"Wait a second! That nurse isn't one of ours! I've never seen that girl before in my life!"
The hospital director's voice cracked in panic as he jabbed his finger toward the security footage. Inside the room, a security guard and Mina were frozen, staring at the screen.
The camera showed a young nurse with twin braids slipping in and out of Duyen's hospital room in the middle of the night. Mina's hands clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white. She whipped toward the director and shouted right into his ear.
"Not one of your nurses!? What the hell do you mean!? That's the woman who took my friend out of this hospital, and none of you did a damn thing to stop her!?"
It was the first time the second daughter of the Kamakiri family had ever shown this kind of fury—and it made the director's knees almost buckle. Instinctively, he raised his hands over his head as if shielding himself from a blow.
"Miss Kamakiri, we… we admit our mistake. But Miss Duyen's discharge was entirely of her own volition. As for who she left with and what she intended—"
"You call this running a hospital?!" Mina's glare was ice-cold as she slammed her glasses case down on his desk, making him flinch. "You told me she needed at least four months to recover. How could she possibly heal that fast!? Even if she said she wanted to leave, you still have a duty to stop your patients from hurting themselves!"
"Well…" The director glanced at the guard and gave him a subtle nod. The guard understood and quietly left the room, closing the door behind him.
The director cleared his throat, trying to sound calm. "Miss Kamakiri… I realize this will be hard to believe…" His hand trembled as he poured her a cup of hot tea and set it in front of her. "Please, have a seat, and we'll talk."
Mina swallowed down her rage and sat across from him, arms folded, her sharp eyes cutting into him until he almost wanted to wet himself.
"You're right," the director admitted, pulling out a stack of X-ray scans. "Her condition should have required at least four months…"
Mina took the scans, examining them carefully. Her breath caught. The images were brutal—her spine and forearm fractured in multiple places. She pressed a hand to her mouth, her lips trembling.
"This… is Duyen's?"
The director nodded gravely. "Broken arms and legs can heal, but a severed spine… even in our hospital, we could never guarantee recovery without lasting damage."
Mina's eyes narrowed. "But you told me the surgery was a success, and she only needed time to heal."
"To be frank, Miss Kamakiri, the night of her surgery was nothing short of a miracle. It was as if her body itself was finding ways to reconnect the breaks… joints seeking each other out. That's the only reason we could even operate successfully. There were still far too many unknowns, so we spoke privately with her family, and they insisted on keeping the matter confidential. In forty years of practicing medicine, I've never seen anything like it."
Mina frowned, her expression still doubtful. "Are you saying… she can heal herself? Bones fusing on their own?"
The director only sighed and handed her another stack of scans. Mina snatched them, studying them without hesitation.
"And these?"
"Taken last night."
"Last night!?" Mina's eyes flew wide. Every fracture was gone. No—more than that—it looked as if nothing had ever been broken.
She stared at him, half-suspecting this was some twisted joke. But his steady gaze told her otherwise.
"You can't explain this?"
"It could be a miracle… or something far beyond my understanding. Either way, on behalf of the hospital, I sincerely apologize." He bowed deeply.
Even the country's top doctor couldn't explain it. Mina shoved the scans into her Birkin bag and stood to leave. But just as she reached the door, she turned back abruptly, startling him.
"Is there something else you need, Miss Kamakiri?"
Mina's eyes flicked side to side as if deciding something. "Duyen's home address. Can you give it to me?"
---
"What!? You all already know she's a fox spirit!? Wait—what are you doing!?"
After nearly a week in the hospital, Duyen had missed home—and her dad—terribly. She'd imagined a warm, tearful welcome. Instead, the moment she walked into her family's pho shop, she was hit by the smell of shabu-shabu hotpot.
Around the steaming pot sat her father, Mr.Hung, and Secretary Oh, eating like it was a celebration. Shana was already plopping herself down at the table.
"Hey, hey! Get me a beer!"
"Here you go, Miss Shana." Mr.Tuan poured a full glass, and the fox girl downed it in one gulp.
Meanwhile, Duyen stood frozen, staring at the group in bewilderment. "Seriously!? Will someone explain this to me!?"
"We're throwing you a party for getting discharged, that's what! Come on, sit down. There's plenty of meat— Hung's treating." Her father beckoned her over.
But Duyen wasn't in the mood. No one was answering the question she really cared about. The three exchanged uneasy glances before Mr.Hung finally spoke.
