The first patient of the day arrived. A middle-aged woman with slightly disheveled dark hair tied back. Her comfortable dress reflected the practicality of her daily life. The fine lines on her face bore the marks of her experiences and smiles; her eyes sparkled with curiosity and a hint of worry. Gun-woo looked at the woman and thought, 'Hmm, she's obviously here for a checkup.'
The woman approached Gun-woo.
"Hello, I'm Nurse Gun-woo. How can I help you?" he said with a smile.
"Hello, I have an appointment with the doctor."
"Of course, may I have your name?" Gun-Woo asked, searching on the computer.
"Park Sun-young."
"Your doctor is in surgery, Ajumeoni. If you'd like to wait, you can make yourself comfortable in the waiting room."
The woman nodded. "Thank you, my dear. It would be nice to sit in the waiting room for a bit," she replied.
"Yes, you can relax there. I can bring you some water if you'd like," Gun-Woo offered.
"That's very kind of you, my dear. Water would be lovely," the woman said, pleased.
Gun-Woo accompanied the woman to the waiting room. Opening the door to the room, he said, "Here it is, ajumeoni. Please make yourself comfortable."
As the woman stepped inside, she said, "Thank you so much, my dear."
"Wait here for a moment, I'll bring you some water right away," Gun-Woo said with a smile. He quickly left the room and returned shortly after with a glass of water.
"Ajumeoni, here's your water," he said, handing the woman the glass. "Relax if you'd like to drink it."
Taking the water, the woman replied, "You're so kind, Gun-Woo. Thank you very much."
"Always happy to help," Gun-Woo said, pleased to see a smile on the woman's face.
After giving the woman her water, Gun-Woo said, "I'll be here if you need anything," and exited the waiting room with a smile.
The woman nodded and replied, "Okay, my dear. Thank you."
Gun-Woo returned to his desk and began waiting for his next patients. As time passed, the silence in the office was broken, and his colleagues began to arrive.
"Hi, Gun-Woo! Ready? It's lunchtime," one of them said, smiling.
Gun-Woo looked up and said, "Yeah, let's go to lunch. I'm both hungry and bored from sitting around," he said, turning to his friends. "So, where are we going for lunch?"
A broad smile appeared on one of his friend's faces. "I heard we're thinking of going to that newly opened Korean restaurant. Their bibimbap and bulgogi are amazing!"
"Great idea! We'll get some kimchi too," Gun-Woo replied cheerfully. "Come on then, let's not wait any longer!"
The other members of the team excitedly agreed, and they all headed towards the door. As they walked, Gun-Woo thought about the restaurant's decor and menu; he was eagerly anticipating the delicious variety of Korean cuisine.
When they arrived at the restaurant, they were greeted by the warm atmosphere inside. "I hope we can find a seat without waiting too long," Gun-Woo said as he stepped inside. But suddenly he was lost in thought.
'Oh, I forgot about the woman,' he thought to himself. 'I wonder if she's gone? Oh well, never mind,' he muttered, shaking his head, trying to push those thoughts aside.
As his friends sat down at the table with laughter, the thoughts in Gun-Woo's mind continued to bother him. The atmosphere livened up again as the orders were placed.
While ordering food, he thought, 'Why am I so hung up on this woman?' 'Forget about that woman!' he said to himself, smiling. 'It's time to have some fun now.'
His friends noticed his distraction and one of them asked, "Gun-Woo, why are you so lost in thought?"
"Oh, it's nothing, just thinking," Gun-Woo smiled and joined his friends' conversation, pushing his thoughts aside.
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Work hours were over. Gun-Woo gathered the last remaining files on his desk and shut down his computer. 'Alright, time to go home,' he thought. He put on his headphones, went outside, and directed his steps towards home.
As he was walking down the road, an idea came to him. He wanted to call his mother and ask, 'Do you need anything?' He took out his phone and dialed his mother's number. Amidst the ringing tones, he thought, 'I hope there's something to eat at home.'
