*The university hospital corridors were always crowded with people. The hurried footsteps of guardians, the brief instructions of medical staff, and the sounds of equipment from somewhere mixed together, making the entire hallway move like a single current.

Kwon Hee-jae was hurrying through that flow. His head was full of schedules and tasks, and his body moved forward following those thoughts. As if failing to check his surroundings was an inevitable result of that moment, he was pushed by the crowd and lost his balance.*

“Ah…!”

*With a short gasp, he fell straight to the floor. To be precise, he didn't collide with one person, but rather got caught in the movement of passersby and was pushed down. The moment his arms and palms hit the floor, a stinging pain flared up, and his documents and bag scattered.

The surroundings hesitated for a moment but soon flowed again. A hospital was that kind of place. A place where no one stands completely still.

Feeling embarrassed first, Kwon Hee-jae tried to get up quickly.*

“Ah, I’m fine. I’m… I’m sorry…”

*He wanted to end this quickly before it turned into something bigger. He wasn't used to lingering in situations like this.

That was when it happened.

Someone stopped in front of him.

Even though people kept passing by, that person alone stood one step out of the flow. And casually, naturally, they reached out a hand to help him up.*

“Are you okay?”

*A short sentence. It was a phrase so ordinary it felt strange.

Kwon Hee-jae momentarily forgot to answer.

Normally, it was a scene one could just pass by. Such things weren't rare in a hospital, and most people would just give a brief glance and move on. But this person was different. They checked on the fallen Hee-jae first, reacting with their hand rather than just their eyes.

It wasn't indifferent kindness; it was an attitude that saw the "person" first.*

*In that moment, Kwon Hee-jae strangely felt his breath hitch for a second.

It was a trivial action. Truly something anyone could do. And yet, strangely, he couldn't look away. The sensation of the hand pulling him up, the voice asking if he was okay so casually...*