Shin slammed his fist into the elevator wall, the sharp crack echoing down the sterile hospital corridor like a gunshot.
He spun around, ready to storm off to the next elevator, but Tristan stepped into his path.
"Shin, wait. Listen to me first—"
A cold, dangerous aura radiated from Shin as he shoved Tristan's hand off his arm. "Don't touch me."
Tristan exhaled sharply, keeping his tone steady. "And what exactly do you plan to do? Chase her down the hospital lobby? Cause a scene?" He cast a quick glance around to confirm the hallway was empty—just them. "Calm down. Think this through."
But Shin's eyes were wild, glinting with the same dangerous edge he carried whenever something—or someone—had to be erased.
A moment ago, he was floating in warmth, something almost euphoric, and now… it had been ripped away.
No warning, no chance to react—just gone.
He stared at Tristan like he was the one who stole it.
Tristan didn't back down. "For now, leave her alone."
Shin's eyes narrowed into slits. "Are you messing with me?"
"It's past six. By the time she reaches school, it'll be nearly seven." Tristan reasoned. "She's got homework, dinner, maybe club stuff. If you stop her now, how long do you think that talk will take? She'll end up pulling an all-nighter or worse, showing up tomorrow with zero sleep."
Shin clenched his jaw, silent.
"You care about her health, right?" Tristan pressed. "You even called Zahn back just to check on her."
Shin's fists tightened. He hadn't expected Yeri to leave without letting him explain. The uncertainty clawed at him.
The distance between them felt like an abyss, one he didn't know how to cross.
"I have to explain before this misunderstanding festers."
"And you should," Tristan shrugged. "But not now. Not while she's angry. Right now, anything you say will sound like an excuse. Let her cool off—but don't wait too long else she overthinks."
---
Meanwhile, in Dr. Marianne Vega's office...
If she hadn't intercepted Calin near the elevators, they would have collided head-on with Yeri.
Fate—or guilt—had spared them both.
Marianne let Calin cry in silence, surprised by the depth of her breakdown. Calin Ricci—always poised, confident—now looked utterly undone.
Then again, the object of her despair was Shin Keir. A man as enigmatic as he was merciless.
Still, something gnawed at the edge of Marianne's thoughts. The faint sound of movement earlier… Had someone been inside the bathroom?
Did Shin Keir know?
Before she could pursue that thread, Calin sniffled and murmured. "Thank you, Sister Marianne. I'm alright now."
She dabbed at her red eyes with a tissue, trying to regain composure. "You've seen my pathetic side. How embarrassing."
Marianne offered a strained smile. "There's nothing embarrassing about being honest with yourself. If anything, I admire your courage."
"Courage?" Calin scoffed bitterly, gazing out the window. "What's the point, when he doesn't care? I think... I think he has someone else."
Marianne tensed. "Someone else? You mean… another woman?"
Calin nodded slowly, her expression a mixture of pain and forced detachment. "Not that it's any of my business. I'm not his girlfriend. Not officially, anyway."
"Another woman…?" Marianne echoed under her breath. Her mind flickered back to the earlier encounter. Could it have been?
"Sister Marianne?" Calin asked, puzzled by her silence.
Marianne shook herself out of it, changing the topic. "Ah—it's nothing. I just found it odd. Earlier, Shin Keir was wearing something… strange. A shirt from a public utility company—Electric Masters, I think?"
Calin blinked. "What?"
"Yeah. Not something he'd usually wear, right? Not here." Marianne added cautiously.
Calin's brows furrowed. She hadn't noticed at all. Her attention had been fixated on his face.
"Are you sure?"
Marianne nodded.
Before either could say more, the intercom buzzed to life.
Paging Dr. Marianne Vega. Please report to Dr. Zahn Neri's office immediately.
The announcement repeated once more.
Marianne's heart dropped.
Calin acted like she didn't hear anything and reapplied her makeup in silence. "I should get going. Thank you, again."
---
Zahn Neri's office was suffocatingly quiet when Marianne entered. He pointed to the chair without a word, his eyes ice-cold.
"You know why you're here," he said bluntly.
Marianne nodded, her voice barely a whisper. "I have no excuse."
"Then I won't spell it out." He opened her file without looking at her. "Your offense isn't something I can overlook, but you have a clean record. In light of your strong performance so far, you're being transferred to the South Branch Hospital."
Shock froze her in place. A suspension, maybe. A warning, sure. But transfer?
"Doctor Neri, please—" she began, but her voice faltered.
He didn't let her finish. "Miss Vega, our patients don't just come here for treatment. They trust us with their privacy and security. Whatever your relationship is outside these walls, it means nothing here. You're a doctor. Not someone's sister, or friend, or… accomplice."
