Why is everything going wrong lately? Am I cursed with samjae (a concept from Eastern astrology referring to a three-year cycle of misfortune and bad luck) or something?
Go Hoon stared blankly up at the stark white ceiling, lost in thought. He’d never paid much attention to traditional beliefs or shamanism, but at this rate, maybe he really did need to visit a shaman and get an exorcism ritual done.
He replayed the accident that had happened barely an hour ago in his mind. Traffic was jammed in the second and third lanes. After confirming the light was green, he’d gone straight through an intersection to make a right turn—when suddenly, a kid with a yellow umbrella dashed out in front of him. The child looked like a lower-grade elementary schooler.
It was clearly jaywalking. The accident didn’t even happen near a crosswalk. There was no way Go Hoon could have predicted someone would run out from between the stopped cars.
He’d swerved hard to the right to avoid the kid, and that’s when it happened. His bicycle caught on the edge of the curb, flipped over, and he hit the pavement hard. The loud crash made everyone on the street freeze and turn to look. The startled kid burst into tears and vanished before Go Hoon could even grab him.
He lay on the ground, writhing and unable to get up. By the time he’d regained his senses, he managed to stand, limping heavily. Even then, the bystanders only whispered among themselves, hesitant to approach. He tried to walk over and pick up his bike, but after just a few steps, his legs gave out and he collapsed again. It seemed he’d injured his leg badly enough that walking was nearly impossible.
“Are you okay?”
One of the passersby who’d seen the accident came over. Go Hoon told her he was fine, but when she saw the blood running down his leg and arm, she told him not to move and called 119. A few minutes later, he was loaded into an ambulance and taken to the ER.
Even in that chaos, he’d insisted on bringing his bicycle. What if someone stole it? He begged the paramedics, saying the bike had cost him a fortune, to please bring it along. They looked uncomfortable and said there wasn’t any space, but Go Hoon wouldn’t back down. He said he’d sit instead of lie down, so just load it in. Thanks to his stubbornness, both he and the bike made it to the ER together—though not without earning some dirty looks from the paramedics.
Thankfully, the bike looked fine—no visible damage. He still had to let the person he borrowed it from know, but he hadn’t gotten around to calling Yoon Seong-gon yet. There just hadn’t been time.
He’d had a bad feeling earlier, and of course, something had to happen. He really needed to track down that kid—if only to make sure he was okay—but the whole thing left a bitter taste in his mouth. Should he ask the police to check the nearby CCTV footage?
What a mess this had turned into.
Still, at least he wasn’t seriously injured. His right arm and leg were torn up, but it wasn’t a fracture—just cuts. When the bike tipped over, he instinctively threw his hands out to break the fall, scraping both palms in the process. With his hands like this, working was out of the question for a while. Actually, forget work—he couldn’t even let his hands touch water. Just the thought was depressing.
Since the accident happened while he was heading home after a delivery, it was unclear whether it would qualify for workers’ comp. Still, he figured he should apply. The ER bill was bound to be brutal.
As he let out a deep sigh, the doctor said he was lucky—it could’ve been much worse, especially on a rainy day. He also warned that riding a bike or motorcycle in the rain was just about the most dangerous thing a person could do.
After the stitches were done, a nurse told him to get an antibiotic injection and an IV drip, so he lay there in the ER bed, staring vacantly up at the white ceiling.
“Are you feeling any discomfort?”
“No. I’m okay now. Stop standing, Dad. You should sit and rest, too.”
Soft voices carried over from the bed next to his, hidden behind a curtain. From the sound of the conversation, it seemed like a father and daughter.
…Must be nice. Having someone there for you.
With their voices in the background, Go Hoon spaced out, until his phone vibrated in his pocket. He fumbled with his fingers and finally managed to pull it out. The screen showed an incoming call from Bae Jung-yoon. Why’s he calling at this hour? Frowning, he hesitated a moment, then finally answered.
“Hello.”
– Hoon-ah.
That voice always made him feel weirdly self-conscious. His ears tingled for no reason, and Go Hoon furrowed his brows.
“What?”
– Where are you?
“Out.”
The weekend ER was a madhouse, with patients constantly pouring in. He tried to ignore the noise beyond the curtain and gave a vague answer. Bae Jung-yoon’s voice came again, now quieter, more serious.
– Out where? It’s really noisy on your end.
“Why? Something happen?”
Go Hoon immediately tried to change the subject. He didn’t feel like explaining anything.
– No, nothing like that. You just weren’t replying to my messages.
Messages? He hadn’t even checked his phone since the accident—it had been chaos from the start. Out of habit, he reached to scratch his cheek but stopped when he realized his right arm was wrapped in bandages.
“Sorry. Something came up.”
– What happened?
“…Got into a bit of an accident. I’ve been at the hospital, so I didn’t see your messages.”
