Minjin made her way to Tae-sung’s office. She approached the reception desk where the secretary sat.

Minjin bowed her head first. "Annyeong haseyo, I’m here to see Park Tae-sung. I’m his younger sister, Park Minjin." 

The secretary looked up, her expression one of polite curiosity. "I’m sorry, did you say you’re Park Minjin?" 

"Ne," Minjin confirmed with a smile. 

The secretary’s eyes widened slightly. She took a moment to process this before she paid her respects by bowing repeatedly at her while Minjin awkwardly did the same. 

"Annyeong haseyo, gyusanim. Please wait here for a moment." 

The secretary picked up the phone and dialed Tae-sung’s extension. After a brief conversation, she hung up and turned to Minjin. "Please follow me." 

As they walked through the office, the secretary could not help but glance at Minjin. "I’ve heard so much about you. It’s nice to finally meet you, gyosunim."

Minjin awkwardly smiled and slightly bowed.

When they reached Tae-sung’s office door, the secretary knocked softly before opening it. Tae-sung looked up from his desk, a look of pleasant surprise crossing his face.

The secretary gestured for Minjin to enter while she bowed to thank her.

Minjin approached his desk and handed him the lunch box. "I hope you like it. I made it all myself." 

Tae-sung opened the box and examined the contents with a delighted smile. "Nice, the Korean culinary class worked.

While Tae-sung ate lunch, Minjin wandered around his office. Her gaze fell on the coffee table where a copy of a Time Magazine lay. 

She chuckled upon noticing the cover. "You must be proud of me, huh? ” 

Tae-sung looked up from his meal and responded with a proud smile, “Of course I am. Every person who entered my office, I always told them that you are my younger sister.” 

As soon as the secretary left Tae-sung's office, she hurried to the break room, where her officemates were gathered. Her eyes were wide with excitement as she shared the news.

"You won't believe it! Park Minjin, the famous Park Minjin, is here visiting Mr. Park!" 

The room erupted in disbelief and murmurs. "Are you serious?"

One of the officemates asked, shaking her head. "The Park Minjin?" 

The secretary nodded eagerly. "Yes! I saw her with my own eyes!" 

The conversation buzzed with a mix of curiosity and amazement.

"I’ve heard she’s incredibly talented," another coworker said.

"People even say she’s smarter than Einstein or Stephen Hawking!" 

The discussion continued with growing excitement.

The chatter stopped abruptly as Minjin eventually walked out of Tae-sung’s office. The sight of her triggered a wave of disbelief and admiration.

Several people from the break room were unable to resist the chance to see her up close. They marveled at her presence, talking amongst themselves about how stunning she looked in person. 

Noticing their curiosity, Minjin felt a bit self-conscious but remained poised as she walked.

"Annyeong haseyo." She gave a polite bow and greeted them with a friendly smile.

They were caught a bit off guard but pleased by her warm demeanor and responded with respectful bows of their own.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Gyosunim." 

"We’ve heard so much about you. It’s an honor to finally see you in person." 

Minjin thanked them graciously, although it was a bit overwhelming.

 ###

The spring had passed by so quickly as it transitioned into the middle of the summer season.

After Instructor Kim’s class ended for the night, Heo Yeong-hwan walked into the room wearing a formal suit and tie. The two men greeted each other warmly, their handshake turning into a brief, friendly hug. 

"It’s been too long. How have you been, Yeong-hwan-ah?" Instructor Kim said.

"I’ve been good, saem." Heo Yeong-hwan replied.

"I hear a lot of congratulations for you for winning the controversial cases." 

"It wasn’t easy; there were a lot of hurdles, but it ended well for me. How have you been, Saem?" 

Instructor Kim nodded appreciatively. "Busy as always, but good. Why don’t we catch up over dinner?" 

Heo Yeong-hwan agreed, and soon they found themselves at a nearby samgyupsal restaurant. They ordered their food and settled into an easy conversation. 

As they enjoyed their meal, Instructor Kim suddenly said, "You know, someone you know quite well is back in Korea." 

Heo Yeong-hwan raised an eyebrow.  "Who’s that?" 

"Park Minjin. She returned months ago, and she has been attending my classes again." 

