Emergency Instinct - Chapter 12

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Ji-an unconsciously hunched her shoulders and held her breath.

“Ah, Chairman. Would you like to tour the newly replaced laboratory equipment as well? I’ll personally…”

The hospital director glanced around nervously and led him toward the direction where there was another door.

Tae-jun followed along without any particular reaction.

Ah, thank goodness.

It was when Ji-an, who had been tense watching the group move away, let out a sigh of relief.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, Seo Tae-jun stopped walking.

The moment he turned his head and his sharp eyes headed toward the station, Ji-an was startled and froze.

Don’t be scared. He’s not looking at me.

The mask covering her face had never felt so grateful. Biting her lips tightly, she held her breath again, waiting for him to quickly disappear.

However, contrary to her hopes, he tilted his head and then approached directly toward her.

“Dr. Hong Ji-an from Emergency Medicine?”

He called out her name precisely.

Thump, her heart sank.

How does he know my name?

The bewilderment that couldn’t be hidden even by the mask clearly formed and wavered in her widened eyes.

Unlike the surprised Ji-an, he looked with leisurely eyes as if answering her question, gazing intently at the name pinned on her white coat.

Ah, there’s a name on the coat.

Ji-an clenched her fists and acted nonchalant.

Her heart pounded like a drum, and her stomach churned as if she had ridden an intense amusement ride.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Seo Tae-jun, Chairman of Hanyeong Hospital.”

He suddenly extended his hand, requesting a handshake from her. And with persistent eyes, he stared as if to pierce through her face hidden by the mask.

Her heart became so intense it felt like it would jump out through her throat.

She instinctively wanted to run away from his unfathomable interest. However, since all eyes in the emergency room were focused on them, she barely managed to open her mouth.

“Ah, hello, Chairman.”

Ji-an couldn’t bring herself to take his hand, so she pretended not to notice, bowed her head, and greeted him in a lowered voice.

But as if he had no intention of backing down, he remained motionless with his hand extended.

As she bit her lips awkwardly and glanced around, Min-su standing beside her poked her side.

Being conscious of her surroundings, Ji-an had no choice but to gently extend her hand.

He grasped her small hand fully, applied strength to his grip, and slowly tightened it.

Heat rushed to the back of her neck.

To others, it would look like a simple handshake. However, Ji-an felt dizzy from the sticky heat flowing through their hands, suddenly recalling the breath that had wrapped around her tongue.

Feeling thirsty, she quickly pulled her hand away.

He leisurely lowered his hand, straightened his shoulders, and twisted his lips strangely. While gazing at her intently with deepened eyes.

Could it be that he recognized me?

Becoming anxious at his unusual behavior, she bit the inside of her lips.

“…We’ll meet again soon.”

An unusually heavy voice flowed out.

Again? Why?

She almost widened her eyes without realizing it.

He looked at Ji-an with the same eyes as that night, as if he would devour her hotly.

It was just a moment, but instinctively, Ji-an could feel it.

This man recognized me.

Her body stiffened and it felt as if all the blood in her body was drying up.

“Ji-an? Do you know the Chairman personally?”

“Hey! What’s that? What does he mean by meeting again soon?”

As Tae-jun left the emergency room, the station nurses swarmed around Ji-an like bees and asked.

“I, I’m not sure either.”

Ji-an shook her head awkwardly.

Kyung-seok observed this scene with even sharper eyes.

Unlike usual, Ji-an was noticeably agitated.

What could it be? Hong Ji-an, why is she acting like that?

Actually, Kyung-seok had more questions. However, seeing Ji-an’s reddened neck, he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

Kyung-seok, who had been caught by the Chairman in the corridor, underwent an incomprehensible pressure interview.

It started with the emergency room situation and medical staff. Then gradually, the sharp gaze that began asking about personal matters.

When he said he would tour the emergency room directly, Kyung-seok was on high alert, thinking he might try to reduce the already insufficient staff.

But after making him tense by discussing profits, there wasn’t much enthusiasm in his gaze as he looked around the interior.

As if his purpose had been different from the beginning…

Kyung-seok recalled Ji-an running away from the lobby as if fleeing.

