02 | The Little Mermaid

There was no denying that the rush of air that touched her face once she removed her surgery mask was the best thing to happen after spending hours in it; as if she finally regained her ability to breathe again. The operating room was unquestionably cold but she could never get out of the room without sweating all over because she needed to maintain intense focus. One wrong movement would cost her a life, and she would do anything to keep her record clear from that.

As she stepped out of the room, she leaned against the wall for a moment, closing her eyes as she took deep, measured breaths. Inwardly, she told herself that the intense five-hour surgery had finally ended. With a determined sigh, she pushed off the wall and made her way to dispose of all the surgical gear before greeting the patient's family, who were anxiously waiting for an update.

After informing them about the successful surgery, their weary faces quickly lit up with relief and gratitude for what she had done for their son. Their heartfelt thanks and relieved smiles washed away her weariness, bringing a genuine smile to her face as dimples cut deep into her cheeks. Casting off her green scrubs into the designated bin, she headed straight into the changing room.

'Good work today, Doctor Tsai.' Yingmei smiled as she turned to see Tian Xiulin giving her a pat on the back. Yingmei released her hair from the surgery cap, and waved it slightly before retrieving her clothes from the locker.

'You too, Nurse Tian. It was a tough one, but thanks to you, we made it through. What can I do without you?' After putting on her blouse, Yingmei combed her hair with her finger at the same time Xiulin opened her locker's lid. Xiulin undid her nurse bun, and it was impossible not to admire her beauty as her shiny, long, wavy hair perfectly framed her fair face.

Yingmei tightened her lips as she absentmindedly pulled the tip of her standardized brown locks as if doing so would make them wavy. Her knowledge of beauty and fashion was basic compared to Xiulin as Yingmei had dedicated most of her time drowning in books since secondary school. She had once considered dyeing her hair a tangerine brown like Xiulin's but the plan was quickly forgotten.

'Hm? Do you mean — what can I do without my little Yingmei?' She laughed outright at Xiulin's playful sarcasm.

'Can I have dinner with you, Xiulin? It feels like forever since we did.' Yingmei hooked her arm around Xiulin's. Besides, she needed to blow off some steam for things that happened in the past few weeks.

'How can I refuse that?' Xiulin winked at her. Together, they mirrored each other's steps as they walked towards the exit. It had been seven years since they graduated, yet they never outgrew the silliest things they did in university. Despite being two years her senior, Xiulin didn't want to be called 'jie' since they met for the first time and still treated Yingmei like her younger sister.

As they stepped out of the hospital into the evening air, Yingmei felt a wave of relief wash over her. The sky was painted with hues of orange and pink, signalling the end of their shifts as they joined the busy after-work crowds. It didn't take them long to decide which restaurant to visit as they had the same place in mind.

The warm steam hit her face, filling her senses with the scent of her childhood. The transparent, thin noodles slid smoothly down her throat and there was nothing more rewarding than drinking the hot, thick pork broth that warmed her entire body. The Misua stall was located just three blocks from the hospital, was always packed with people seeking its nostalgic taste for it had been established since 1965. It was also their favourite place to eat; so much that the owner remembered their exact order: extra broth for Yingmei and no mushrooms for Xiulin.

A day without exchanging messages with Xiulin felt like a decade of silence. As they chatted away, their conversation was occasionally interrupted by the surrounding buzz about the latest news. The television in the corner was broadcasting a report about a foreign military aircraft from Shenchou Republic that had crossed into their country, Ihla's defence zone. Soma patrons murmured anxiously, while others seemed indifferent. In Xinzhun City, discussions about the incident were everywhere; some people even talked about building bunkers to shelter from potential attacks.

When the Liberal Democratic Party leader, Lai Houtian, began speaking, Xiulin paused, her attention momentarily captured by the broadcast. Yingmei, noticing her friend's unusual silence, glanced at the screen and then back at Xiulin.

'Do you think it's serious?' Yingmei rubbed the side of her bowl as she tried to catch up with the new information. She wasn't exactly ignorant about the news involving her country; she just didn't have enough time to completely absorb what was going on.

Xiulin shrugged, her eyes still on the screen. 'It's hard to say. Hopefully, it's just political posturing.' When the news segment ended, Xiulin turned back to Yingmei. 'The Shenchou Republic just never gives up, right?'

People around them began discussing the movements Shenchou had made, not only in their country but in their neighbouring country, the Yuanchu Kingdom as well. Both were small countries, and the Yuanchu Kingdom could only defend a small part of its territory after the opposition, which wanted to get rid of the monarchy, started to dominate almost the whole continent. Opinions were divided on whether Ihla should become part of Shenchou or stand on its own. Both options had their pros and cons.

But it wasn't as if voicing her opinion would change anything.

Because Yingmei had her own battle …

'… it was hilar bile duct cancer stage three. It was pretty obvious seeing it from the CT scan but Dr Kim kept insisting that it wasn't.' Yingmei clamped her misua and hungrily sipped it. 'Then Dr Li managed to convince him at the second meeting. He insisted on the possibility of removing it. It was already past the point of removal by general surgical procedures. Cirrhosis has developed so the patient would need a transplant — a living donor liver transplant.'

