"Excellent," Dr. Kwon said finally, lowering the stack of reports with a satisfied smile. "Your recovery is steady and clean. Excellent progress."
Suho straightened a little, trying not to look too proud. "How do you feel now? Any muscle soreness? Tightness?" the doctor asked.
Suho shook his head. "No doctor… I'm feeling better now."
"He finishes more than 5,000 steps every day now, doctor," Hauen added proudly, smiling.
"Oh, really?" Dr. Kwon raised his brows, impressed. "That's great progress. Well done, Mr. Kim."
Suho looked down, a little flustered by the praise. Hauen couldn't help but smile at him.
Then Dr. Kwon smirked. "Actually, I knew you'd recovered well the day you ran after your wife, on the highway."
"Not you too, doctor… please," Suho groaned, his face turning pink.
Hauen burst into laughter, and Suho shot her a look that clearly said, Stop laughing. She only wiggled her eyebrows playfully.
"He thought I was leaving him, Dr. Kwon," she said brightly, exposing him even more. "That's why he ran after me, almost risking his life."
Suho's eyes went wide. Even Dr. Kwon laughed out loud, and the nurse couldn't stop a small giggle.
Suho buried his face in her shoulder. "How can you embarrass your husband like this?" he whined, sounding adorably hurt.
Hauen gently squeezed his thigh under the table, making him yelp and look at her, completely flustered.
Her smile was soft and affectionate, as if she were proud of him and teasing him at the same time.
Dr. Kwon watched the two of them bicker and smiled warmly. "Alright… this is the final exercise and diet chart."
He handed the file to Hauen. "Mrs. Kim, make sure his diet actually follows this plan this time. He needs to get fully back in shape. And don't let him skip workouts, especially the treadmill."
Hauen nodded, opening the file and scanning through it. "Of course, doctor. I'll make sure he follows everything."
Dr. Kwon turned to Suho next. "Mr. Kim, you've been given another life after everything you went through. So live it properly, with a healthy routine, proper diet, and regular exercise. Even though your legs are fine now, be careful for the next six to twelve months. Avoid falling, avoid any leg injuries, drive safely… and please don't try stunts on highways."
He added the last part teasingly, and Suho groaned while Hauen burst into laughter.
"Don't worry, doctor. I'll take care of him," she said proudly.
"Good. Then I'll see you both at the next appointment," Dr. Kwon said.
They nodded and walked out of the hospital together. The moment they stepped outside, Suho was sulking, his shoulders drooped, his lips pouted, and his eyes were down.
Hauen looped his arm through hers and looked up at him. "What happened, Teddy?" she asked gently.
"Don't talk to me," he muttered, though he didn't pull his hand away.
She smiled, easily catching the hurt pride beneath his tone. "Aww… my sulky teddy bear is so cute."
His ears turned red instantly, but he kept walking straight-faced, refusing to look at her.
"Talk to me, honey," she coaxed gently.
"You exposed me in front of the doctor," he mumbled, voice low and wounded.
She smiled, brushing her thumb over the back of his hand. "I just told the truth about what my man can do for me."
That made him sneak a sideways glance at her, cheeks warm, but she only grinned.
"Still… it was embarrassing," he sulked.
"How can I make it up to you?" she asked, tugging him playfully. The pull made him stumble a little, and he looked at her with those soft, dramatic eyes.
"Take me out for lunch," he said firmly, like it was a serious demand.
"That's it?" she laughed.
He nodded.
"Come on then, let me take my teddy bear on a nice lunch date." The moment the words left her mouth, he cracked a tiny smile, but the second she looked at him, he turned away quickly, hiding it and pretending he was still mad.
At the Restaurant
They chose a cozy, minimalistic rooftop restaurant with soft sunlight pouring through glass panels. The moment they sat, Suho leaned forward on the table, chin resting on his hand.
He didn't even pretend today; he just kept staring at her.
"Why are you staring?" she whispered, though a blush crept up her cheek.
"You embarrassed me," he said simply.
"And?"
"And…" he paused, eyes softening, tone dipping lower, "…now I want all your attention."
She smiled, shaking her head. "So dramatic—"
Before she could finish, the waiter arrived. "Yes, sir? Your order?"
Suho didn't even glance at the menu. "Whatever she likes."
The waiter smiled politely and turned to Hauen.
She ordered lightly, some traditional Korean dish.
When the waiter left, Suho leaned back with crossed arms, pretending to inspect her.
Hauen was still flipping through the menu when Suho suddenly leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table like he had something serious to confess.
"Hauenaa…" he said.
"Hm?" she hummed, not looking up yet.
"I feel bad for your ex."
