Hwang Hyunjin

The heavy, felt-lined door closed behind me with a dull thud, cutting me off from the outside world. A sharp smell of bleach and something faintly bitter assaulted my nose. I adjusted my badge. My first day. And immediately—a "special" patient.

"Hwang Hyunjin is in Ward 3," the orderly accompanying me said dryly, nodding toward the door with the small window. "He was transferred to us yesterday. He's extremely unstable. Don't turn your back on him."

I peered through the window. He was sitting on the floor in the corner, his knees pulled up to his chest. His black hair fell over his face, obscuring his expression. A fresh bruise darkened his cheekbone. Hearing the creak, he slowly raised his head. His eyes—two shards of black ice—glared at me with such fury that I involuntarily recoiled.

“Open up,” I said quietly to the orderly, trying to keep my voice from shaking.

It was stuffy inside. I sat down on a chair against the wall, holding a clipboard with the patient's medical history, even though I knew it by heart. Hyunjin didn't move, only stared at me.

"Hello, Hyunjin," I began in my calmest tone. "I'm your new doctor."

He let out a low, guttural chuckle, like the growl of an animal. "Doctor?" His voice was hoarse, as if he'd been shouting for a long time. "You're just like everyone else. You all want to 'fix' me. Cut out what you don't like."

"I'm not going to fix you," I countered, keeping my voice low. "I want to understand."

He suddenly leaped to his feet in one smooth, predatory movement. I remained seated, forcing myself not to react to his aggression. "Understand?" he hissed, taking a step forward. The chair between us felt like a fragile barrier. "What can you understand? You see a monster in front of you. It says so in your file. 'Aggressive,' 'uncontrollable.' But you don't know why ."