"Hello, Mom!" he said to his mother who answered the phone.
"Hello, Gun-Woo. How are you?" his mother asked, but Gun-Woo ignored this.
"Do you need anything at home?" he asked quickly, as if there was nothing else on his mind.
"No, everything's fine. Why do you ask?" his mother said curiously.
I was unsure whether to pick something up on my way out of work. Anyway, I'm coming home now," Gun-Woo said before hanging up.
"Okay, see you!" his mother said. Gun-Woo hung up the phone and walked down the sidewalk towards home.
As he was walking home, a figure caught Gun-Woo's attention. In front of him stood a man, his entire body concealed by a jet-black robe, his face almost invisible. The man's posture held an air of mystery, and several thoughts began to swirl in Gun-Woo's head.
'What's this?' he thought. Just then, the man suddenly moved, bumping into Gun-Woo's shoulder.
A sharp pain shot through his shoulders as he lost his balance and fell to the ground. He was in shock; something was definitely wrong.
"You bastard!" he shouted, furious.
"Mysterious asshole!"
His anger flared up because he had fallen to the ground so quickly. "Pull that thing back so you can see, you animal!" he shouted angrily.
The man was walking away with quick steps, without even looking back. He was making his way somewhere as if he didn't care about this fall at all. Gun-Woo's anger grew even more; he was struggling to suppress the rage building up inside him in the face of such indifference.
Gun-Woo got up from the ground and was about to say something when he noticed something. "Where did that jerk go...?" he said, but the words caught in his throat. He was left in both shock and horror.
"What!? The man in front of him had no feet, he was floating. With every move he made, he scattered sparkles like dust around him. An indefinable fear rose within him.
This sight created a strange terror in Gun-Woo's mind. 'How is this possible?' he thought, but the words dared not come out of his mouth.
He was filled with fear; no matter how curious he was, he didn't want to learn more about this strange creature. Quickly averting his eyes, he began to walk towards home with slow but steady steps. This strange figure left behind and the sparkles around him left many questions swirling in his head.
As he walked towards home, he was trying to understand what had happened. His heart was racing, his mind filled with complex thoughts. 'Today was definitely not an ordinary day,' he thought. As he opened his door and entered, he called out, "Mom, I'm home!"
"Oh, you're here? Change your clothes, dinner's ready," his mother said with a smile from the kitchen.
Hearing the warmth in his mother's voice, Gun-Woo relaxed a little. "Okay, I'll be there in a minute," he replied. He quickly changed his clothes and headed towards the kitchen.
In the kitchen, his mother was carefully setting the food she had prepared on the table. The smell of freshly cooked food wafted through the house, creating a warm atmosphere.
"How was work today?" his mother asked as she placed the dishes on the table.
"Well, just an ordinary day at work," Gun-Woo said, forgetting the strange events he had just experienced. "But there were some interesting moments," he added, but he didn't want to burden his mother too much.
"Interesting? Like what?" His mother asked curiously, her eyes fixed on him, listening attentively.
"I don't know, there are some people... I bumped into someone. Then he suddenly disappeared," Gun-Woo said, trying to explain what he had experienced.
His mother worried, "I hope nothing happened? Be careful, there might be strange people out there."
'This broke the fourth wall,' Gun-Woo thought; it was normal for Mrs. Eun-Jung to be worried because she interrupted the narrator and looked up and thought, 'Hey, I was going to tell him that!'
It was normal for my mother to worry; because my father was dead and I was her only son. Amidst the uncertainties brought about by his passing, her concern for me was understandable.
"Don't worry, Mom. I'm fine," Gun-Woo reassured her with a smile. He didn't want to cause her any unnecessary anxiety.
"Alright, dear. But still, be careful," his mother said, her voice filled with concern.
Gun-Woo nodded, acknowledging her worry. "I will, Mom," he said, and they both focused on their meal.
After dinner, Gun-Woo helped his mother clear the table and wash the dishes. He then retreated to his room, feeling the weight of the day's events. He lay down on his bed, his mind replaying the encounter with the mysterious man.
