LEE HYUN'S POV
Lee Hyun held his phone tightly in one hand while sitting in the driver's seat. His other hand rested on the steering wheel of the black luxury car. The clock on the dashboard showed that it was almost 8 PM.
Lee Joon should have arrived home by now. Because Lee Hyun knew very well that his younger brother was the type to always be punctual. Even if he never promised to come, Lee Hyun was sure he would. He dialed his brother's number once again.
The phone rang once.
Twice.
Then—
Click.
The call finally connected. Lee Hyun immediately spoke as he let out a relieved sigh.
"Joon, why did it take you so long to answer your phone?" For several seconds, there was still no response from Lee Joon. Only the sound of heavy rain and wind from the other side of the line. Then a voice filled with pain was heard.
"Hyung…" Lee Hyun immediately straightened his posture.
"Joon?" But before he could say anything else—Suddenly, a loud sound exploded through the phone.
HONNNNNNNNNN!
A long, terrifying horn echoed loudly, followed by the screeching sound of brakes scraping against the road.
Then—
BAM!
Lee Hyun's heart felt like it stopped beating. He stared at the screen of his phone. The call was still connected.
"Lee Joon!" Lee Hyun gripped the phone tightly. Only the sound of rain could be heard from the other side. His emotions became chaotic.
"Joon! Answer me!"
He called again.
Again.
And again.
But there was no answer. No response at all. Lee Hyun's hand started trembling.
"Joon?"
His voice became quieter this time. His heart no longer felt at ease. Countless horrible thoughts began flooding his mind. Especially about the safety of his youngest brother. Suddenly, the call disconnected.
Lee Hyun froze. The inside of the car became silent once more. His heartbeat became more and more unstable. The uneasy feeling that was once faint now felt like something gripping tightly onto his chest. Lee Hyun immediately pressed the call button again. The phone rang once more.
But no one answered.
"Pick up…"
He gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned pale. Without thinking any further, Lee Hyun slammed his foot onto the accelerator. The black car sped through the rainy night roads. Streetlights reflected against the wet pavement.
Lee Hyun tried to control his breathing. But his mind was already filled with terrifying possibilities that continued haunting him.
"Joon…"
He dialed another number.
Minjae. The second brother.
The call connected a few seconds later.
"Hyung?" Minjae's voice came from the other side.
"Minjae."
Lee Hyun's tone was serious.
"I think something happened to Joon." Minjae fell silent for a few seconds.
"What do you mean?"
"I called him just now." Lee Hyun swallowed hard before continuing.
"I heard a horn… maybe a car or a truck, I'm not sure… and then it sounded like an accident." The other side immediately went silent.
"Location?" Lee Hyun suddenly remembered that they shared their live locations with each other. He quickly opened the location app that connected the three of them. A small dot appeared on the screen.
Lee Joon's location.
"I'll send it now." He accelerated even faster.
"I'm coming," Minjae replied quietly.
Lee Hyun ended the call. The black car shot through the highway like a bullet. A few minutes later, Lee Hyun saw something ahead. Vehicles had stopped. People were gathered at the roadside.
His heartbeat became even louder. Lee Hyun looked back at the screen of his phone. This was the last location where Lee Joon had been. He immediately stopped his car by the roadside. Without waiting, he quickly stepped out of the luxury car.
The heavy rain instantly soaked his black coat. His eyes desperately searched for Lee Joon. But instead—His gaze landed on a motorcycle he recognized.
Lee Joon's motorcycle lay on the road. The delivery box had burst open, and torn food containers were scattered across the wet asphalt. Lee Hyun's heart nearly stopped.
He began walking faster. His steps turned into hurried strides. The crowd immediately moved aside after seeing the tense expression on his face.
"Excuse me." Lee Hyun pushed past the people blocking his way. His heart felt like it was about to shatter.
"Such a pity… he's still young."
Then suddenly— The sound of sirens echoed from afar.
WEEEOOOO! WEEEOOOO!
An ambulance stopped by the roadside. Several paramedics quickly stepped out while carrying a stretcher. Lee Hyun froze for a moment. His eyes followed their movements. The paramedics ran toward something hidden in the middle of the road. The people standing nearby stepped back to give them space.
Then—
Lee Hyun saw a body lying on the road. Rain continued pouring over his hair. The paramedics quickly checked Lee Joon's pulse.
"Hurry! We need to move him now! His condition is extremely weak and critical!" They carefully lifted the body onto the stretcher.
And the moment the body was raised—The victim's face finally became visible. Hair he recognized instantly. A face he once treasured dearly. Lee Hyun's eyes widened.
"Joon…"
His body suddenly felt cold. Without thinking, he ran toward the ambulance.
"Hey!" The paramedic was startled by his sudden appearance.
"Sir, please step back—" But Lee Hyun was already beside the stretcher. He stared at Lee Joon's pale face and the blood covering his head.
"Joon!" His hand almost reached out to him, but the paramedic stopped him.
"Sir, we need to get him to the hospital immediately. His life is in danger!" Lee Hyun gripped the side of the stretcher tightly.
"Please save my brother." His voice became hoarse.
The paramedics immediately pushed the stretcher into the ambulance.
Lee Hyun climbed inside as well and sat beside the stretcher.
The ambulance doors were about to close—But suddenly stopped. Minjae's pale face appeared. He quickly climbed inside and sat beside Lee Hyun.
BAM.
The ambulance doors shut tightly. The sirens blared once again. Inside the ambulance, bright white lights illuminated Lee Joon's body. Heart monitors were attached to his chest.
