Chapter 18: The Emergency Contact
The Rain-Slicked Highway – 09:30 PM.
The streetlights blur into long, jagged lines of neon as JUNGHAN drives. He isn't heading anywhere; he's just moving. His eyes are bloodshot, stinging with the frustration of a childhood spent in the crossfire of his parents' egos. The thought of seeing his mother with another man, playing "happy family" at the Park's house, makes his stomach churn.
"Why can't I just belong to myself?" he mutters, his grip tightening on the steering wheel.
Suddenly, a massive truck veers into his lane, its high beams blinding him. Junghan gasps, jerking the wheel to the right. The tires screech, losing grip on the wet asphalt. The car spins, hurtling toward the dark silhouette of the woods.
CRASH.
The world turns upside down. The airbag deploys with a deafening thud. Junghan's head snaps forward, hitting the side window before everything goes black. Passersby rush to the smoking wreckage, pulling his limp body from the car just as the sirens begin to wail.
Seoul General Hospital – 10:15 PM.
The hospital smells of antiseptic and urgency. The RECEPTIONIST takes Junghan's cracked phone from a plastic bag of his belongings. It's locked, but the "Recent Calls" log is accessible from the emergency screen. The very first name at the top, dialed just hours ago: Captain Hong Haeyoung.
Haeyoung's Penthouse.
HAEYOUNG has just stepped out of the shower, her hair wrapped in a towel. Her phone vibrates on the marble counter. Director Junghan Kim. She hesitates. Did he forget to tell me something about the hangar?
Haeyoung: "Yes, Director Kim?"
Receptionist: "Hello, Madam. I'm calling from Seoul General. The owner of this phone has been admitted following a serious car accident. We need a guardian here immediately."
The air leaves Haeyoung's lungs. She grips the edge of the counter, her knuckles turning white. "What? Are you sure? Is he... is he alive?"
Receptionist: "He is unconscious but stable. Can you come?"
Haeyoung: "I'm... yes. I'm coming. Right now."
She doesn't even dry her hair. She throws on a trench coat over her lounge clothes and drives like a woman possessed, the "limit" she promised herself to keep completely forgotten.
The Hospital Waiting Room.
Haeyoung sprints through the sliding doors, her face pale. She reaches the desk, breathless.
Haeyoung: "The accident patient! Junghan Kim! Where is he?"
Receptionist: "They just moved him to the trauma ward. You'll have to wait here for the doctor."
Haeyoung sinks onto a plastic bench. Her heart is hammering against her ribs. She looks at her hands—they're shaking. Why am I like this? she wonders. He's just a Director. A colleague. But the memory of his voice on the phone earlier—"Don't get wet in the rain"—echoes in her mind until it hurts.
The Park Family Home – Dinner Table.
The atmosphere is suffocatingly formal. MISS LEE (Junghan's mother) sits beside her fiancé, checking her gold watch every thirty seconds. The Park family and HYUNA exchange awkward glances.
Miss Lee: "This is unacceptable. Hyuna, call him again. Why isn't he here? He's intentionally embarrassing me."
Hyuna: (Sighing) "I'll try, Aunty."
Hyuna dials. To her surprise, the call is picked up on the second ring.
Hyuna: "Junghan! Where are you? Everyone is waiting—we're about to start dinner!"
Receptionist: "Hello? This is the receptionist at Seoul General Hospital. Mr. Junghan Kim is currently in the emergency ward."
Hyuna stands up so fast her chair screeches against the floor. "What? An accident? Is... is anyone there with him?"
Receptionist: "Yes, a lady arrived just now. She's waiting by his side."
Hyuna: "A lady? Who?"
The Receptionist looks through the glass at Haeyoung, who is pacing back and forth, her expensive coat messy and her hair damp, looking every bit like a frantic spouse.
Receptionist: "Yes... I assume she's Mr. Junghan's wife. She seems very distressed. She's his emergency contact."
Hyuna: (Shouting) "What?! Wife?! What the hell are you talking about? He's not married!"
The table goes silent. Miss Lee's face turns a terrifying shade of red. She snatches the phone from Hyuna's hand, her eyes flashing with fury.
Miss Lee: "Hello? This is his mother! Give the phone to Junghan this instant! And who is this 'wife' you're talking about? My son didn't tell me about any marriage!"
Receptionist: (Flustered, handing the phone to Haeyoung) "Miss? Please... there is a lady on the line misbehaving and screaming."
Haeyoung takes the phone, her eyes cold and tired. She has no patience for drama while Junghan is lying behind those doors.
Haeyoung: "Hello?"
Miss Lee: "Who is this?! How dare you pick up my son's phone? Do you know who I am? How dare you pretend to be his family!"
Haeyoung: (In a voice of pure ice) "I am Haeyoung Hong. And if you want to keep speaking to me, you should mind your voice. This is a hospital, not a marketplace."
[CLICK]
Haeyoung hangs up and hands the phone back to the receptionist. At the Park house, the dial tone rings out like a slap to the face. Hyuna whispers, "Miss Haeyoung...?" while Miss Lee looks like she's about to faint from rage.