The morning sun had kissed Jiwoo awake. Flecks of light peeped through the cream blinds, casting thin golden stripes across his sculpted face. He opened his eyes and slowly, stirred awake and stretched his arm. Finally, I'll be discharged and out of this place. Turning to his side, a lopsided smirk was laced on his lips. "Well, well, well, look who we have here," he mused at the doctor fixing the IV bag hanging by his bed.

Seohyun sighed, ignoring his comment. Why did Jisu even have to be off today? She knows I can't refuse if Dr. Jong asks me to cover for someone. She stayed silent, earning a grimace from Jiwoo who rose an eyebrow at her cold demeanor.

"Ignoring me? Not the 'thank you' I expected after saving your life." Jiwoo scoffed, leaning back into his pillow.

"Apologies, you're right. Thank you." Jiwoo bent his head to the side, the corners of his lips deepening the scowl he wore.

How rude, it's as if we're strangers! "Well, I guess that'll do. I'm being discharged today, so you better come around here to help."

"Help you? With what?" It came off as more annoyed than Seohyun had hoped for; she wanted to conceal her bitterness at Jiwoo but didn't know why her poised masquerade fell apart whenever he was around. Almost as if he snatched her mask right off of her face, vexing her with no trace of failure was his talent.

"For starters, you could help me out of my shirt." Jiwoo pointed down to the long sleeve striped blouse that loosely hung to his figure. He then lifted the sleeve on his other arm, revealing a cast that encased it almost entirely. "Great opportunity for you, I'm sure any girl would jump on the offer. Besides, this wouldn't be the first time you've seen what's underneath." Jiwoo sent her a suggestive wink, thrilled by the reaction he gouged out of her.

"I'll go call Nurse Kang for you," Seohyun sneered, crossing her arms over her chest. "If you need help, you can go call for someone else. It's not like you need me anyway." She swiveled around with her lab coat flying behind her. Storming out of the room, she slammed the door shut after her. Heat was boiling inside her head as if she was mentally cooking up a fire. Ugh, fuck, why am I like this? She threaded her fingers through her dark brown hair, brushing out the curls at the tips resting on her shoulders. With frustration brewing in her nerves, she trudged down the hallway, ready to find a nurse stationed in the reception.

"Seohyun, hey, are you okay?" She froze at the mention of her name. She turned around to see Dr. Jong behind her, a curious smile caressing his velvet lips. Seohyun mentally punched herself in the face for passing by her senior without even acknowledging him.

Stupid stupid stupid! She wanted to disappear and burst like a balloon or just restart the day afresh. Now, she felt like an absolute mess; emotionally and physically unstable to handle anything. "Apologies, Dr. Jong. I was just a little preoccupied, I didn't notice you." She forced on a smile that looked out of place from her sharp features, bowing her head in respect.

Thick laughter swirled in her ears, filled with amusement. Dr. Jong flashed a forgiving smile, a set of whites peeking through. Seohyun felt relieved seeing her boss relaxed and in ease. She wanted to learn his secrets, wanted to know how he kept himself cool and collected whenever she saw him. Seohyun could imitate him, but deep down she knew, she was an anxious mess waiting to break down and spill over like a glass of milk. So far from what I'll ever be...

It was just then Dr. Jong furrowed his eyebrows together, lips pursed to hide his perfect smile. "Ah, what happened here?" He lifted his fingers to brush out tufts of hair that framed her face, revealing a bandage taped to the edge of her forehead.

"Oh, I–" Seohyun hung her head low so her hair could curtain the tacky bandaid. Embarrassed, a coral tint colored her rosy cheeks. "I-Its nothing, I swear," she sheepishly replied, rubbing the side of her neck.

"You sure? You're not supposed to hide from a doctor even if you are one," he joked, eliciting a nervous chuckle from her.

"Woah!" Someone had shoved pass Seohyun, pushing her to stagger forward. Dr. Jong cupped her elbows, steadying her from the sudden impact. They both looked towards where the culprit headed off and watched as the man stopped in his tracks. He donned a dark and crisp suit and gripped onto a suitcase.

