And quiet enough for someone…whether still breathing or not…. to feel like the loneliest person in a world that kept spinning as if nothing had happened.
Taejun wandered down a street he didn't even recognize.
No one looked at him. No car slowed down for him. No wind brushed against his skin.
He was like air…air with feelings.
Slowly, he began to understand his situation. He looked around at Seoul as it stirred awake.
"Is this the afterlife…? Why does it look so normal?"
He muttered, drained of emotion.
The skyscrapers still stood tall. The streetlights were still glowing. People began passing by… walking straight through him as if he were nothing more than expensive cigarette smoke.
Taejun sighed.
"At the very least, shouldn't there be a bright white light or some mysterious voice calling my name…?"
And then…! A black dog walked slowly past him.
It wasn't very big. Its fur was moderately fluffy, its tail raised with quiet confidence. They passed each other… but neither broke eye contact.
They stared. Mutual confusion.
Then….the dog stopped.
And turned to look at him. Directly.
Taejun froze!
He shifted left. The dog's gaze followed. He stepped right. Still watching. Round black eyes. Unblinking.
Taejun slowly pointed at himself.
"Wait… you can see me?"
The dog tilted its head slightly... as if it understood him.
"Hey… you really can see me, can't you?!"
Taejun rushed toward it.
"Wait! Don't go yet! Are you a spirit guide or something? Or like… a four-legged grim reaper?!"
The dog took one cautious step back.
Stared.
And then…
"Brrrrrroooooooo…!"
It let out an absurdly dramatic howl that echoed down the street.
Pedestrians stopped and stared at the black dog, howling as if it were warning the city of some unseen disaster.
"Hey! Don't howl! People can't see me, they're going to think you're crazy!"
The dog shot him one last look, then spun around and bolted.
"Heyyyyy! Wait!!"
Taejun sprinted after it at full speed, or at least, full ghost speed.
Which he had just discovered was incredibly fast. Fast without getting tired. Fast like a championship racer on the final lap.
"Get back here! I have questions about my existential condition!"
"Stop! I don't even know if I'm actually dead yet!"
The dog darted into an alley. Taejun turned after it. The dog leapt over a low fence. Taejun lunged forward…and passed straight through the fence.
He froze mid-motion.
"…Okay. Walking through fences? That's kind of cool."
He glanced down.
The dog was now sitting at the end of the alley, staring at him with an expression that clearly said:
(Humans are seriously weird!)
Taejun pointed at it accusingly.
"Don't look at me like that! You're the one who started staring first!"
The dog let out a short howl…!
"Brruff!", then took off again into the distance.
Taejun tried to sprint after it, but suddenly slowed to a stop, standing there and panting… even though he didn't actually need oxygen.
"Wait… what? Ghosts can feel tired, too?"
He muttered unintentionally, staring up at the sky.
The first rays of sunlight began to shine down, bright enough to sting the eyes, yet he felt no warmth.
"In the end… even a dog doesn't want anything to do with me, huh…"
He slumped down in the middle of the road in defeat.
"Have I become the kind of ghost that even dogs find annoying?"
The wind blew past him, or maybe it simply passed through him. He wasn't sure anymore whether he still existed enough to be touched by it. From far away, the black dog howled again. It sounded suspiciously like laughter.
Taejun pouted.
"If I ever go back… I'm raising a cat instead. Seriously. Who said dogs were the most loyal?"
At dawn, as the workday began as usual, the main conference room of Kang Motors was already heavy with tension.
The board of directors had been called into an emergency meeting after confirmation that the eldest heir, Kang Taejun, remained in a coma… "with no definite timeline for recovery."
Files were spread neatly across the long, dark conference table. Stock graphs and financial projections glowed on the large screen at the front of the room.
One of the directors spoke in a grave tone.
"The company cannot afford to leave the decision-making authority vacant. If this situation drags on, shareholder confidence will inevitably be shaken."
The statement felt like a verdict.
Another senior board member nodded in agreement.
"With the Chairman still overseas and Mr. Taejun unconscious, we propose appointing Mr. Kang Minjae as acting representative of the major shareholder… until Mr. Taejun recovers."
Several pairs of eyes turned toward Kang Minjae.
He sat upright, composed and polite, the image of a modern executive.
As if he had been ready for this moment all along.
"I will carry out my duties to the best of my ability and safeguard the company's interests," he replied. Short. Precise…. Flawless!
After the voting was complete, the voice of Chairman Kim's representative, Han Jungwoo, the head of the executive committee, echoed throughout the room..
"The motion is approved."
A small wooden gavel tapped lightly against the table, sealing what felt like a significant power shift.
But then….
"I object."
The interruption cut cleanly through the room.
All eyes turned to Yoo Seohyun.
She sat at the far end of the table, her expression calm, but her gaze sharp.
"Mr. Minjae may be the legal son," she said slowly and clearly, every word deliberate. "However, he did not grow up beside the Chairman. He left to live with his mother, Choi Insook, and only returned a few years ago to assume the position of general manager."
A faint ripple of discomfort moved across the room.
"I do not believe that qualifies him for this role," she finished evenly.
Minjae's polite smile remained in place, but something in his eyes hardened almost imperceptibly. The battle lines, it seemed, had just been drawn.
The atmosphere in the room grew increasingly suffocating.
Minjae maintained his faint smile, though his eyes hardened ever so slightly.
Seohyun continued calmly,
"The position of acting representative for the major shareholder should be placed 'on hold' until Mr. Taejun's condition becomes clearer. I believe he will wake up. Please, let us not lose hope so quickly."
Her words sounded compassionate… almost sincere. But beneath them lingered delay.
Several board members began whispering among themselves. Everyone understood the unspoken truth: If Minjae were granted full decision-making authority…even temporarily….. the company's power structure could shift permanently.
Minjae then spoke again, his tone polite.
"I understand Ms. Seohyun's concerns. However, the company must continue moving forward. We cannot pause for uncertainty."
His voice was gentle, but firm.
On the large screen at the front of the room, Han Jungwoo, representing Chairman Kim from overseas, sat in thoughtful silence during the video call.
After a moment, he spoke.
"Hmm… Ms. Seohyun's proposal will be recorded. However, for the stability of the company, Mr. Minjae's appointment as Acting Representative will take effect immediately."
The decision was final.
The video call ended abruptly, the screen going dark without ceremony.
Yoo Seohyun remained standing. Her face stayed composed and unreadable, but the way her fingers tightened against the edge of the table betrayed her dissatisfaction.
The power struggle was no longer confined to the Kang mansion, nor to the ICU corridor.
It had begun here as well, in a boardroom filled with dark suits and smiles that did not reach a single pair of eyes.
"Thank you," Minjae said politely, bowing slightly in respect.