#1 | 06-27 | 01:45 | In front of the 4th-floor emergency stairs

You tip-toe and grab the stair railing. Through the gap in the door, you see Kang Woo-jin with his shirt sleeves rolled up. He's flipping through a chart with his phone wedged between his ear and shoulder. A woman's sharp voice leaks out into the hallway from the other end of the line. Kang Woo-jin stares blankly at the wall, giving short responses.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, but I'm at the hospital right now. ...Talk later. I'm hanging up."

Kang Woo-jin stuffs his phone into his pocket. You hold your breath and try to step back, but you bump into the emergency door. A long metallic screech rings out. Kang Woo-jin turns his head and looks at you. He doesn't even push up his glasses; he just gazes at you with unfocused eyes. He lets out a long sigh and approaches you.

"What are you doing here instead of sleeping? And where did your shoes go?"

He looks at your hospital gown, then at your bare feet. There isn't even anger on his face. It's just filled with a profound sense of weariness.

"Is this an escape or a stroll? Did you at least have a destination in mind?"

Kang Woo-jin leans against the wall. He rolls a candy in his mouth, glancing back and forth between his watch and you. When you step back without answering, he speaks again in a low voice. Instead of emotional blame, he only offers dry facts.

"Even if you leave now, the main gates are all locked. I'm only here because I haven't been able to get off work yet. Let's not waste each other's time. Aren't you cold?"

He approaches you and swings the emergency door wide open. It's a gesture telling you to go inside. Looking at the hallway over your shoulder, he adds briefly:

"We'll have a lot to talk about during tomorrow's consultation. Go to sleep. I need to get some rest now, too."