– You were in an accident?
“Yeah.”
– What kind of accident?
“…Just…”
– Just?
Go Hoon tried to dodge the question, but Bae Jung-yoon wasn’t having it. In the end, Go Hoon had no choice but to tell him.
“I was making a delivery and crashed the bike. Ended up in the ER.”
There was a pause on the other end, then Bae Jung-yoon’s voice came through—urgent, completely unlike his usual tone.
– Are you hurt badly? How bad is it? Did they run tests? Wait, never mind—what hospital are you at? I’m coming over.
Go Hoon let out a dry chuckle and closed his eyes. Jung-yoon was seriously overreacting.
“No need. Why would you come here?”
– You probably don’t even have a guardian with you.
“It’s not that serious. I don’t need a guardian. Treatment’s almost done—I’ll be heading home soon.”
– And how exactly are you planning to get home? Don’t tell me you’re riding that bike again.
He might’ve been young and reckless enough to take on anything, but he wasn’t that far gone.
“I’ll manage, alright?”
– If someone’s worried about you, just let them be, Hoon.
Jung-yoon’s tone was stern—hard to tell if it was a request or a scolding. Still, he wouldn’t drop it. He kept pressing for the hospital’s name. Worn down by his persistence, Go Hoon finally gave in and rattled off the information. The moment he got what he wanted, Bae Jung-yoon said he was on his way and hung up.
“…Seriously? That wasn’t even important,” Go Hoon muttered as he checked the message Jung-yoon had sent earlier.
It didn’t even seem urgent. Should he call him back and tell him not to come? He considered it but figured it would just turn into an argument. With a sigh, he dropped his phone onto the bed.
As he blankly stared at the slow drip of the IV, his phone buzzed again.
– I’m at the ER. Where are you?
Wow. That was fast. Go Hoon sat up and pulled back the curtain. Sure enough, there he was—standing right at the ER entrance. Go Hoon tucked his phone between his ear and shoulder and raised his left hand.
“Over here.”
Their eyes met, and Bae Jung-yoon quickly strode over with his long legs. His sharp gaze flicked over Go Hoon’s arms and legs.
“How bad is it?”
“Just some cuts.”
“Doesn’t look like just cuts.”
With Jung-yoon’s blunt reply, there was no room for jokes. Feeling awkward, Go Hoon shut his mouth. Jung-yoon scanned the noisy ER, then pulled the curtain closed around the bed.
“You could’ve at least told me to bring you some clothes.”
It was only then that Go Hoon realized what a mess he looked like. His clothes were soaked and torn from the fall, and the ER staff had even cut his pants up to his thigh to treat the wound. It was worse than he thought.
“I didn’t have the headspace for that.”
“How much longer do you have to stay?”
“They said I can leave once the IV’s done.”
He raised his hand to show the IV line running into the back of it. Bae Jung-yoon nodded and sat down in the chair beside the bed without hesitation.
“You’re going to wait here?”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t you have stuff to do?”
“No. I’m not busy.”
His answer was short and firm. Go Hoon couldn’t say anything more. How could he chase someone away after they’d come all this way out of concern?
He’d half expected Jung-yoon to start nagging, but surprisingly, he didn’t say a word. That silence felt strangely awkward. Outside the curtain, the ER remained loud and chaotic.
“No… no, please! Honey!”
A gut-wrenching scream rang out from somewhere in the ER. Both of them turned toward the commotion at the same time.
Through a narrow gap in the curtain, they saw doctors and nurses swarming one bed, working urgently. But the patient seemed to be getting worse by the second. A doctor eventually climbed onto the bed and began chest compressions.
The tense atmosphere drew everyone’s attention. A nurse, aware of the growing stares, quickly closed the curtain, blocking the scene from view.
Only then did Go Hoon really register where he was. This was a place where life and death crossed paths. Sure, people like him came in with minor injuries, but there were also patients whose lives hung in the balance.
As he stared at the now-closed curtain, sobs started to rise from the other side.
“No… no… please, no! Honey!”
Just from the sound of it, Go Hoon could tell—the patient who had received CPR hadn’t made it.
Witnessing someone’s death, even a stranger’s, was never easy. Even if you’d never seen their face, the grief left behind hit hard.
Go Hoon turned away. He couldn’t keep looking. His gaze drifted aimlessly—and landed on Bae Jung-yoon.
And then he froze. Something about Jung-yoon had changed.
It was subtle, but unmistakable. He looked like he was trying to keep it together, but something was off. His expression was stiff, his face locked in tension. Was something wrong?
Go Hoon noticed Jung-yoon’s fists were clenched tight.
…What’s going on with him?
Sensing something was seriously off, Go Hoon cautiously called out.
“Bae Jung-yoon.”
He said it quietly, but it was like Jung-yoon didn’t even hear him. His eyes were lowered, unmoving.