For a moment, Heo Yeong-hwan’s expression shifted from surprise to something softer. "Minjin-ah? I haven’t seen her in years. How is she?" a smile slowly forming on his lips.

"She seems well. She’s been training hard, just like the old days." 

He hadn’t thought about Minjin in a long time, but hearing her name brought back a rush of memories. 

"When does she usually come to class?" Heo Yeong-hwan asked, trying to sound casual, though a spark of eagerness crept into his voice. 

Instructor Kim chuckled, noticing the curiosity in Yeong-hwan's tone. "She attends the evening classes, usually around seven." 

Heo Yeong-hwan nodded. "I might have to drop by sometime. It would be good to see her again." 

Instructor Kim smiled knowingly. "I’m sure she’d be glad to see you too." 

###

Minjin was wearing her signature round vintage black sunglasses. She was breathing with her mouth as she was feeling the summer heat. She was wearing a slim-fit, pink, round-neck crop top with high-waisted denim shorts.

Since winter and spring had passed. The detailed black-and-grey floral tattoo covering her right forearm was finally visible. The design was intricate, featuring flowing botanical elements such as flowers, leaves, and petals that intertwined elegantly.

"I hate summers." She muttered to herself in English.

She then looked around until she spotted a cafe.

"I need an iced coffee," she said to herself in English.

Bang Eun-Kyung and his partner were deeply engrossed in their investigation in a quiet residential area due to a theft case. Their search had led them to the café for a brief break. Bang Eun-Kyung was particularly craving an iced Americano, and his partner agreed to join him in ordering one. 

As they walked into the café, Minjin was already at the counter and placed her order. Bang Eun-Kyung's eyes momentarily lingered on her, but he didn’t initially recognize her. Instead, he focused on his order. 

Once Minjin had finished, she stepped aside to wait for her iced coffee while her attention was on her phone.

Bang Eun-Kyung and his partner also placed their orders and soon found themselves waiting in the same area as Minjin. 

The barista called out, "Minjin-shi!"

Minjin stepped forward to claim her drink with a quick nod. 

Bang Eun-Kyung turned to her as he heard the name. She walked past him, and he glanced at her, but he could not see her face since she was wearing black round vintage glasses, and her blue hair with a high messy bun caught his attention.

He tilted his head and wondered if the woman he had just seen was the same Park Minjin he had known from high school.

He murmured to himself, "Minjin-ah?" 

### 
 
After 2 intense hours in the operating room, Minjun finally emerged, feeling the weight of exhaustion. His close friend and fellow doctor, Im Sung-ae, caught up with him as they headed toward the hospital cafeteria. 

"Are you hungry?" Im Sung-ae asked.

Minjun nodded wearily. "Yeah, I could use something to eat." 

They made their way to the cafeteria, grabbing trays and loading them up with a selection of food.

As they were making their way to a table, they noticed Song Hyein sitting a short distance away. With a friendly wave, Song Hyein called out, "Oppa!" 

Im Sung-ae nudged Minjun and teased, "Looks like your ex is calling us over. Better not keep her waiting." 

Minjun just rolled his eyes. 

They joined Song Hyein at her table, and her face brightened at their arrival. "I’m so glad you could join me. How’s the surgery, Minjun-oppa?" 

Minjun offered a tired smile and shrugged. "It went well." 

Song Hyein started placing some food onto Minjun’s tray. "You need to keep your energy up. Here, have some more, oppa." 

Minjun nodded appreciatively and forced a smile.

Minjun's phone suddenly vibrated in his white coat pocket. He picked it up and glanced at the screen to find a message from Bang Eun-Kyung.

"Minjun-ah, do you know if Minjin-ah has returned to Korea?" 

The text caught Minjun's attention. He frowned slightly while he was trying to process the information. His attention was interrupted when Song Hyein noticed his expression and gently tapped his arm. 

"Is everything okay, oppa?" she asked.

Minjun quickly shook off the distraction and said, "Yeah, everything’s fine."

He put down his phone on the table and stared at his food. But he remained silent without touching it as he couldn’t shake his curiosity about Bang Eun-Kyung’s message.