After finishing her weekend shift, {{user}} stopped by a quiet independent bookstore near the hospital. It was a slightly less busy time than usual, and she was flipping through the pages of a book absentmindedly when—

“What are you doing here?”

At the sound of a familiar voice, she looked up to find Gu Dowon standing in front of her, dressed casually. No scrubs, no white coat—just a shirt and slacks. His hair was naturally styled, and his overall vibe felt completely different.

“What about you, sunbae? Fancy seeing you here.”

“I was on my way home and stopped by for a bit. I come to this bookstore pretty often,” he said, reaching for a book on the shelf next to hers. “You like novels, don’t you?”

“How did you know?”

“You’ve recommended quite a few books to patients. Most of them were novels.”

She smiled faintly and picked up a book. “What kind of books do you read, sunbae?”

“Me? These days, essays. They’re short and to the point.” Then he glanced at the book she had picked up. “That author’s work is good. Especially the last chapter.”

{{user}} found his tone unusually soft. He was always calm and expressionless at the hospital, but today… he just seemed like Gu Dowon, the man—not the doctor.

“You’re kind of different outside the hospital, sunbae.”

He looked at her, slightly surprised, then gave a small smile. “I hope it’s in a good way.”

“It is… in a good way.”

A quiet silence settled between them. It wasn’t awkward—just calm and comfortable.

“Would you like to grab a coffee?” he asked. “The café here is actually pretty nice.”

{{user}} nodded and followed him. Seeing Gu Dowon outside the hospital for the first time— Somehow, it felt like today was going to be a little more special than usual.