Mira hated this place.
Not because of the white walls or the sterile scent of antiseptic but because it remembered her.
Every hallway echoed with footsteps she had once memorized, voices she used to recognize, and moments she thought she'd buried. This hospital wasn't just a building. It was a tomb for her past. A place that held her brightest dreams and darkest memories.
She used to walk these corridors in a white coat, her name embroidered proudly: " Dr. Mira Yoon". She was younger then calmer. Or maybe just more naïve. The hospital had been her world, her future.
And then her father's secrets came to light.
And Mira's world cracked, slowly, then all at once.
She had left without warning. Without goodbyes. The people who had once respected her whispered now when her name came up. Because she wasn't just Dr. Mira Yoon anymore.
She was his daughter.
And here she was again. On the other side of the curtain. A patient, instead of a healer. Helpless in a place where she had once helped others.
The dull ache behind her eyes reminded her she was still here, still breathing. The IV drip ticked in rhythm with her heartbeat, slow.
Outside the window, the sun had slipped behind grey clouds. Evening had fallen, but time did not seem to matter in this place. Hospitals existed outside of time where day and night blurred into fluorescent silence.
She heard the soft buzz of voices outside her room.
Familiar ones.
So Ri's light chatter. Jae Min's calm, slightly deeper tone. Ares's silence louder than all of them. She imagined him leaning against the wall, arms crossed, jaw tight like it always was when he didn't know what to say.
A part of her ached at the thought of them worrying. Another part wanted to scream at them to go away.
She didn't want them to see her like this. Weak. Cornered.
The door creaked open, and a figure stepped in quietly.
Nurse Jang.
She was one of the few who had always been kind to Mira back when Mira worked here as a resident. An older woman with silver streaked hair tied in a bun, and warm eyes that somehow managed to be both stern and soft.
"You haven't changed much," Nurse Jang said with a small smile, placing Mira's chart back into its slot.
Mira gave her a weak smile. "Still breaking hospital rules, I see."
"And you're still refusing to rest," the nurse replied, walking to the side of the bed. "You scared them out there. Especially the tall, silent one."
Mira glanced down. "I didn't mean to."
"I know."
There was a beat of silence before the nurse added more carefully, "People here still remember you, you know. Not just as your father's daughter. But as the girl who stayed late with patients. The one who held hands even after death."
Mira's throat tightened.
"That girl got lost," she said quietly.
"No," the nurse said, voice firm. "She's still in there. Just.… bruised."
She didn't say her father's name.
Didn't have to.
The weight of it still lingered, heavier than ever.
When Nurse Jang left, the silence returned,,,
Then came another knock. This time gentler.
The door opened slowly. So Ri peeked in first, her eyes wide with cautious worry. Behind her, Jae Min gave a small nod. Ares followed, his hands buried deep in his pockets.
Mira managed a small smile. "Hey."
So Ri didn't hesitate. She walked straight to her side and sat on the edge of the bed. "Okay. Spill. What happened to you earlier?"
Mira looked away. "It was.… nothing, just tired may be"
Ares stepped closer. "You collapsed, Mira. Your nose bled, you couldn't breathe. That's not nothing."
Jae Min was quiet, watching her carefully.
Mira closed her eyes for a moment, gathering the pieces of her composure.
She took a breath.
"I got a call," she said finally. "From a number I didn't recognize. The voice.… it was someone from before. From…. everything."
She didn't say my past. Didn't say my father's world.
But they all seemed to understand the weight of what wasn't said.
"I'm okay, now " she added quickly. "I told the doctor not to say anything because I didn't want to make it into a bigger thing."
"Mira,,," Ares started, but she cut him off with a small shake of her head.
"I'm okay. I just…. need time. And maybe some sleep."
So Ri didn't push, just gently took Mira's hand in hers. "You don't have to pretend with us."
Mira gave a tired smile. "I know."
But even as the words left her mouth, the walls around her heart stayed firmly in place.
Because there were things she still couldn't say.
Not yet, Maybe not ever.