Song Mira and Taeho’s gazes collided in midair.
At that moment, the blue light in Taeho’s eyes slowly vanished.
Song Mira stopped breathing for an instant.
“……”
“……”
Kang Taeho’s eyes deepened. His expression said he had realized Song Mira had noticed something.
But the patient was more urgent.
“Intubation set!”
Taeho focused on Park Jiyoung again.
Lee Junho rushed over and prepared the equipment. Taeho’s hands were still flawless. As if he could see straight through the structure of Park Jiyoung’s airway, he performed the intubation without a moment’s hesitation.
“Intubation complete. Connect the ventilator!”
Park Jiyoung’s oxygen saturation began to rise little by little.
86%, 90%, 94%……
“She’s stable.”
Taeho let out a deep breath.
Song Mira stood at a distance and watched everything. Choi Jinsu’s camera was still rolling.
Only then did Taeho look at Song Mira again.
This time, his eyes were an ordinary brown.
Song Mira spoke first.
“Director. Did I see what I think I just saw?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your eyes turned blue.”
Choi Jinsu lowered the camera and cut in.
“I saw it too. The color was definitely different.”
“That was probably because of the LED lights in the emergency room.”
“No.”
Song Mira spoke firmly.
“Your method of treating patients is completely different from other doctors too. Please be honest with me. There’s something special about you, isn’t there?”
“There’s nothing special.”
Taeho shook his head.
Song Mira narrowed her eyes and said,
“It was the same at the Samcheok Fish Market.”
“Excuse me?”
“You were different then too, Director. It was as if you were looking directly inside the patient’s body, and it’s the same now. Your diagnoses are too fast. Abnormally fast.”
Taeho’s jaw muscles stiffened.
“And before you diagnose someone, you talk to yourself. As if you’re having a conversation with someone.”
Certainty filled Song Mira’s voice.
Taeho was silent for a moment, then gave a light sigh as if he had no choice.
“Let’s go to my office and talk. It would be better to turn the camera off for a while.”
“Understood.”
Good.
At last, Director Kang Taeho was going to open his mouth.
Song Mira cheered inwardly.
“Noona, should I really turn it off?”
Choi Jinsu looked at Song Mira. When Song Mira nodded, Choi Jinsu turned off the camera with a regretful expression.
“Follow me.”
Taeho began walking.
Song Mira’s heart pounded. At last, she was going to learn Kang Taeho’s secret.
***
Once the door to the director’s office closed, Taeho had Song Mira and Choi Jinsu sit on the sofa.
Song Mira looked at Taeho with expectant eyes.
“Director, I’ve interviewed quite a lot of doctors so far. But you’re clearly different.”
“I’m curious what makes you think so.”
“First, you grasp a patient’s condition too quickly. You make a diagnosis before the test results even come out.”
Taeho nodded.
“I have no choice but to grasp the patient’s condition quickly. In today’s case, I had already received detailed information from the 119 paramedics. The patient’s age, sex, the circumstances of onset, even the initial vital signs.”
“Even so, how do you diagnose the patients’ illnesses so easily? Before blood is drawn, before MRI, CT, or at the very least X-ray results come out, you’ve already diagnosed them.”
“If you’re talking about the IPO diagnosis, IPO isn’t difficult to diagnose in the first place. Exposure to cold water, strenuous exercise, acute dyspnea, and pink frothy sputum. With those four combined, it’s practically confirmed.”
“Is that true?”
“You said you’ve interviewed many other doctors, so ask them. They’ll all answer similarly.”
Kang Taeho’s attitude was so confident.
Song Mira was momentarily at a loss for words, but she asked again.
“Second, the talking to yourself. It sounded like you were speaking with someone.”
Taeho was startled inwardly.
Just how much has this woman noticed?
According to Rema’s report, Song Mira was the most capable reporter at QBS. She was indeed exceptional. She had pinpointed details that an ordinary person would never notice.
But only that much.
He would not let her find out more.
Taeho smiled as if slightly embarrassed.
“It’s a habit from my undergraduate days. A medical school professor told me to say the checklist out loud. ‘Check breath sounds,’ ‘check pulse,’ ‘clear consciousness.’ By muttering like that, you prevent mistakes.”
“Ah, like airplane pilots?”
Choi Jinsu chimed in as if he had heard of it before.
Song Mira lightly kicked Choi Jinsu’s foot under the table and smiled.
“Still, it sounded too natural to call it talking to yourself.”
“Hahaha. Did it? I suppose my professor’s training was a success.”
When Taeho laughed pleasantly, Song Mira had nothing more to say.
Song Mira played her final card.
“Third, your eyes! They definitely turned blue. Reporter Choi and I both saw it!”
Taeho took off his glasses and showed them to Song Mira.
“These lenses have a blue-light blocking coating.”
When Taeho tilted the glasses under the emergency room lights, a distinct blue reflection appeared on the lenses.
“When the emergency room LED lights reflect off this coating, it gives off a blue light. When I’m focusing on a patient, I lower my head at this angle.”
Taeho actually took that posture. The blue reflection on the lenses made it look as if his eyes were glowing.
“L-like this?”
Song Mira could not continue. Everything had been explained far too reasonably.
Choi Jinsu muttered beside her.
“Oh, it really does look that way. The blue light is unusually strong compared to other glasses.”
