Chapter 11: An Apple a Day!

Chapter 11: An Apple a Day!

The rest of my school day went by in a total blur, and I ended up having lunch out with James at a nearby skewer shop we both like.

During lunch, I received a text from my sister that read...

[ Steve Woo is sulking now, good job Rick! Your idea was the best. Oh, and let's celebrate tonight—make Deluxe Cheeseburgers for dinner, please! Love you, Mary! ]

After class, Mr. Chi saw how I handled his follow-up quizzes. He had thrown in a bunch of brutal trick questions just for me, but he looked completely satisfied and gave me a rare nod.

"Lee, I have already typed up your recommendation letter, and I'm just waiting for next week's test scores," he told me. "But I have already called some of my old friends over at Star University and told them all about you. Just score well on the paper next week and don't worry about the entrance panels. You are basically in as soon as the test is done."

After thanking my now new favorite teacher, I left school to run a few errands.

The first thing I needed to do was put together a small doctor's bag for field emergencies. Even if it wasn't meant for active combat, just being able to save a human life was a good asset. Normal first aid kits are just cheap band-aids and basic antiseptics, which aren't going to do shit for you if you get shot.

So my goal was to fill a fanny-pack-sized leather bag with all the essentials for complex trauma. Things like closing a wound with medical stitches, deep cleaning, and removing foreign objects like bullets. A solid field kit.

Conveniently, there was a grocery store sitting right next to the medical supply shop, so I could grab food to feed my gluttonous sister afterward. As for the crazy conversation with the twins from earlier? I was just going to pretend today never happened and not even bring it up. Plus, it was exactly like acting in a theater play. The actors don't actually fall in love with one another; they just perform their designated roles and move on to the next show.

The medical supply shop was located right near the city hospital, so I was pretty familiar with the area, though for all the wrong reasons.

Parking my BMW, I made my way inside, grabbed a shopping cart, and started tracking down what I needed. I had to remember to buy the smaller travel bottles to save as much physical space as possible.

I had looked online earlier and found an excellent field bag design. It was just like a fanny pack but built completely low-profile so it wasn't bulky at all.

I could easily sling it across the small of my back and wear my long coat over it if I ever needed to head out onto the streets. It even came with a special shock-absorbing inner case meant for survival work.

I also purchased a couple of larger medical units with way more supplies—one to store in my car's trunk and one to keep back at the apartment. The tiny kit was for immediate emergencies only, but the other two would definitely save lives, and not just mine, I was sure of it.

While I was at it, I threw plenty of over-the-counter pain relievers and therapeutic bath salts into my cart, along with some nice ice packs and single-use chemical heating pads to throw on my sore muscles.

Bang!

I rounded the corner of the aisle, and my shopping cart collided heavily with another shopper's cart. Oops!

When I looked up to see exactly who I had just bumped into, my eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Ah! Dr. Hana Chang," I said, pulling back my cart. "Sorry for running into you like this. Let me get right out of your way."

Hana looked at me, likely reminded of our interaction from yesterday. She had just spent her morning shift patching up a group of six street thugs who had come into the ER with severe fractures and nasty side effects from overexposure to high-grade pepper spray. When she had heard that the single person responsible for that entire mess was the exact same young man who had turned eighteen in her ER over the weekend, she hadn't believed the data at all.

Then, one of the groaning thugs had actually played the video for her on his phone so she could see how they were ruthlessly dismantled. Naturally, she hadn't told the syndicate guys that she knew me.

She had been thoroughly amused by the absolute insanity of that fight, but now, seeing exactly what was sitting inside my shopping cart, her expression shifted into immense surprise.

"Mr. Lee, are you planning on heading out into an active war zone?" Dr. Chang asked, crossing her arms. "What you have in there is meant for medical professionals like me, not regular high school students."

My Acting skill kicked in immediately, and I flashed a warm smile to spin some quick bullshit.

"No, no, no, this is just props for my school's theater club," I lied smoothly. "We are doing a play about a doctor falling in love with his patient. It's a bit of a fairy tale show, ha-ha. What would I know about this stuff anyway? I just looked online for medical recommendations."

