Emergency Instinct - Chapter 27

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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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Tae-jun gritted his teeth deeply.

 

Whether it was because all his senses were focused on Ji-an, or if it was truly fate.

 

Like that day when he first saw her saving a child, every beginning was always inevitability disguised as coincidence.

 

A little while ago, on his way to the hospital.

 

It was when he had stopped at the traffic light.

 

His gaze unconsciously turned outside the car window.

 

A well-maintained restaurant exterior, soft signboard lighting.

 

Inside, as if reality had briefly twisted, he saw Hong Ji-an like a mirage.

 

She was smiling contentedly like a well-fed cat, as if she had eaten and slept well.

 

She was sitting across from a man with a familiar face, and the laughter exchanged between them was annoyingly gentle.

 

He could see with excessive clarity even the moment when the man offered her a small box.

 

Was he confessing his love?

 

Her expression was full of excitement.

 

He had rushed here thinking that seeing Ji-an would erase the foul mood caused by Cha Bo-kyung.

 

But what kind of damn situation was this?

 

Tae-jun’s nerves became sharply on edge.

 

He immediately took out his phone and pressed the call button.

 

As the ringtone sounded, he could see Ji-an looking around with a troubled expression.

 

A hollow laugh escaped through his teeth, and the tendons on his hand gripping the phone stood out clearly.

 

Answer it. Hong Ji-an.

 

You’re bothered by it too, aren’t you?

 

Tae-jun kept his gaze fixed on her without looking away.

 

But even after seeing her phone, Ji-an only glanced around nervously and didn’t move at all.

 

Click!

 

The ringtone that had been going for a while was cut off.

 

-The person cannot answer the phone, connecting to voicemail…

 

Instantly, cold yet hot flames toward Ji-an surged violently in his chest, fighting each other.

 

His fists naturally clenched with force. Blood rushed to his forehead, and even his stitched wound throbbed hotly.

 

Tae-jun spoke in a low voice.

 

“Stop the car.”

 

***

 

Seo Tae-jun.

 

Seeing the name on her phone, Ji-an felt a chill run down her spine.

 

Surely not.

 

Forgetting that Kyung-seok was in front of her, Ji-an looked around in surprise first.

 

Just like how he had appeared suddenly before, it felt like Tae-jun might pop out from somewhere.

 

Thump thump.

 

Her heartbeat suddenly quickened.

 

Actually, even if he was watching from somewhere, it wasn’t something she needed to worry much about.

 

But why was her heart beating as if she had committed some crime?

 

While her mind was muddled with confusion and she was dazed, the call was cut off.

 

Rather than relief, anxiety washed over her.

 

“Ji-an…”

 

Ji-an, who had been unconsciously staring only at her phone, was startled by Kyung-seok’s voice and looked up.

 

“Who was it? Your face right now…”

 

“Oh, it’s nothing. Senior.”

 

Ji-an barely came to her senses and shook her head. Just then.

 

Buzz!

 

Her phone vibrated again.

 

She looked with surprised eyes, but this time it wasn’t Tae-jun’s name but the Emergency Room number that appeared.

 

It was the first time an ER call felt so welcome.

 

Ji-an quickly pressed the call button and spoke.

 

“Yes, this is Hong Ji-an.”

 

-Ji-an, can you come in early by any chance?

 

The voice of Min-su, the chief resident, came through, getting straight to the point.

 

Normally she would have asked for the reason. But Ji-an was rather glad that she could leave this place.

 

“Yes. I understand. I’ll come right now.”

 

Ji-an couldn’t bring herself to look directly at Kyung-seok and stood up abruptly.

 

“Senior. I have an urgent call, so I’ll go first.”

 

“Let’s go together. Me too.”

 

“Oh, no. Senior. I’ll go first.”

 

Ji-an spoke firmly to Kyung-seok who was also getting up. And she quickly turned around, leaving behind the box he had given her.

 

She was sorry, but she didn’t have the luxury to look back at Kyung-seok.

 

If she just crossed the intersection traffic light, she could run to the Emergency Room in 5 minutes. She wanted to quickly escape this place and enter the ER. Then this complicated feeling seemed like it would find stability.

 

Ji-an hurriedly opened the restaurant door and went out, standing in front of the crosswalk.

 

While looking at the red traffic light and anxiously biting her lips and looking around.

 

Tae-jun appeared like a mirage.

 

Ji-an’s eyes widened.

 

This can’t be.

 

He was approaching in a black suit, smiling coolly.

 

It looked as if he was questioning why she didn’t answer his call.

