For the past several days, Gyeo-ul noticed that her professors were being extra attentive towards her. They would bring her bread whenever they came into the GS room and they bought her coffee whenever they would find her sitting by her computer to read the patients' charts. Somehow, she was never alone – even during lunch, she would receive invitations from the surgeon whoever arrived first. It was fine at first, but she could hardly meet with Jeong-won anymore.

It was inevitable; they were in a hospital where being idle was frowned upon and the more exhaustion you feel, the more satisfaction you got. It was her mantra before, but as of the moment, as she became more and more frustrated with how it took a personal toll in her personal life, she hated being within the constricting perimeters of the Yulje.

Ik-jun was less angry as she was but he explained himself eventually. "Did Jeong-won tell you about how last week he was called by every single one of the professors to basically dissuade him from your relationship?"

She didn't understand it at first and she was irritated how everyone wanted to inject themselves into their relationship. How could they decide anything for her?

But again, Ik-jun remained as the sole referee between two sides. "What do you expect? Do you expect them to just roll over? They are worried about you, Gyeo-ul, and they only have your best interest in mind. I was there and I admit, they have a point. Even Jeong-won thinks so."

But Jeong-won never told her that he received an earful from her professors. Sure, their lack of time to talk was probably the main issue as to why he didn't say anything, but if he was persecuted because of her, he should've let her defend him.

One afternoon, knowing that they'll be both off on the weekends, Gyeo-ul decides to ask him out. All her reservations caused from the time he rejected her when she asked him out to dinner has already been put to rest; in addition, she wants to make it up to him after what he had to suffer from her superiors.

He picks up as soon as she calls. "Professor Ahn, would you like to have lunch with me tomorrow? Maybe we can also go somewhere you like."

But Jeong-won has plans.

She has been rebuffed twice now, but somehow, it remains as hurtful as ever. Maybe the words of her professors have finally gotten into him. She can't blame him; it's simply the impossibility of their circumstances – there's no way around their responsibilities.

Just when she's about to end the phone call, he says, "My mom actually has asked me to ask you to bring you to Yangpyeong. I just don't want to put you out. You need to rest."

If he's more than happy to take the heat for dating her, being with his mother is less than the compensation he deserves. She tells him that she will join him despite his persistence that she should just stay at home and sleep.

Gyeo-ul is surprised to see that he has left out some of the details about the trip to his mother's; his siblings all happened to be there to visit. She is conscious about their line of profession, but seeing them through her own eyes has surprised her; she is a little bit intimated at their dark clothes and their formalities.

Sensing her uneasiness, not once did Jeong-won leave her side. During lunch, when they were finally left alone as Ro-sa and her other children went to the kitchen to fix the table, Jeong-won squeezes her hand. "I'm so sorry," he tells her.

She shrugs. "It's nice that you have a large family. I only had Jung-woo growing up; you must have a nice childhood."

He nods and begins telling stories about how he and his siblings would chase each other outside as their mother prepared snacks for them. He was the youngest, so he was always the slowest. He also cried a lot whenever one of his brothers would accidentally knock him over as they ran past him. His mother would come out of the house and scold his oldest brother.

"We knew at an early age that he is mom's favorite," Dong-il, Ro-sa's eldest child, adds. He has a warm smile on his face. He turns to Jeong-won. "Jeong-won, help Mom with the pot. Sung-kyun can't carry it; Mom's not pleased." Jeong-won doesn't want to leave Gyeo-ul, but he sighs and stands up anyway.

Dong-il scooches next to Gyeo-ul. "My mom likes you a lot. Do you know she never cooks beef?" He sighs. "She makes us look as if we're dirt poor! Jeong-won's the same; he can be worse than her. But you're fine with that, aren't you?"

Her expressions are always hard to read, but somehow, his brother has managed to see through her impassivity.

"Jeong-won was lonely as a child." He stares over the window, reminiscing about their childhood. "He even became lonelier when we chose the church. I think that was why he wanted to become a priest: it's to feel as if he belonged with us. But the thing is, no matter how much he wanted to quit the hospital, he just can't do it; he can serve God better that way. He was so stupid. But he has finally realized that it was never for him."