"Ah, look at me, I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going. Or perhaps you shouldn't block the corridor." Jiwoo turned around to face them. He feigned a pleasant smile that contradicted his sarcastic jab. He eyed them both intently before walking off. 

Seohyun gritted her teeth, feeling her heart shake in rage at his remark. She wanted to chase him down and attack him, scream at him for purposely bumping into her and humiliating her in front of Dr. Jong. I wasn't even standing in the middle of the hallway, what is his problem!?

Jiwoo scoffed under his breath as he paraded down the hallway. Acting all coy in front of that doctor, then being rude to me? I can't even deal with this chick. He despised how the strange man could coerce a reaction out of Seohyun, the way he cast a floating spell above her head to captivate her. Perhaps it wasn't jealousy to yearn for something he didn't have, but sheer selfishness to keep for himself.

Arriving at the reception around the corner, Jiwoo began writing out the forms that were sprawled out on the desk in front of him. He mumbled incoherent curses in a faint whisper as he made a mistake and had to fill up a fresh form. He could only silently thank any divine power that was watching over him, grateful his left arm had been bloodily stabbed rather than his dominant one.

"Prosecutor Lee, another victim has been preyed on. With you handling the serial killer case, has there been any new improvements?"

Jiwoo's ears perked up at the rigid voice of a reporter. He whirled his head up to the tv screen that was situated in the waiting area by the reception desk. Patients alike stopped to take a look at the news unfolding on the screen. Jiwoo observed Eunho's mundane expression. Keeping a guarded face, he succeeded in disguising his anxiety and uneasiness. Even behind a screen, I can tell you're scared as hell.

A small smile pressed on Eunho's face as his eyes shifted slowly from the reporter to the camera. "Nothing to worry, we will indeed catch the criminal behind these horrendous scandals. As for now, the investigation is ongoing and I will not disclose anything at the moment, thank you."

Jiwoo could see through his reassuring words, the grim shadows of fear and pressure that held him hostage by the throat. Eunho was the face of the case, all eyes staring at him, expecting him to reap justice from the thick layers of unsolved mysteries.

* * *

Jiwoo leaned on the dark rails that sprung from the floor of the rooftop. His elbows were propped on the ledge that separated him from the free-falling air. The sky was infinite black tranquility laced with a myriad of meager stars. Living in the city, you couldn't expect a sky full of galaxies like confetti being thrown at a surprise party.

It was enough for Jiwoo. The pure essence of nightfall was the softness that swooned him to rest and let the heart go to its steady rhythm. Night came as a reward of sorts, a restfulness above to calm the soul. Or so he thought it did most of the time. "Ugh." He kept fiddling with the tail of bandages that were spiraling his upper arm but ultimately bunching up into a knotted mess.

He cursed once more as the sleeve of his chiffon polo drooped back down as if to cover the embarrassing chaos he made. "Let me help you." Alarmed, Jiwoo nudged backward at the sound of another voice.

He watched as Seohyun emerged from behind, sporting a cream knitted sweater that hugged her shoulders, showing off her sharp collarbones that were lined under the curve of her neck. Speechless, he simply watched as the doctor fixed her eyes on his arm.

Seohyun rolled his sleeve up to sit on his shoulder, and her lips protruded to a frown as she absorbed the knots and twist with the bundled up bandages. "Didn't they teach you how to wrap a bandage in I don't know, third grade?" Jiwoo sighed, rolling his eyes at her comment.

She cautiously untangled the dressings, breathing in his intoxicating vanilla scent that floated in the air. Jiwoo felt his arm tense up as her cold fingers brushed against his biceps. After completely unwrapping the bandages, Seohyun observed the line of fresh stitches on his arm that were a dark red and brown, the surrounding skin flushed a dull pink. Funny to see my own stitches outside of the hospital, he'll probably never know I did them.

