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chapter 40
A heavy silence filled the car on the way home.
He had been watching her closely, curious about why her mood had suddenly dropped, but she had neither the words nor the energy to speak and kept her eyes closed.
Perhaps sensing that she didn’t want to talk, he focused quietly on driving.
Outside the window, the red sunset spread across the sky.
After some time, Yeonha opened her eyes as the car slowed to a stop.
He probably thought she had been asleep, because their eyes met as he unbuckled his seatbelt.
“Awake?”
“Where are we?”
“A rest area. We stopped for gas too.”
“I’ll go check it out.”
“Want me to get some coffee on the way?”
“No, it’s fine.”
She could feel him watching her closely. Feeling apologetic, she forced a smile. He seemed like he was about to say something, then quietly said, “I’ll be back,” and stepped out of the car.
Watching his figure disappear, Yeonha let out a quiet sigh.
Closing her eyes, she tried to organize her complicated thoughts, when suddenly a commotion rose from outside.
What’s happening?
She turned her head and saw someone collapsed on the ground among the crowd, with Dohyeon kneeling above them, performing CPR.
A shiver ran through her body.
Yeonha hurriedly opened the door and ran outside.
The scene was already surrounded by a crowd.
She urgently asked someone nearby, “Do you have a phone? Call 119!”
Leaving those words, she pushed through the crowd and moved forward.
“One, two, three, four…”
Dohyeon’s voice counted.
With his hands clasped together, he pressed rhythmically on the elderly man’s chest, counting each compression.
The surrounding people could only watch helplessly; no one dared to step forward.
“Dohyeon, I’ll take over.”
Yeonha approached him, breathing heavily.
Dohyeon looked at her in surprise, then nodded and stepped aside.
Yeonha immediately got into position and continued the chest compressions.
Dohyeon lowered himself, lifted the man’s chin to secure the airway, pinched the nose, and began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
It was her first time putting what she had learned as a student into practice.
She had to press firmly in rhythm with the numbers, but it wasn’t as easy as she thought.
The thought that even a small mistake could be fatal made her arms shake and sweat form on her forehead.
The two worked in silent coordination, alternating between compressions and breaths three or four times.
Then it happened. The man’s chest, pale and blue, began to move slightly, followed by a rough breath and a sudden cough.
“Are you okay?”
Dohyeon asked cautiously.
“Ugh… ugh…”
A faint groan escaped the man’s lips.
“Oh my! He’s awake!”
“He’s alive, he’s alive!”
A chorus of relief rang out among the crowd.
Yeonha exhaled in relief and straightened her back.
Her eyes grew hot as emotions welled up.
But Dohyeon remained calm.
He checked the man’s breathing and consciousness, then gently rolled him to his side to prevent any airway obstruction.
In the distance, the sound of sirens grew closer.
Soon, the ambulance arrived, and paramedics moved quickly.
Dohyeon watched until the man was safely loaded, then quietly turned away as if his role had ended.
His shirt was soaked with sweat, and beads of sweat still dotted his forehead. Yet, strangely, his face looked peaceful.
Yeonha watched him and thought,
This person… is far deeper than I imagined…
At that moment, her hesitation began to waver slightly.
“Let’s go.”
“Can I not go with you?”
“It’s useless to follow; you’re not a guardian.”
She nodded quietly at his words, and they walked together toward the parking lot.
Behind them, the paramedics’ calls for a guardian echoed, but no one stepped forward. Soon, with a click, the ambulance doors closed.
As they watched the ambulance speed away, its sirens blaring, the image of the lifeless man still lingered in her mind.
Whether because he looked familiar or because it was her first time experiencing such a situation, her fingers trembled slightly.
“…Will he be okay?”
In response to her cautious question, Dohyeon spoke softly:
“We can only hope he is.”
Whoever he was, Yeonha silently prayed for his safety.
A moment later, as the ambulance disappeared from view, Dohyeon turned toward her.
“You did well.”
“No, you did much more than I did, Dohyeon.”
Yeonha carefully asked a question that had come to mind.
“But… it didn’t seem like it was your first time performing CPR?”
Dohyeon nodded calmly.
“My stepfather had arrhythmia. He had collapsed a few times before. It reminded me of that, so I had prepared by learning separately, just in case.”
Yeonha looked at him silently.
A person who saved a stranger’s life and is always prepared for the people they love.
His quiet, composed actions stirred something deep within her.
Although he spoke as if it were nothing, how many people in the world would actually do such things?
The image of him handling the emergency calmly remained etched in her mind.
…This is serious.
I need to forget, to stay distant. Why do I only notice his good qualities?
Knock, knock—
The quiet hospital room door opened, and Lee Young-gyu, the secretary of LS Fashion, stepped in.
Beyond the wide window stretched a blue urban landscape, and the soft lighting of the room gave it a hotel-like luxury. The space was designed for both patients and guardians to rest comfortably.
Lee Young-gyu walked quietly to the bedside and stopped, bowing respectfully.
“Have you found him?”
Chairman Kwon Jin-man, lying in bed, asked in a low voice.
“Yes. We found him.”
“Where?”
Kwon Jin-man’s eyes sparkled.
“He was closer than we expected.”
“Closer?”
Lee Young-gyu handed over a tablet. The screen lit up, not with a report, but with a YouTube news clip.
“What is this?”
“You’ll see once you check.”
Kwon Jin-man frowned but tapped the screen.
A man in his 70s suddenly collapsed at a rest area near Seoul. Two citizens witnessed the incident and promptly performed CPR, saving his life. This scene has gone viral online.
Thanks to their quick response, the man regained consciousness and was later transported to the hospital. However, finding these citizens was not easy, as they left the scene without revealing their identities.
Experts emphasize the importance of training, as prompt CPR during cardiac arrest can save lives.
The video replayed the scene vividly.
The woman pressed on the man’s chest, performing CPR, while the man administered mouth-to-mouth to the unconscious elderly man.
Kwon Jin-man’s eyes widened as he watched.
“This person is….”
“They are Nam Dohyeon from the Product Planning Department and Yeonha Seo, Team Leader of the Design Department.”
“Our company employees saved me?”
“Yes. They happened to be at the rest area that day and witnessed you collapsing while sitting on a bench, and they saved you.”
“How could this happen….”
Chairman Kwon Jin-man stared at the two in the video, deeply moved. His chest tightened with emotion.
