A Red Thread

A few days had passed since the hospital scare. Halmeoni was back home, resting comfortably, but Ji-won’s mind was a chaotic battlefield.

Late at night, the glare of her laptop screen illuminated her room. She stared at the sleek homepage of the biggest broadcasting giant in South Korea: SBC News.

"If I can just get into SBC News, everything changes," Ji-won muttered, chewing on the cap of her pen. "They have the best investigative team in Seoul. But... will they even look at a resume from someone who threw papers at her last boss? Ughhhhh! What am I gonna do?!" She buried her face in her hands, letting out a frustrated groan.

Knock, knock.

The sudden sound made Ji-won bolt upright. She rushed to the door, tearing it open to find Nurse Min. "Is everything alright? Did Halmeoni's oxygen drop again?!"

"No, no, Ms. Han, she’s perfectly fine," Nurse Min smiled reassuringly. "She just asked to speak with you."

Relieved, Ji-won hastily tied her hair into a messy bun and ran downstairs. Her grandmother was propped up against her pillows. Ji-won immediately knelt by the bedside, taking her frail hands. "Halmeoni, are you feeling okay? Do you need anything?"

The elderly woman smiled softly, a look of deep, quiet determination in her eyes. "Ji-won-ah... I want to talk to you about something important."

"Mmmm, tell me. I’m listening," Ji-won replied curiously.

"I want you to marry someone I know."

The words hung in the quiet room. Ji-won went completely speechless, her brain stalling. "Ma... how can I marry someone I don't even know? You know I can't do that. I'm not interested in marriage right now. I need to focus on my career."

"Then when are you going to marry? At thirty?" her grandmother countered gently but firmly. "You are twenty-eight now, Ji-won-ah. Listen to your old grandma just this once. Marry him. He is a truly wonderful person, and his family—"

"Halmeoni," Ji-won interrupted softly, squeezing her hand. "It's very late. Let’s talk about this tomorrow, okay? Don't stress your heart thinking about marriage right now."

Giving Nurse Min a subtle nod to watch over her, Ji-won quietly slipped out of the room, her mind heavier than before.

The next day, the sky was a heavy, bruised grey. Seeking comfort, Ji-won went to "A-One Foodie," a cozy restaurant where she was a regular.

"Hey, old man! How are you holding up?" Ji-won called out as she walked in.

The elderly owner wiped his hands on his apron, his face lighting up. "Ji-won-ah! It's been a while, huh?"

Ji-won offered a warm smile and took her usual corner seat. She pulled out her laptop, checking her email for any notification from SBC News, but the inbox was painfully quiet. Her grandmother's words from the night before kept looping in her head. Marry him...

As she sat alone, eating her meal, a loud, energetic group walked into the restaurant.

"Ohhhh! Today is Dr. Kim's party, we are going to have so much fun tonight!" one of them cheered.

"Yeah, I think I'm going to get completely wasted. Someone promise they'll handle my drunk self, hahahaha!" another laughed.

Ji-won kept her eyes on her screen, ignoring the medical staff's chatter.

"Wait, where are Dr. Kang and Dr. Park? Both of them aren't here yet," a woman in the group asked, looking toward the entrance.

Ji-won glanced out the window. It had started pouring—a sudden, violent summer downpour. Deciding it was time to move, she packed her laptop into her bag and walked up to the counter to pay.

"You're leaving already? Do you have an umbrella?" the old man asked worriedly.

"I have my raincoat under my scooter seat, don't worry, old man," Ji-won smiled. "By the way, is your granddaughter doing fine?"

"Of course she is! She was actually asking about you the other day. Make sure to visit her soon, okay?"

"I will," Ji-won promised.

But just as she turned to leave, the restaurant doors swung open, and two men stepped inside, dripping wet from the rain. One of them immediately caught the eye—tall, with a sharp, piercing gaze, carrying an aura of cold authority even while soaked.

"Ohhhhh! Dr. Kang! Dr. Park! Over here!" the group erupted into cheers.

Ji-won muttered under her breath, "Oh, they're doctors." She pushed past t

hem, stepping out into the stormy air to grab her scooter.

Suddenly, a horrific screech of tires tore through the sound of the rain, followed by a loud thud and a scream.

Ji-won's journalistic instincts kicked in instantly. She looked across the street. A car had braked sharply, and a young child was lying motionless on the wet asphalt.

"Oh my god!" Ji-won gasped. Dropping her helmet, she sprinted through the blinding rain toward the child. Kneeling in the water, she saw the boy was unconscious. Panick started to set in, but then her brain flashed back to the men who had just walked past her.

The doctors.

Leaving the child safely with a bystander for a split second, Ji-won charged back into the restaurant, dripping wet, her eyes wide. She ran straight up to the tall man with the sharp eyes.

"You guys are doctors, right?!" , her voice frantic over the sound of the thunder outside.

Dr. Kang looked up, his piercing eyes locking onto her soaked, trembling figure. He didn't waste a second on confusion. "What happened?"

"An accident—a child was hit by a car right outside! He's not moving!"

The atmosphere in the restaurant shifted instantly. Dr. Kang and Dr. Park bolted out the door, the rest of their team following close behind. One of the residents muttered under his breath, "Ugh, we can't even sit down on our day off..." but still ran out.

Outside, the rain was unforgiving. Ji-won watched from the sidewalk as Dr. Kang dropped to his knees in the puddles, completely unbothered by the mud or the water ruining his clothes. His hands were steady, his voice calm and commanding as he checked the child's pulse and stabilized his neck. He transformed from a tired diner into a hyper-focused lifesaver right before her eyes.

When the ambulance finally arrived and rushed the child away, the doctors stood in the rain, catching their breath.

Ji-won quietly slipped away, driving her scooter back home through the storm.

Later that night, after a hot bath, she lay on her bed in her coziest pajamas. The image of the tall doctor running into the storm without a single second of hesitation kept replaying in her mind. His sharp eyes, his calm authority under pressure.

She stared at the ceiling and muttered to herself with a small, admiring smile:

" those doctors really are awesome."

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