The comforting silence lulled out the soft susurration of leaves in the distance, and Jiwoo momentarily shut his eyes to feel the wind greet his skin. "So, why are you here? Is stalking your specialty now?"

"Do you want me to break your arm?" she retorted back, slightly tightening the bandages around his arm as if to send a silent threat. I just wanted to properly thank you...  "There." She stood back, admiring her work with the neatly draped bandage.

"Well good job doctor, you want me to reward you a sticker that has your name on it?" Jiwoo taunted, his lips flickering to a wicked smirk. "Since you're here, perhaps you could help as well with down here." Jiwoo pointed down to his abdomen, tugging on his shirt suggestively.

Seohyun scowled at him, throwing daggers with the fiery spark in her eyes. "Remember what I said about breaking your arm? We can make that two if you like." Her dry remark elicited a warm chuckle from him. His laughter was so free and pure, so childish despite his adult years. It came to her ears as a tickle and bounce - and her lips twitched into a discrete grin as well.

She joined him in lounging on the balcony, taking in every bit of solace that was brought by the chilly twilight. "Have you ever got intimidated? You know, when working on your cases." Jiwoo bent his head to the side, amused by the sudden query.

"No, not really. I kind of like the thrill." Seohyun looked at him in disbelief, the whiff of air fraying pieces of hair that framed her face. 

"Don't you ever get scared of... messing up? Justice is in your hands after all."

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. Panicking when things don't go as you planned, stressing about fucking up the next case. But isn't that what makes life interesting? People are supposed to fear the unknown, yet again, ignorance is bliss when knowledge is so damn frightening.”

"You do have a point," she wistfully replied, pondering on his words. A bittersweet smile pressed on her lips as her eyes mirrored the night sky. "But what if you want to know what happens next? Know everything and make sure you won't make a mistake, not left behind in the darkness of uncertainty?"

Jiwoo shifted himself so his back was leaning against the rails of the balcony, one arm lazily sitting on the ledge whilst he lifted his other arm to run his fingers through his hair. "Seohyun, that night, what happened?"

The serious question caught her off guard despite Jiwoo's calming tone. She didn't expect the conversation to deter in that direction, and she wasn't even sure if she could bring herself to relive that experience. "Well... I received a note asking me to go to that address around 10 pm." Jiwoo raised an eyebrow but kept his eyes fixed on the entrance to his apartment.

"Well, you were uncertain of what would occur there, yet you still arrived at that place with no clue of what will happen next. Do you still consider it a mistake? Even if it was, do you regret taking the risk?"

Seohyun stayed silent, absorbing the fresh perspective Jiwoo shone a light onto. If I didn't come, God knows what would've happened to that woman. But Jiwoo wouldn't have stepped in to save me from getting stabbed from behind.

"I guess you're right, why did I even show up? That's so unlike me to do things going off on a mere assumption." Well played, Jiwoo. A defeated smile graced Seohyun's lips as she looked down, shaking her head.

Jiwoo admired her from afar, curiously stealing a glance at the way the corners of her mouth lifted to tease a brief peek of her perfect set of teeth. “You know, they say a single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us. You find yourself doing things you'd never think you're capable of.” Jiwoo held his breath as he watched Seohyun close her eyes, reminiscing a hazy memory of the first time he saw her. It was like time around them had stopped to bask in the moment, a moment that felt like you were dwelling in a dream for far too long.

"Slowly, we are born. And that, is the beauty of life." His whisper barely reached her ears, and Seohyun found herself pulled into serenity by his voice, sweet in their ordinary sort of way, it was the richness of his tones – comforting and warm. 

It was like that for a while, neither one uttering a word as if the silence had already said everything. It was a deliberate plot, perhaps to savor the yearning taste of solace that would only last for so long. Clearing her throat, Seohyun turned to face Jiwoo.

"I thought that you had sent me that note by the way, asking me to come to that address." Jiwoo knitted his eyebrows, and she continued, sensing his confusion. "On the note, it was marked with 'J' so I thought it was from you. You know, J for Jiwoo." Seohyun wanted to bang her head against the rails, realizing how stupid her then conclusion was.