That made her stop. She raised an eyebrow slowly, finally meeting his eyes. "Why?"
Suho sighed like he had been personally offended. "Because how unlucky he is,"
He sighed again, dramatically. "He had every chance to be with you, and he wasted all of them. Even after he broke up with his girlfriend, he could've tried to win you back. But now he's lost that last chance too. Such an unlucky bastard. Men like him don't deserve you."
He cursed her ex so confidently… having no idea he was insulting himself.
Hauen pressed her lips tightly, trying not to laugh. "Don't badmouth him. He didn't know I loved him."
"He should have known," Suho argued. "And now? He doesn't even have a chance. He lost you forever."
Hauen smiled, mischief glowing in her eyes. "What if he comes back to take me?"
Suho froze, then looked at her like she'd just asked the most ridiculous question in the world. "What kind of question is that? You're mine now. No way he can randomly show up and confess to you." His tone sharpened, protective and a little possessive. "I swear, I'll beat the shit out of him."
That did it, Hauen burst into laughter. She leaned back, completely done with this man who was unknowingly cursing himself.
Suho blinked at her, genuinely confused. "Why are you laughing?"
She leaned forward on the table, trying to breathe. "Suho… stop it already…"
He looked so confused and so adorable that she laughed harder.
"Stop laughing," he complained, cheeks going red.
"Yaa, Suho…" she said, calming herself enough to lean closer. She lowered her voice, eyes playful. "The ex you're cursing is you, teddy bear."
His face went blank. "What?" he whispered.
She burst out again, clutching her stomach. Across from her, Suho replayed everything he said in his head, realization slowly, painfully, hitting him.
"Wait, wait, were you talking about me all this time?" he asked, horrified. "Was I… was I cursing myself?"
His expression only made her laugh harder.
"Don't laugh…" he complained, voice small and wounded, but that only made it worse for her.
He finally sulked, looking down at his lap.
She took a deep breath and got herself under control. "Okay, okay… I'm sorry, Teddy." She reached for his hand.
He tried to pull it away, like a baby refusing affection, but she grabbed it again.
"I told you not to curse," she teased. "You didn't listen. And now look, sulking."
"You really hid it from me," he muttered, still adorably offended. "You should've told me earlier."
She smiled softly. "Told you what? That you were my ex? You were literally crying over Yerin at that time. You expected me to confess? Really?"
He paused… actually thinking.
She giggled at his confused processing face.
"Still," he insisted, "you should've told me. At least on the way here. Even when I was… cursing myself…"
She shook her head at him. "How are you even the head of Mirae Cosmetics? Where did that cold Kim Suho go? Why am I seeing this sulky Suho nowadays?"
He shot her a look, slightly annoyed, slightly melting.
"You're teasing me too much, Mrs. Kim," he warned, voice dropping into that familiar old tone.
She gasped playfully. "Whoa… Mr. Kim came out? Finally?"
He cracked, again, and laughed despite himself. Her smile softened instinctively.
At that moment, the waiter arrived with their food.
The sulking, the teasing, the accidental self-insults, all paused as both of them shifted their attention to the steaming plates in front of them.
Their fight forgotten. Their laughter lingered. And the warmth between them sat comfortably in the space no one else could fill.
The dishes looked beautiful, but the way Suho kept feeding her tiny bites across the table was the real sweetness.
At one point, she leaned closer and wiped a little sauce from the corner of his lips with her thumb.
His breath hitched. "H-Hauen…"
"What?"
"Don't do that in public," he whispered, ears red.
"Why?" she asked.
"People are already staring at me," he whispered.
She looked around, "Let them."
He turned his face away, flustered.
Just then, two boys at a nearby table, young corporate interns, maybe in their early 20s, kept stealing glances at Hauen.
One finally nudged the other. Loud enough for Suho to hear.
"Bro, she's really pretty…"
"Yeah," the other agreed.
Suho heard it, and immediately his hand slipped under the table, gripping her thigh firmly, not possessive in a toxic way, but very, very territorial.
She leaned sideways. "What are you doing?" she whispered.
"Nothing, just felt like holding you," he said, glaring at the boys.
One of the boys caught Suho's glare and offered a harmless smile.
"Nothing, man, just complimenting your girl."
Suho's jaw tightened. "She knows she's pretty. You can look somewhere else."
Hauen bit her lip, stifling a laugh. When the two guys turned away, Suho scooted closer, pulling his chair towards her, until their shoulders touched.
"Stop laughing?" he whispered.
"I'm sorry... but you are hilarious right now," she giggled.
He shot her a narrow-eyed look, "Focus on the food."
She laughed silently, her shoulder shaking.