The hospital was quiet that evening, the kind of quiet that felt like the calm before a storm. The faint hum of machines and distant footsteps echoed down the sterile corridors as Ra-hee finished her rounds. Her thoughts lingered on Tae-hyun — the mysterious man whose secrets seemed to grow heavier with every passing day.
She'd never met anyone like him before. Beneath the cold, brutal exterior of the mafia boss was a wounded soul, and she had somehow become his healer — not just of his body, but of something deeper inside.
The Calm Before the Storm
Ra-hee slipped out of Tae-hyun's room after giving him his medication. The dim hospital lights flickered overhead as she glanced back once more. He was lying on the bed, pale but steady, eyes closed as if he could finally rest.
She felt a strange warmth, a fragile hope that maybe, just maybe, things could change.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket — a message from an unknown number:
"He's not safe. Neither are you."
A chill ran down her spine.
The Alarms Ring Out
Suddenly, the silence was shattered by the blaring sound of alarms.
Red lights flashed, casting eerie shadows on the white walls.
Voices shouted in urgent commands.
Ra-hee's breath caught as hospital staff scrambled, trying to secure patients and lock down the building.
The heavy door to Tae-hyun's room swung open violently.
The Intruders
Two masked men burst into the hallway. Their footsteps echoed sharply, their guns gleaming under the fluorescent lights.
"We want him. Now," the taller one growled.
Ra-hee's heart pounded in her chest. She knew who "him" was.
The hospital security rushed forward, weapons drawn, but the intruders were fast and ruthless.
One man grabbed a nurse and pushed her aside roughly.
Ra-hee wanted to scream, but fear held her frozen.
Tae-hyun's Return
Then, from the shadows, Tae-hyun appeared.
His eyes burned with fierce determination.
"Stay back!" he commanded, his voice low but icy.
Without hesitation, he moved like a shadow, a deadly force honed by years of violence and survival.
He disarmed one of the intruders with a swift, brutal strike to the wrist.
Ra-hee watched, mesmerized and terrified, as the man she thought fragile transformed into a warrior.
The Fight
Bullets flew.
Tae-hyun dodged, rolled, and struck back with precision.
Ra-hee ducked behind a nearby hospital cart, heart racing.
She could hear the grunts and curses, the crash of overturned equipment.
One attacker lunged toward her, gun raised.
Without thinking, she grabbed a fire extinguisher and swung it with all her strength, connecting with a sickening thud.
The attacker staggered, then collapsed.
After the Chaos
Security finally arrived in force, overpowering the remaining intruders.
The alarms ceased, replaced by the distant wail of approaching police sirens.
Tae-hyun stood amidst the wreckage, breathing heavily, bruised and bleeding but alive.
Ra-hee rushed to his side, tears in her eyes.
"Why did they come here? Why now?" she whispered.
He looked at her, pain flashing in his dark eyes.
"They think they can scare me. But it's more than that. It's because you saved me. Because I'm alive, and that makes me dangerous to them."
A Fragile Connection
She reached out, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead.
Her fingers trembled, but he didn't pull away.
For a moment, the cold walls of his world softened.
"I don't care about danger," she said softly. "I care about you."
His eyes locked with hers.
"Then you need to know something," he said quietly. "My life isn't just shadows and violence. There's a past I've tried to bury… and now it's coming for us both."
Night Falls, Promises Stir
Later that night, Ra-hee sat by her bedroom window, gazing at the city skyline.
Her phone buzzed again.
A message from Tae-hyun:
"Stay close. You're not safe alone."
A shiver ran through her, not from fear, but from something deeper — the stirring of a bond forged in the darkest hours.
She whispered to the night, "I'm not afraid."
Because she knew — whatever came next — she would face it by his side.
To Be Continued...