"You seriously think I'd do something like that? C'mon, you can ask all the girls I took out on a date." Seohyun rolled her eyes at his not so subtle flex.

"Do you think I'd doubt you after what happened that night? Well, after thinking for some time I think I have a good idea on who it is that sent me that note." Seohyun paused, moving uncomfortably in her place. "Remember the missing bullet I retrieved for you on your previous case? I found it hidden in a fellow colleague's office. Her name is Dr. An Jisu."

Jiwoo was stunned for a moment, caught in disbelief. "You're kidding. Isn't that the doctor that operated on me? Pretty face, pretty hair... No, I don't think it's her." Seohyun pressed her lips together, holding in her frustration.

"Yes, glad to see you remembered."

"How could I forget? Do you even know how close I was to dying because of–" Jiwoo stopped himself, breaking off eye contact with Seohyun.

Because of me, I know... I guess I deserve to feel guilty.

An awkward silence thickened the air, making it almost hard to breathe. Jiwoo scratched the back of his hair, eyes still shunned away from Seohyun. "I believe you."

Lies. What a painful lie.

"I'll look into it during the investigation, " he promised, hoping to ease the tension that electrified the atmosphere. He turned to face Seohyun, but she kept her eyes on the ground. Jiwoo squinted to the distance behind her, noticing a figure standing idly by the gate down below the balcony. What the fuck, is that the same guy..? Chills squeezed his spine, and goosebumps sparked up the hairs on his arms. Jiwoo tried not to panic, but the eerie figure had shaken him to the core.

Suddenly, a ringtone started playing, and Seohyun fished for her phone from the back pocket of her jeans. Jiwoo observed as her stiff features melted into easiness, and he peeped a glance to catch a glimpse of the caller ID. Dr. Jong? Who could that be?

"Sorry, I got to take this. My shift starts in a while and I've got to leave soon," Seohyun announced, thankful to the heavens for gifting her an excuse to get away from him as soon as possible. Not waiting another second for a response, she slipped pass Jiwoo, bringing the phone to her ear.

Jiwoo turned and reached out a hand to grab her arm but stopped himself, watching her exit the rooftop down to the stairs that led to the ground floor. He swiftly turned back to the balcony, gripping on to the rails as he tried to spot the mysterious figure waiting by the gate. But he was gone. He bobbed his head up and down, trying every angle he could find to catch the shadowed man. Am I going crazy? I swear I saw him. Hell, even Eunho spotted him last time!

He didn't know how long he stood there in the balcony asking himself whether he had gone insane. Jiwoo figured it may have been a long time as he watched Seohyun emerge from her home. She was now wearing her standard lab coat that was a striking white reflecting in the darkness of the night.

It was in that moment as he watched her hurriedly leave the gate, locking it on her way out,

Jiwoo wanted to know what would happen next.

Hello my dear readers, it's been a while I will be honest. May you spare me some mercy and forgive my tardiness. I will treat you all with a double update this coming Sunday and Monday! Yes, you read that right, two chapters coming your way in a couple of days. I haven't been strictly following my outline and rebelling the plan I made for the plot, so it's definitely a big factor as to why the updates are a little slow. It's not an excuse though, so I hope you give me another chance and accept the special double update as compensation. This chapter is a little rough around the edges and I haven't thoroughly edited it so my apologies for any grammar errors. I will fix it soon though~

Lastly, it would make my whole day if you could spare a second to share your thoughts in the comments. Listening to your thoughts and interacting with you readers has always been fun so I compel you to do share your thoughts with me c: And of course, please click on that tiny star to help support this novel. Your support means a lot to me and plays a big part in motivating me to write as well. Ghost readers, don't think I didn't see you hehe. I hope all of you genuinely enjoyed the book so far, love you guys, this has been such a wild ride, can't wait to see what will come next, cheers~