Prologue

Choi Siwon walked briskly down the hallway, pausing briefly only to glance at the directional board above him. He determined his path in an instant, then his long legs took him down the left corridor.

Spotting his cousin outside one of the rooms, he called out a greeting. "Hyung, how is he?"

Park Jung-su turned at the sound of Siwon's voice, soft as it was in deference to where they were. "It doesn't look good," he replied, equally somber. "The doctors say a bypass may be the only thing they can do."

"A bypass?" Siwon frowned. "But his medical condition…" he trailed off as a man emerged from the room, dressed in blue scrubs.

Removing his surgical mask, the man nodded at Jung-su and Siwon. "Shim Kang Dae," he introduced, as he bowed to both of them. "I'm the cardio-thoracic surgeon in charge of your father's case," he told Jung-su.

"How is my father?" Jung-su asked, worry showing on his face.

"To be honest, things don't look too good for him. We're prepping him for surgery now. He needs a bypass to reduce the arterial blockage," Dr. Shim replied. "I understand he has other medical conditions?"

"Yes," Jung-su responded, and then proceeded to list the various ailments his father suffered from, and the medications he was currently taking.

Siwon took the opportunity to glance into the room, where nurses were working quickly to prepare his uncle for surgery. He watched as one of them took a look at the blood pressure monitor and made a quick note in her file.

His attention returned to the other two men in front of him just as there was a movement at the start of the corridor.

Immediately, he recognized his aunt – Jung-su's mother – who was being supported on one side by his own mother, her sister. A young lady had grasped his aunt's other arm, and it was this newcomer whom Siwon fixed his attention on.

Dressed in a light gray business suit, she had a file tucked underneath her right arm. There was a slight black bulge at her hip, and as the women came nearer, he realized that it was a phone holster. An official-looking dark blue lanyard hung around her neck, proclaiming that she was a member of the hospital staff.

As he watched, the young lady and his mother guided his aunt to a seat, and while his mother remained by her sister's side, patting her hand and offering words of comfort, the young lady walked towards him.

"Kang Dae," she called softly, offering a small smile for the doctor. "Anything new for me?"

She glanced at Siwon, and in that moment he felt a little lurch in his chest. She was unusually tall for a female; Siwon guessed that she was no more than half a head shorter than him. Her dark brown hair was swept back into a bun, although some tendrils had fallen loose and now framed her face.

But it was her eyes that caught him. The dark gray orbs met his, the brows above them arching in a silent question, and he felt strangely fixated. Something in those eyes beckoned to him, as if yearning to share some dark secret.

He was forced to break his stare as someone – probably Jung-su – cleared his throat. Siwon heard the doctor replying to the lady, although their words glazed over him and he had no idea what they were saying.

"Thanks K," she said, and the doctor turned away from them to return to his patient.

"Mr. Park," she now addressed Jung-su with a slight bow, "My name is Park Soo-Kyung. I'm a medical social worker."

Jung-su returned her greeting, and then turned to Siwon. "This is my cousin, Choi Siwon."

"Nice to meet you," Soo-Kyung extended another bow in his direction.

"Social worker?" Siwon blurted. "Why do we need a social worker?"

Jung-su shot him a look before turning back to Soo-Kyung. "I think we're okay, Soo-Kyung-sshi. We don't need any financial help with the hospital bills or anything. Just give my father the best treatment and care."

Soo-Kyung smiled. "I think you misunderstand, Mr. Park. My job is not just about financial aid. It extends to other things as well."

Siwon arched a brow at her response. "Such as?"

"Such as offering emotional support for families of patients, and referring them for counseling if necessary," Soo-Kyung replied smoothly, as if she had said the same thing a hundred times before.

"I think we're okay for the moment," Jung-su told her. "The rest of the family and our friends will be coming over."

Soo-Kyung smiled again, and this time Siwon noticed how a distinctive sparkle reached her eyes as her lips curled. "No problem, Mr. Park." She handed Jung-su a business card, saying, "If you ever need anything, please feel free to contact me."

With another bow to Jung-su and Siwon, she was gone.