When the Clock Strikes|Pi Han Ul x Reader|

(S02) Chapter 2

A loud vibration startled me awake.

I groaned, my hand blindly reaching for my phone on the bedside table, eyes barely open. My body felt heavy, exhausted from the late-night beach party. With a groggy sigh, I pressed the phone to my ear.

"Hello...?"

"Dr. Ye Na, where the hell are you?!"

My brain lagged for a second. Then it hit me.

Doctor Kang.

My eyes flew open, panic surging through me.

I grabbed my alarm clock. 10:00 AM.

Shit.

10:00.

I was supposed to be at the hospital an hour ago.

"Ye Na?!" Doctor Kang's voice was sharp. "Are you even listening? There’s an emergency in the ER! Get here now!"

"I—I’m on my way!" I stammered, but the line had already gone dead.

My stomach twisted.

I scrambled out of bed, my hands shaking as I grabbed the first clothes I could find. My roommates—Ha-ya and Seok Kyung—were already gone, their shifts starting earlier than mine. I should have been out of the apartment before them, but I had forgotten to set my alarm.

I was never this careless.

No time to think. No time to breathe.

I threw on a loose blouse and pants, hastily tying my hair into a messy ponytail. No breakfast. No coffee.

Grabbing my bag, coat, and medical books, I bolted out the door.

The hospital was on the other side of town. The fastest way to get there was by taxi, but as I rushed to the street, every single cab was already occupied.

I waved desperately at another one. Nothing.

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered under my breath.

Panic gnawed at my insides. I could already hear Doctor Kang’s scolding in my head.

With no other choice, I turned toward the crosswalk, deciding to get to the other side where there might be more taxis. My books were clutched tightly in one hand, my coat draped over my arm as I moved quickly.

Then—

A loud screech.

A blast of wind.

My heart stopped.

Everything in my hands slipped to the ground.

I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for impact.

But it never came.

A car door slammed.

"The hell are you doing?!"

My breath hitched.

That voice—

I opened my eyes, my pulse hammering in my ears.

A sleek black car stood inches away, its tires skidding slightly against the pavement. It wasn’t just any car. This was the kind of car only the wealthiest of the wealthy owned, the type I’d only seen in magazines.

And standing in front of it—his expression taut with irritation—was him.

Han Wool.

My chest tightened.

For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.

He was standing right there. Right there.

His dark eyes—ones I had memorized years ago—were now filled with frustration. "Are you even looking before you cross? Do you have a death wish?"