Right after her presentation, the president of the student council immediately headed to ask permission in order to use one of the laboratories for her research. She didn't really need to, but she still did it out of courtesy for the other medical students.
Her research is dedicated to RNA editing and the genetics and genomics of rare neurodevelopment disorders. There were researches dedicated to this issue before and her research was one of it. It was also the reason why she took this program. Ever since her young age, Haerin has been fascinated by how the human brain works and the agents that contribute to its deterioration.
Besides, her profound love for research carried her this far. Her father, Henry Kang, a well-known neuroscientist, also had the same driving force.
The meticulous student was focused on her laboratory work, and only the occasional sound of tools can be heard inside. Haerin has already mastered using scientific equipment correctly and safely to make observations and carry out well-defined scientific procedures that she expects to produce the desired results.
Haerin wasn't aware of the commotion outside, just a few rooms before the laboratory she's in. She's immersed in her work, which is comparable to someone who's in the zone of finishing something urgent.
When thirty minutes had passed and Haerin was almost done, something unexpected happened. In the blink of an eye, a gunshot cracked across one of the laboratory's windows, with an unsuspecting council president who was doing lab work inside.
Haerin was still in shock when a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her rigid body, carefully covering her from any possible attacks. The trigger was pulled once, then twice, and Haerin noticed that the projectile came adjacent to where they were located. It was all planned.
The two fell on the floor, with the stranger's body still covering her, unmoving. Haerin tried to stand, but to no avail, the stranger's body wouldn't budge. The president didn't feel an ounce of panic despite coming out of a near-death situation. She was sure that it was plotted by one of her father's enemies in the medical field.
As she gently shook the stranger on top of her, she felt a sticky liquid on her hands. Blood!
And that was the time when panic started to attack her senses. The girl protected her from the gunshots; she was shot in her place. Haerin took a quick look at the girl, and she was unconscious.
She can't call for emergencies since phones are not allowed inside their laboratories, and the university's hospital is damn far from here. If she wants to admit the girl to the hospital, a car is very much a necessity.
Thus, Haerin decided to give first aid to the girl. She put strong pressure on the wound. It was bleeding heavily; the girl's torso was now full of blood. Haerin didn't hesitate and used her knee to lean hard on the wound. She can't afford to let more blood flow any further, or the girl who saved her would die due to excessive bleeding.
Once settled, Haerin took off her laboratory coat to make an alternative dressing, using it to gently seal the wound. She put the unconscious girl in a recovery position and proceeded to run outside to call for help. She hopes that the girl inside will not suffer from any substantial internal injuries.
The gods must have heard her internal pleading for help, as she was face to face with none other than her vice president, Pham Hanni, right after opening the door. Hanni was also dressed in a lab coat and was planning to continue her own research in one of the laboratories. The smaller girl dropped the bread she's currently eating on the floor and gaped at her bloodied appearance with accusation in her eyes.
"Hey, I know you're a little twisted but I didn't took you for a murderer!" Hanni shouted, eyes are burning lasers to Haerin.
"Shut up and call the university hospital." The president commands while calming herself.
Hanni obeyed and fished out her phone. Haerin entered the lab, and the latter followed her, having completely forgotten the bread that she had been eating earlier on the floor.
"Holy shit, who's that girl?!"
"Stop shouting, Pham."
"Do you expect me to be calm upon seeing a bloodied girl inside a laboratory? And you looked as if you stabbed her!" Hanni insisted. She was overreacting, for sure, but she wants to see more of Haerin's reaction.
"I didn't. It was an unexpected attack, and she unknowingly came from nowhere and shielded me from the gunshots." Haerin replied, with a slight anger in her voice.
"Where's the ambulance, Pham? The university is paying them well and they can't even do their jobs properly?" The president was getting agitated in the succeeding seconds.
Somehow, the vice president enjoyed the sight. It's not every day you can see Kang Haerin's have this broken composure over someone.
"Chill, you performed the first aid on her well. That girl will not die, the gunshot isn't fatal." Hanni was sure about it.
Hanni laid her curious eyes on the unconscious girl. Hmm, navy blue badge?
What's a freshman doing here? Hanni thought. And the girl looks familiar.
Aha! It was the girl she saw outside the disciplinary office last week. That tall girl who has mischief in her eyes. Her memory doesn't fail Hanni, not even once.
Haerin, who was beside her, fell completely silent until the hospital medics arrived. They were asked a few questions about what happened as a police officer came along.
The girl, whose name they later learned was Lee Hyein, was in a stable condition after a few hours of checking. Haerin wants to stay with the freshmen longer, but her council duties are just around the corner, waiting to be accomplished. As a result, Hanni stayed in the hospital to watch the girl. And as she mindlessly stared at Hyein's face, she wondered if she was involved in what happened earlier or not.
They don't hold much information about Lee Hyein's personal life aside from the fact that their family is one of the biggest conglomerates in South Korea. Haerin's family also originated there, with his father serving as the director of Daeun Medical Center, the biggest hospital in their country.
The one thought that burned in Hanni's mind the most is that she needs to keep an eye on Hyein. They never know what will happen.
—
With a book in her left hand, Haerin was reliving the complete silence of the penthouse. She's going here when much thinking clouds her mind. Her father was not yet aware of what had happened. She asked the police not to report it to him, saying that she would be the one to tell her father herself. However, she doesn't plan to tell him immediately.
Lee Hyein.
Kang Haerin realized that hearing the girl's name struck an unfamiliar but not unwelcome comfort in her after that incident. Have they met in the past?
Is she awake by now? Haerin wants to visit the freshman in the hospital. She might not be that empathetic toward others, but she does know how to be grateful.
Two more hours were spent with Haerin thinking of ways to show his gratitude to the girl who played the protagonist in an unexpected occurrence who saved her life.
YOU ARE READING
Words Unspoken
RomanceKang Haerin embodies the true essence of tranquility, and Lee Hyein would do anything to break it.