Chapter 168
Chapter 168
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: Golden Time
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The intersection, where an ordinary day was drawing to a close, had turned into a life-or-death accident scene on the brink of disaster.
Kang Hyun's body moved on instinct, and only belatedly did he realize he had dashed straight into the middle of the intersection.
"Huff... huff..."
He hurriedly scanned his surroundings, but there was no one nearby, and the intersection shrouded in smoke limited visibility so much that he couldn't even tell front from back, left from right.
In a word, utter pandemonium where he could barely see ahead.
Woo-ooong.
A siren wailed faintly from afar.
'Already? An ambulance?'
It would have been great if an emergency crew from 119 had appeared out of nowhere, but that was unlikely.
The source of the siren was a police patrol motorcycle used for traffic enforcement—"Saika"—meaning cops had been patrolling nearby.
Within minutes, ambulances and accident response teams would be dispatched via the police integrated control center and situation room.
'Still, that's a relief. The police are here. But the situation is urgent...'
He couldn't just flee the scene, though.
Who else in this hellish smoke would realize someone was dying, flung out beside an overturned car?
'G-Gotta save her. Pull her out right now!'
Step by step, thud by thud!
Regaining his wits with effort, he pushed through the smoke and barely managed to change direction.
Fortunately, he spotted the overturned vehicle there.
And nearby, flashing siren lights from a Saika with its sound turned off were spinning silently.
The patrol cops had already arrived.
'Th-Thank goodness!'
Two officers in traffic enforcement gear, fluorescent vests half-off, struggling to open the car door—likely on their way back from patrol.
Just two of them, but the police were there.
"Hey! Driver! You okay?"
It looked like the two of them wouldn't be enough, though.
Kang Hyun raced toward the cops grunting at the completely crumpled car, its glass and seats smashed beyond recognition.
No time for judgment.
With the car about to burst into flames right before his eyes, it was doubtful even these two could save her.
He plunged through the smoke, dodging the small flames licking the vehicle, dropped to his knees, and stuck close to them by the driver's door.
"Is she alive? The person!"
"Civilians, stay back! It's dangerous! The car's on fire!"
A female officer yelled in response to his shout, while she and the male officer strained to yank the door open, trying to block his approach.
'Huh?'
But that voice—it sounded so familiar, like one he'd heard many times before.
"Huh? Chae-eun!"
"Stay back, I said!"
Her soot-smeared, sweat-drenched face was unmistakably Yoo Chae-eun, whom he hadn't seen in ages.
"Yoo Chae-eun!"
"...Kang Hyun?"
"You're... why...?"
Her uniform half-undone, sweat pouring down.
An incredible coincidence like this would stun anyone, but with her sharp focus, Yoo Chae-eun recognized him and urgently shouted something different this time.
"Grab on quick! She's breathing shallowly, but unconscious! Space is tight—we need to pry the door open no matter what!"
"Y-Yeah!"
"What are you doing? Hurry up and pull!"
The victim was breathing faintly and rapidly, but showed no signs of consciousness.
Blood trickled from her head.
Still, even without consciousness, it was a relief.
She was still alive.
There was a sliver of hope.
"Alright, let's pull! Ma'am! Ma'am! Come on, wake up! One, two, three!"
At the burly male officer's shout, the three tugged like in a tug-of-war, grunting.
Screeech.
But the door wouldn't budge.
Sizzle.
Soon, an ominous sound came from inside the car.
Anyone, even a total amateur, could see it was an extremely, extremely dire situation. They needed more help.
But with multiple wrecked vehicles in the intersection, the surroundings were chaotic hell.
A moment of absolute desperation where no one could be called for aid.
"Again—do it again!"
"One, two, three!"
Crack!
Kang Hyun shouted, and the three yanked once more; a distant grinding of parts echoed.
It was working.
"Again! One, two, three!"
At Yoo Chae-eun's cry, they pulled once more.
"Urgh... grr! Raaah!"
Grind, crunch.
"Again!"
"One, two, three!"
Sizzle, whoosh.
Heat radiated from the car. The flames were gaining dangerous momentum.
'No time!'
For safety's sake, they should abandon her and retreat.
Yet none of the three suggested falling back.
"Again!"
Crunch, squeal!
Finally, a gap wide enough for an arm.
"Last one—think of it as the final pull!"
"No time left!"
"Pull with everything you've got! Raaah!"
Screeeeech, snap!
The door finally flew open!
The three tumbled backward. But the crisis was far from over.
"Hey, wake up!"
Kang Hyun quickly righted himself and reached into the driver's seat, calmly unbuckling the seatbelt.
Roar!
The flames on the vehicle kept growing.
On the verge of explosion.
"Pull her out!"
Kang Hyun thrust his arm in, grabbing the driver's upper body and hauling her toward him. The other two seized the protruding torso, so he gripped her waist and yanked again.
"Gah!"
Like escaping iron chains, the driver dramatically wrenched free from the car.
"Back, back!"
"Stay away! Don't come close!"
As bystanders gathered upon grasping the situation, the three yelled and swiftly retreated from the flaming sedan.
