Hemi hadn't slept more than a few scattered minutes over the past few days.
She sat in the same corridor.
In the same chair.
Under the same unchanging wait.
Every time she closed her eyes, the images of blood returned.
And every time she opened them, she found herself facing the same door: the intensive care unit.
It was as if time wasn't moving here… only looping in place.
Early in the morning, the ward door opened.
A doctor stepped out.
Hemi stood immediately—before he even took a single step toward her.
Her breath caught as she watched his expression.
It was calm… and that terrified her more.
He approached and said in a low voice:
"Don't worry."
"His condition is stable."
Hemi closed her eyes for a brief moment… as if holding back an entire collapse.
But the doctor continued immediately:
"In fact, there's better news."
Her eyes snapped open.
"This morning we started reducing the induced coma medication."
She froze.
As if her body stopped responding for a second.
"What does that mean?" she whispered.
The doctor replied in a professional tone:
"It means his body is now able to tolerate his condition."
"We want to monitor his response as he gradually wakes up."
"We can't determine the exact moment of awakening."
"It could be hours."
"Or it may take longer."
Then he added:
"But we can say he has passed the most critical stage."
Hemi couldn't respond.
Something inside her… silently collapsed.
Not fully.
But like a weight that had been pressing on her chest for days had finally begun to lift.
She whispered, trembling:
"Thank you…"
The doctor bowed slightly and left.
She remained alone.
Standing in front of the glass.
Looking at the still body behind the machines.
Every wire… every device… every steady beep.
All of it confirmed he was still here.
She swallowed hard.
Then placed her hand on the glass and whispered:
"You survived…"
She paused.
Then added in a quieter, sharper voice:
"So don't you dare give up now."
Outside — Media Explosion
Barely an hour after the news spread inside the hospital, the area in front of the main entrance turned into organized chaos.
Cameras.
Microphones.
Journalists.
And questions that had not stopped for days.
Everything was waiting for one thing: an official statement.
Executive Director Han Sera finally stepped out.
She looked exhausted.
But her eyes were steadier than before.
She faced the reporters and said:
"We thank you for your patience and concern."
"After consulting with the medical team responsible for artist Park Min-so, we can confirm that his condition is currently stable."
Murmurs erupted immediately.
But she continued without pause:
"He has passed the most critical stage after undergoing a complex surgery."
"And today, the doctors began reducing the induced coma medication according to the treatment plan."
Questions exploded:
"Has he regained consciousness?"
"Can he speak?"
"When will he return to work?"
Han Sera raised her hand.
Gradual silence.
Then she said:
"It is too early to answer those questions."
"The doctors' priority is his full recovery."
"And we ask everyone to respect his privacy and allow the medical team space."
She paused.
Then added more firmly:
"We also urge media outlets and social media users to refrain from spreading rumors or unauthorized images related to the incident."
"There is a human being fighting to recover."
"And we hope he is given the respect he deserves."
She bowed briefly and entered the building as questions continued to rain behind her.
Within minutes… the news spread everywhere.
Park Min-so had passed the critical stage.
But along with the good news… something else began.
Something more dangerous.
A race of rumors.
Elsewhere in the City
At that exact moment, Detective Kim was staring at a screen filled with evidence.
He had finally gathered it.
But time was pressing on him like a cold blade.
Only a few hours remained until the killer's deadline.
In the closed investigation room, his team gathered.
The atmosphere was suffocating.
As if even the air was waiting for the outcome.
Everyone understood the truth:
One mistake… could mean disaster.
After obtaining a court warrant, they raided the house next to the victim Woo Jin's residence.
They reviewed surveillance footage again and again…
Until everything suddenly froze.
"Stop here."
A girl appeared in the footage.
Pink hair.
Her face visible only for a brief moment.
Then she quickly pulled her mask upward.
But the image was blurry.
Not enough.
Not certain.
A technician stepped forward.
He adjusted the settings:
Zoom…
Enhance…
Resolution boost…
The features slowly began to appear.
But still unclear.
The image was fed into the database.
Silence.
Heavy seconds passed.
