Chapter Nine

The chaotic tumble came to a sudden halt, leaving an eerie stillness hanging over the track.

The world seemed to hold its breath as Hye-Jin advanced slowly, her body aching with every move. Her limbs felt heavy, bruised from the conflict, yet her mind urged her forward. She carefully pushed herself upright, the quiet around her thick with the weight of uncertainty.

Tiptoeing toward the edge of the slope, she paused, her breath catching as she glimpsed over.

Below, the two men lay motionless, their forms illuminated faintly by the scattered glow of distant streetlights. Hye-Jin gasped sharply, her heart pounding in her chest.

Were they dead?

She couldn't tell. But she knew she couldn't stand idly by. Pulling out her phone with trembling hands, she dialed the police.

Her voice was hurried and fractured as she explained the situation, giving the officer the necessary details in clipped, nervous bursts. Once assured that help was on the way, she hung up, the sharp click of the call ending, filling the silence.

Gritting her teeth, she made a decision — to go down the slope herself.

The descent was brutal. The uneven terrain clawed at her already battered body, twigs scratching deep into her arms and legs, loose stones cutting into her palms as she steadied herself. Her breathing was labored, her body protesting every movement, but her determination carried her forward.

From a distance, she scanned the two figures, searching for any signs of life. Relief washed over her as she noticed the faint rise and fall of her unknown savior's chest. His breathing was shallow, but it was there. He was alive.

Her unknown savior had survived, and for a fleeting moment, the crushing weight pressing on her eased slightly. But there was still so much left unknown — too much left unfinished.

The distant sound of sirens broke the quiet, growing louder as the seconds ticked by.

Hye-Jin turned away from the slope, forcing herself to climb back up. The journey was even harder this time, her legs trembling under the strain. When she reached the top, she stumbled toward the paramedics, explaining what she had seen below before directing her focus to the arriving police officers.

Her recounting of the incident was hurried, her voice firm despite the cracks of exhaustion threatening to break through. She gave every detail she could, her icy-blue eyes steady and resolute as the officers listened intently.

All while the unconscious Jae-Jung was carefully brought up from the ground of the slope and loaded into the ambulance, Hye-Jin felt a strange mix of relief and guilt twisting in her chest. She hadn't asked for his help, hell, she didn't even know his name- yet he had risked everything to intervene.

Moments later, another paramedic gently guided Hye-Jin to a waiting ambulance. Her body had endured more than she realized, and as the doors closed behind her, she leaned back against the cool surface, her mind racing with questions she didn't yet know how to answer.

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The hospital's bright, sterile lights stung Hye-Jin's eyes as she was wheeled inside. The faint smell of antiseptic lingered in the air, creating a stark contrast to the cold, chaotic slope where she had been just hours ago.

Exhaustion weighed heavily on her, but her mind refused to slow down. Her thoughts raced, flitting between the events of the night: Kim Joon-Ho's attack, the now unconscious man's intervention, and the harrowing tumble down the slope.

She barely registered the nurses guiding her into an examination room. The stinging cuts along her arms and legs served as a constant reminder of how close she had come to disaster. But despite the pain, her mind lingered on the dark-haired man.

Who was he? Why had he been there? And what did it all mean?

A nurse's calm voice interrupted her spiraling thoughts. »Your injuries aren't severe, but you'll need rest. We'll keep you overnight for observation,« she said as she cleaned and bandaged Hye-Jin's wounds, »the police might confront you and have you explain everything again.«

Hye-Jin nodded absently. »The man who came in with me... is he okay?«

The nurse paused, her expression softening. »While I'm usually not allowed to disclose patient information to uninvolved people, I can tell you this much: He's stable, though his injuries are extensive. The doctors are working on him now. But he'll probably be in a coma for an unknown amount of time.«

Relief swept over her, though it was fleeting. The questions surrounding him weighed too heavily on her to find comfort.

Later that night, after hours spent under fluorescent lights and murmured voices in the hallway, two police officers entered her room. Their faces were etched with seriousness, their notepads ready to capture her testimony.

»Miss Cho, we need to understand exactly what happened tonight,« one officer said, his tone calm but firm.

Hye-Jin recounted the events as steadily as she could, her voice clear despite her exhaustion. She described the meeting at the noodle shop, the attack on the slopes, and how the unknown man, later identified as Jae-Jung by the officers, had saved her.

Her words faltered briefly as she described him — his amber eyes burning with determination, his movements calculated yet feral.

When the officers pressed her about Kim Joon-Ho, her icy-blue eyes hardened. »He's dangerous,« she said bluntly. »He's tied to Sung Jin-Hun and Kwon Corporations.«

The officers exchanged glances, their pens pausing momentarily. »We'll investigate this further,« one of them assured her, though the weight of what she had shared seemed to sink deeply into the room.

As the night dragged on, Hye-Jin remained awake in her hospital bed, her body heavy with exhaustion yet her mind refusing to relent. The image of Jae-Jung lingered in her thoughts, a nagging presence she couldn't shake.

There was something familiar about him, something she couldn't quite place.

A sudden movement outside her door pulled her attention. She sat up slightly, her body tensing until she recognized the figure entering the room — Gyeong-Ja. Her best friend's face was pale, her brown eyes wide with concern as she hurried to Hye-Jin's side.

»I had to come,« Gyeong-Ja said breathlessly. »Are you okay? I came as soon as I heard.«

Hye-Jin tried to muster a reassuring smile but found herself shaking her head. »I don't know, Gyeong-Ja. Everything's spiraling out of control. Kim Joon-Ho, Sung Jin-Hun, Kwon Corporations — they're all tied together, and somehow I'm stuck in the middle of it. And now... this man, Jae-Jung. He saved me tonight, but I don't even know who he is.«

Gyeong-Ja frowned, her worry deepening. »You'll figure it out. We'll figure it out—together,« she said firmly.

Hours later, as the hospital quieted, and for the first time that night, Hye-Jin felt a spark of hope, faint but present.

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Jae-Jung stirred in his room. His body ached, every movement sending shocks of pain rippling through him, but his mind was empty, fragments of a night he couldn't really recall still kept playing on a loop.

A face flickered in his memories — a beautiful young woman, with eyes so blue they almost looked white, her determined stance, that kind of stance that told you right way she had fought against all odds.

The storm inside him was far from over. He couldn't remember her, but somehow he felt he knew her. Somehow, he felt he wanted to protect her. And somehow, something inside him told him he did- and he would do it again. No matter the cost.

Jae-Jung's gaze wandered, taking in the sterile room around him.

Wires, cords, and tubes tangled around his body, each shackling him to the life-support machines around him. His restless movements drew attention, his agitation palpable.

The nurses outside his room responded quickly, their hurried footsteps echoing in the hallway. One of them entered, her voice soothing yet firm as she approached his bedside.

»Sir, please calm down,« she said, gently pressing a hand to his shoulder to guide him back into the pillows. While Jae-Jung's confusion only grew. »I know you must be confused, but I need you to stay where you are. You've just awoken from a year-long coma.«