Waking up, I could still feel a sharp pain in my hand, a dull ache that pulsed steadily with every breath I took. I tried to move my fingers slightly, and that was when I noticed the thick bandage wrapped carefully around my hand. The pain was real, grounding, and for a moment I just lay there staring at the ceiling, trying to understand where I was.
Slowly, my eyes moved around the room, and that was when it hit me—
I was in my room. My bed, my desk, my curtains swaying slightly as the morning breeze slipped in through the window. Everything looked normal,
"Jina."
Yoon's voice called softly.
I turned my head and saw her stepping out of my bathroom, a towel in her hand. The moment our eyes met, relief washed over her face.
"Thank God you're awake," she said, walking closer to the bed.
Confusion rushed through me. "How… how did I get here?" I asked, my voice hoarse as I looked at her in surprise.
Yoon shook her head slowly.
"I don't know, Jina. I was just passing by earlier, and I noticed your door was open. When I came in, you were already on the bed, sleeping. I was shocked."
My eyes drifted back to my bandaged hand. The memory of pain, blood, and darkness flickered faintly in my head. I raised my hand slightly and looked at her. "You did this?" I asked quietly. "I mean… the bandage."
"No," Yoon replied immediately. "I found you like this."
The mask guy.
The thought hit me instantly.
I looked away, swallowing hard. He must have been the one. Again.
"Jina," Yoon called gently, bringing my attention back to her. "Where have you been? What happened to you?"
I stared at her for a long moment, then turned my face away. "Yoon, I caused what happened to me. So don't pity me."
She frowned but didn't interrupt.
"And the mask guy…" I continued slowly, my thoughts scattered. "I don't even know who he is. But he keeps saving me. Every time I'm in danger, he appears."
Yoon's expression softened as she moved closer and gently helped me lie back on the bed.
"Jina, what you need right now is rest," she said calmly. "Not worry. Just sleep. When you wake up and feel better, we can talk about everything."
She adjusted the blanket around me and stood up. "Try to rest," she said again, turning toward the door.
As she opened it, she almost bumped into Jan.
"Hi," Yoon greeted briefly before walking away.
"Jan," I called out weakly as she stood by the door. "Why are you standing there? You could have come in."
Jan hesitated, then walked in and sat beside me on the bed. "I heard Yoon's voice, so I decided to wait for her to leave before entering."
She looked at me closely, her eyes scanning my face. "Jina… what happened to you?"
I took a deep breath.
"Jan, I was kidnapped. And someone saved my life."
Her eyes widened slightly. "The mask boy?" she asked.
"Yes," I nodded. "And whoever he is… I'm really grateful. I don't even know his face, but he keeps coming. He keeps saving me."
Jan's gaze sharpened. "When did he save you? When did he come to you?" she asked, a strange urgency in her voice.
I turned fully to look at her. "Jan… you didn't even ask how I got there or what I went through." My voice dropped. "Jan, Yen is dead."
"Dead?" Jan repeated, shock flashing across her face. "How… how do you know that?"
"Jan, I was kidnapped on my way to see Yen," I explained slowly. "Something terrible happened. But in all of it… I survived."
Jan sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping. "Jina, your life has been so hard lately," she said softly. "But all thanks to that mask person… or whoever he is."
"Yes," I agreed quietly. "All thanks to him."
Jan stared at me for a long moment, her face unreadable. Then she stood up abruptly. "Jina, I'll see you later. Let me go to my room."
"You look worried," I said, watching her closely.
"No, Jina," she replied quickly. "I just woke up from sleep. We'll talk later." She left without turning back.
The door closed softly, leaving me alone again.
I lay back, staring at the ceiling, my mind racing. Everything felt wrong.
I clenched my bandaged hand slightly, wincing at the pain.
Who are you? I wondered silently. Who keeps saving me… and why?
I closed my eyes slowly, exhaustion finally weighing me down. Somewhere between fear and confusion, one thought remained clear in my mind: