The lunch rush at the hospital had just begun, but Lee Go Eun had already slipped away from the main crowd, heading toward a quieter restaurant just outside the building.
She didn't need to check her phone.
She already knew Soo Bin would be there.
And she was.
Ahn Soo Bin sat by the window, her chin resting on her hand, absentmindedly stirring her drink. She hadn't even noticed the condensation dripping down the glass.
Her mind was somewhere else.
Again.
"You're here early."
Soo Bin looked up immediately.
"Go Eun!"
Her face lit up—genuinely this time—as Go Eun took a seat across from her.
"You look like you've been thinking too much," Go Eun said calmly.
Soo Bin laughed awkwardly. "Do I look that obvious?"
"Yes."
That answer came too quickly.
Soo Bin sighed, leaning back slightly.
"…It's that bad, huh?"
Go Eun didn't respond immediately. Instead, she picked up the menu, glancing through it briefly before setting it down.
"I met her today."
Soo Bin blinked.
"…Who?"
Go Eun looked at her.
"Kang So Ra."
Soo Bin straightened slightly.
"You did?"
Go Eun nodded. "At the hospital. She's the new legal counsel."
"Oh…"
Soo Bin looked down at her drink again.
"So?" she asked quietly. "What do you think of her?"
Go Eun paused.
Just for a second.
"She's confident," she said. "And she knows exactly what she's doing."
Soo Bin let out a small breath.
"…Yeah. That sounds like her."
"She's also very aware," Go Eun added.
Soo Bin frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
"She notices things," Go Eun said. "People. Reactions."
There was a brief silence.
Soo Bin's grip tightened slightly around her glass.
"…Then she probably noticed it," she murmured.
"Noticed what?"
Soo Bin hesitated.
Then—
Quietly—
"…That I like So Hee."
There it was.
Out in the open.
Go Eun didn't react with surprise.
She already knew.
"Yes," she said simply. "She probably did."
Soo Bin let out a small, nervous laugh.
"Great… that's not embarrassing at all."
Go Eun leaned slightly forward.
"Why haven't you said anything?"
The question was direct.
No hesitation.
Soo Bin froze.
"…You know why."
"Say it."
Soo Bin looked up.
Their eyes met.
"…I'm scared," she admitted quietly.
Go Eun didn't interrupt.
"I know how I feel," Soo Bin continued, her voice softer now. "I've known for a while."
Her fingers tightened slightly on the table.
"But what if she doesn't feel the same?" she added. "What if I say something and everything changes?"
Her voice cracked just slightly.
"What if I lose what I already have?"
Silence.
Go Eun watched her carefully.
Then she spoke.
"And what if you lose her anyway?"
Soo Bin blinked.
"What…?"
Go Eun's voice remained calm.
But firm.
"You think staying quiet will protect you," she said. "But it won't."
Soo Bin's heart started beating faster.
"If someone else steps in," Go Eun continued, "if someone who isn't afraid says what you can't…"
She paused.
"Then what will you do?"
Soo Bin didn't answer.
Because she didn't have one.
Her mind drifted—
To So Ra.
To the way she spoke to So Hee
The way she stood close to her
The way she looked at her
Her chest tightened.
"I…" Soo Bin hesitated.
Go Eun leaned back slightly.
"You're not the type to run away," she said. "So why are you doing it now?"
Soo Bin looked down.
"…Because this matters," she whispered.
More than anything.
That was the truth.
Go Eun's expression softened just slightly.
"I know," she said quietly.
A pause.
Then—
She added:
"But if it matters that much… then it's worth the risk."
Soo Bin's eyes trembled slightly.
"Go Eun…"
"If you don't say it," Go Eun continued, her voice steady, "you'll regret it."
The words landed heavily.
Not harsh.
But real.
"And I don't want to hear you complain later about what could have been," she added.
Soo Bin let out a small laugh through the tension.
"You're really strict today."
"I'm being honest."
Silence fell between them again.
But this time—
It felt different.
Clearer.
Soo Bin stared at her hands.
She knew what Go Eun was saying.
She understood it.
But—
"…I need a little more time," she said softly.
Go Eun didn't look surprised.
"How much time?"
Soo Bin hesitated.
"…Not long."
Go Eun studied her for a moment.
Then nodded.
"Fine."
But her next words were quieter.
Sharper.
"Just don't wait until it's too late."
Soo Bin swallowed slightly.
"…I won't."
But even as she said it—
Her heart wasn't completely sure.
Because somewhere deep down—
She knew—
Time was already starting to run out.