesn't want to, so she went back to work only to cause her ankle to swell again.

"How many times have you asked me that today? I can already walk Baek, don't treat me like a baby"

Rohanne was doing double the work ever since Sejeong sprained her ankle. Also she and Seju wasn't that awkward like before, they're at least civil with each other but slowly they're having friendly conversations with each other. To Rohanne it's a step to cut off her feelings for Seju, just by being civil with the person, but to Seju it was a chance, it was a chance to rebuild their friendship again.

"You know that you could stay here, there are just a few patients anyway."

"You really want me to get eaten alive by Chief?"

It's been 5 days when they were sent to the Philippines, and it's already the 24th of December. Christmas, but they still have to go to the hospital.

Rohanne weighed the consequences and pushed Sejeong back to her bed

"But still, I can persuade Ch—"

"Whatever Baek, I'm going to work, I'll be working whatever you tell me."

Rohanne can't do anything about it, though there are still some awkwardness between them, she didn't leave her side, tending to all her needs.

"It's Christmas tomorrow…"

They were both on their way back to the hospital when Sejeong suddenly stopped walking.

"You should give me a present today?" She asked Rohanne who looked so confused

"Why are you asking for a present today?"

"Because it's almost Christmas, duh!"

"You do know that we're in the middle of work right? I can't buy you presents now"

"I'm not asking for something material dumbass"

"Eh? So what do you want?"

"An explanation… That would be a fine Christmas present" She said and continued walking towards the hospital.

Rohanne on the other hand was still in her place looking at Sejeong who was walking farther away from her.

'An explanation…'

===

After their shift Sejeong went ahead back to their place to rest, Rohanne decided to stay for a while more because there might be an accident. Seju on the other hand was on her break when she saw Rohanne on the rooftop of the hospital.

Before walking up to Rohanne she grabbed two cups of coffee.

"Hey!"

Rohanne immediately looked behind her and saw Seju holding two cups of coffee, Seju offered her one and she gladly took it.

Seju went ahead and took a seat beside Rohanne who was looking at the entirety of the place. It wasn't like Seoul that has many city lights rather it was green everywhere, and they can see tiny little houses from afar.

"In a few hours it'll be Christmas…"

The two were just sitting on a bench while feeling the cold breeze of the wind, watching as the clouds move.

"Yeah, Merry Christmas"

Rohanne greeted and took a sip from her coffee. She smiled as she looked at the cup on her hands. It was really warm.

"Merry Christmas to you too…"

"…"

"…"

The two went silent after greeting each other, not knowing what to say, Seju suddenly blurted out something.

"You know, Every Christmas I'm kind of sad, even though it's a festive day."

"Why?" Rohanne asked, trying not to bat an eye on Seju, but she failed. She looked at the woman beside her; she can't help but admire the beauty, so beautiful that she had to restrain herself from touching Seju's cheeks.

She wanted to hug the woman so badly but she already told Seju that they can't go back to the way they were and she was already dead set on doing that.

Seju smiled bitterly and answered Rohanne's question

"Because every Christmas, I'm always reminded that you left us without a word. We always celebrate Christmas with you, Jin-Ae and Auntie. I still remember the day that you left us. It was exactly on your birthday, January 23rd. And up until now I'm still wondering why you did that."

She remained silent as she watch Seju smile bitterly and watch the beauty of Nature.

"We were supposed to celebrate that day but then you suddenly vanished."

Tears were attempting to fall from Seju's eyes, but she tried hard to suppress them, she doesn't want Yeonhwa to see her again in a vulnerable state, she's shown enough vulnerability to the woman.

"I waited… Hours, turned to days, to weeks, to months, and then it turned to years… for almost a decade I waited. I did nothing but wait for you, wishing, praying, and hoping that someday you would come back to me with the usual look on your face. Call me by the nickname you gave me. Then you would tell me why you suddenly left. Why you left us hanging."

She didn't speak, instead she just stood up and leaned on the railings, felt the cold breeze on her skin and shut her eyes close.

She let out a heavy sigh and faced Seju with a smile on her face.