“Wait a moment, Director. Jinsu.”
“Yes, noona.”
“Play back the footage you shot just now.”
“Right now?”
“Let’s check it again in front of the Director. I’m sure what we captured wasn’t the entire lens reflecting blue light, but blue light coming from his pupils.”
Choi Jinsu grabbed the camera, then hesitated as he glanced at Taeho.
Taeho smiled and said,
“Go ahead. You’ll see that Reporter Song was mistaken.”
“Then I’ll play it back, Director.”
Choi Jinsu rewound the camera.
“Huh? That’s strange.”
“What is it?”
“I definitely filmed it, but only the footage from just now is gone.”
Choi Jinsu was flustered.
Song Mira stamped her feet as if she were going mad.
“No, you’re not some amateur. How could you make a mistake like that?”
“This is really weird. I definitely checked that it was recording……”
Choi Jinsu scratched the back of his head.
Song Mira was left speechless. Each and every suspicious point had been explained logically. On top of that, the footage that could have served as decisive evidence had vanished. Director Kang Taeho, sitting before her, wore a calm expression as if he had known this would happen all along.
Taeho happened to glance at Song Mira’s shoulder, then suddenly looked as if he had discovered something.
“Reporter Song, have you touched any plants recently?”
“What? Why are you asking that?”
“I think you have a plant-related allergy.”
“An allergy? Me?”
Song Mira spoke in surprise.
Taeho began explaining slowly, as if putting together a puzzle.
“First, look under the nail of your right index finger. There are tiny brown particles caught there. Like soil or potting mix……”
Song Mira examined her fingernail closely. There really were tiny specks of brown powder.
“And there are small red dots on the tips of your middle and index fingers, right? Those are early symptoms of contact dermatitis.”
“Oh. That’s what this was?”
Song Mira checked her fingers in surprise.
Taeho continued his observation.
“From the moment you sat down until now, you’ve scratched under your left eye about seven times in total. Very naturally, unconsciously.”
Choi Jinsu nodded beside her.
“That’s right. I saw it too.”
“Ah, that’s just a habit I have.”
“That area is slightly swollen and red right now. It’s a typical symptom of allergic conjunctivitis.”
“What?”
Song Mira searched for a mirror and checked her face. Her left eyelid was indeed slightly swollen and flushed red. She had not noticed it at all until now.
“But the decisive clue is the green liquid on your sleeve.”
Taeho pointed at Song Mira’s jacket. When Song Mira looked at her sleeve, there really were small green stains on it.
“That’s plant sap and tiny bits of leaf tissue. It gets on your hands when you touch foliage plants like rubber trees or monstera. Rubber trees in particular contain oxalic acid, which can irritate sensitive people.”
Taeho pointed to the back of Song Mira’s hand and continued.
“And if you look here, there’s a slightly roughened area. That’s a sign you washed it several times with a strong cleanser.”
Song Mira thought for a moment and said,
“Ah! That’s right! Two days ago, when I was waiting in a hotel lobby, there was a large rubber tree, and I got bored and touched the leaves! Something sticky got on my hands then, so I kept washing them!”
“That was rubber tree sap. Within a few hours after contact, itching and redness begin to appear. Since you’ve been wearing those clothes continuously, tiny amounts of plant sap and oxalic acid crystals must still be in the fabric.”
Song Mira said in astonishment,
“That’s right! I’ve been wearing this jacket for two days. Because of the close-coverage assignment, I didn’t have time to get it cleaned……”
“That’s why the contact dermatitis has continued and worsened. The irritants left in your clothes keep touching your skin and causing an inflammatory reaction.”
“The eyelids in particular have thin skin, so allergic reactions show up more easily there. Since you have a habit of rubbing your eyes unconsciously, it seems to have gotten worse.”
Song Mira looked back on her own behavior and said,
“I thought my eyes just stung a little because I was tired, but it was an allergy!”
“Many people mistake mild contact dermatitis like this for simple fatigue or environmental issues.”
Choi Jinsu opened his mouth in admiration.
“Wow. How is this even possible? You’re like Sherlock Holmes! Right, noona?”
“How did you know something I never even knew about myself……”
Song Mira spoke with a completely dazed expression.
Taeho smiled modestly.
“It’s just an observation I habitually make when treating patients. I try not to miss small signs.”
“Many people think light allergies like this are just habits or environmental issues.”
“I’ve met countless doctors up until now, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone diagnose this accurately!”
Taeho gave a wry smile.
“When I see a person, I automatically end up checking their health condition.”
Song Mira’s eyes sparkled as she said,
“Director, do you diagnose other people like this too?”
“Mm. To some extent. But it can’t replace medical tests. It’s only for reference.”
“You’re too modest!”
Song Mira looked excited, as if she had become a completely different person.
“Isn’t this kind of observational ability something you were born with?”
Taeho was relieved inwardly. Song Mira’s interest had turned in a completely different direction.
“It’s just the result of trying to take better care of my patients.”
Song Mira said to Choi Jinsu,
“He’s truly amazing!”
Just then, Rema’s voice sounded in Taeho’s ear.
-As you instructed, I deleted all one minute and fifteen seconds of footage stored in Choi Jinsu’s camera.
Taeho smiled.
Good.
Song Mira would now put out a proper article. And that article would bring about the result Taeho wanted.
Not much longer now.