Another patient was rushed into the ER. Apparently, he was suffering from a heart attack and was in dire need of medical assistance. As the doctors rushed the patient on the stretcher to the operating table. Anesthesia was injected into him, making him fall asleep and once it had been done, the operation began. Doctors and nurses calmly tried to open his chest and locate the problem in his heart in an effort to save him. As the operating process became more and more intense, the doctors and nurses’ cooperation and bond became even stronger as they realized they had to work together under so much pressure just to help this man live.

However, on the other side of the hospital, another struggle was taking place. And we’re not talking about medical conditions here. The struggle taking place in the other room-the more private one-was a deep, personal issue.

“I told you, I’m not going with you!” nurse Ji Yeon said as she turned away from her boss Dr. Kwak. Dr. Kwak was 49 years old, intelligent and wealthy and somewhat erted. He had a long, flaming desire to have Ji Yeon all for himself. At first, their relationship was purely professional but the more Dr. Kwak got to see and work with Ji Yeon, the more attracted he was to her. The more the desire to always b e by her side burned. When Ji Yeon learned of his infatuation with her through his actions, as well as when he admitted his true feelings for her, Ji Yeon felt awkward and began to distance herself from him.

“Why have you been avoiding me? What have I done to you?!” begged Dr. Kwak, taking Ji Yeon’s hand in his. Ji Yeon pulled her hand away and pushed the doctor away from her. Dr. Kwak felt hurt, insulted, and angry all at the same time.

“Stay away from me, you ert!” Ji Yeon pointed at him, her long, slender finger warning him to keep his distance. “I will kill you if you dare touch me.” Being a temperamental person, Dr. Kwak attempted to wrap his arms around Ji Yeon in his anger. He lunged towards the young nurse and wrapped his arms around her body. Caught with her guard down, Ji Yeon struggled and tried to pinch the doctor’s burly arms and kick his legs but her struggle was useless as the doctor was not only strong but crazed with the lust to claim what was hers.

“HELP! HELP! HEL-” Ji Yeon screamed for help but Dr. Kwak covered . Ji Yeon was in a very helpless state and was even more desperate when Dr. Kwak scooted over to the door, leaned on it for it to close and locked it. The mad doctor then unleashed a side of him no one knew he had. His vicious, beastly side. Dr. Kwak drove Ji Yeon to the wall and banged her head, causing Ji Yeon’s eyes to tightly close in pain. All she could do was wail and wait for blood to flow, causing her death.

“NOBODY! INSULTS! MY! AUTHORITY!” he screamed at her repeatedly in between gritted teeth while banging her head. Weakened and in pain, Ji Yeon collapsed on the floor as he released her. Dr. Kwak looked at her helpless body and decided to keep her in this state until he got home. Quickly, he grabbed some masking tape and taped Ji Yeon’s mouth, used his handkerchief to tie her hands and some more masking tape for her feet. Mustering all his strength, he lifted the unconscious nurse and kept her in the huge cupboard. Before closing the doors, he glanced at her body and face one last time.

“So beautiful. Even on the brink of death.” he said to himself and shut the cupboard, leaving Ji Yeon to suffocate inside.

[THE PRESENT DAY]

“ YOU!” she cursed out loud as she stabbed the picture frame with her knife-hands. Ji Yeon was alone in her house, angrily recalling the abuse that she went through in the hands of her very own boss, a man who was supposedly specializing in the field of making people feel better and curing them, only made her life a living hell. Ji Yeon was now retired from her job as a nurse and was working as a one-man mafia, hunting (and scaring) criminals out of their wits in desperate search of the doctor who her and severely disfigured her.

What really happened? After locking her up in the cupboard when she was unconscious, Dr. Kwak came back for her, carried her to his house and her. After doing so, he subjected her to inhumane torture-torture no one would’ve ever thought she would’ve survived-before giving her the Chelsea grin and worse-amputating her.

I remember that night. I remember it very clearly.  Ji Yeon thought. Her mind tried to recall that painful, painful night that scarred not only her body but her mind.

[FLASHBACK]

“Where am I?” Ji Yeon awoke in a dark dungeon. The dungeon was dingy and had a lot of torture apparatus. It was a torture chamber that Dr. Kwak had been keeping a secret from the world.

“What the is this place?” Ji Yeon stood up and explored. Chains, saws, traps. Anything and everything that could be used for torture.

“OH MY GOD!” Ji Yeon jolted out of her skin upon seeing the place. The door suddenly creaked behind her, making her really jump out of her skin.

“Did you miss me?” Dr. Kwak entered, an evil grin painted on his face. In his hand was a machete, a weapon so sharp it could kill. Ji Yeon’s face was painted with fear.

“Please, Dr. Kwak. Release me. I won’t tell anyone about-” Dr. Kwak hit her and watched intently as she fell to the floor.

“You won’t tell? I don’t trust you mothering nurses. You and your mouths! You won’t tell?! Ha! I’ll make sure you won’t tell!”

[END FLASHBACK]

Ji Yeon snapped out of her flashback mode. She didn’t want to recall what followed. Dr. Kwak continued to beat her and pulled a knife out, slicing the sides of . Ji Yeon recalled kicking him before the gashes got deeper and was totally sliced into two. As the doctor was strong, he got back up and with his machete, swiftly amputated her.

That is why right now, Ji Yeon wore a surgical mask around her face to hid the stitch wounds that she performed on her face herself and as for her arms, instead of plugging in prosthetic arms, she had knives plunged in as she was to take on the biggest, most drastic occupation change in her life. From a noble nurse who cared and nurtured hurt and sick people to a ruthless, heartless assassin disguised as a nurse, hell bent on finding the man who tried to murder her and end his life, expose his lies once and for all. She was an assassin like no other. Self-made. No special training. No espionage experience whatsoever. Just pure anger and desire for revenge.

Being an assassin, she gave herself the sweetest, most endearing codename anyone could ever have. So much was it that she made sure it fit her former profession.

Park Ji Yeon. The Nightingale.