She didn't believe a single word coming out of my mouth. Basic acting isn't a superpower, after all, and it isn't going to mind-control a smart doctor with a real medical degree. My gear had been picked with a highly specific trauma goal, and she saw right through it.

"Well, it is none of my business," Hana said, a knowing smirk playing on her lips. "But a high school play definitely isn't going to spend the kind of cash you are about to pay for that load. I'm guessing it's going to run just a bit over a thousand dollars, if my professional opinion matters. Oh, but I suppose the bath salts are probably for your fun birthday celebration, ha-ha."

I cleared my throat, feeling a bit cornered. "Cough... well, it was awesome bumping into you, Dr. Hana Chang. But I have props to buy. See ya!"

As I began beating my feet down the aisle, her amused voice trailed after me.

"Maybe when you're done beating all those gangsters up, you can start patching them up yourself so I don't have to work so hard!"

"Ha-ha! Bye!" I called back.

I pushed my cart out of the aisle as fast as possible, deciding I had gathered enough gear and heading straight for the checkout. She had been spot-on with her mathematical estimate, too. I paid exactly what she guessed. Well, she has a brain after all.

I stowed the medical gear safely inside my trunk and drove over to the new grocery store next door. Grabbing a fresh cart, it was time to get supplies for dinner.

"Gotta get the thick bacon for breakfast, and to add it to the cheeseburgers tonight," I muttered, looking through the cases. "Yummy. Past me, seriously good job on picking that cooking skill."

A short while later, I had gathered enough food to supply me and Mary for almost two weeks. It was finally time to check out.

Bang!

I rounded the corner of the grocery aisle, and my shopping cart collided heavily with another shopper's cart. What the fuck, again?!

When I looked up to see who I had hit this time, my eyebrows twitched in disbelief.

"Ah! Dr. Chang," I said, staring at her. "Sorry for running into you like this. Let me get out of your way... again."

She just looked at me stupidly, clearly trying to calculate the astronomical odds of us bumping into each other twice in two different stores. But when my gaze drifted down into her shopping cart, I couldn't help but let out a loud laugh.

"Ha-ha! You're an amazing doctor, really smart, plus incredibly good-looking," I teased, pointing at her food items. "But seeing this... I think you completely lack any cooking skills, right?"

For the first time since I met her, Hana blushed in pure shame because I had nailed the evaluation perfectly. She shot me an unhappy glare, trying to defend herself.

"Look, I had to work incredibly hard to get to where I am today," she muttered, crossing her arms defensively. "Cooking complicated food is just completely inefficient for my schedule. Plus, I am eating healthy here."

I looked closer. Half of her cart was packed with Lean Cuisine frozen meals, and the other half was filled with different kinds of healthy bran cereal.

There wasn't a single item in there that required any actual effort to prepare. Sure, it was technically healthy, but damn, it looked completely depressing.

"You should probably grab some fresh fruits too," I joked, offering a grin. "Like an apple, he-he. No, sorry, I'm going! Don't be mad, bye, ha-ha!"

I quickly steered my cart away toward the freezer section. I only had to hit the ice cream aisle to grab Mary's favorite cookies and cream flavor, and then I could finally leave. But hey, my bad luck never misses a chance to mess with me, right?

As I got into the shortest line, I saw the funny doctor almost ready to get rung up, but it seemed someone was trying to pick her up.

A tall young twenty-something man with brown hair and eyes, wearing blue jeans and a university sports jacket with an 'SU' on the back—along with a captain's mark indicating Star University—was the one hitting on Doctor Chang. Normally I wouldn't have even taken notice of this guy, or recognized him as the person I dealt with yesterday, but the massive bandage right across his nose really was amazing. Trying to pick up a woman looking like that? Okay, I give you respect!

Hana, who had a pleasant smile plastered on, was inwardly annoyed at this guy's tenacity and inability to take a hint. She saw me get in line right behind them and looked totally surprised. What a small world.

I was just chilling and minding my own business looking at my phone when I heard the two of them back and forth.

"Hana, I promise, the concert will be fun, and I am sure one night won't be an issue," the guy pleaded. "I am a complete gentleman, so say yes."