No time to steady themselves; they dragged the driver away until she was clear of the vehicle.
"Huff...!"
Sizzle, KABOOM!
"Get down!"
With Kang Hyun's shout—
Boom!
"Ugh!"
Furious at failing to trap its victim in the inferno, the explosion was ferocious.
Terrifying.
Sparks flying, a missile-like boom, horrific shrapnel.
Thankfully, those spared by the blast came to their senses and pulled the driver farther out.
Kang Hyun hastily shed his jacket, spread it on the ground, and laid her head on it as he positioned the woman.
"...Ma'am, ma'am! Wake up!"
She looked critically injured at a glance.
No visible wounds beyond abrasions, but head bleeding. Perhaps the cause—her breathing was growing shallower.
"Control room, this is Seocho 560 rapid response! Vehicle collision heading from Gwangjin-gu past Jamsil Station—critical patient near overturned car in front of bus 1003. Repeat, control room, Seocho 560 rapid response...!"
Sweat-soaked Yoo Chae-eun kept radioing, but the situation was hopeless.
"She's not breathing easy!"
"Not breathing?"
The male officer's ashen face prompted Yoo Chae-eun to turn to Kang Hyun in despair.
'No!'
Even at the precipice, Kang Hyun rushed over and pressed his ear to her chest.
"I-I'm doing CPR!"
Kang Hyun drew back his arms and knelt beside the woman.
Then, on instinct, he began chest compressions.
"One! Two! Three! Four..."
Ten seconds, thirty seconds, one minute...
That minute dragged like an eternity.
He clenched his teeth so hard his mouth filled with blood.
"Hah, hah... No! Absolutely not!"
But he couldn't stop.
Crunch.
He felt a rib snap under his fingers.
'Can't stop!'
In cardiac arrest, fractures were irrelevant; he continued CPR.
At this moment when life was flickering out, he couldn't just let go.
This pivotal instant teetering between life and death.
The so-called "golden time," slipping away with hope.
"...Guh."
A small cough, then a large hack.
Not from the cops or Kang Hyun.
From the woman lying there!
"She's breathing again!"
Beep-beep-beep!
Ambulance sirens approached; people waved frantically.
"Here! Hurry, hurry!"
EMTs jumped out and surrounded the woman.
His role done, Kang Hyun collapsed outward like discarded trash.
"Ah! She's alive!"
"She made it! She's back!"
Mixed cheers from the crowd.
The three, hands trembling, braced against the ground and finally caught their breath.
"Haa... haa..."
Exhausted, slumped together, they panted without words.
No strength for praise or encouragement.
Just sighs of relief.
Yes.
They had saved her.
Kang Hyun and the two others had truly pulled a dying person back from the brink.
A passing prosecutor—no, a passing Kang Hyun—had reignited a flame of life on the verge of extinction.
Dawn.
Emergency at the Namyangju Branch Prosecutor's Office.
When a major accident hits the area, lights go on in public offices. Especially the prosecutor's office if fatalities occur.
Particularly unnatural deaths.
All unnatural death records become cases routed through the prosecutor's office.
Prosecutor's office rooftop.
"Hoo."
Kim Si-hwan, prosecutor, crouched and sighed deeply at the predawn moon.
Called back after going home, his shoulders slumped without energy for complaints.
Bang!
"What the—Prosecutor Kang? Not here yet?"
"Eek! Chief Hwang?"
Kim Si-hwan, sloppily puffing a cigarette, startled upright.
"It's past two-ten. Where's Prosecutor Kang? You're his junior."
"Ah, Prosecutor Kang said he's feeling unwell and taking leave today—well, tomorrow now—so I didn't contact him."
"What?"
Hwang Jae-eun's eyes flashed with anger.
"You know when a prosecutor's absent during emergency, it doubles or triples the workload for everyone below? Who's doing the autopsy?"
"Whoa, senior. You sure get to the point... but still..."
"No joking around. Tell Prosecutor Kang to get here now."
Kim Si-hwan snapped alert at Hwang Jae-eun's hardened expression and changed his tune.
"...I only heard he's hurt, don't know details, so I'll contact him."
"You know how many traffic fatality cases came in last night?! Get your head straight!"
"Sorry."
"The chief said he'll personally handle autopsies for all these fatalities, so relay to all Section 2 staff and prep immediately."
"Got it."
Whoosh.
Clack-clack.
As Hwang Jae-eun left the rooftop, Kim Si-hwan bowed deeply behind her.
"Sigh, if he took Section 1, he'd call them himself... I'm the fool here."
Grumbling briefly, he called Kang Hyun—no answer.
Phone was off entirely.
"Hmm."
Twice, three times—no pickup.
Even at dawn, with cases popping up anytime, maintaining wired contact protocols was prosecutor's office protocol. This was weird.
"Strange."
Especially since it was Kang Hyun not answering.
Now sensing something off, Kim Si-hwan tilted his head.
"Wait... come to think of it, last evening he said he was at Namyangju University Hospital. Something really happen?"
He'd assumed a sports sprain or such, hadn't pried.
But honestly, Kang Hyun taking leave for that seemed out of character.