The office was silent except for the soft scratching of pen against paper. Seungho sat at his desk, glasses perched on the bridge of his nose as he methodically worked through the patient reports in front of him. His fingers moved with precise efficiency, flipping through the pages, signing where needed, his entire focus consumed by the task at hand.

Across the room, Jihyuk sat on the couch, his small legs dangling off the edge as he swung them idly back and forth. He huffed out a breath, resting his chin on his hands. At first, he tried to entertain himself—tugging at a loose thread on his sleeve, tapping his fingers against the fabric of the couch, even making a game out of counting the books on Seungho’s shelf. But eventually, boredom took over.

His gaze drifted toward Seungho.

Jihyuk tilted his head, watching the doctor with a quiet kind of admiration.

The way Seungho worked—so serious, so focused—it was almost mesmerizing. His sharp features remained unreadable, his fingers moving with a practiced grace. There was something calming about him, something steady and reliable.

Jihyuk felt his small hands clench unconsciously.

It was… nice. Being with someone like this.

A sudden knock on the door broke the silence.

Seungho didn’t even look up. "Come in."

A nurse stepped inside, bowing slightly before speaking. "Dr. Ryu, your next patient is ready for examination."

Seungho nodded, closing his files and standing up, adjusting the sleeves of his coat. As he took a step toward the door, his eyes flickered toward Jihyuk, who was still sitting on the couch, looking utterly bored.

Seungho sighed.

"Come with me," he said.

Jihyuk’s eyes widened. "Huh? Really?"

Seungho simply turned toward the door, expecting the boy to follow. Without hesitation, Jihyuk jumped up, hurrying after him with an excited bounce in his step.

Inside the brightly lit room, a middle-aged woman sat on the patient’s chair, looking a little nervous as Seungho calmly flipped through her medical file. Jihyuk stood quietly behind him, his tiny hands folded in front of him, trying to observe without getting in the way.

"So, what seems to be the issue today?" Seungho asked, his voice cool and professional.

The woman sighed. "I’ve been feeling lightheaded for the past few weeks, doctor. It gets worse when I stand for too long."

Seungho nodded, asking a few more questions as he gently pressed a stethoscope to the woman’s back, listening to her breathing. His movements were effortless, refined—each action carried out with precision and care.

Jihyuk, standing behind, was fascinated. He had never really thought about what doctors did before, but seeing Seungho at work made him realize how important it was.

He was so used to seeing adults ignore pain, pretend they were fine—especially his parents. But here was Seungho, quietly, yet attentively listening to a stranger’s concerns, treating them like they mattered.

Jihyuk hugged himself, his little heart warm with admiration.

The woman sighed in relief after the examination. "Thank you, Doctor Ryu. You’re always so thorough."

Seungho merely gave a small nod, scribbling a prescription. "Your blood pressure is slightly lower than normal. I’ll prescribe some supplements, but make sure to stay hydrated and eat regularly."

As the woman thanked him and left, Jihyuk finally spoke up.

"You’re… really good at this, ahjussi," he said, blinking up at Seungho.

Seungho arched a brow, a ghost of amusement flickering in his eyes. "Is that so?"

Jihyuk nodded eagerly. "Mhm! You look serious all the time, but you’re really nice to people!"

Seungho sighed, shaking his head before gently tapping the boy’s forehead. "That’s what a doctor is supposed to do, brat."

Jihyuk only giggled, rubbing his forehead where Seungho had flicked it.

Maybe… just maybe, this wasn’t such a boring day after all.