Honestly, if his face wasn't completely demolished, I would think he was being sincere and forthright. His pickup line was solid. No, I don't hate this guy or his dad for the police stuff from earlier; they are just defending what they think is right for their own wants.

Suddenly, Hana turned her smoky blue eyes directly on me.

"Mr. Deng, in truth, I was already asked out by a young man on Sunday," she stated smoothly, her voice carrying across the checkout area. "And he wants to have a meal with me. We could not exchange numbers before, but we reunited today and I am taking him up on his offer. Right, Rick?"

Cue the record scratch sound effect in my head. What is she doing? One, I was totally joking earlier, and two, she surely has no intent on actually going out with an eighteen-year-old former patient. Don't use me as a human shield!

So, I decided to throw her straight to the wolves. I looked at the surprised Tony Deng and then at the sly backstabber.

"No, we had a misunderstanding," I announced, raising my hands. "She wants to hang out as friends, but I was looking for something more romantic. So my invitation for dinner was a code for a romantic date, not hanging out. If the concert tickets are good, then go by all means, ha-ha! Carry on, you lovebirds!"

My Acting skill was completely channeling a past-life actor I remembered—a character named Joey from an old show called Friends—and I just played the part of the completely honest flirt. I honestly just wanted to finish the whole speech with a smooth, 'How you doin'?!'

Tony and Hana were both left completely speechless. Neither could instantly react to my smile.

Tony, having only one thought in his simple mind, recovered a little bit faster. He turned back to the still-thinking Hana.

"See? He even admitted to his intentions," Tony argued, feeling a sudden surge of confidence. "I, on the other hand, am a true gentleman. So what do you say, Hana?"

Hana moved faster than I ever expected. She reached out, took my smartphone right out of my hand, pulled out her own device, and added her contact information with a sharp grin. Tony and I just stood there looking at each other.

Flashing a charming smile directed right at me, she handed my phone back and addressed both of us.

"I never said I wasn't interested in a romantic date, Rick," she said. "Plus, I like younger, honest men. The fact that you told me exactly what you want without hiding it is incredibly refreshing. Sorry, Mr. Deng, but I will be having dinner with Rick. Sorry."

The cashier lady watching the whole show just smiled at the two of us boys as she finished ringing up Hana's items.

As Hana began pushing her cart to leave the store, she glanced over her shoulder at me while I was getting rung up.

"Sunday night, you can pick me up for dinner. You pick the place," she called out with a little wave. "Wear something nice. Bye, Rick!"

Watching her walk out the glass doors, I turned to the university captain. "You don't think she is actually serious, right? No, I don't believe her. She is tricky."

Tony let out a massive sigh at my luck, looking at me with total defeat before he turned to leave.

"Number two, I admit defeat," he muttered, shaking his head. "You beat me in fighting and you beat me in charm. See you around."

And Tony just left the store like that. But this time, I didn't even get mad at the 'number two' nickname. I completely forgot to ask him what that name actually meant.

With everything bought, I pushed my cart out to the parking lot and started loading up the trunk of my car. Right as I was stowing the groceries, I heard a car brake right behind me.

I turned around to see a red Mercedes-Benz C-Class coupe idling behind my bumper. The driver's side window smoothly lowered, revealing the blonde doctor's face. Hana smiled out at me, her eyes locked onto mine.

"One thing to know about me, Mr. Lee—I don't back out on my word," she told me, tapping the steering wheel. "See you dressed nicely on Sunday night. And I like pasta, so let's eat at a nice restaurant. Goodbye, Rick."

SCREECH!

Her window slid up and she drove out of the lot quickly. I was left standing there at the kind of day I was having. Was all of my years of being bullied by the local nobility coming back in spades in one single, chaotic day?

"My sister stole my first kiss in the morning, the twins are interested in me, and now this doctor wants a date?" I muttered, rubbing my face. "I seriously need a drink."

I closed the trunk, climbed into the driver's seat, and started the engine to head home and cook. Looking out at the traffic, I whispered to no one.

"Can I call out sick to a doctor?"