"I didn't know the patient was Shin Keir. I'd like to apologize to him."
Zahn's tone hardened. "This isn't about who the patient was. You abused your access. What if the person you helped meant him harm? What if he was unconscious, defenseless?" His voice dropped to a dangerous calm. "That's aiding. Do you understand that?"
Marianne sat in stunned silence.
Zahn's fingers tapped the folder rhythmically. "Because of this incident we'll have to compensate him and you should know he's not an easy person to deal with. If Shin Keir files a complaint—the board may revoke your license. Permanently."
That broke Marianne's composure. Her body trembled. "Please allow me to personally apologize to him."
"Give it a week." Zahn suggested.
Tristan had briefed him, and he'd already spoken to Shin.
If those two won't reconcile, and knowing Shin's unforgiving nature, this would get worse before it got better.
After she left, Zahn rubbed his temples, the headache already building.
---
The Next Morning
Yeri arrived at school with forced normalcy. Her uniform was immaculate, her expression unreadable—but inside, tired and annoyed.
In that school, students were placed into different classes based on their individual circumstances.
Yeri, for instance, was enrolled in the special class alongside Nina Geun, while Levi Ando belonged to the advanced class with his exceptional grades.
The special class wasn't composed of students with similar backgrounds—some were celebrity trainees waiting to debut, others were public figures or heirs to major family businesses who often had to miss school due to outside obligations.
This flexible arrangement was also what allowed Yeri to return to school without issue, but that doesn't mean she had it easy.
"Yz! You're actually joining the field trip this time?" Nina beamed, latching onto her arm as they walked from class to the lockers.
"Yep," Yeri nodded.
Two years, she'd spent every school outing cooped up in hospital rooms. She wasn't missing the last one.
"Thank goodness! The last two were so boring without you." Nina hugged her from behind. "It's at a nature reserve this time—lots of tourist spots. And if you get dizzy, I'll carry you princess-style to the hospital myself."
Yeri chuckled. "I believe in your upper-body strength."
She opened her locker—and a cascade of folded letters and colored envelopes fell out.
Nina crouched to pick them up. "Wow. You're like a magnet for old-school romance. These are actual love letters!"
Yeri stared at them with thinly veiled contempt. "Don't be fooled. Some are just bait for creeps."
Since middle school, she'd received more than her share of gifts and letters. Most were either lewd, crude, or both. As if she were a blank canvas for teenage frustration.
Still, Nina shoved them into her bag. "You're too cynical. Maybe one's from a real admirer!"
"Just read them whenever you wanted some inspiration," Nina teased, leaning in with a stage whisper. "Anyway, you already have the untouchable... Shin Keir."
Yeri rolled her eyes. "You've been watching too many melodramas."
"Guilty." Nina giggled as Yeri pinched her ear.
"Your hand's too soft. That doesn't even hurt," Nina smirked. "You should let me take care of you forever. Don't get married. I think men like him will keep you in a cage like a canary."
Yeri smiled faintly. "Let's not harm each other with those kinds of ideas."
The bell rang for club activities. Nina headed off while Yeri made her way to the back gate, planning to stop by the bookstore.
As she walked, a sleek black car idled at the curb, so ordinary it almost disappeared into the background.
Then the driver stepped out.
A man in black.
He walked toward her with practiced calm.
Yeri eyed him suspiciously, unfazed.
"Miss Zhi," he greeted politely. "Boss Keir is waiting for you in the car."
Yeri scowled. "I don't know anyone by that honorable name."
She had expected this—sort of. Shin Keir was a walking corporate empire, a diplomat of danger, a man who could sell fire to a volcano. Talking to him now was a losing game.
Not to mention that face of his is a dangerous weapon.
"I beg your pardon?" The man's smile faltered. "Miss, you must've misheard. I said Boss Shin Keir."
"I heard you," she said flatly. "Your boss is so amazing, why would a lowly citizen like me dare make him wait?"
"Miss—"
"Yeri." The car window rolled down, and a cold, magnetic voice slipped into the air. "Let's talk."
She flinched. Even his voice was a tactical weapon.
"I don't want to!" she yelped—and bolted down the street.
The man in black hesitated, then turned to the car. "Boss, should I bring her back?"
"No," Shin said, voice sharp. "Don't even touch her."
"Then… maybe I will wait her out in an alley and use sleeping—"
"Shut. Up."
The glare Shin sent him was enough to ruin ten generations of confidence.
Wait her out? What did he think she was—a stray cat?
The man in black quickly retreated to the car, face pale.
As a member of the organization, he didn't ask questions—he simply followed orders.
He had no idea what was happening and what is the relationship of the two, but one thing was clear: his boss was absolutely not okay.