Light Mr. XX

Prologue

When I opened my eyes, I was in a hospital.

A white ceiling came into view, accompanied by the distinct scent unique to hospitals. Blinking vacantly, I raised my arm. Seeing an IV drip inserted into my hand confirmed it—I was undoubtedly in a hospital.

I had no memory of coming here, so why was I suddenly—? The moment that thought crossed my mind, a sharp pain struck my head. For a second or two, my vision turned stark white before gradually returning to normal. If I hadn’t been lying in bed, I would have surely collapsed.

After blinking a few more times to clear my mind, I finally looked around. Pulling back the blanket, I saw that I was dressed in hospital-issued patient clothes, marked all over with the hospital’s logo. A hospital bed, an IV stand hanging beside my head, and a bedside cabinet—there was no doubt about it. This was definitely a hospital. Not the emergency room, but a private room meant for a single patient.

No, but why the hell am I here all of a sudden? I frowned at the thought.

Just then, the door opened, and a nurse walked in. The moment our eyes met, hers widened slightly. She looked surprised for a brief moment, but as a professional, she quickly composed herself and approached my bedside.

“Are you feeling a bit more awake?”

“Ah… yeah.”

My voice, rough and hoarse, scraped against my throat as I spoke.

“Please wait a moment.”

With that brief remark, the nurse quickly turned and left. I kept my gaze fixed on the door she had disappeared through, and before long, a doctor in a white coat entered.

Wearing well-worn Crocs and bearing a face exhausted with fatigue, the doctor approached, pulled out a chart from beneath the bed, and skimmed through it. Then, carefully studying my face, he finally spoke.

“Do you remember what happened?”

The doctor asked abruptly.

“…No. I just opened my eyes and found myself in a hospital.”

When I replied with a slightly dazed expression, the doctor nodded.

“You suffered a concussion from hitting your head, but your MRI results came back fine. Do you feel any pain or anything unusual?”

“Well… I have a headache, and my neck hurts.”

“Headaches can occur due to a concussion. If it’s not too severe, try to endure it without medication. But if it gets too bad, be sure to let us know.”

“Okay.”

Even though the conversation with the doctor was smooth, my mind still felt foggy—like I was only half-conscious. How the hell did I end up in the hospital? A concussion? I injured my head? When? Since I’m in a patient room and not the ER, does that mean it’s been a few days?

“As I said, your MRI doesn’t show any issues, so for now—”

Lost in thought, I barely paid attention to what the doctor was saying until he suddenly called my name with a worried expression.

“Seo Ha-yoon?”

“…Seo Ha-yoon?”

“……?”

The doctor blinked in confusion. I stared at him, then glanced at the chart he was holding before speaking.

“I’m Kim Min-seok.”

The doctor looked down and rechecked the chart.

“You’re saying your name isn’t Seo Ha-yoon?”

“Yeah. It’s not.”

Even as I answered, I felt completely dumbfounded. What the hell? Is this hospital even doing its job properly?

The doctor turned to the nurse, who stood beside him with a slightly flustered expression. It was clear there was some sort of misunderstanding.

I repeated myself firmly.

“My name is Kim Min-seok.”

A crease formed between the doctor’s brows. A small wrinkle also appeared on the nurse’s forehead. Watching the two of them, I instinctively furrowed my brows as well.

“Did you properly verify the patient’s identity?”

The doctor asked the nurse, his tone slightly irritated.

The nurse’s expression turned defensive.

“One moment.”

Speaking in a small voice, she walked over to the patient locker inside the room. She opened it, retrieved a set of clothes, and brought them over. Placing them at the foot of the bed, she picked up a black leather wallet that had been resting on top.

She flipped it open and checked inside before handing it to the doctor.

With his brows still furrowed, the doctor peered intently inside the wallet. A moment later, he pulled out what appeared to be an identification card. He glanced between the ID photo and my face several times, then spoke slowly.

“You’re saying your name is Kim Min-seok?”

“Yes.”

The doctor and the nurse exchanged looks.

Something was definitely wrong.

“…Let’s talk again once your guardian arrives.”

With an ambiguous expression, the doctor placed the ID card back inside the wallet. He then slid the patient chart into the holder at the foot of the bed before turning around and exiting the room.

The nurse hesitated for a moment, eyeing me as if contemplating something, then neatly put away my clothes back into the locker.

“Your guardian should be back soon, so please wait a little while.”

Feigning concern as she pretended to check the IV, the nurse gave me a polite smile before leaving the room.

For a mix-up like this, their reaction seemed off.

As soon as I tried to sit up, my head spun violently. I squeezed my eyes shut, and after a few seconds, the dizziness subsided.

Slowly, I reached toward the foot of the bed. The distance was awkward. Shifting my hips slightly downward, I finally managed to grasp the patient chart.

The moment I looked at the chart, my brow furrowed instinctively.

Three characters were written in the name field: Seo Ha-yoon.

That was the name the doctor had called earlier. It was clear there had been a mix-up or some kind of mistake.

