Chapter 4

Different Worlds

The black sedan disappeared into the sleeping streets of Seoul.

Inside the car, silence settled between Seo Kang-jun and Han Ji-soo.

Ji-soo sat in the front passenger seat, reviewing tomorrow's schedule on her tablet. Every few minutes, she glanced at the rearview mirror.

Kang-jun hadn't looked away from the window once.

The rain had stopped.

Tiny droplets still clung to the glass, distorting the city lights into blurred streaks of gold.

"Vice Chairman."

"Hm?"

"The chairman has postponed tomorrow's breakfast meeting."

"Why?"

"He wants you at the main residence instead."

Kang-jun gave a quiet nod.

"He'll ask about the accident."

"Yes."

"He'll also ask why I ignored his calls."

"...Yes."

Neither of them needed to say more.

Chairman Seo Dong-hyun hated unpredictability.

And tonight had been full of it.

After a few moments, Ji-soo spoke again.

"The investigation on Doctor Yoon will begin first thing tomorrow."

Kang-jun remained expressionless.

"Good."

She hesitated.

"If I may ask..."

He looked up.

"Why him?"

Ji-soo had expected him to dismiss the question.

Instead, he answered.

"When I walked out of that car..."

His voice was calm.

"...everyone saw the accident."

A brief pause.

"He was the only one who saw the patient."

Ji-soo lowered her eyes.

She understood.

But somehow...

That answer worried her even more.

Meanwhile...

Yoon Min-jae finally clocked out at 2:17 a.m.

His back ached.

His legs felt like lead.

As soon as he stepped outside, he stretched until his shoulders cracked.

"That feels illegal..."

His phone buzzed.

Mom ❤️

Mom: Are you done?

Min-jae smiled.

Min-jae: Just finished.

Mom: Eat something before you sleep.

Min-jae: Yes, ma'am.

Mom: Don't lie.

He laughed softly.

Min-jae: ...I got caught.

After promising he'd eat, he slipped his phone into his pocket and walked toward the nearest convenience store.

The cashier greeted him with a tired smile.

"The usual?"

"You know me too well."

Two cups of instant ramen.

One triangle kimbap.

A can of coffee.

Total: 6,900 won.

Min-jae stared at the price for a second before handing over his card.

Approved.

He let out a dramatic sigh of relief.

"Still broke..."

The cashier chuckled.

"You doctors always say that."

"I'm not a doctor yet."

"You will be."

"I hope so."

Nearly thirty minutes later, Min-jae climbed the narrow stairs to his apartment building.

It was old.

The wallpaper in the hallway was peeling.

The lights flickered every few seconds.

But it was home.

As he searched for his keys, he noticed a small cardboard box sitting neatly outside his door.

He frowned.

"I didn't order anything..."

There was no delivery label.

No sender.

Just his name written neatly in black ink.

Yoon Min-jae.

He looked down both ends of the hallway.

Empty.

Carefully, he carried the box inside.

It wasn't heavy.

After setting it on the tiny kitchen table, he opened it.

Inside was a brand-new umbrella.

Simple.

Black.

High quality.

On top rested a small white note.

You should replace the broken one.

No signature.

No explanation.

Min-jae blinked.

"What...?"

He picked up the umbrella, turning it over in his hands.

He remembered the hospital.

The accident.

The stranger.

"...No way."

He laughed to himself.

"I'm overthinking."

Maybe his mother had sent it.

Maybe Eun-ho was playing a joke.

There were dozens of reasonable explanations.

He folded the note and placed it on the refrigerator with a magnet.

"I'll ask tomorrow."

Satisfied, he prepared his ramen.

Outside, dawn slowly painted the sky pale blue.

The next morning...

Hanseong Biotech.

Ji-soo entered Kang-jun's office carrying a slim black folder.

"The preliminary report."

Kang-jun closed the document he had been reading.

"So quickly?"

"You asked for priority."

She placed the folder on his desk.

"Basic information only. A more detailed report will take another day."

He opened it.

The first page contained a simple photograph.

Yoon Min-jae.

Standing outside the emergency department.

Laughing at something outside the frame.

No expensive suit.

No carefully rehearsed smile.

Just genuine happiness.

Kang-jun studied the picture for several long seconds.

"What time was this taken?"

"Yesterday morning."

"He smiled before his shift..."

"Apparently, yes."

Ji-soo watched as Kang-jun quietly closed the file.

"That's enough for today."

She looked surprised.

"You don't want the rest?"

"I do."

"Then..."

He stood and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking Seoul.

"I'd rather learn the rest myself."

Ji-soo didn't respond.

Because she had never heard Seo Kang-jun say those words about anyone.

Not once.

Not in six years.

As she left the office, one thought lingered in her mind.

The accident had lasted less than a minute.

Yet somehow...

It had changed the course of two lives.

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