I didn’t go to the lunch because Lena had already made ns with me.


    She mentioned that her senior from college wasing to their hospital as a guest lecturer. She’d


    talked to him and set up a meeting to discuss Yuna’s treatment n.


    “Then I’ll bring Hayden along.” I said. Since Yuna was his sister, it made sense for him to be there


    and hear everything firsthand.


    After a


    all, the final call on whether to go through with the surgery would be his.


    Lena hesitated, and I could tell something was off. “Is there a problem? Is it inconvenient?”


    “It’s better if youe alone. He’s only got a short break, and we’ll have to keep it brief,” Lena


    exined.


    I went to the hospital alone with Yuna’s medical records. Lena was waiting for me and, after


    skimming through the documents, she led me toward the lecture hall.


    As we walked, she filled me in. “He’s super busy. After the lecture, he’s got a packed schedule, so


    you’ll probably only get four or five minutes with him.”


    I raised an eyebrow. “That busy? Is he, like, the President or something?”


    Lenaughed and yed along. “Basically! He’s an internationally renowned professor now. The


    only reason he’s even here is probably because the hospital administration’s been praying for a


    miracle, or maybe one of the directors pulled some serious strings.”


    I nced over at Lena and noticed a flicker of sadness in her eyes.


    She was amazing in her own right, butpared to the senior she admired, her aplishments


    probably felt small inparison.


    Maybe that’s why she’d been holding onto this one–sided crush for so long.


    Love is about being with someone who matches you, but it’s also about walking alongside each


    other as equals.


    “Have you met him privately?” I asked, still curious.


    “No, he’s always busy. And if I’d already met him, I wouldn’t be dragging you along now,” Lena said,


    nudging me. “Like I said, he’s this big–shot professor, always with an assistant in tow, and his


    calendar’s packed.”


    I got it. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see him; she just never had the chance.


    “You’ve got his personal contact, right? Why not give it a shot?” I suggested.


    Lena didn’t reply, just nced away. By then, we’d reached the lecture hall, where a huge


    electronic screen announced: [Wee, Professor Nate Neumann]


    We stepped inside, and the ce was packed. On stage was a young, handsome guy with rimless.


    sses, speaking with confidence.


    That had to be Nate Neumann.


    His lecture was clear and to the point, and his voice was smooth, like he was made for TV or radio


    The white coat he wore caught the spotlights, making him look almost otherworldly.


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Doctors really do have that aura, saving lives and all.


    No wonder Lena kept him in her heart all this time, never letting anyone else take his ce.


    The lecture hall was packed, with people even crammed into the aisles. Since Lena and I got there


    late, we had no choice but to stand at the back and listen.


    But maybe I was imagining things–when we walked in, it seemed like Nate nced right at us.


    “He’s looking at you,” I whispered, nudging Lena.


    “He’s looking at the audience. Don’t overthink it,” she said, brushing it off.


    Nate’s lecture wrapped up an hourter. My back was killing me from standing so long, but Lena


    looked totally unfazed.


    I guess she would be. She was a doctor, used to standing for hours in surgeries, sometimes even


    ten or more. One hour was nothing for her.


    But I was struggling. I wasn’t used to standing this long, and afterst night’s… activities with


    Hayden, I was sore and my legs felt like jelly.


    I stretched my aching back and nced at Nate, now surrounded by people near the stage. “He’s


    quite the speaker.”


    After a pause, I added, “And he’s really good at it too.”