Every day, every single minute, I feel the weight of my own existence pressing down on me. Life… is it truly fair? Everyone around me seems to hold what I'll never have, shining in ways I can only watch from the shadows. Sometimes, I wonder if I'm even real—just a ghost drifting through the lives of others. And in the quietest moments, a dark thought creeps in: maybe disappearing, vanishing completely, would finally bring me some peace. Maybe stepping in front of the first car I see… would be the only release I'll ever know.
In the early morning, while the stars still lingered in the sky, a girl stood dressed in winter clothes. The bus stopped in front of her and opened its doors. It was packed with people, mostly men, all staring at her. She climbed aboard but found nothing to hold on to so she wouldn't fall. Her eyes were cast downward as she swayed between the pressing bodies, each man trying to get closer. She seemed absent-minded, as if this was a scene she had grown used to. Holding her bag tightly, memories flickered back.
She remembered being in the kitchen, making coffee and toast, when a voice behind her shouted, "Don't you know we were sleeping? Why are you deliberately waking us?"
She looked down and said softly, "I'm sorry for waking you. I didn't mean to; I was trying to be quiet."
The voice scoffed. "Off to school so early, as if you're going to be my prime minister one day. I hope you leave now, and if you come back… just remember how to behave."
She looked down again. "I'll go now, the bus is about to leave."
Her mother said angrily, "Make sure you don't come back."
She grabbed her school bag and stepped out into the still-dark morning.
Something tapped her shoulder, snapping her out of her daze. She turned quickly to see a young man lowering his head.
"Come here," he said, pointing behind him. She hesitated, as a man brushed against her deliberately. The young man glanced at him, then took her by the wrist to stand behind him near the window. He didn't turn to face her; she stood behind him, her back to his, watching him while he looked downward, as if shielding her from the others.
The bus stopped in front of a hospital, and the young man who had shielded her stepped off. She watched him leave as the bus pulled away.
Once again, she scanned the men around her, who were approaching, yet no one spoke. The girls seated on the bus looked at her with disgust. Eventually, she reached a school, clearly a high school. The sun had started to rise.
She got off, keeping her head down, neither looking at nor speaking to anyone.
She reached her classroom and entered, where a girl sat next to her, placing her hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, you seemed lost in thought, didn't notice me entering?"
She smiled and replied, "Yuri, I want you to come with me somewhere after school."
Yuri, surprised, asked, "Somewhere after school?" She stared for a moment, not receiving an answer, then said, "Okay."
The sun was high, filtered through a few dark clouds.
Yuri was dressed in loose clothing: wide pants and a baggy winter sweater. Her light brown hair was long, her skin fair and pale. "Sona, where are we going?"
Sona, cautiously watching the road, also dressed in loose pants and a baggy sweater, with black hair and fair skin, said, "We're going to the hospital."
Yuri was surprised. "Why? Are you the patient?"
Sona placed a hand on her shoulder. "You."
Yuri blinked in disbelief. "Me??" Sona looked at her seriously. "Why are you staring at me like that?"
At that moment, the bus stopped, and Sona pulled her by the hand. Yuri swiped her card twice; the bus was completely full.
Annoyed, Yuri glanced around angrily at the men. "Sona, tell me—are we going to your house?"
Sona gave her the same serious look. "I told you, the hospital."
Yuri frowned and raised her voice. "Why?"
Everyone was watching them. Sona replied quietly, "You'll understand when we get there."
The bus stopped in front of the hospital. Sona and Yuri got off and started walking.
Yuri grabbed her hand. "Sona, tell me now!"
Sona smiled. "On the bus, there was a young man, very respectful, who shielded me behind his back so no one could get close. I saw him get off here. Won't you help me?"
Yuri's face showed shock. "Are you serious?"
Sona looked back at her calmly.
"Are you serious? You're asking me? Come on, let's go!" Yuri said. Sona smiled.
They entered the hospital, looking around.
"Maybe he's gone," Yuri said anxiously.
Sona, scanning the halls, replied, "Let's look. What do we have to lose?"
Yuri frowned. "Sona, we've been searching for a while. School is about to start; we should go back."
Sona froze, pointing. "There he is!" In front of them, a tall young man in a white uniform held a file, reading intently.
Yuri looked at him, then hit Sona lightly in the stomach.
Sona gasped in pain, "Aaah!" and cried, "What did you do?"
Yuri bent down. "Sorry, but you have to pretend you're sick," and hit her again. Sona cried out a second time.
The man lifted his head and saw a girl holding her stomach, with another girl next to her. He ran over and asked, "What's wrong with her?"
Blushing, Yuri replied, "I don't know, she's been holding her stomach since morning, saying it hurts."
He nodded in understanding. "Follow me."
They whispered among themselves as they walked behind him.
"Did I hurt you? I'm sorry," Yuri asked.
Sona smiled. "Did you see how handsome he is? He's a doctor!"
Yuri raised her eyebrows. "Very handsome."
He stopped in front of a room and opened the door. "Come in."
Sona lay on the bed, with Yuri holding her hand as if she were genuinely sick.