"Truth is, Duyen… we're not sure how to explain this. But first, let me reintroduce you to Shana. She's a fox spirit."
Shana looked up, winked at Duyen.
"More precisely… a nine-tailed fox spirit."
Duyen's gaze bounced between them. "Fox…? Nine tails…? What the hell is going on? You're all messing with me, right?"
Everyone hesitated. Of course she wouldn't believe it. Secretary Oh stepped in.
"Miss Duyen, after the fire, your condition was critical. You know that, right?"
Duyen nodded slowly. "Yeah… they said my spine and most of my limbs were broken. I almost ended up paralyzed for life…"
Her voice trailed off. She was starting to piece something together.
"But I healed… really fast."
Oh nodded. "Exactly. If Miss Shana hadn't pulled you from the flames, the worst would have happened. I don't know exactly how it works, but it's proof enough that she's a fox spirit."
Duyen's eyes slid toward Shana, who was casually sipping her beer like a local. Fox spirit…? It actually fit her, in a way.
Unconsciously, Duyen touched her chest. Sometimes she felt a sharp, fleeting pain there—like something was lodged inside. Was it connected to all this?
Meanwhile, Mr. Tuan remembered the conversation he'd had with Shana while Duyen was still unconscious.
"Bride of a fox spirit? You mean… my daughter?" he'd blurted, staring at Shana as she sat beside the bed, gently stroking Duyen's short hair.
"Yes," Shana replied coolly. "Without this pact, your daughter wouldn't have survived."
"But you said she'd have to share her life with you… that her survival would depend on you. How am I supposed to accept that?"
Shana said nothing, simply gazing at Duyen's sleeping face, her touch tender enough to soften the man's eyes.
"I know this is hard to accept… and yes, Duyen never consented. But it was the only way—and it comes with a price. Still…" Shana's voice softened into a warm smile. "As long as she stays by my side, nothing will happen to her. I can swear that to you."
Then Mr. Tuan remembered how Mina proactively helped him up earlier. The way she spoke and acted was enough to understand that Mina also had some special feelings for Duyen. He knew that the pact between Duyen and Shana would keep his daughter alive, thinking about this he could breathe a sigh of relief.
But what about Mina?
From the moment he looked into Mina's eyes—Tuan could see that something was wrong with this girl. There was something very heavy and difficult to say about Mina, making him tremble. He couldn't explain what that feeling was.
Back in the present, watching Shana and Duyen teasing each other across the table, Tuan sighed. She was caught between two women—and he could only hope his daughter wouldn't end up hurt.
---
Mina left the Kamakiri family's grand meeting room, its golden doors closing behind her. The conversation with her clan's elders had drained her completely. In business, she was steel—but when it came to her blood family, there was only quiet disdain, never shown on her face.
The Kamakiris were a matriarchal clan, every leader a woman. The hallways were lined with massive portraits of the matriarchs of old. Mina walked past them, knowing she would never be one of them...
Footsteps approached from the opposite end. Valko—her fiancé—looked every inch the prince in an immaculate white suit, a stark contrast to her dark green dress. Both were striking, yet they never looked like they belonged together.
Her eyes hardened instantly when she recognized him—cold, sharp, and tinged with loathing. Valko stiffened but tried to hold his ground.
"You just met with the elders, right? They grilled you about… that? About wanting us to have children?"
Mina didn't answer. She brushed past him. He caught her wrist.
"Let go, Valko."
"Mina, can't you forgive me?"
"Shut up. Let go."
Reluctantly, he released her. "I know I wronged you. But I swear I'll be a better husband. Your mother wants us to reconcile—it would secure your position in the family. I just want to help."
"Valko." Her icy tone cut him off. "The only reason I'm civil to you is because we're still married. That's all. Don't push my limits again. Goodbye."
"Wait—Mina, our Yelsulin University reunion is coming up—"
She paused. "Sorry. I'll be busy with work that day."
"Mina, listen. There will be heirs from every powerful family there. I can't go alone—it'll get back to your mother. It won't look good."
She clicked her tongue. For the briefest second, her teeth clenched—too fast for him to notice. Then something flickered in her eyes.
"This reunion… anyone from our class can attend, right?"
"Yes!" Valko brightened instantly.
Mina's lips curved into an unreadable smile.
"Fine. I'll go."