The Rebirth of a soul : Redemption Story ( eng ver )

"Prof,"

Serena called softly as she saw the man beside her mother looking exhausted.

Darian, who was sitting with his head bowed, barely turned.

"Yes?"

"I'm here. Go get something to eat and rest for a bit."

"I'm not hungry, and I'm not tired either," Darian replied stubbornly.

Serena crossed her arms.

"If you don't go now, I'll tell Mom when she wakes up! And you know she'll force you to rest."

Her threatening tone was light, but clear.

Darian stared at her sharply. But Serena simply raised an eyebrow, showing she wasn't intimidated by his glare.

A few seconds passed in silence. Their gazes locked, like a silent battle of wills. Finally, Darian let out a long sigh and gave in.

"Alright, I'll go,"

he said as he stood. But before actually stepping out, he gave a firm instruction,

"Don't leave Elena alone. If you get hungry, have your friend buy you something."

He gestured toward Ren, who sit not far from her.

"I know. Just go already!" Serena retorted.

Darian glanced at Elena, who was still sleeping soundly. His expression softened for a moment before he finally stepped out of the room.

Ren, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke,

"What do you want to eat?"

"I'm not hungry. You go get something for yourself,"

Serena replied flatly.

"Nope. You have to eat. I'll just buy everything on the menu,"

Ren said, half-joking.

Now it was Serena's turn to give Ren a sharp look. But Ren just smiled in return, making Serena scoff lightly before she gave in.

"I'll have the same as you," she muttered.

Ren grinned, pleased that he had persuaded her. He then left the room. But instead of heading to the cafeteria, he turned toward another hallway.

A few minutes later, Ren entered a quieter patient room. Inside, a man lay with his body covered in wounds and bandages.

"Mr. Shield," said the injured man upon seeing Ren.

Ren walked closer. "You look bad. Are you okay?"

"More or less," the man replied, trying to smile. "It seems I won't be able to protect Mrs. Shine anymore."

Ren nodded slowly. "That's alright. I'll assign someone else. But right now, I need you to tell me—what exactly happened that night?"

The man nodded weakly, then began recounting the events. It had all started when Ren asked him to be Elena's secret bodyguard after Frau—Ren's trusted investigator—reported a potential threat from within the Shine family. His task was simple: protect Elena without her knowing.

That night, the bodyguard noticed someone suspicious following Elena. His instincts immediately kicked in. It turned out the man was trying to hit Elena with a car. The bodyguard quickly cut off the stalker's path using the military-grade vehicle Ren had provided.

A brutal crash was inevitable. The stalker's car first hit the bodyguard's vehicle, but due to the high speed, the impact continued and struck Elena's car as well. She suffered a heavy blow, enough to knock her unconscious.

The bodyguard survived despite severe injuries. Meanwhile, the stalker remained in critical condition, still unconscious.

"Do you know who tried to hit Elena?" Ren asked.

"Tom Hard," the man whispered.

Ren's expression instantly changed. His face hardened.

"He really doesn't want her to live," Ren thought grimly.

---

About half an hour later, Ren returned to Elena's room. Serena greeted him with a suspicious look.

"You took quite a while. Was there a long line?" she asked.

"Huh?" Ren blinked, caught off guard.

"You were gone for a while. So I thought maybe the line was long."

Ren nodded quickly. "Yeah," he answered curtly.

But Serena's gaze didn't leave him. Ren could feel it. There was an unspoken suspicion in the air.

"What?" Ren asked, feeling uneasy.

"Nothing," Serena replied quickly, then took the food from his hands and began laying it out.

They ate in silence. No conversation. Only the sound of cutlery and the aroma of food filled the quiet room.

After finishing their meal, Ren began cleaning up. Suddenly, Serena spoke.

"You know who tried to hit my mom, don't you?"

Ren's hands froze.

"Tom Hard," he said softly but firmly.

Serena's eyes changed instantly. Cold and sharp.

"I thought so," she murmured.

Ren didn't respond. He knew the words weren't meant for him. But for some reason, her murmur unsettled him. He began to wonder—how long had Serena known?

"How did she know? Even Frau's report didn't mention any immediate danger to Elena," Ren thought to himself.

He looked at Serena—the woman who had become part of his life and his team over the past few months. More and more, Ren realized Serena was hiding more secrets than she showed.

"Serena isn't just smart. She's… mysterious."

"When did you find out the culprit was Tom Hard?" Serena asked suddenly, staring straight at Ren.

Ren let out a quiet sigh. He could lie, but seeing the seriousness in Serena's eyes, he chose the truth.

"Just now. After I left, I went to find out who it was," he answered sincerely.

They stared at each other. No words were spoken. But in that silence, so much was floating between them—suspicions, secrets, and something unfinished.