Chapter 5

A Familiar Face

The morning sun was hidden behind thick clouds when Yoon Min-jae hurried through the hospital's revolving doors.

He was late.

Not disastrously late.

Just late enough for Professor Lee to notice.

"Doctor Yoon."

Min-jae stopped in his tracks.

"...Professor."

"What time does your shift start?"

"Eight."

Professor Lee glanced at his watch.

"And what time is it now?"

Min-jae followed his gaze.

8:03 a.m.

"...Three minutes?"

Professor Lee folded his arms.

"I admire your confidence."

"I'm sorry."

"You've apologized four times this month."

"I'll make it five."

For a long moment, the older man simply stared at him.

Then he sighed.

"Go."

"Thank you!"

Min-jae practically sprinted down the hallway.

Behind him, one of the nurses laughed.

"He's lucky you're fond of him."

Professor Lee adjusted his glasses.

"I'm not."

"...Of course."

"He just works too hard."

By noon, the emergency room had settled into an unusual calm.

Min-jae finally had enough time to sit down with a paper cup of vending machine coffee.

His best friend, Choi Eun-ho, dropped into the chair opposite him.

"You look awful."

"Thank you."

"I meant it as a compliment."

"You should stop giving compliments."

Eun-ho grinned.

"So..."

"What?"

"I heard you brought in a rich guy after a car accident last night."

News traveled fast in hospitals.

Min-jae rolled his eyes.

"Who told you?"

"Nurse Kim."

"Of course she did."

Eun-ho leaned across the table.

"Was he handsome?"

Min-jae blinked.

"...That's your first question?"

"It's an important one."

"I treated a head injury."

"And?"

"I wasn't judging his face."

Eun-ho raised an eyebrow.

"So he was handsome."

Min-jae took a sip of coffee to avoid answering.

His silence was answer enough.

"Oho..."

"It doesn't matter."

"Did he ask for your number?"

"No."

"Did you ask for his?"

"What?"

"I'm trying to support your love life."

"I don't have one."

"Exactly why I'm trying."

Min-jae laughed despite himself.

"You're impossible."

Before Eun-ho could tease him again, an announcement echoed through the speakers.

"Code Blue. Emergency Department."

Both men stood instantly.

Break time was over.

Across the city...

Seo Kang-jun sat through another board meeting.

Graphs filled the screen.

Executives argued over overseas investments.

Someone was discussing market projections.

Kang-jun heard every word.

Yet none of them stayed in his mind.

His phone vibrated once.

A message from Han Ji-soo.

The umbrella was delivered successfully.

His thumb hovered over the screen.

He typed a reply.

Did anyone see the delivery?

A few seconds later—

No. The building's hallway camera was temporarily offline due to scheduled maintenance.

He read the message twice before locking the phone.

One of the directors noticed.

"Vice Chairman?"

Kang-jun looked up.

"...Continue."

The meeting resumed.

But for the first time in years...

His attention wasn't entirely in the room.

That evening...

Min-jae left the hospital carrying the new umbrella.

He still hadn't figured out who had sent it.

His mother denied buying it.

Eun-ho swore he knew nothing.

Even the landlord shrugged when asked.

"Maybe you have a secret admirer."

Min-jae laughed.

"If I do, they're terrible at introductions."

The landlord chuckled and disappeared inside.

As Min-jae continued walking, a black sedan slowed to a stop across the street.

The tinted windows hid the passengers.

He paid it no attention.

Luxury cars weren't exactly rare in Seoul.

The traffic light changed.

The sedan drove away.

Inside the car...

"Should I stop?" the driver asked.

"No."

Seo Kang-jun watched through the rear window as Min-jae opened the umbrella and continued toward the subway station.

"He looks tired."

Han Ji-soo glanced back.

"He worked a night shift."

"I know."

"You've memorized his schedule."

Kang-jun didn't answer.

After a moment, Ji-soo spoke carefully.

"Vice Chairman..."

"Hm?"

"You've never taken this much interest in a stranger."

"I know."

"May I ask something?"

"You already have."

She smiled faintly.

"Do you plan on meeting him again?"

Kang-jun's gaze remained fixed on the shrinking figure outside.

"Not yet."

"...Then why are we here?"

A long silence followed.

Finally, he answered.

"I wanted to know if he used the umbrella."

Ji-soo looked away.

There was something unsettling about how calmly he said it.

Not because it sounded threatening.

But because, to Seo Kang-jun...

It seemed perfectly ordinary.

As the car disappeared into traffic, Min-jae suddenly stopped walking.

He frowned.

For a brief moment...

He had the strange feeling that someone had been watching him.

He turned around.

Crowds rushed past.

Students.

Office workers.

Couples sharing umbrellas.

No familiar faces.

"No sleep is making me paranoid," he muttered with a laugh.

Adjusting the umbrella over his shoulder, he continued toward the station.

Completely unaware...

That he had been right.

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