He asked calmly, "How long have you had this stomach pain?"
Sona was about to answer, but Yuri spoke first. "Since this morning, her stomach hurts."
He asked Sona, "Where exactly does it hurt?"
"On the right side," she said, pretending.
The doctor asked, "Did this start after breakfast or before? Are you feeling nauseous?"
Sona thought for a moment. "After breakfast… yes, I feel like I might vomit."
"What did you have for breakfast?" he asked, preparing a syringe.
Sona swallowed hard, glancing at Yuri, whose expression showed panic.
He approached with the syringe. "I'm going to give you this to relieve the pain and ease the nausea."
Sona looked fearful. "No, it's okay, the cramps are gone. I don't need medicine."
Yuri echoed, "Yes, yes, she's fine now."
He asked calmly, watching her. "Which grade are you in?"
Nervously, Sona stammered, "Senior year of high school."
He said, "So you're 18?"
She shook her head. "I'm 17; I started school a year early."
"Alright, you can get up," he said.
She looked surprised and realized the syringe was empty. Her shirt had ridden up her arm. Shocked, she stared at him. "Ah, thank you!"
She got up, smiling with a flushed face.
Yuri looked at her strangely. "Did you take the shot?"
Sona nodded. "Yes," she said with a smile. "Did you see how he treated me?"
Yuri smiled too, grabbed Sona's hand, and pulled her. "We saw him, let's go now!"
Sona paused, staring at Yuri in surprise. Without thinking, she said, "I want to work here."
Yuri gasped. "What!!!"
Sona looked at the door, reading the doctor's name: Mi Van. She placed a hand on her chest, whispering his name in awe.
Inside the staff room, hospital workers passed by in uniform. About ten young men and women, dressed as nurses, were present.
A woman stood in front, wearing a white blouse with a badge that read Dr. Lara. She spoke seriously, "Remember, you're not ordinary people here. You are the hope for the patients. Take care of them."
She paused, noticing a girl wearing a mask covering her nose and mouth, her hair falling over her face.
Softly, she said, "You…"
The girl didn't answer. Dr. Lara spoke louder: "The girl with the black mask!"
Yuri tapped her shoulder to shake herself awake, quickly lifting her head. Dr. Lara removed the mask, revealing Yuri's face.
Angrily, Dr. Lara said, "This is no place for such behavior. If you don't want to work, go back where you came from."
Yuri stared while Sona went beside her nervously. "We'll make sure this doesn't happen again."
Dr. Lara looked at them with a mixture of calm and disdain. "What are your names?"
Sona quickly said, "I'm Sona, and she's Yuri."
Dr. Lara looked from top to bottom. "Sona, make sure Yuri doesn't repeat this again," she said, tugging lightly at Yuri's hair. "And don't let me see loose hair in this hospital again, or I'll cut it."
Sona bowed respectfully. "Understood."
As they stood there, Sona leaned slightly toward Yuri and whispered, "What's wrong? You didn't sleep all night? You look so sleepy."
Yuri gave a tired nod, barely keeping her eyes open. "Yeah… I haven't slept a wink… I feel exhausted."
The doctor returned to her papers as everyone watched. She called out the list of trainees, assigning them to different doctors.
doctor louran will train jin and yuri
When she mentioned Dr. Louran, Yuri and Sona exchanged tense glances.
Finally, Dr. Mi Van would be supervising Sona.
Sona's eyes sparkled with excitement, smiling as if she might leap. Yuri was happy too.
Whispers filled the room: "Mi Van is training someone? How did this happen?" "Maybe she knows someone who recommended her."
Dr. Lara announced, "Now, everyone, go to your trainer's office."
Everyone had left the room, leaving it completely empty.
She covered her mouth in shock and whispered,
"Yuri, did you hear? Mi Van is the one who's going to train me!"
Yuri, with a dim but gentle smile, held her by the arms and said softly,
"You truly deserve to be happy. May God bless you with more of it."
Suna smiled brightly.
"For once, luck is on my side. I only wished to see him from afar… and now he'll be my trainer."
The two girls hugged each other joyfully.
Just then, a knock echoed through the room.
Suna turned toward the sound, the smile still lingering on her face—until she froze in surprise. Her eyes met Yuri's, who was watching the scene quietly and with a calm expression.
When they turned around, they found two doctors standing by the door, both holding folders and looking just as startled.
Suna and Yuri exchanged uneasy glances, feeling the awkward silence that filled the room.
After a few tense seconds, Yuna bowed respectfully, and Yuri quickly followed her lead.
Suna stood up and greeted them politely.
"Hello, Dr. Mi Van."
Her gaze then shifted to the man beside him, her expression slightly uneasy.
"And Dr. Loran."
Suna glanced at Yuri, who was staring back at the two men with a cold, unreadable look.
Mi Van spoke first, his tone calm and composed.
"Hello."
Loran, a tall young man wearing glasses with hair falling loosely over his forehead, nodded.
"Hello, Suna… and," he looked at Yuri before finishing,
"Yuri."
Suna turned to her friend and said quietly,
"Let's go."