A sigh escaped me. As if waking up in a hospital with no memory of how I got here wasn’t baffling enough, now they couldn’t even confirm my identity and had mistaken me for someone else. That meant the so-called guardian they contacted probably wasn’t the right person either.

Rubbing my creased forehead, I glanced at the locker.

My phone was probably in there. Did they use the contacts on my phone to call someone? Then who the hell did they bring? Also, if they performed an MRI… how much was the hospital bill going to be?

Just as I was lost in thought, the closed door slowly swung open.

A man dressed in a black suit stepped inside.

Our eyes met.

The first thought that hit me upon seeing him was: Goddamn, he’s ridiculously good-looking.

His sharp, dark eyebrows framed piercing eyes that exuded an unyielding intensity. His high, straight nose and well-defined lips were in perfect harmony, creating a face that was flawless from every angle.

Since I was sitting in bed, I couldn’t gauge his exact height, but he was clearly tall. His broad shoulders gave off an imposing presence, and even someone as clueless as me could tell that his impeccably tailored suit was jaw-droppingly expensive.

While I was busy scanning and assessing him, he stood there silently, his intense gaze fixed on me.

I couldn’t tell if he was giving me time to observe him or if he was the one scrutinizing me—or maybe both.

The man with the striking presence continued staring without saying a word.

In the end, I was the first to break the silence.

“…Who are you?”

Even as I spoke, I couldn’t help but feel a little stupid.

Here I was, slouched in a shabby hospital gown, while he stood there looking like he had stepped right out of a high-end fashion magazine. The contrast alone was enough to make me feel small.

“Ha—!”

The first thing that came out of the man’s mouth was a scoff, laced with pure contempt.

I could see the muscles in his jaw clench. He looked absolutely furious.

“Uh… excuse me?”

I called out cautiously, watching as his expression twisted slightly.

“And what kind of bullshit are you pulling this time?”

His voice dripped with mockery as he spoke. Then, slowly, he began walking toward me.

With each step he took forward, the pressure around me intensified. My body, which had been leaning down to grab the chart at the foot of the bed, instinctively shifted backward.

But there was no contest between his deliberate strides and my awkward, scooting retreat.

By the time he reached the bedside, his large hand shot out and seized my forearm roughly. His grip wasn’t even that tight, but the sheer strength behind it made me wince.

Noticing my reaction, he loosened his grip slightly. Seizing the moment, I yanked my arm free.

“Look, I don’t know who you are, but—”

I didn’t even get to finish my sentence before his hand suddenly clamped around my jaw, tilting my face up.

“Excuse me?” His voice was cold, seething with frustration. “What the fuck are you trying to pull now, Seo Ha-yoon? Do you think I have time to entertain your little games?”

He was gripping my jaw so hard that my bones ached. I tried to pry his hand off, but he didn’t budge an inch. His strength was unreal.

A faint scent of high-end cologne wafted from him—elegant, refined, completely at odds with the rough way he was manhandling me.

“Fuck. Let go of me.”

The curse slipped out instinctively.

The only reason I didn’t drop all formalities was the distinct feeling that if I pissed him off any further, I might actually get my ass handed to me.

But maybe even that was a mistake.

Because at that moment, something dark sparked in his obsidian-black eyes.

Was I about to get hit? The thought crossed my mind as I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut.

But instead of a blow, a smooth voice slipped into my ears.

“Let go of him first before you speak.”

At the unfamiliar voice, I opened my eyes.

A new man had appeared, gripping the suited man’s wrist firmly.

He had a pale complexion, soft brown hair, and was dressed in an ivory-colored knit sweater. His delicate features matched the gentleness of his voice—he was undeniably handsome, but in a completely different way from the first man.

The suited man’s gaze grew even sharper, turning vicious.

I tensed.

Even though his glare wasn’t directed at me, my entire body felt tight with unease. But the brown-haired man, the actual target of that piercing look, remained unfazed. Instead, he smiled lightly and repeated himself.

“Let go. Ha-yoon is in pain.”

At the mention of pain, the man in black flicked his eyes toward me.

My expression was slightly contorted, and upon confirming that, he finally loosened his grip on my jaw.

I immediately rubbed at the sore spot. If he had wanted to, he could’ve easily shattered my jawbone.

“Are you okay, Ha-yoon? You were unconscious for three days. You have no idea how worried I was.”

The brown-haired man spoke as he gently pushed the suited man aside and approached my bedside.

The sunlight streaming in from the hospital window reflected off his warm brown eyes, filled with genuine concern. A soft, comforting scent—like freshly laundered fabric softener—lingered around him.

Without hesitation, he wrapped an arm around my waist and carefully helped me lie back down.

His pale hand smoothed over my undoubtedly greasy hair with a tenderness that made it even harder for me to find the right words.

He waited patiently as I hesitated, my lips parting and closing as I struggled to speak.

After a few moments, I finally managed to ask.

“Um… but who are you?”

The warmth in his gaze visibly hardened.

The man in black let out another scoffing Ha! like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

I looked at both of them, completely lost.

I glanced back and forth between the two men before asking again.

“Do you know me?”

Both of their faces twisted at the same time.