A few hours ago.

Hyeju woke up at the neighborhood hospital.

“Ouch…”

Startled by the unfamiliar space, Hyeju sat up abruptly, momentarily disoriented.

White ceiling, a firm bed, the scent of disinfectant reaching her nose…

It didn’t take long for Hyeju to realize that this was a hospital. Relieved that it wasn’t a dangerous place, she laid her throbbing head back on the pillow.

‘What happened?’

Checking her arms, she felt gauze wrapped around for burn treatment. It wasn’t a severe burn, but there were minor injuries where sparks had hit.

Touching her forehead, she felt a bandage. It hurt as if bruised.

‘Come to think of it, I was being chased by Mr. Do earlier.’

Looking out the window where darkness was settling, Hyeju organized her thoughts on what had happened.

Witnessing Mr. Do conducting a shamanistic ritual with a mudang, Hyeju immediately grabbed a pot and rushed out of the shindang.

She had taken the car driven by Phillip, who was waiting nearby.

[Dash] Faster, faster! They’re right behind us!

Mr. Do fiercely chased after the crappy car driven by Phillip, shouting curses with a twisted face.

[Dash] Can’t you stop? Hand over my daughter right now!

She was desperate, like a woman who had her child taken away before her eyes. Hyeju clenched her fist tightly to prevent the dirt she had stuffed in her pocket from falling out.

[Dash] Go faster! How can your car be slower than a person?

[Dash] We’re going now! Why blame me for the car being lousy! Who do you think you are?

[Dash] Look at her eyes, how they’re chasing us!

Bump, bump.

Driving on an uneven mountain road, Phillip’s driving skills were terrible. It was more strange that someone with a completely punched-out driver’s license would be better at driving on a mountain road.

Mr. Do closely followed behind the slow-moving old car.

[Dash] Hey, we’re almost caught. Just step on it! Step on it!

Logically, there was no reason for a young woman to be afraid of an approaching elderly woman. Even if they exchanged harsh words, the two young men should have been superior.

But the sight of Mr. Do in the rearview mirror was too terrifying. Her red bloodshot eyes and disheveled hair made her look almost insane.

There was no time to calmly sort out the situation, and the urgency of the situation made it difficult.

[Dash] I’ll take responsibility, so just step on it for now! The speedometer should be showing at least 30!

[Dash] Then buckle up tight. Ready to run for real?

[Dash] Ah, stop talking nonsense and put strength into your foot! Come on!

Phillip gripped the trembling steering wheel with shaking arms. Why was he sweating on his forehead when he was only going about 20? Seeing the droplets of sweat, he couldn’t believe it.

After twists and turns, they barely managed to shake off Mr. Do and arrived at the foot of the mountain. There were several close calls along the way, but they miraculously survived.

[Dash] How about that? My fantastic driving skills!

[Dash] Hey, look! Ahead!
Philip, wearing his most charming smile, drew a V with his finger. At that moment, Hyeju’s complexion turned pale.

Bang!

The car that Philip was driving couldn’t avoid the pile of logs loaded under the slope.

There was no way to stop. The moment the car crashed into the logs, a strong impact struck her entire body.

Stars flashed before her eyes.

And then, she lost consciousness.

[Star icon]

Turning to the side, Hyeju saw Philip lying down.

Seeing Philip with bandages around his head, Hyeju got up.

“Hey, Ochuntaek! Are you okay? Uh, what should I do…”

Compared to her own injuries that only resulted in bruises, Philip’s condition looked more serious. Seeing the tightly wrapped bandage around his head, it seemed he had hit his head in the accident.

“Just because of me… not knowing you can’t drive… Ugh…”

She felt a sudden fear. Despite seeing him for several years, this was the first time she had seen Philip lying down.

The energetic guy lay with his eyes closed like a calf, making the scene seem distant.

‘What if he loses his memory? If the already foolish guy becomes even more stupid because of a head injury?’

Hyeju shook Philip’s arms, tears streaming down her face.

“Ochuntaek, try to wake up. Your sister is here, okay?”

No response.

“I won’t let you drive again. I’ll reduce your allowance a lot! So please, come to your senses!”

The guy who would rise from the dead at the mention of allowance remained silent this time.

Hyeju’s sobbing became more intense.

“I made a mistake, Ochuntaek… So please, open your eyes.”

Drrrrrrrrrr…

…What’s this strange background music?

Sensing something strange, Hyeju stopped sobbing.

When she saw Philip, who seemed to have just woken up, blinking his eyes, relief surged within her.

“Hey, you surprised me! Why are you lying down when you’re perfectly fine? You’re scaring people!”

Thump!

Her tear-soaked fist struck Philip’s back of the head.

“Ouch! Is it necessary to hit where I’m injured?”

“The side with the bandage avoided it. Are you okay?”