Then:
"No match found."
The room froze.
Heavy disappointment.
"What if we publish it? Maybe someone recognizes her."
Detective Kim shook his head:
"We don't have time. That's a weak option."
Silence returned.
But suddenly…
One team member raised his head.
He stared at the image intensely.
"This… looks familiar."
Kim turned immediately:
"What do you mean?"
The man hesitated:
"I don't know where I saw it… but I'm sure I've seen her before."
He closed his eyes.
As if searching a locked memory.
Then suddenly—
His eyes widened.
"I remember!"
He quickly pulled out his phone.
Opened a video.
"There was… a YouTube video… a new girl group gaining popularity recently…"
He played it.
A girl appeared.
And in that moment…
Everything in the room changed.
Same small dimple on her chin.
Same slightly uneven teeth.
Same calm gaze.
But this time… clear.
Real.
Alive.
Total silence.
A technician ran analysis through specialized software.
Only seconds.
Then the result:
100% match.
The silence exploded.
Not just shock… but weight.
A name appeared on the screen:
Soo Hwa – 22 years old
The image was now clearer than any other evidence.
A girl who spent her life in a brutal training system.
Weight.
Voice.
Performance.
Everything controlled with harsh precision.
But she endured.
Not because she was happy…
but because she wanted debut at any cost.
She was the only one who stayed with the victim Woo Jin for a full year.
She tolerated his strange demands…
Until she began to see them as "normal."
But things changed.
Conflicts began.
She wanted to leave as her fame grew.
But Woo Jin…
Wouldn't allow it.
Subtle threats.
Control.
A complete collapse if she left.
Detective Kim exhaled slowly.
"After a full week… we finally have a name."
But the behavioral analyst was more cautious:
"Be careful… this type doesn't act randomly."
She looked at Kim:
"He's not an ordinary killer."
"Organized… intelligent… controlling."
"And most importantly… he doesn't see himself as a criminal."
She paused.
"He sees what he does… as art."
"And he wants to be noticed."
"Maybe that's why he targets public figures."
Kim listened silently.
Then she added:
"And when you speak to him… don't treat him like a cornered animal."
"Treat him as an equal mind."
"Because he's not looking for a police officer… he's looking for an opponent."
Official Broadcast
Detective Kim appeared on a live broadcast.
He sat firmly.
Behind him, a large black screen.
"Dear citizens…"
His voice was calm… but heavy.
"We understand your concern regarding the Woo Jin case."
"And we confirm that we are continuing our work without pause."
He stopped briefly.
"But this time, we are not dealing with an ordinary criminal."
"But with a highly organized individual… who leaves nothing to chance."
"Every step is calculated."
Then he continued:
"On the night of the incident, the victim left with colleagues after a rare meeting with artist Park Min-so."
"We thank him for his cooperation despite his busy schedule."
"After that, he received a message… and appeared tense."
"He said he was going to the bathroom… and never returned."
"Cameras show he left the restaurant, took a taxi, left his car, then got off on a public street."
"He walked for fifteen minutes… entered a small shop… bought cigarettes…"
"Then continued walking… until he entered a narrow street with no cameras."
"And from there… he disappeared."
He paused.
"We promise we will not stop until the truth is revealed."
But suddenly…
A voice from behind:
"Look! She's so pretty… Soo Hwa will be an amazing idol!"
Silence for a moment.
But Kim did not react.
"We apologize for the disturbance."
"The investigation continues."
He ended the broadcast.
He sighed.
"Officer Min… your voice was too loud."
"I was afraid the message wouldn't reach the killer… so I raised my voice."
"Sorry."
Kim looked at her.
Then said:
"Good work. Well done."
"The message reached him. We identified the owner of the fingernail before the end of the week."
He raised his eyes:
"Only one hour remains."
"And we did everything we could…"
Assistant Lee said:
"We hope we can save Soo Hwa from the grip of a serial killer… before he takes her life as he took her fingernail before."
And deep inside the room…
The real question remained:
Has it truly ended?
Or is the killer still… writing the story from the shadows?