'This patient, isn't he the president of Daeguk Corp.? That Do Seung-hyeok?' Xiulin's lips immediately dropped in the most amusing way when Yingmei nodded. 'He has three wives, hasn't he? Doesn't he have any of his family volunteers?'

'I don't care about his personal problems.' Yingmei shrugged. 'Anyway, we can't wait until he arranges this with his family. Dr Li and I have done our best to speak with the family representative. If someone cares enough to volunteer, we will be back to Goryeo a month.'

Xiulin chuckled while shaking her head. 'So ironic. He's so rich yet …'

'That's something money can't buy.' Yingmei had expected Xiulin to laugh at this.

'Funny to hear that from your mouth, money lover.'

'So far my love for money never betrayed me.' Yingmei faked a psychotic laugh, placing her palm in front of her mouth. 'Let's be realistic here. What do you get from loving a human?'

'Happiness?' Yingmei twitched her lips while Xiulin sweetly smiled.

'Mr Do and his wife used to be famous for their harmonious marriage life. He only has six months left, but look at them now. His wife doesn't even care. His children don't visit the hospital. They're just waiting until … yeah.' She trailed off as Xiulin widened her eyes.

'Oh, my … It's sad to see that they used to be so much in love and now it's like this, isn't it?' Xiulin twirled her hair around her index finger. 'I mean … does love fade so easily?'

'That's love, Xiulin. The pain will never end.' Xiulin clamped her mouth as she agonisingly held back her laughter while Yingmei quickly raised her map over her clothes. 'Don't burst on me, Xiulin. This coat is brand new.'

'Penny for your wisdom, Zhu Bajie.' Xiulin handed an imaginary coin to Yingmei's palm while Yingmei scrunched her nose to imitate the pig's nose, inviting more tears of laughter from Xiulin. 'But why are you so against marriage?!'

'You know what I've learnt from a fairytale-like 'The Little Mermaid?'' Yingmei rested her head on her palm.

'You must do everything for love?' Xiulin coquettishly winked at her.

'First, a happy marriage is a fairy tale. Second, don't sign a contract without reading it properly. Third, don't give up what's important to you for a man you don't know. And fourth, the most important of all, you'd end up dying if love is all you're chasing.'

'Speaking from experience, hm? Daddy's Little Mermaid?' They laughed at the irony. 'We'd die without love, Yingmei!' Xiulin rubbed Yingmei's left shoulder. 'You can't keep shutting yourself off from romance forever!'

'Between love and career, I choose both because I love my career.'

Xiulin chuckled. 'That's so mundane, Mei.'

'Love wouldn't feed your tummy, Xiulin.'

'I still wish you could meet your significant other, Mei.' Yingmei slowly turned her head in Xiulin's direction, doubling the size of her eyes upon seeing something on Xiulin's ring finger that sparkled, matching the smile plastered on her face.

A diamond engagement ring …

'W-wait … Didn't you just break up with Liu Kang?'

'Oh, gosh, Mei! That was half a year ago!'

'But you were just — oh! No, no, no!' Yingmei shook her head harshly. 'Xiulin, are you sure?! You can't just marry a guy you met less than a year ago!'

'He's the one, Mei! I'm pretty sure of it!' Xiulin's cheeks were blushing with excitement. 'He's so different from the others! I feel like seeing forever with him.' Before Yingmei could utter a word, Xiulin added, 'When you meet yours, I'm pretty sure you'll feel the way I feel right now, Mei. Not now, but someday!'

Would that day ever come?

Yingmei was truthfully against Xiulin's engagement news but it wasn't her decision if Xiulin had made up her mind. Throughout the time she knew Xiulin, she had never seen her glow as much as she did now. Her brown eyes sparkled, putting the diamond ring to shame; her dimples looked as if they could no longer sustain the sheer joy emitted in her smile.

Taking a deep breath, Yingmei threw her arms around her best friend. 'I wish you happiness, Xiulin. Congratulations … to both of you.'

'Thanks, Mei! I really hope you find your guy soon so I can rest in peace!' Xiulin giggled as she hugged Yingmei tightly.

'Don't say that, idiot!' Yingmei playfully poked on Xiulin's arm. 'So, who is this lucky guy?'

'I'll introduce you in person when you're free. I love him so much, Mei …' Suddenly her phone rang and Yingmei immediately knew who that was, simply from the smile that played on Xiulin's lips.

'I can't wait to see him, Xiulin. Be careful on your way home!'

'Bye, Mei! Send my regards to uncle!' Xiulin waved back as she headed into the train station. Even after she blended with the crowds, Yingmei could still see the imaginary pink aura around Xiulin. She was clearly in seventh heaven, making Yingmei question herself if she would ever be experiencing that kind of feeling.

The moment she turned around, her phone rang. Her cheeks were almost hurt from smiling upon seeing the name.

'Now, that's my guy …' Then she picked up her phone.