'Who was that man?' he wondered. 'And how was he floating?' The questions lingered in his mind, unanswered.
He tossed and turned in his bed, unable to shake off the unsettling feeling. The image of the man with no feet, the sparkles, the sudden disappearance – it all felt surreal.
'Maybe it was just a dream,' he thought, trying to convince himself. But deep down, he knew it wasn't. The pain in his shoulder, the shock, the fear – it was all too real.
He sighed, realizing that sleep wouldn't come easy. He got up from his bed and walked towards the window. The city lights twinkled below, a stark contrast to the darkness that enveloped his room.
He gazed at the cityscape, lost in thought. The encounter with the mysterious man had shaken him, leaving him with a sense of unease. He couldn't explain it, but he felt that something significant had happened, something that would change his life forever.
He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He knew that he couldn't ignore what he had seen. He had to find out who the man was and what he wanted.
A sense of determination washed over him. He wouldn't let fear control him. He would face the unknown, unravel the mystery, and discover the truth.
The next day, Gun-Woo woke up with a renewed sense of purpose. He was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. He got ready for work, his mind focused on the task at hand.
As he left the house, he couldn't help but glance back at his mother. He knew that she would worry if she knew about the mysterious man, so he decided to keep it to himself for now.
He walked towards the bus stop, his mind still preoccupied with the events of the previous day. He couldn't shake off the feeling that he was being watched, that someone or something was following him.
He looked around, but he couldn't see anyone suspicious. He shrugged off the feeling, attributing it to his paranoia. He boarded the bus and took his seat, his eyes scanning the faces of the other passengers.
He couldn't help but wonder if any of them were connected to the mysterious man. He shook his head, dismissing the thought. He was probably just overthinking things.
The bus reached his stop, and he got off, heading towards the hospital. As he walked, he noticed a flyer posted on a nearby wall. It was an advertisement for an art exhibition.
He paused, his eyes drawn to the flyer. The artwork on the flyer was intriguing, a surreal depiction of a cityscape with floating figures. He felt a strange connection to the artwork, as if it was somehow related to his encounter with the mysterious man.
He took a closer look at the flyer, reading the details of the exhibition. The exhibition was being held at a local art gallery, and it was opening that weekend. He decided to visit the exhibition, hoping to find some answers to his questions.
He continued his walk towards the hospital, his mind filled with anticipation. He had a feeling that the art exhibition would lead him closer to the truth.
He arrived at the hospital and greeted his colleagues with a smile, trying to maintain a sense of normalcy despite the turmoil within him. He went about his duties, attending to patients and assisting the doctors, but his mind kept returning to the mysterious man and the upcoming art exhibition.
During his lunch break, he decided to do some research on the artist whose work was featured in the flyer. He learned that the artist was a recluse, known for his enigmatic and surreal paintings. His works often depicted otherworldly beings and dreamlike landscapes, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.
Gun-Woo felt a growing sense of intrigue. He couldn't shake off the feeling that the artist's work held some connection to his own experience. He decided to visit the art gallery that afternoon, eager to see the paintings in person.
He left the hospital early, telling his colleagues that he had an errand to run. He took a bus to the art gallery, his heart pounding with anticipation. As he entered the gallery, he was struck by the hushed atmosphere and the dim lighting. The paintings were displayed on the walls, each one a portal to a different world.
Gun-Woo wandered through the gallery, his eyes drawn to each painting. He was mesmerized by the artist's ability to capture the ethereal and the uncanny. He felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if he had stepped into a world he had once known.
He stopped in front of a painting that particularly caught his attention. It was a portrait of a man with no feet, his body shrouded in a dark robe. The man's face was obscured, but his eyes seemed to pierce through Gun-Woo's soul.
Gun-Woo gasped, his heart pounding in his chest. The painting was a perfect depiction of the mysterious man he had encountered. He couldn't believe his eyes. It was as if the artist had somehow captured the man's essence on canvas.