Could it be that she ran away in surprise after seeing the Chairman?

The way she suddenly put on a mask as if trying to hide her face, and the somewhat strange look in the Chairman’s eyes as he looked toward Ji-an as if trying to confirm something.

Though they had no connection at all, it really seemed like there was something between the two.

Kyung-seok had been quietly nurturing feelings for Ji-an all this time.

He knew well from watching her for years.

Ji-an’s only interest was in patients, and she cut off men who showed interest like a knife.

Her guard was so strong that even though he had feelings, he couldn’t easily reveal them.

So he gradually grew closer under the name of senior, and when Ji-an first informed him of her mother’s condition and asked for help, he knew the opportunity had come.

There were no other men around Ji-an. Moreover, now was not the situation or circumstances for that.

But why do I feel so anxious?

He looked at Ji-an, who seemed different from usual, with complicated eyes.

Then, as if frustrated, Min-su stepped forward and asked.

“Hey! Hong Ji-an! What happened earlier was definitely strange no matter how you look at it. Don’t you really know the Chairman?”

“No.”

Ji-an, who had been hesitating, said firmly.

“Then why did he tell you he’d see you again?”

“I don’t know the reason either.”

Under the persistent gazes of her colleagues, she became more troubled than when Tae-jun had appeared.

But rather than making more excuses, it seemed better to just claim ignorance for now.

“Isn’t everyone busy? I need to organize charts, so please…”

It was when Ji-an tried to change the subject as if nothing happened and lowered her gaze to the monitor.

The closed emergency room automatic door opened, and a man in a suit walked briskly toward the station.

It was the man who had been standing behind Tae-jun who had left earlier.

Pushing up his sharp glasses, he approached Ji-an directly and spoke.

“Dr. Hong Ji-an.”

“…Yes.”

“I’m Director Kim Dae-un, who serves Chairman Seo Tae-jun.”

After revealing his identity to Ji-an, the man handed her his business card.

As she received it bewilderedly, he then handed her an envelope.

“The Chairman asked me to give this to you.”

Ji-an had to ask.

“What is this?”

“It’s a monetary gift.”

“…Why are you giving me something like this?”

Realizing that the contents of the thick envelope were money, Ji-an’s expression gradually hardened as she asked.

“The Chairman is giving this for what happened at H Hotel a week ago.”

What? This crazy bastard!

Intense profanity almost burst out of her mouth.

The envelope in Ji-an’s hand trembled slightly.

Was this payment for spending the night? Or hush money to keep her mouth shut?

Her reason flew away and her vision seemed to turn completely white.

But since there were colleagues watching Ji-an with surprised looks, she barely suppressed herself and spoke coldly.

“I think there’s been some mistake.”

Ji-an held out the envelope to the man, trying to return it. But he didn’t take it and stepped back.

“That can’t be. This is something the chairman directly instructed.”

“No. I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve never done anything to deserve receiving something like this.”

“You’re more than qualified. You saved that girl’s life at H Hotel that day.”

Ah! The incident where she saved the child whose airway was blocked by candy.

At this completely unexpected story, Ji-an was struck speechless.

“You played a major role in the hospital’s publicity. This is given as a token of gratitude, so please don’t feel burdened. There will be good news soon as well.”

Having quickly finished what he had to say, the man leisurely walked out of the emergency room.

Frozen, Ji-an looked down at the envelope with a confused expression for a moment.

“Wow, Hong Ji-an! So that’s what it was? How did you save the child?”

Min-su patted Ji-an’s shoulder and asked.

“So that’s why the chairman specifically picked out Ji-an and shook her hand?”

“Teacher, how nice for you. Open it. How much is it?”

Questions flew from here and there, but she couldn’t hear any of them.

Publicly, it was a plausible justification.

Perhaps because she had heard various rumors, Ji-an couldn’t rashly accept the money.

Most importantly, she still didn’t properly know what that man was thinking.

I have to return it.

It was the moment when Ji-an, having belatedly come to her senses, was about to follow the man out.

Ring ring!

Ring ring ring!

The urgent emergency room bell began ringing frantically in succession.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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