Thud!
The sound of something falling made Moon Do-yun frown and look up at the ceiling.
“Sigh, here we go again. These people should know better by now, right? Why do they keep doing this?”
“Tell me about it. Their kid’s probably all grown up by now, so what’s with all the noise? Are they doing home workouts or something?”
“Exactly. If they’re working out, they should at least lay down a mat.”
“Was that a joke just now?”
“Yeah, not funny?”
“Honey, your keyboard and mouse are confiscated today.”
“Nooo!”
Moon Do-yun and Choi Soo-min were a couple who got along quite well. They joked around freely, and if a joke fell flat, they’d bluntly say it wasn’t funny. Some might argue that laughing at unfunny jokes shows an even better relationship, but since there was no malice, they wouldn’t be squabbling over the computer if they weren’t getting along.
Still, Do-yun whined about how confiscating his keyboard and mouse over one failed joke was excessive. Soo-min frowned slightly and said, “Honey, wasn’t that sound coming from the bathroom?”
“Yeah, it was. If it were the living room or bedroom, it wouldn’t sound like that. Hmph, my analytical skills are unparalleled…”
“Isn’t that dangerous? If someone slips in the bathroom, they could break a bone. Didn’t your classmate’s dad pass away that way?”
“Hmm… But there are three families upstairs. If someone’s really hurt, wouldn’t they take themselves to the hospital?”
The noise from upstairs had been more frequent lately. Their kid was probably in college by now, and the couple seemed cultured enough to keep it quiet at home. But recently, there’d been shouting, banging, and now the occasional loud thud.
Do-yun thought it was the elderly man upstairs doing some vigorous exercise, but after his wife’s comment, he couldn’t help but worry.
What if it was that professor who slipped and fell? Or what if the wife was home alone while her husband was still at work and the kid was enjoying campus life?
The seed of worry planted by Soo-min grew into a snowball in Do-yun’s mind.
“Wait, be quiet for a sec. Do you hear anything from upstairs?”
“Nothing. This is making me more worried. Shouldn’t we go check?”
“Stay here, honey. I’ll go.”
Unable to bear the unease, Do-yun stood up. Soo-min followed suit, throwing on a cardigan and heading out.
They’d started to dislike their neighbors over the noise in recent months, but they’d lived in the same apartment for nearly 20 years. Besides, if someone upstairs got seriously hurt or worse, it’d be hard to sleep soundly.
Not considering themselves particularly kind, the couple climbed the stairs to the upper floor just to ease their worries.
Since it wasn’t too late, Do-yun rang the doorbell without hesitation.
“Hello? It’s your downstairs neighbor. The noise was so loud, we came to check if everything’s okay.”
They expected a curt “We’re fine, mind your own business,” or maybe a polite “Thanks for checking, sorry for the noise.” But no sound came from behind the door.
“…Hello? Is everything alright in there? Are you okay?”
“Did something really happen?”
The doorbell echoed through the hallway, but there was no response from inside. As Do-yun and Soo-min knocked and raised a fuss, the neighbor next door peeked out to join in.
“What’s going on?”
“We’re from downstairs. There was a loud bang from the bathroom. We thought it was just something falling, but it’s been too quiet since, so we got worried…”
“Oh no, that could be serious. If someone fell in the bathroom, it could be fatal. Hitting the sink or the toilet could be deadly.”
“Exactly. Especially older people, their bones are more fragile…”
“Honey, should we call 119?”
If it were just the two of them, they might have hesitated, but with others egging them on, Do-yun didn’t hold back.
He was always the type to go with the flow, but if everyone was this worried, calling an ambulance wouldn’t be overreacting.
It’d be embarrassing if he called and it turned out to be nothing, but if it was a group decision, he’d feel less guilty about the paramedics showing up unnecessarily.
So, Do-yun took out his phone.
“Hello, we’re calling because we heard a loud thud from upstairs. It’s been quiet since, so we went up and rang the doorbell and knocked, but there’s no response…”
—
People should sleep in the dark. Sleeping with the lights on makes your eyes feel heavy when you wake up.
Even if your eyesight’s fine, it still feels uncomfortably dry.
If they’re not going to function properly, they might as well lose sensation altogether.
Rubbing my sore, stiff eyes, the unfamiliar texture of the blanket and a slightly unpleasant smell made me frown.
At the same time, a sharp pain shot through the back of my head, shoulders, elbows, and pelvis, making me groan.
“Ugh…!”
That’s when I remembered what happened. I’d slipped in the bathroom, lost my balance, and fell.
With one leg gone, I couldn’t catch myself properly and must have passed out. I should’ve thought about falling and extended my hands to the floor. Instead, I flailed in the air, which was embarrassing.
With only one eye, judging distance is hard, but at least no one saw me fall. That’s a small mercy.
Anyway, this sterile-smelling place definitely isn’t my home. The white walls and blanket gave it away.
Clearly, it’s a hospital. I’d been hospitalized once before after my body drastically changed overnight when I became a woman, so the surroundings weren’t entirely unfamiliar.
The loud crash in the bathroom and no response when I called out—so that woman must have taken me to the hospital.
I’m grateful, even if nothing’s broken or seriously hurt. I’m just sore from head to knee. But why did they bring me to the hospital? Couldn’t they just let me rest at home?
Even with our good healthcare, hospital bills aren’t free. That money could’ve bought me ramen for weeks.
…And the thought of that woman seeing me n*ked was unsettling. We’re both women, so nothing inappropriate happened, and she didn’t expect anything in return. She even visited often with kind words.
She didn’t clean or feed me, but her voice sounded like a young professional around my age. Would she even have the means?
They say, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” She probably wanted me to clean, do laundry, and shower myself.
I’m grateful for all that, but the thought of someone seeing me n*ked was too embarrassing. My face turned red in this empty hospital room…
“Ah, you’re awake? How’s your body?”
“Huh?”
I thought I was alone, but a sleepy voice came from right beside me. I didn’t notice anyone earlier, but she must have been lying on the caregiver’s cot next to the bed. I almost embarrassed myself muttering alone.
But why was this stranger sleeping next to me? Flustered, I quickly glanced at her face.
Her voice and the slight wrinkles suggested she was middle-aged, older than my mother. Definitely not the woman who visited my place. Maybe a caregiver assigned by the hospital.
“My, my body’s just sore, but… I don’t have money. I can’t afford to stay here…”
Worried, I spoke, but the lady smiled warmly and said, “Don’t worry about the money. Luckily, nothing’s broken, so it’s just the consultation fee. I already took care of it, so don’t stress.”
I stared at her kind smile, then quickly looked away. Even such kindness felt overwhelming and scary.
How did I end up like this?
The woman clicked her tongue, seemingly pitying me, and patted my back. “I don’t know your circumstances, but you’ve been through a lot, haven’t you? It’ll be okay, don’t be so down.”
Her touch was meant to comfort, but even after a month, someone else’s touch on my body was chilling. I couldn’t respond and just started trembling.