He stepped closer to the painting, examining every detail. The man's robe, the sparkles, the eerie aura – it was all there. Gun-Woo felt a chill run down his spine. He knew that he had stumbled upon something extraordinary.
He looked around the gallery, hoping to find someone who could explain the painting. He spotted a woman standing near the entrance, her gaze fixed on a painting. He approached her, his voice trembling slightly.
"Excuse me," he said, "can you tell me about this painting?"
The woman turned to him, her eyes widening in surprise. "Oh, that's one of the artist's most famous works," she said. "It's called 'The Messenger.'"
"The Messenger?" Gun-Woo repeated, intrigued.
"Yes," the woman said. "The artist claims that the man in the painting is a messenger from another world."
Gun-Woo's mind raced. Could the mysterious man he had encountered be the same messenger depicted in the painting? He had to find out more.
"Do you know anything else about the painting?" he asked.
The woman hesitated. "There are rumors," she said, her voice lowering, "that the painting is cursed."
Gun-Woo's curiosity piqued. "Cursed?" he asked.
"Yes," the woman said. "They say that anyone who stares at the painting for too long will be haunted by the messenger."
Gun-Woo felt a shiver run down his spine. He had been staring at the painting for quite some time. He quickly averted his gaze, thanking the woman for her information.
He left the gallery, his mind reeling. He couldn't shake off the feeling that he had been drawn into a dangerous game. He had to be careful. The messenger was real, and he was watching him.Gun-Woo returned home that evening, his mind still awhirl with the day's events. He couldn't shake off the image of the painting, the messenger's piercing eyes following him everywhere he went. He felt a growing sense of dread, a premonition that something ominous was about to happen.
He tried to distract himself by helping his mother with dinner, but his thoughts kept returning to the messenger and the curse. He wondered if he was already experiencing the effects of the curse, if the messenger was somehow influencing his thoughts and actions.
After dinner, he excused himself to his room, eager to escape the oppressive atmosphere. He lay down on his bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind racing. He couldn't understand why he had been chosen, why the messenger had appeared to him.
He tossed and turned, unable to find peace. He felt a strange presence in the room, a cold, ethereal sensation that sent shivers down his spine. He sat up, his eyes darting around the room, searching for the source of the presence.
Suddenly, he noticed a figure standing in the corner of the room. It was the messenger, his body shrouded in darkness, his eyes glowing with an eerie light. Gun-Woo gasped, his heart pounding in his chest.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice trembling.
The messenger didn't answer. He simply stared at Gun-Woo, his eyes boring into his soul. Gun-Woo felt a wave of fear wash over him, but he stood his ground.
"What do you want?" he asked, his voice gaining strength.
The messenger remained silent, his gaze unwavering. Gun-Woo felt a surge of defiance. He wouldn't be intimidated by this mysterious being.
"I'm not afraid of you," he said, his voice firm.
The messenger's lips curled into a sinister smile. "We shall see," he said, his voice a low growl.
Gun-Woo's heart pounded in his chest. He knew that he was in danger, but he refused to back down. He would face this challenge head-on.
The messenger raised his hand, and a dark mist emanated from his fingertips. Gun-Woo felt a cold chill envelop him, his body growing numb. He tried to move, but he couldn't. He was paralyzed.
The messenger stepped closer, his eyes glowing with malevolent intent. Gun-Woo braced himself for the worst. He closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable.
But nothing happened.
He opened his eyes, and the messenger was gone. The dark mist had dissipated, and the room was filled with a warm, comforting light. Gun-Woo felt a sense of relief wash over him. He was safe, for now.
He got up from his bed, his body still trembling slightly. He didn't understand what had just happened, but he knew that he had been spared. He looked around the room, searching for any sign of the messenger, but there was nothing.
He went to the window and gazed at the city lights, his mind still reeling. He had been given a second chance, but he knew that the messenger would return. He had to be prepared.
He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He would face the unknown, unravel the mystery, and discover the truth. He would not be defeated.