The next morning, Lee Donghyun finished his discharge procedures. His face, having regained its vitality, looked firmer than before.
Inside the consultation room, Taeho sat facing Lee Donghyun.
"Congratulations on your discharge."
"It's thanks to you, Director. I don't know how I can repay this kindness."
"Please don't say that. Saving patients is my job."
"Even so... if you ever need my help, just say the word. I'll do everything I can."
Taeho took a short breath and spoke with a serious expression.
"If you properly establish your footing within Taeyang Group later, there is one thing I would like to ask of you."
Lee Donghyun answered with a pleased expression.
"The fact that I can be of help to you makes me happy. If it's something I can do right now, I'll do it immediately."
"You won't be able to do it right away."
"What is it?"
"You know that Taeyang Group holds shares in the Se-young Medical Foundation, right?"
"Yes, I know the Group has influence over Se-young."
Strictly speaking, it wasn't merely a matter of having influence. The name Taeyang wielded enormous influence—enough to reduce Professor Kim Haseong to begging.
Of course, Lee Donghyun's unruly personality had probably played a part in that too...
Taeho smiled bitterly and said.
"Two years ago, there was an incident where a patient named Jang Yuna was brought to the emergency room. She was seventeen at the time, a high school student. That child is now in the special long-term care ward of Se-young Hospital. She can breathe on her own, but has no cognitive response whatsoever—a so-called vegetative state."
Lee Donghyun had first heard about Gang Taeho, done some background research, and roughly knew the story involving this girl named Jang Yuna. He knew how that medical accident had sent a promising resident's life falling into an abyss. He had only thought that Taeho had come here afterward and successfully made a comeback.
But to Gang Taeho now, this matter didn't feel like a painful mistake of the past, but rather like an ongoing agony. Simply uttering the name Jang Yuna seemed painful to him.
Taeho continued.
"When I was a resident at Se-young Hospital, I performed emergency surgery on this child. But at the time, her medical records and my surgical records disappeared. Officially, they said they didn't exist. I tried to see Yuna directly, but access was strictly controlled, so I couldn't even do that. I want to see those records. And I want to see the child's condition with my own eyes."
Lee Donghyun nodded and answered seriously.
"Understood. However, I am currently an insignificant existence within the Group, so accessing the medical foundation will likely be difficult right now. First, I'll need to earn the trust of my father and family, but..."
He stopped speaking and looked straight at Taeho.
"As quickly as possible, I will secure those medical records and the data regarding Jang Yuna's condition."
Taeho bowed his head and conveyed his gratitude with his eyes.
Lee Donghyun rose from his seat and went outside. Waiting secretaries and bodyguards cleared a path.
Before getting into his car, he bowed his head to Taeho once more.
"Director, I will see you again soon."
"Please don't come as a patient."
"Hahaha. Of course."
The car door closed, and the vehicle slowly departed from the hospital entrance.
Taeho watched his retreating figure for a while. Now that he had sown the seed, he had to wait for it to sprout.
That evening, Rema issued a reward.
-Gang Taeho has succeeded in real-time detection and response to a rare allergenic substance (Aurothioglucose analogue).
-Reward: +50 coins
-Current: 1,875 coins
But right now, Taeho was more concerned about the results Lee Donghyun would bring than the coin reward.
'Yuna. I'll uncover the truth soon. Just wait a little longer.'
***
Since morning, the reception desk had been noisy.
"I definitely made an appointment and came."
"I don't see any appointment?"
"What happened? Nurse Park definitely made it for ten o'clock today..."
"What did you say your name was?"
"Kim Sundeok. K-i-m. S-u-n. D-e-o-k."
Taeho came out of the consultation room to assess the situation.
"What's going on?"
"It seems the appointment was entered incorrectly."
Nursing assistant Park Eunji answered with a troubled expression.
Looking closely at the appointment ledger, Grandma Kim Sundeok's appointment was written under yesterday's date. It seemed Nurse Park Geumja had made a mistake.
"I'm sorry. It seems it was our mistake. Please receive your consultation right away."
Fortunately, it wasn't a big problem, but Taeho was concerned. Park Geumja had never once made this kind of mistake before.
At 10:20 AM, Park Geumja came rushing in, flustered.
"I'm sorry, Director! I'm late."
"It's fine. Did something happen?"
"No, I just... overslept."
Park Geumja's answer sounded very awkward.
