I Heard You Like Doctors

At my high school graduation party, my friend asked me about my ideal boyfriend.

I stared at the guy with the bright red hair, so vibrant and bold, and deliberately said the opposite of what I felt.

I actually prefer guys with dark hair, glasses, the quiet and thoughtful type. And if he’s a doctor? Even better.

Ten years later, holding my best friend’s ultrasound report, I bumped into a guy in a white coat at the hospital.

He adjusted his glasses, quickly scanned my ultrasound report, and his voice trembled slightly,

“You’re pregnant?”

“Huh?”

I mumbled a response, hurriedly picking up the medical chart from the floor.

I just assumed he was a kind doctor passing by.

The next second, the kind doctor helped me up.

“Did no one come with you?”

I couldn’t help but look up at him.

His face was covered by a mask, and dark, messy hair hid half his eyes, so I couldn’t make out his expression.

I could vaguely see a few lingering ear piercings.

This doctor was quite stylish.

“Oh, my best friend is right over there.”

I pointed behind him, then quickly walked past him.

Ava was already stretching her neck, waiting.

Her husband had died in a car accident a month ago, leaving behind only her and their baby, less than three months along.

Ava wanted to keep the baby, but her emotions had been unstable.

The doctor suggested regular check-ups at the hospital.

“Got the report. Let’s go find the doctor.”

I took her hand.

But Ava didn’t move.

A rare smile appeared on her face.

“That doctor seems pretty handsome. He was staring at you.”

Even at a time like this, she still had time for my gossip!

I followed her gaze; the doctor was still standing there.

I looked up, and our eyes met.

The light from outside poured in, giving his white coat a halo.

For some reason, he looked familiar.

By the time Ava and I returned from her appointment, the kind doctor was gone.

She noticed I was a little distracted and teased, asking if I wanted to find someone to ask for his contact info.

“Don’t let my baby be born before you’ve even dated anyone.”

“Being single is fine too.”

I fastened my seatbelt, ready to start the car.

Ava leaned back in her seat, so tired her eyelids were fighting to stay open.

“I always thought you and Liam would end up together.”

“You said you liked smart guys, and in senior year, he stopped hanging out with his rowdy friends, stopped getting into fights, and spent all his time in the teacher’s office.”

“You said you wanted to go to Pacific State University. When I collected the application forms, I saw Liam’s target school was Pacific State University. Back then, everyone thought he just filled it in randomly, no one took it seriously.”

“Do you remember the high school graduation party?”

Of course, I remembered, but all those faces had blurred, except Liam’s, which only grew clearer.

“Yeah, I remember. Didn’t Liam have bright red hair back then, super flashy? And he had new piercings, totally decked out.”

I commented,

“He was pretty hot, though.”

Ava was quiet for a moment, then said,

“He actually planned to confess to you that day.”

This time, it was my turn to be surprised.

The car slowly stopped by the roadside, and I turned to look at Ava.

“What did you say?”

Ava was asleep.

These few short sentences practically had me pulling my hair out.

What did “he actually planned to confess to me” even mean?

Ava was finally getting some good sleep, and I didn’t want to disturb her, so I dug out that long-forgotten SnapChat account.

The high school group chat was still there, but no one had posted in years.

There were scammers, though, sending messages back and forth, selling diet teas.

I found my old deskmate from high school and, without much hope, sent her an emoji greeting.

To my surprise, she replied instantly.

OMG, did you finally remember your password?

After chatting for a bit, I hadn’t even mentioned his name, but my deskmate asked first.

How are things with you and Liam?

That guy is so stubborn. Every time I mentioned your name, he wouldn’t say a word.

I hadn’t heard that name in ages, yet today I’d heard it several times.

Why does everyone think Liam and I would be together?

I chuckled, typing into the chat box,

Liam and I haven’t seen each other in ten years.

Before I could send that message, my deskmate brought up that high school graduation party.

Back then, Liam told everyone in our class, even our old homeroom teacher knew he was going to confess to you. We all kept it a secret for him.

We were all so nervous. I even specifically asked you what your ideal type was.

I remembered, that really did happen.

When my deskmate asked about my ideal type, all our classmates went quiet, turning their attention to us.

It was a somewhat private question.

My face started to flush slightly. My ideal type, with his bright red hair, was actually standing not far away.

When you’re young, it’s hard not to be drawn to a guy as bold and dazzling as Liam.

But I opened my mouth and said something against my heart.

I said, “I just like guys with dark, neat hair, wearing rimless glasses, the quiet and thoughtful type. And if he’s a doctor, that would be even better.”

This was completely opposite to Liam, who wanted to be a race car driver.

The whole class went silent.

My deskmate’s messages continued,

He didn’t confess to you that day, probably because he realized he was completely different from your ideal type.

But, he’s Liam! I thought no matter how hard it was, he wouldn’t give up. I even thought you two would have been together by now.

I stared blankly at the text.

An unexplainable emotion welled up inside me.

Ava didn’t sleep for long before waking up.

I took her upstairs, reminding her to listen to the doctor and rest well.

I told her I’d visit whenever I had time.

“Wait!”

She rummaged through her bag.

“I think I left something at the hospital.”

Ava’s missing item was a lipstick.

Sometimes she’d put it on to look less pale, so her parents wouldn’t worry so much.

I glanced at my phone; I had some free time.

“I’ll go get it for you.”

I thought since only half an hour had passed, the lipstick would still be there.

I retraced my steps twice but still couldn’t find it, so I had to ask for help at the lost and found.

“Lipstick?”

“Yes.”

“Let me check.”

“The system shows Dr. Chen found a lipstick this morning.”

Seeing that it was almost hospital lunch break, I asked for Dr. Chen’s office and hurried over.

I knocked twice on the door.

“Come in.”

Dr. Chen was facing away from me, tidying his desk.

His dark, messy hair swayed slightly.

His back looked incredibly familiar.

It was the same person I accidentally bumped into this morning.

What a small world.

I sighed to myself, then my sharp eyes spotted Ava’s missing lipstick.

“Dr. Chen, thank you for keeping my lipstick safe.”

I greeted him.

Dr. Chen turned around.

This time, he wasn’t wearing a mask. Rimless glasses sat on his high nose bridge, and his eyes were deep.

That striking face was right in front of me.

It felt like something just tugged at my heart.

Liam.

My gaze fell on the name tag hanging on his chest.

It really was him.

The world truly was that small.