As they drove home, Stephen pulled over at a gas station to refuel his car. He asked a person to refuel his car.
He turned to Jayeon and asked through the open window, "Do you need anything to eat or drink?"
Jayeon nodded enthusiastically and began to open the door, but Stephen quickly stopped her. "You don't need to come out, I'll buy for you." he said with a smile.
Jayeon hesitated for a moment before responding, "But I need to pay, and I didn't bring any cash. I'll just pay using my phone." Stephen chuckled and replied, "At least being my patient, I can afford to treat you some snacks." Jayeon started to protest,"But...". Stephen cut her off, saying, "No buts, what do you need? Just tell me."
Jayeon thought for a moment before asking for a bottle of water and some toffee. Stephen headed into the convenience store and search for the items.
He returned a few minutes later with Jayeon's requested items and sits inside the driver seat, handed the items to her and drives the car.
As they continued driving, Jayeon offered Stephen a piece of toffee, which he gratefully accepted. As they sat in comfortable silence, munching on their snacks, Stephen suddenly spoke up, asking Jayeon if her father would be coming to pick her up or if she would be going home alone.
Jayeon replied that she had planned to get off near the hospital gate and make her way home from there, but Stephen insisted on driving her all the way home. "It's already evening, and the café is far from here," he explained. "Your parents will probably be worried sick about you. I saw your father today, and he seemed really concerned.Therefore, if I drop you, your parents will be more secure about you. Aren't they?"
Jayeon couldn't argue with Stephen's logic, so she agreed to let him drive her home and gave him the address and also texted her parents that she will be coming home by the doctor's car.
As they pulled up to her house, Stephen turned to her with a mischievous grin and said, "Even if you hadn't given me your address, I could have just looked it up at the hospital." Jayeon laughed at his joke and teased him about being intelligent, "I must say you are intelligent."
Stephen smiled proudly and replied, "Hey, I didn't get my medical degree without using my brain!" Jayeon giggled again and nodded in agreement.
As they sat at a red light, Jayeon caught herself staring at Stephen and couldn't help but laugh at him reminding the words of Doctor Stephen said,'"Didn't get my medical degree without using my brain" '. Stephen noticed her gaze and returned with a smile, and couldn't control himself but utter the words,"You look pretty when you smile."
Jayeon playfully rolled her eyes and joked, "Are you kidding me? Did you mean to say I look ugly when I laugh?" Stephen quickly corrected himself, saying, "No, no, no! You look pretty!"
"What did you say?" Jayeon asked with anxious tone.
"Pretty? I said you look pretty." Stephen answered.
"Pretty...? I... I have heard... These feeling,"She clenched her chest,"As if...as if I had heartbreak..." She repeated, "Pretty,.." her voice trembling. "I've heard those words before... it feels like I'm having a heartbreak all over again." Jayeon speaks with her sniffling voice."Its like the exact same thing when you said trust me..." Jayeon resembled.
Stephen's expression softened, and he reached out to gently touch Jayeon's arm. "Jayeon, don't push yourself too hard, okay? You'll just end up with another headache."
Jayeon nodded, taking a deep breath to calm herself. Stephen continued, "And by the way, stop calling me Doctor. Just call me Stephen. I think we can be friends from now on." Jayeon smiled, feeling a sense of gratitude towards Stephen. "Okay, let's be friends," she agreed.
Jayeon turned to Stephen and said, "One more thing – I really want to uncover what happened during those five months that I am missing. I know it's very important to me, and I'm happy that you are helping me so much, Thank you" Stephen nodded,
Jayeon, felt a sense of determination wash over her and said,"And I also overheard my friends speaking about it. So I'm sure this heart break is because of that fragmented memories." Stephen agreed with her words.
Jayeon thinks in her mind, 'Is it that guy with whose blurred dreams I see everytime and wakes up crying? Maybe this can happen because I started to weep in my blurred dreams after those 5 months. So maybe my memories are linked with him. I need to remember my dreams but forcing myself won't help because I have already tried this method to remember those dreams.'
A distant voice is heard like somebody is calling Jayeon. When suddenly Stephen touched her arms.
"Jayeon...!" Stephen called out. "What are you thinking?"
"Just trying to recollect myself from some fragmented dreams, thoughts and whatever I could..." Jayeon adjusted herself in the seat and looks outside the window, "Huh... you stopped the car. Did we already reach?"
Stephen said, "I have been calling you for such a long time. You didn't seem to response."
"Did you? I'm sorry for that." Jayeon apologized.
Stephen asked."Do you want to take another round and think for some while?"
Jayeon bowed and thanked him,"No... no...Thank you... and also thank you for everything that you did for me today. From now onwards I won't disturb you anymore. Thanks for everything."
"Huh... Why are you bowing it's not our style to do it. Anyways you don't need to thank me and I'm going to help you because I really wanted to do and also... I want to know what had happened to you. Its like I'm solving a mystery case. So I really want to help you." Stephen replied.
"thank you that mean a lot doctor..."
"huh..." Stephen interrupted.
"I mean Stephen..." Jayeon corrected.
As she stepped out of the car and onto the sidewalk, Jayeon turned back to Stephen and smiled. "Thanks for everything, Stephen. I really appreciate it." Stephen smiled back and replied, "No problem, Jayeon. Just take care of yourself, okay?" Jayeon nodded.
Stephen drove back his car.
She speaks to herself. "Why did I bowed him? I never did that before...Wait..." Jayeon realized that she had been bowing for more than 2 years but she herself never realized it. "I did it... but when he pointed out... I realized it...at that moment."
As she walked into her house, Jayeon couldn't shake the feeling that she was on the verge of uncovering something important.