Chapter 62
EP 6. Ward 303 Records
The hospital room where Jang Hyun-woo was admitted.
It was a six-bed room, but by coincidence, after he was admitted, all the others were discharged.
He thought he’d get to use it alone, but as if waiting for the perfect moment, another patient joined.
It was Grandpa Park Chung-man, who had been moved from Room 505 to Room 303.
“Three-oh-three! Three-oh-three!”
“Yes, yes, we know! We’ll move you to Room 303 now, please wait just a moment!”
Hyun-woo’s mother, seeing the old man being pushed in on a wheelchair, looked puzzled. A nurse who accompanied him stepped forward to explain.
“He was admitted in another room, but he insisted—very firmly—that he had to be in Room 303. He… well… has dementia, but it’s not very severe.”
She whispered the explanation quietly, and Hyun-woo’s mother asked anxiously:
“Does he show any aggression?”
“No. During the day, he just naps quietly or stares outside. Sometimes he just shouts ‘303’ at night, like that.”
“Why is he so fixated on Room 303…?”
“We don’t know either. He used to be in Room 303 before, but he was moved to the ICU for a while. When we tried to move him back to a normal room, 303 was full, so he was placed somewhere else…”
The nurse made a troubled face—probably because he had also insisted on Room 303 back then.
Hyun-woo glanced at the old man. Lying on the bed by the window, he looked peaceful, as if he had never been yelling moments ago.
His eyes looking out the window were calm—nothing about him felt frightening.
“Still… if he has dementia, I don’t feel comfortable leaving my son here alone with him…”
“Mom, I’m fine.”
Hyun-woo understood her concerns.
She ran a business—she couldn’t stay in the hospital all day, so of course she worried.
“Once I get crutches, I can move fine on my own, and the nurses come and go constantly. They said he’s never caused trouble.”
“But still…”
“Mom, seriously. I’ll be fine.”
His mother sighed. It would be rude to act overly nervous toward the old man when nothing had even happened yet.
She reminded him to call immediately if anything came up and left.
Hyun-woo flopped onto his bed.
The old man was extremely quiet. At first, Hyun-woo thought he was asleep, but whenever he glanced over, the man was just staring blankly out the window.
“…It’s basically like I’m using the room alone.”
Feeling relieved, Hyun-woo was playing on his phone when—
Thud.
Something dropped.
He looked up and saw a notebook lying on the floor beside the old man’s bed.
“Grandpa?”
No answer.
“Your notebook fell!”
Silence.
“Grandpa? The notebook—your notebook!”
…Maybe his hearing was bad?
Finding the complete lack of response strange, Hyun-woo got off his bed. Because of his crutches, bending was difficult, so he grunted as he picked up the notebook.
Even then, the old man just stared outside.
“Your notebook fell.”
No reaction.
“…Uh, I’ll just put it here, okay?”
He gently placed it on the old man’s bed and returned to his own.
He bent down to resume his game—
Thud.
“…?”
The notebook had fallen again.
This time, he ignored it.
He doesn’t care about it anyway. Why should I?
He happily continued playing until he needed to use the bathroom.
When he returned—
“…Huh?”
The notebook was now on his bed.
Startled, he looked at the old man—but the man wasn’t even looking his way. And since there was no notebook on or under the old man’s bed, it had to be the same one.
What? Did he give it to me? Is it not his notebook?
Scratching his head, Hyun-woo picked it up and examined it.
No name on front or back. He opened the first page.
Written in neat handwriting:
[Ward 303 Record — Day 1
Patient: Im Kyung-mi, 23
Admitted due to traffic accident
Guardian: Park Chung-man, 81]
Park Chung-man?
Hyun-woo quickly glanced at the old man. Sure enough, the name tag on his bed said the same thing.
He turned the page.
[Patient extremely sensitive and irritable. Raises voice even at guardian. Other patients filed complaints.
Displayed violent behavior, assaulted guardian.
Boyfriend intervened.]
What is this?
Who wrote this? Why?
He flipped to the next page.
[Ward 303 Record — Day 2
Patient: Im Kyung-mi, 23
Showing signs of depression. Psychiatric consultation recommended.
Guardian agreed but patient refused.
Boyfriend visits daily.
