After 12 years, Dohyun Kang made his inevitable return to Korea. He’d booked his return flight from Japan discreetly, so nobody would know he was back in Seoul… at least, he hoped.
But that wouldn’t last long.
Dohyun hailed the first taxi cab he saw while exiting the terminal–a black “luxury” taxi. The thick furry gray eyebrows and wrinkled eyelids of the taxi driver reflected in the rearview mirror as he watched Dohyun slip into the backseat.
Noticing the man looking curiously at him, Dohyun dipped his head down and just said, “Seoul Medical Facility.”
At first glance, Dohyun looked as though he wore any basic sweatsuit, but upon closer observation and to those accustomed to seeing luxury clothing, the quality screamed “money.”
Wearing a hat with a hood over it and thick-rimmed black glasses paired with his athletically tall build, he was often mistaken for a celebrity.
He could feel the driver’s eyes lingering before the engine finally turned on and the car accelerated forward.
A sigh escaped his mouth and he hadn’t realized his muscles were tensed until they gradually released as the car sped through the highway. Luckily, there was no traffic–the sooner he got to the hospital, the better.
When the taxi came to a stop at the hospital drop-off zone, Dohyun passed the driver 50,000 won (~$40) and bowed quietly without waiting for change.
Seoul Medical Facility was the largest hospital and was renowned for treating people with rare and uncommon illnesses.
‘If I’m going to find her, this is where I’ll get the information.’
Dohyun entered the hospital, and though light showered through the glass windows, the hospital still seemed to carry a shadow within its walls. He’d visited her here countless times as a child, after all.
Approaching the front desk, he selected the youngest nurse of the three sitting at the counter. Though she’d probably be less likely to bend any rules, he might be able to get some information from her without causing the word to get back to his father.
“Could you help me?” Dohyun rested his arm on the counter.
The young nurse blinked a few times, looking up from her bangs that covered her eyebrows. Like many others, she wondered if he was a celebrity with his chiseled face and sharp eyes, and natural charismatic smile.
“What can I help you with, sir?”
“I’m looking for information on a patient.”
“Was the patient admitted recently?”
“Not exactly.” Dohyun provided the most naively sad smile he could muster at this moment. “I was overseas for a few years, but she was a patient here before I left. So I’m trying to locate her.”
“What’s her name?”
“Haewon Kang,” Dohyun answered in a low voice, eyeing an older nurse glancing in their direction.
The keyboard clicked under the nurse’s fingers as she searched.
While waiting, Dohyun noticed the older nurse pick up the phone and start dialing, occasionally surveying them from the corner of her eye.
“Ah…” the nurse paused.
The slight crinkle between her brow and the downturn of her mouth said it all. He didn’t even need to hear what she said next. “This patient’s file is sealed and requires approval for information to be released.”
The older nurse hung up the phone after a short call and strolled over to them.
After briefly seeing the name on the computer, she smiled politely. “I can help you with this matter.”
‘I was too reckless. I hadn’t anticipated Father’s reach to be this deep.’
“It’s alright.” Dohyun leaned off the counter. “I’ll just come back another time.”
“I insist,” the older nurse pressed. “It will only take a moment if you’d like to follow me to the office.”
‘She’s stalling me. That means they’re probably close enough where it’ll make it difficult for me to slip away.’
Dohyun hadn’t anticipated getting caught so quickly. He didn’t want to cause a scene by making a run for it–he needed a distraction of some kind.
And the answer to his prayer came pummeling through the lobby in the form of a lean young female around his age, dragging a small friend behind her.
“Excuse me!” Dohyun could hear the tension vibrating through her words. “My name is Gomi Kim, I just received a call about my father, Muyeong Kim!”
‘Gomi… ?’
Her golden brown hair waved gently around the soft lines of her face.
And even though it looked as if they’d run all the way here, Gomi didn’t seem to be shedding even one drop of sweat or gasping for air, unlike her half-dead friend.
“Please, can someone give me some information about the call I received,” Gomi begged desperately; tears welled at the brim of her eyes. “They said it was urgent!”
“Nurse Shin…!” a fidgeting nurse motioned for the older nurse in front of Dohyun.
‘This is my chance.’
Right when Nurse Shin’s attention shifted to the commotion, I took the opportunity to slip away.
‘Though you don’t know it, I am grateful, Gomi Kim. Hopefully, I get the chance to repay this debt.’
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