 

Her surprised heart began to beat more and more roughly.

 

“Doctor Hong Ji-an.”

 

Tae-jun stopped walking and stood in front of her, speaking in a sunken voice.

 

“Did you cut some steak behind my back?”

 

Ji-an felt dizzy and her lungs seemed to tighten painfully.

 

Beyond simple sarcasm, his tone somehow felt thick with emotion, so beyond surprise, her spine tingled without her knowing.

 

As if she was really someone caught doing something behind his back.

 

Thump thump thump.

 

Her crazy heart was now beating loudly like a drum.

 

Even though he seemed to be pressuring her, he looked endlessly relaxed.

 

As she bit her trembling lips tightly, he reached out his large hand.

 

Flinch, Ji-an gasped in surprise and froze.

 

With a confident face as if he knew everything, he casually brushed the hair stuck to her cheek back.

 

Her nape heated up from the tickling touch.

 

“Isn’t this too unfair?”

 

Yes, it was unfair.

 

She didn’t know when she had started becoming so flustered whenever she saw him.

 

The intense heartbeat that spread from her chest vibrated even to her head. Heat rose through her blood vessels and she couldn’t bear it.

 

She tried to endure it somehow, but this trembling that she could no longer deny.

 

Was it because his first impression was so intense?

 

From when he constantly swept her away with words and actions that she wanted to believe were sincere?

 

Or maybe it was from the moment she realized that while sitting across from Kyung-seok, she kept thinking of him without knowing it.

 

Her heart was beating as if it would burst toward him.

 

“I haven’t eaten a single meal, but Doctor Hong Ji-an…”

 

That was the moment.

 

In her burning eyes, she saw the traffic light.

 

As if gesturing for her to run away now, it changed from the dangerous red light to the safe green light.

 

Her body moved before her mind could think.

 

It was instinct.

 

She was terrified that her overflowing feelings, which she had become aware of, might be discovered.

 

She absolutely couldn’t let herself be caught like this.

 

Ji-an ran toward the crosswalk with all her might, without any plan.

 

“Ha-”

 

An incredulous laugh burst from Tae-jun’s lips.

 

His heart was wavering at Ji-an’s flushed face, clearly showing her flustered state.

 

But Ji-an had completely ignored him and ran right past.

 

Just how many times was he going to watch her run away from him?

 

In the blink of an eye, Ji-an crossed the crosswalk and sprinted toward the hospital building.

 

Ridiculously, Tae-jun couldn’t take his eyes off her retreating figure as she ran like a professional athlete.

 

She’s pretty even when doing this every time. Hong Ji-an.

 

“Ha. Hahaha.”

 

An absurd laugh burst from Tae-jun’s lips as his heart raced for a different reason.

 

Swept up in countless emotions in that brief moment, he roughly ran his hand through his hair.

 

The wound on his forehead brushed against his hand, and a tingling pain and heat surged all the way to his toes.

 

Tae-jun saw the green light blinking in his vision.

 

He began to stride forward with his long legs.

 

***

 

Even as Ji-an ran with all her might, she kept recalling Tae-jun’s face that had just passed by.

 

Though it was only for a moment, it remained unusually vivid in her memory.

 

Had he perhaps seen her with Kyung-seok?

 

Was that why he had that… expression that seemed like jealousy?

 

At that thought, her face grew even hotter and her breath caught in her throat.

 

Ji-an forcibly swallowed her rising breath and shook her head as if to comfort herself.

 

No. Jealousy?

 

We’re not even dating.

 

I shouldn’t keep having these strange thoughts!

 

Ji-an focused only on the call from the hospital and ran, summoning every ounce of strength she had.

 

Trying not to have unnecessary thoughts, Ji-an just looked ahead and ran and ran.

 

Her heart and thighs felt like they would burst, but she couldn’t stop.

 

She was breathless up to her chin.

 

Her lungs already felt like they would burst from exceeding their capacity.

 

She hoped the emergency room would be very busy so she couldn’t have idle thoughts.

 

If not, she’d have to organize medications and clean the supply room.

 

If she worked her body hard, this trembling would gradually disappear too.

 

As she tried to calm her heart by forcibly thinking about hospital work, Ji-an saw the narrow corridor between the main building and the funeral home building.

 

It was a shortcut to the emergency room.

 

As soon as Ji-an thought of this, she immediately turned and entered.

 

However, a car moving at considerable speed was quickly coming from the opposite direction.

 

With nowhere to dodge, Ji-an froze in that instant.

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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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