Guardian Park Chung-man stays in room with consent of other patients.]
Only the right pages contained writing—apparently a daily record.
He continued.
[Ward 303 Record — Day 3
Patient: Im Kyung-mi, 23
Difficulty moving, but recovering. Boyfriend demands discharge.
Guardian Park Chung-man opposes.]
[Patient discharged.]
But strangely, the records continued afterward—still about the same woman.
[Ward 303 Record
Patient: Im Kyung-mi, 24
Full recovery expected in 2 weeks. Signs of physical assault all over body.
Boyfriend claims guardian Park Chung-man abused her.
Patient remains silent.
Police notified.]
Her age changed.
It seemed to be a record from a year later.
[Ward 303 Record
Patient: Im Kyung-mi, 24
Guardian Park Chung-man forcibly removed.
With consent of room patients, boyfriend designated as guardian.]
The entries continued.
[Ward 303 Record
Patient: Im Kyung-mi, 24
Depression worsened. Begins talking to herself.
Curses guardian by name.]
[Ward 303 Record
Patient: Im Kyung-mi, 24
Patient attempted suicide in women’s restroom, stopped by nurse.
Repeated attempts afterward.
Boyfriend demands discharge.
Boyfriend claims patient is under extreme stress due to fear that guardian Park Chung-man may return.
Patient remains silent.]
[Ward 303 Record
Patient: Im Kyung-mi, 24
Guardian Park Chung-man demands visitation, insisting he must meet patient.
Became violent when staff refused. Staff injured.
Boyfriend requests secrecy about guardian’s visits to avoid distressing patient.]
[Ward 303 Record
Patient: Im Kyung-mi, 24
Early discharge decided.
While boyfriend stepped out, nurse attempted blood pressure check.
Found small writing inside cuff:
“Help me.”
Likely noticed guardian’s attempt to visit.]
…Huh?
A cold chill crawled up Hyun-woo’s back.
“Help me”?
He suddenly felt like he was reading something he absolutely shouldn’t.
But unable to stop himself, he turned to the next page with trembling hands.
[Ward 303 Record
Patient: Im Kyung-mi, 24
Guardian Park Chung-man reported to police.
Boyfriend notified.]
[Patient discharged.]
At least that was a relief.
The threat she feared was gone.
Hyun-woo glanced at the old man. He was still staring blankly outside with lifeless eyes.
…He doesn’t look like a bad person at all.
Though you couldn’t judge by appearance…
He flipped the page—blank. No more records.
Feeling uneasy, he closed the notebook, placed it on the side table, and lay down.
Ugh. Why did I read that? Now I just feel weird.
A dementia patient suspected of domestic violence?
He had confidently said he’d be fine being alone with the man, and now he regretted it slightly.
Whatever. No point worrying. Even if he attacks me, I’m stronger. I should sleep.
He plugged in his phone, pulled up his blanket, and quickly drifted off—as he always did.
Or so he thought.
Clatter.
The door opened.
Huh? What was that?
He squinted toward the window—still dark. It was nighttime.
“I’m here to take your temperature.”
Ah… a nurse.
Hyun-woo closed his eyes again. With an injured leg, he didn’t need temperature checks, so they always skipped him.
But then—
Clatter, clatter…
Why was the nurse’s cart getting closer to his bed?
“I’m here to take your temperature.”
The exact same tone as before.
An uneasy instinct wriggled inside him. He pretended to stay asleep.
“I’m here to take your temperature.”
“I’m here to take your temperature.”
“I’m here to take your temperature.”
This was wrong.
If the nurse really wanted to check, she would shake him awake or simply use the thermometer without repeating herself robotically.
Then—
Silence.
Hyun-woo held his breath, terrified even the sound of swallowing might be heard.
After a long moment—
Clatter… clatter…
The cart wheels rolled away. The door opened and closed.
Silence returned.
…Gone?
He exhaled shakily and opened his eyes.
“You were awake, weren’t you, patient?”
Just as if waiting for that moment, someone was crouching beside his bed, looking up at him.
Pale skin. Bluish lips. Blood streaking from her head. Bloodshot eyes.
“Aaaaaaah!!”
Hyun-woo let out a death scream—and fainted.
