The ambulance was already waiting for them in front of the hotel.
As soon as they arrived, the medical team hastily mobilized and took Su-Jin from Ji-Won's back.
"What happened?" Asked one of the paramedics.
"We were in the forest and she fell down a slope. I think she might have hit her head. She woke up for a short moment, but she seemed dazed and confused." Ji-Won gave a short report of the situation.
Due to the adrenaline, he didn't even notice that his body and hands were shaking.
With an intake of air, Ji-Won waited for Su-Jin to be placed in the ambulance.
"Are you coming with us, sir?" The paramedic turned to ask him. "We have space for one more person to join in the ambulance. It would also be helpful to have a guardian at the hospital to fill in her information."
"I..."
Ji-Won hesitated. The icy grip around his heart made it hard for him to concentrate. Even speech was difficult for him right now.
"I… I will follow behind. I'll take my car and come right after you." He said firmly, his fingers clenching into fists. "What hospital are you taking her to?"
"Sewon hospital."
"Alright. Thank you very much." Ji-Won replied.
Bowing his head, he turned on his heels and left. He had to go and get his car keys from the room.
But, as soon as he had that thought, Ji-Won was reminded of something else.
"Seo-Jun… I have to find Seo-Jun. He has the key to our room." Ji-Won mumbled to himself.
At that moment he was trying very hard to keep himself from panicking.
The 'ribbon hunting' event was probably going to last for at least another hour. During this commotion he had lost track of time, so he could only guess. Still, finding Seo-Jun wasn't going to be an easy task.
Taking out his phone, JI-Won quickly gave his friend a call.
While he waited for the call to connect, Ji-Won began to pace in agitation. From time to time, he would raise a hand and brush it through his black hair, pushing the strands backwards until his neat hairstyle ended up looking quite terrible.
Unfortunately, even after five minutes Seo-Jun still didn't pick up.
This turn of events caused Ji-Won to curse loudly, because it meant only one thing. He had to find the manager of the inn and ask for the spare key.
Ji-Won was just about to run inside, when a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks.
"Ji-Won? What are you doing here? Did you finish already?"
The person calling out to him was Seo-Jun. He was walking slowly towards the front stairs. His partner was just one step behind him, beaming with excitement.
As he approached the inn, Seo-Jun's lips were curved into a wide smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Based on his expression, it was clear that he was very pleased about something.
Nevertheless, the moment Seo-Jun noticed his friend's ghostly white face and overall disheveled appearance, the look of exuberance instantly disappeared from his face. He changed from cheerful to dead serious faster than a sports car changing gears.
Stopping right in front of Ji-Won, Seo-Jun spoke in a low voice so the woman behind him couldn't hear.
Ji-Won ignored his friend's question. Instead of replying, he stretched out his palm and demanded briskly.
"Seo-Jun, give me the key to our room."
"Ji-Won, what happened?" Seo-Jun stubbornly inquired again with a deep frown.
"I need the key. I have to take my car and go to the hospital. Su-Jin..." Ji-Won stopped, sucking in a gulp of air. "I mean, Miss Park has… She fell and hurt herself. The ambulance just took her and it's on the way to the hospital."
"What?!" Seo-Jun cried out in shock.
"I'll tell you everything later." Ji-Won said impatiently, brushing a trembling hand through his already ruffled hair. "For now, give me the key. You stay here and explain the situation to the Organizing Team. I'll pack my clothes now and come straight to the office tomorrow morning."
"What about her things?" Seo-Jun asked, while handing Ji-Won the key.
"Oh, right."
Only with Seo-Jun's reminder did Ji-Won realize that someone had to pack Su-Jin's things as well. In his haste, he almost overlooked this small detail.
Turning towards his friend right after he almost left, Ji-Won grabbed Seo-Jun by the arm. He stared intensely into the other man's eyes for a moment.
"Can you call Miss Lee and let her know? She can pack Miss Park's things and bring them to her later."
"Sure. I will talk to her right away. Don't worry about that and focus on what you need to do."
"Thank you, Seo-Jun. I'll call you later."
And with that, Ji-Won finally turned around and dashed towards the hotel. As soon as he arrived in the lobby, he broke into a run. He jumped two stairs at once, hurting along the corridor, all the while fighting off the icy cold fear that threatened to engulf his mind.
'Please be alright. Park Su-Jin… Please be safe.' He thought frantically.
In the meantime, Seo-Jun remained in front of the hotel, talking to his former hunting partner.
"Miss Han, if you'll excuse me now, I have somewhere to go, so I won't be able to walk you inside."
"Oh, Deputy Director Kim, is there something wrong? Can I do anything to help?"
The woman was clearly disappointed, but she was clearly very well-bred. Even as her smile faltered, she still tried to look cheerful and attentive.
Seeing her reaction, Seo-Jun smiled to himself.
'At least she's not a troublesome one. She also looks like my type. Ah, too bad I have to leave now, otherwise we might have gotten even better acquainted.'
While internally he sighed dejectedly, on the outside, Seo-Jun showed a polite reluctance. He shook his head slowly and smiled at the woman.
"That's very kind of you, Miss Han, but it's just a friend asking for my help. Nothing to trouble you with. Please go inside and rest." He then patted the woman's shoulder gently. "Thank you for your hard work today, Miss Han."
After leaving behind that last sentence, Seo-Jun went back towards the forest in search of Yeon-Ah.
'I wonder how Miss Lee is doing. Did she and Jung Seok also finish the hunt?'