On a Saturday, Jeong-won picks up a desolated Gyeo-ul from her apartment; his brother, Jung-woo, the guilty party who caused the event, sulks in the backseat of his car as he drives to the restaurant their mother has chosen. For the past several days after Jung-woo told her sister that his mother was coming, Gyeo-ul was unreachable; she was always staring into the great unknown, thinking and worrying about how her mother would react.

Quite frankly, Jeong-won is as nervous as she is. He has always found it easy to talk to strangers like patients and their guardians, but the thing is, as trustworthy as he is in the hospital, her mother might not like him at all. If only Gyeo-ul was a little reassuring, then, he would be confident, but based on Jung-woo and Gyeo-ul's dreaded expression, he has no chance of winning her over.

As preparation, he has employed Jung-woo to help him out. He has asked him about what their mother was like but he wasn't that big of a help.

"She's really tough," he told him one night after dinner. He flinched as he answered. "She's very strict. She's kind of like Gyeo-ul, only she's thrice as protective."

If only he possessed Ik-jun's delightful temperament, he would probably be excited over the meeting instead of being nervous. But alas, his charms didn't quite reach Ik-jun's.

Before they arrive in the parking lot, Jeong-won tries to get another detail about their mother. "Is there anything else I should know? Something I can't talk about?"

Gyeo-ul laughs without humor. She gives him a look of apology before getting out of the car. As they approach the restaurant, Jung-woo pulls Jeong-won aside for a second. He searches at the floor-to-ceiling windows in an attempt to spot his mother. "Jeong-won," he whispers, his eyes wide around its sockets, "whatever happens, let Gyeo-ul handle this. Don't open your mouth unless she asks you something."

With his warning, they enter the restaurant. Gyeo-ul is already sitting across a sophisticated-looking woman, wearing a sharp beige coat and pink blouse. For a brief second, he sees Gyeo-ul smile and, just like that, all his worries disappear. Jeong-won takes the seat beside Gyeo-ul while Jung-woo slides in next to their mother.

Gyeo-ul's mother looks exactly like her; she has the same striking eyes, their noses are similar, and most importantly, she carries the exact coldness as her daughter.

Jeong-won bows politely and extends a hand, but she merely stares at him, her eyes piercing right through him. It takes her a while before she raises her own hand to shake his. "I'm Ahn Jeong-won. I work with Gyeo-ul at the hospital."

Gyeo-ul nods with a tiny smile. "Mom, he's my professor. He specializes on pediatric surgery."

But her mom doesn't say anything. Instead, she calls over the waiter and orders their meals for them. "We would like the steak, medium rare, and I want the soup for everyone." After the waiter leaves them, she takes a sip of her water. From under the table, he feels Gyeo-ul's hand find his – she squeezes it tightly, reassuring him that whatever happens, she's going to be there. Jeong-won finds his strength in her. "He's very handsome, Gyeo-ul," she says with a smile.

Jeong-won almost grins as the relief rushes into his veins, but Gyeo-ul remains stiff, as if she's ready for a strike which may come at any time. "Mom, I know that you worry a lot about me, but I love him. He's nice and caring – "

Gyeo-ul's words hit her immediately; her lips purses and her eyebrows knit together. "But how can he take care of you when he's stuck in the hospital?" She turns to Jeong-won standoffishly. "I'm so sorry, Dr. Ahn, but I would rather she be in a relationship with someone who isn't stuck in the hospital all day. When she was an intern, she would go to the hospital before dawn and wouldn't be back until midnight. I can only assume that her situation is worse now than before. I understand the work that you do, but she needs someone who can properly take care of her."

Her worries reflect his own. He hates how the hospital takes too much of their lives; there are times when they don't even see one another despite being at the same hospital. And in Gyeo-ul's case, she needs to attend to several professors including him. Her life is stretched out to its limits and he can't even do anything to help her.

"Mrs. Jang – " he begins to say, but Gyeo-ul interrupts him.

"Mom, I'm not as helpless as you think I am." Her voice is strong and unwavering. With her words alone, Jeong-won feels his heart beat in his chest. He looks over to her only to find her beautiful face raised up to meet her mother's glare. "Caring does not necessarily mean that you have to be with the person 24/7. You didn't even ask me how I'm supposed to care for him." She looks down and laughs.

But Gyeo-ul doesn't have to defend their relationship alone. Despite Jung-woo's warning, Jeong-won finds his voice, "I love you daughter so much, you have no idea. She's stubborn, she won't easily quit, she's the strongest person that I know. I admit that I rely on her more than she relies on me. I'm trying very hard to have it the other way around, but she doesn't really need me. You have raised a wonderful and resilient daughter. But I swear to you that I will take care of her in my own way. I will devote my life into making her happy."

Jung-woo closes his eyes, disappointed by how Jeong-won tossed aside his advice. "Mom." He shots Jeong-won a warning look. "He's really nice. And he even brings Gyeo-ul food – "

His mother waves at him dismissively. Since meeting her, she hasn't shown any expression, but as she stares at her only daughter, her cold disposition dissolves into tenderness. "I just wanted to make sure that you won't force my daughter into becoming someone she's not. She has worked so hard to get where she is now and I don't want her to throw that away because of love. I want someone who appreciates her intelligence and capabilities. And I know that you do see that and treasure her even more because of it. But please, take good care of my daughter. She may come off as strong, but she rather gets hurt easily."