stuttered, and one of the containers fell from her fingers to splatter on her shoes.
She raced to Jihoon’s room, past startled nurses and patients. The rumpled bed was empty. Sheets tangled at the foot like they’d been kicked away. She dropped the second banana milk when she spun to grab the nearest nurse. The woman looked harried, her arms loaded with gauze.
“Where did the patient in room 1696 go?” Miyoung’s voice lifted in panic.
“I don’t know. Maybe they took him for a scan.” The nurse extracted herself from Miyoung’s grip and hurried away, sending curious glances over her shoulder.
“No,” Miyoung said to no one in particular, pressing her hand against her speeding heart. No matter what she did, she couldn’t slow it down. “Something isn’t right.”
Lights flashed across her vision and she blinked, worried she would lose consciousness if she didn’t calm down. But they wove in and out, stretched across her line of sight.
Somin walked up, eyeing Miyoung suspiciously. “Where’s Jihoon?” she asked, staring at the empty bed.
“I don’t know.” Miyoung squeezed her eyes shut. When she blinked them open, the lights began to bleed together. She realized they were pulsing. A beat like a heart. And it called to her. She knew then that it wasn’t just her imagination or the delirium of her weakening state. It was the bead calling to her. The bead leading her. To Jihoon. She let it embrace her, let it surround her. A glow starting in her chest and growing outward. When she opened her eyes, the lights were now a steady line of glittering crimson. She followed it.
The automatic door opened to let her outside, but Junu blocked her path. “Miyoung.”
She tried to move around him but he stopped her.
“What?” she asked, exasperated.
“It’s Yena.”
Dread settled in Miyoung’s belly. “What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything.”
Miyoung narrowed her eyes at his careful wording. “You mean you didn’t stop her.”
Junu spread his hands out. “I don’t get involved in situations that can get me killed.”
“You should have stopped her.”
“She paid me well not to. And she paid me to keep you here.”
“Just try it.” Miyoung rocked onto the balls of her feet, ready to fight.
“If she finds out I let you go so easily, she might come after me.”
“Then you better run.”
Junu sighed, like he’d expected that answer. His hand clamped around her wrist. “I can’t let you leave this hospital. And you’re in no state to fight me.”
Miyoung twisted to free herself, but Junu was right. He still had his superhuman strength, and she was as weak as a child. Still, she had her wits and her desperation. Still cuffed by Junu’s hand, she bit the fleshy part of his palm.
With a shout of pain, he let go and she darted past him. But Junu was still too fast and he caught her, holding her in place.
“If you just stop fighting, it’ll be easier for you. Let your mother retrieve your bead and forget all of this.”
“No!” she shouted, clawing at his arms.
Then Junu let out a surprised yelp and his arms loosened as he was dragged away. Miyoung twisted out of his grip to see Somin pulling Junu back by his hair.
“Let go!” He tried to break free, but Somin’s grip must have been like iron because he only screamed again. Tears of pain sprang to his eyes.
“Well, I’m not sure what kind of argument you two are having. But I don’t like to see you manhandling my friend,” Somin said.
My friend. Miyoung lifted her brows at the words.
“This is none of your business,” Junu said through gritted teeth. He was bent low at the waist now, as Somin was so short and refused to let go of his hair.
“That’s the problem. I can’t seem to keep myself from getting involved in Miyoung’s business. I’m nosy like that.” Somin shrugged.
“Miyoung? Somin? What’s going on here?” Detective Hae asked as he approached them, his eyes taking in the scene.
“Ajeossi,” Somin said, finally releasing Junu and shoving her hands behind her back like she was hiding evidence.
“Young man, I think you should get going,” Detective Hae said, pushing his blazer back in a way that clearly revealed his badge. Miyoung wondered if he practiced the move to get it just right.
Junu’s eyes shifted back and forth between the detective and Miyoung.
“This is not worth what I’m getting paid,” he said. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” With that he stormed away.