The Paint Milk Tea from My Childhood Friend

: A Cruel Joke

The childhood friend I'd secretly loved for years fell for my arch-nemesis,

and he even secretly swapped my milk with paint just to make her laugh.

I was rushed to the hospital to have my stomach pumped, but not only did he refuse to admit he was wrong, he thought I couldn't take a joke.

Later, to pave the way for his crush, he stole the data for my paper to qualify for Chief Physician.

I lost my chance at the promotion, while his crush got the opportunity instead.

Not long after, his mother fell gravely ill. When he learned I was the only one who could perform the necessary surgery, he begged me to save her.

I just smiled at him.

"It's true, I can do it."

"But this surgery can only be performed by a doctor at or above the level of Chief Physician."

"And as for why I didn't get that promotion... do I need to remind you?"

...

Lying in the hospital bed, having just had my stomach pumped, I still couldn't quite grasp how things had come to this.

A few hours ago, I had just finished my rounds and returned to my office. I simply drank a glass of milk that Nathan Nolan, a fellow doctor, handed me, and now here I was.

The intense discomfort in my body was a constant reminder of what had just happened.

There were a few knocks on the door of my hospital room.

Nathan Nolan, wearing a white coat and a face mask, saw that I was awake and walked over.

"You're awake."

I didn't say anything, just looked at him.

"Jeez, how could you actually drink that? You're so dense."

Nathan Nolan took off his face mask and plopped down on the sofa in the room, his tone full of complaint.

"Yuna Crestworth was nearly scared to death because of you. Seriously, you just make things worse."

There wasn't a hint of remorse or apology in Nathan's voice, not even a shred of concern for me. It was as if I hadn't just been saved after having my stomach pumped, but was just some clueless little girl with a stomachache from eating a popsicle.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"Nathan, don't you have anything you want to explain to me?"

'I started making excuses for him in my head. Maybe he didn't know what was in the cup. Maybe someone else had asked him to give it to me.'

Nathan Nolan scratched his head, a flicker of embarrassment finally showing in his eyes.

"Hey, it was an accident, okay? An accident! Who knew you'd actually drink it? I thought you'd smell something was off and stop. It's your own fault for not being more careful."

"I was just trying to pull a prank on you to make Yuna Crestworth laugh, but who knew it would scare her half to death instead? So this is your fault too, making me look bad in front of her again."

"You have to help me next time! We've been friends for so many years, whether I can win over Yuna Crestworth is all up to you!"

Nathan Nolan dodged the question, trying to use a joking tone to cover up the disaster he'd caused.

I stared at him, my voice trembling uncontrollably.

"Nathan, that was paint in the cup. Did you ever stop to think what would happen to me if I actually drank it? And you poured it into a sealed beverage cup, how was I supposed to smell it?"

"We've known each other since we were born, and now you're trying to kill me just to make Yuna Crestworth happy?"

Hearing me say this, Nathan Nolan felt not a shred of guilt. Instead, his eyes filled with irritation and impatience, and his words became sharp and biting.

"Hey, it was just a joke. Do you really have to blow it out of proportion?"

"Besides, you're fine now, aren't you? Why dwell on what-ifs?"

"Alright, just get some rest. I won't bother you anymore. I'll cover your night shift tonight, happy now? I'm leaving."

Watching Nathan Nolan walk away without a moment's hesitation, my heart died completely.

From the moment he entered my hospital room to the moment he left, he never asked how I felt after the procedure, never asked if I was still in pain, and never even said, "I'm sorry."

If we were just colleagues, I might only be angry and furious.

But the man who tricked me into drinking paint was the childhood friend I'd secretly loved for seven years.

My grandparents and Nathan Nolan's grandparents used to work at the same factory, so we've known each other since we were kids.

When we were young, both Nathan Nolan and I were raised by our grandparents, and being so close in age, we always played together.

Elementary school, middle school, high school, and even university—we were always at the same school.

Nathan Nolan was always very good to me. He played with me when we were little, walked me to and from school as we got older, and when it came time to choose a major for the college entrance exams, he was the one who encouraged me not to just do what my parents said, but to pick something I was truly passionate about.

So, naturally, I gradually fell for him during university.

I knew he could sense my feelings, but he never reciprocated, so I never openly expressed them.