Beep… Beep… Beep…
Lee Joon's heartbeat sounded weak. A paramedic quickly placed an oxygen mask over his face.
"Blood pressure is dropping!" Minjae sat nearby with trembling hands.
"Prepare the IV!"
Another paramedic opened the emergency equipment box. Lee Hyun still gripped the stretcher tightly. His eyes never once left Lee Joon's face. Blood was still visible around Lee Joon's head despite the bandages. A paramedic spoke through the radio.
"We're on the way to Seoul Central Hospital."
"Male patient. Severe head trauma."
"Critical condition." The ambulance made a sharp turn, causing Lee Joon's body to shift slightly on the stretcher. Suddenly, the monitor began slowing down.
Beep…
Beep…
The paramedic stared at the screen anxiously.
"Patient's pulse is weakening!"
"Start CPR!" A paramedic immediately placed both hands on Lee Joon's chest.
"One… Two… Three…" Lee Joon's body lifted slightly with each compression. Minjae covered his face. His eyes were already red. He could not bear seeing his younger brother in such a condition.
"Joon!"
Lee Hyun gripped the side of the stretcher tightly. But Lee Joon's eyes remained closed. The paramedic continued pressing rapidly against his chest.
"Don't stop!" Another paramedic prepared the defibrillator.
"Charge!" The ambulance continued speeding through the rain-filled roads. Inside that small space, everyone was fighting against time to save one life.
"Clear!"
ZZZT!
Lee Joon's body jolted slightly from the electric shock. Everyone stared at the monitor. The line moved slightly. Then weakened again. Minjae held his head tightly.
"Joon… please hold on. You didn't forget our promise, right?"
As if hearing those words—The monitor suddenly beeped loudly.
Beep!
All the paramedics looked at the screen. His pulse had returned. They immediately let out relieved sighs. The ambulance finally entered the hospital area. The hospital emergency lights could already be seen ahead. The ambulance doors opened the moment it stopped. Several doctors and nurses were already waiting with another stretcher.
"Hurry! Bring him inside!"
The stretcher was pushed out quickly toward the emergency entrance. Lee Hyun and Minjae climbed out and ran behind them. Doctors and nurses immediately surrounded Lee Joon's stretcher.
"Severe head trauma!"
"Blood pressure critically low!" The stretcher was pushed rapidly through the hospital corridor.
"Joon!" But a nurse immediately stopped them.
"Sir, please wait here!" Lee Hyun tried stepping forward again.
"He's my brother! Please save my brother." But two hospital staff members had already blocked the entrance to the treatment room.
"We'll do our best, sir." The emergency room doors closed automatically.
BAM!
The corridor suddenly became silent. Lee Hyun stood in front of the doors without moving. His chest rose and fell heavily. Minjae stood beside the wall, his hands still trembling. He still couldn't process what had just happened.
Several minutes passed. But to them, it felt like hours. From inside the room, the doctors' voices could faintly be heard.
"Prepare for surgery!"
"Blood pressure dropping again!"
Lee Hyun closed his eyes for a moment. His fists tightened. Minjae finally spoke, his voice nearly breaking.
"Hyung…" Lee Hyun opened his eyes. Minjae stared at the floor.
"He'll survive… right?" Lee Hyun didn't answer. He only stared at the doors. Finally, the red operating room light turned on above the entrance.
The surgery had begun. The hospital corridor suddenly felt even colder. Lee Hyun slipped his hands into his pockets. But they were still trembling slightly. Because for the first time in his life, he truly didn't know whether he would see his brother open his eyes again…
Or lose him forever.
Time moved painfully slow.
Then—
Hurried footsteps echoed from the end of the hallway. Lee Hyun turned around, followed by Minjae. A woman was running toward them with fear written all over her face.
"Eomma…" Minjae quickly stood up.
Mrs. Lee.
Behind her, a man walked with slower steps but his expression was visibly tense.
Mr. Lee.
Their mother immediately approached Lee Hyun and Minjae.
"Where's Joon?" Her voice trembled. Lee Hyun didn't know how to answer. He only looked toward the operating room doors.
"Eomma…" But the woman had already seen the red light above the doors. Tears immediately fell from her eyes.
"Joon… He's… inside?" Lee Hyun slowly nodded. Their father stood several steps behind them. His face looked calm. But his sharp eyes were fixed on the doors. Several more minutes passed. No one spoke.
Then—
The red light finally turned off. The operating room doors slowly opened. A doctor stepped out with an extremely serious expression. Lee Hyun immediately walked forward.
"Doctor." The doctor looked at all of them. He took a slow breath. He knew very well who the family standing before him was.
"We did everything we could, sir." The corridor became even quieter. Their mother tightly gripped Lee Hyun's arm.
"How is my son?" The doctor lowered his gaze slightly.
"The injury to his head was too severe." Minjae felt his chest tightening painfully. Finally, the doctor spoke softly.
"We couldn't save him." It felt as though the world stopped spinning. Their mother stared blankly at the doctor.
"What? No..." Tears continued falling endlessly.
"No… that's impossible. My Joon…" Her body suddenly weakened. Lee Hyun immediately caught her.
"Eomma!" But she had already fainted in his arms. Several nurses quickly rushed over to help. Minjae covered his face with both hands. His tears finally fell uncontrollably.
But their father…
Still stood in the same spot. He did not move. His eyes stared deeply at the doctor. The doctor finally spoke quietly.
"Time of death… 9:17 PM."
Several seconds passed. Their father slowly closed his eyes. Then opened them again. His voice came out low and heavy.
"I want to see my son." And that night, the Lee family received the news that shattered their entire world—And lost someone they loved dearly forever.