On a Friday around noon, the firm of Park Dong Hun received a call from a client with a request for a current safety evaluation of several buildings, one of which needed to be inspected that very day. His colleagues reacted with a measure of nervousness, as they had been looking forward to an early departure from work and the start of their weekend; such inspections usually required extended working hours.
But those familiar with Dong Hun know well that he is always guided by his conscience and duty. Naturally, he accepted the assignment and decided to proceed with just one employee. The rest were reassured of their early start to the weekend festivities. They quickly packed the equipment and set off to the site.
In the waning rays of the afternoon sun, Park Dong Hun, alongside a company representative, Mr. Kim, conducted the inspection of the external walls of an old office building. Mr. Kim, with a brow furrowed in uncertainty, watched as Dong Hun meticulously examined every crevice.
„President, are you certain this is safe? These walls seem to be in a deplorable state,” observed Hyung Kyu, the youngest of the employees he had brought along.
Dong Hun, with a gaze intense in its focus, scrutinized the cracks that meandered along the wall. „We must investigate this thoroughly. Safety is our priority, and these walls may conceal more than meets the eye,” he replied, his voice steady, his words precisely chosen.
However, during their conversation, as they moved to the other side of the building, the air suddenly filled with a subtle, yet unmistakable scent of gas. Dong Hun immediately halted, his senses sharpening. „Do you smell that?” he asked Hyung Kyu. „Is that gas?” The young man became visibly anxious and instinctively stepped back, taking cover behind the corner of the building.
Before Dong Hun could respond, the world around them erupted in a colossal climax of sound and heat. A powerful blast forcefully propelled Dong Hun into the air, with a might that seemed to defy reality. His body, spinning limply through the air, was like a leaf caught in a storm’s vortex.
He felt all his senses pierced by pain and heat, and then, for a moment, the world quieted, and time seemed to slow. Before he could form another thought, darkness and silence enveloped him completely, swallowing every flicker of consciousness.
Lee Ji An was just about to leave her office when her heart suddenly fluttered, and a strange unease seized her mind. It had been a long time since she had experienced such sensations. In the past, this would happen when her grandmother was left alone at home, and a ruthless creditor unexpectedly invaded, tormenting her. She would drop everything and rush home to save the elderly woman, but today, she had no clue what was happening.
In the elevator, she caught her reflection in the mirror and noticed how terribly pale she looked, her hand trembling as she adjusted her hair.
„Something is definitely not right,” she thought, unable to pinpoint the source of her unease, which frightened her even more.