YOU ARE MY LIGHT

CHAPTER 3: UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER

After the interview, life at Skylike Medical Center quickly became real. I started working as a nurse, focusing on learning, following routines, and keeping my walls firmly intact. Independence had become a habit. I avoided romantic entanglements, watched my dramas quietly, and buried my curiosity about men deeper than anyone could guess.

But rumors traveled fast in the hospital.

Almost immediately, the female staff began whispering about the handsome CEO’s grandson—his return from the USA had turned him into the hospital’s hottest topic.. Apparently, every girl in the building had either fallen in love or developed a crush on him. Some gushed openly; others compared notes in hushed voices. I pretended not to care, but a small part of me—the part that loved romantic dramas—couldn’t help but wonder.

I wanted to see this guy for myself. Was he really as handsome as they said, or was it just gossip?

Finally, the day arrived.

The long-awaited CEO appointment turned the hospital upside down. The entire place buzzed with excitement. Female staff dressed in their best clothes, makeup carefully done, smiles practiced in mirrors. I found the whole thing slightly funny and watched from a distance, pretending to be completely uninterested.

And then he arrived.

My breath caught instantly.

It was him. The man I had bumped into on the day of my interview. My dream guy. My strangely handsome Korea-oppa lookalike.

I froze. All the embarrassing things I had done in front of him rushed back at once.

How would I face him now?

And the worst part: I had given a dollar to my rich CEO to wash his clothes—a cloth that probably cost thousands.

My stomach twisted painfully. My mind stopped thinking straight as the memories replayed like a cruel flashback: coffee spilling, my awkward bow, the fake Korean, my dramatic escape. How could I face my new boss now, knowing that our first encounter had been nothing but a disaster?

This wasn’t how things were supposed to begin.

I tried to calm myself, silently convincing myself that he wouldn’t remember me. After all, I was just a random girl in a convenience store. Nothing special.

Then a voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

“Hello, everyone,” the head nurse said loudly. “As you all know, today we officially welcome our new leader and soon to be CEO. Please give him a warm round of applause.”

The room erupted in clapping. The ladies practically sparkled with excitement. I, on the other hand, was busy hiding my face, praying he wouldn’t notice me—the crazy K-drama fan who spilled coffee on him.

“Hello, everyone,” he said calmly. “My name is Vincent. It’s nice to meet you all. I hope we’ll work together and achieve great things.”

I muttered silently to myself, “I also hope we’ll really be able to work together in peace.”

And then, as if he had heard me, our eyes met.

My heart dropped straight to my stomach.

Is this my last day at my dream hospital?

But he didn’t react. No smile. No recognition. No emotion. He simply looked away and followed the head nurse toward his office, as if I didn’t exist at all.

Cold. Professional. Distant.

I stood there frozen, my heart racing—not from attraction, but from the terrifying realization that this man… was now my boss.

The silence made everything worse. It left me uncomfortable and confused. Did he recognize me or not? Or was he pretending, waiting for the right moment to call me in and fire me?

Those thoughts refused to leave my mind.

All day at work, I couldn’t relax. I performed my duties carefully, almost too carefully, afraid that one small mistake would be the reason I’d be summoned. My ears stayed alert, picking up every sound, every footstep, every voice that passed nearby.

Any moment now, I expected someone to say, “The new CEO wants to see you.”

I had already rehearsed my apology in my head. I would explain everything—how I was late for my interview, how I hadn’t watched where I was going, how the coffee spill was an accident. I would apologize again and again if I had to.

Yet nothing happened.

Hours passed. Patients came and went. Tasks were completed. The hospital buzzed with its usual controlled chaos, but my name was never called. Even when my shift officially ended, I stayed back, pretending to organize files and check equipment, half-expecting someone to appear and stop me.

Still nothing.

Maybe he really doesn’t recognize me, I told myself. A small sense of relief settled in my chest. Maybe I was just another face in the crowd. Maybe the coffee incident meant nothing.

Satisfied with that fragile reassurance, I finally decided it was time to go home. I packed my bag, shut down the computer, and took a deep breath before heading toward the elevator. The hallway was quiet—too quiet. My footsteps echoed, each one reminding me how small I felt in this world.

And then I saw him.

He was standing there, waiting for the elevator.

“Why is my day like this?” I whispered to myself.