"Nurse Park, you don't look well. Are you sick somewhere?"
"No, I'm fine. I'll get started right away. I'm sorry."
Park Geumja quickly changed into her nurse uniform and started working. But unlike usual, she made frequent mistakes.
"Nurse Park, the patient record is written in the wrong place."
Taeho pointed out.
"I'm sorry. I'll correct it immediately."
"Nurse Park, this temperature is recorded incorrectly."
"Huh? I checked it just now... I made another mistake. I'll correct it."
When lunchtime came, nursing assistant Park Yeonji came to find Taeho.
"Director, lately Geumja unni has been acting really strange."
Taeho nodded and asked.
"How is she strange?"
"She's not like before. She takes calls from who knows where, and suddenly cries."
"She cries?"
"Yes, she was crying in the restroom yesterday. Even when I asked what was wrong, she just said it was fine... And lately, she hasn't been eating lunch properly either. She says she can't eat because her stomach feels heavy."
Taeho had seen Park Geumja every day during this time, but hadn't felt that she had any particular health problems. Seeing that Rema was also silent, it seemed her vital signs weren't abnormal.
"Is there perhaps some problem at home?"
"I think it's probably because of Minsu."
"Minsu?"
"It's unni's son. He's in his first year of middle school. She got divorced eight years ago, and now she's raising him alone."
Taeho hadn't known that Park Geumja was raising her son alone. It was because he had never asked about her personal life.
"Then I should have told her to bring her son along when we went on the staff outing last time."
"Oh, Director. You don't know kids these days. Would a middle school boy follow his mom to a company outing? He'd rather play games alone at home."
"Ah, is that so?"
"Minsu isn't a delinquent or anything. He's a good kid. He studies well, and when his mom is late, he prepares and eats meals by himself. He's a kid who doesn't worry her. Geumja unni has relied on Minsu and endured well until now. But lately, it seems Minsu is causing trouble... Unni avoids talking about it, so I don't know the details."
"I see. Understood."
That afternoon, taking a brief moment, Taeho called Park Geumja.
"Nurse Park, can we talk for a moment?"
"Right now?"
Park Geumja sat down awkwardly in front of Taeho.
"Nurse Park, if anything is going on, please tell me anytime."
"Yes? What do you mean?"
"You seem to be having a hard time these days. If there's a problem at home..."
"No, I'm fine."
Park Geumja waved her hands hastily.
"I told you, I'm really fine."
It was as expected. Given Park Geumja's personality, even if there was a problem at home, she would never try to bring it to work, he thought.
Taeho spoke calmly.
"Nurse Park, you are a truly important person at Geumsan Clinic. If there's something difficult, don't try to solve it alone—tell me. I may not be able to solve everything, but I will definitely help with what I can."
"..."
Park Geumja, whose lips had trembled as if about to say something, soon shook her head.
"I'm really fine. It's nothing, Director."
Taeho observed Park Geumja carefully.
Throughout the afternoon consultations, Park Geumja's condition grew even stranger. Even while talking to patients, she would blank out intermittently, and she repeatedly issued prescriptions incorrectly.
Around 5 PM, Park Geumja's cell phone rang.
"Hello? What? Right now?"
Park Geumja's face turned pale after taking the call.
"Director, I'm sorry, but something urgent came up at home, so I have to leave first."
"What is it?"
"It's hard to say... I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'll come in earlier tomorrow."
Park Geumja hurriedly packed her bag and left.
***
But the next day, Park Geumja didn't come to work at all.
Since morning, patients had been looking for Park Geumja.
"Isn't Nurse Park here?"
"She'll be a little late today. I'll help you instead."
Nursing assistant Park Yeonwoo handled them in her stead, but the patients were displeased.
"Nurse Park knows my illness the best..."
"Excuse me, where did Nurse Park go?"
"When will she come?"
The patients continuously looked for Park Geumja.
Having worked in this neighborhood for over fifteen years, she enjoyed the wholehearted trust of her patients. She knew which family members belonged to which patient, and what diseases each of those family members suffered from.
The patients felt they had received proper care only when they left Geumsan Clinic after seeing Park Geumja's warmly smiling face as the last thing.
Taeho was beginning to worry too. Park Geumja wasn't someone who would miss work without contacting them.
At 7 PM, just as Taeho was finishing his consultations, a call came from Park Geumja.
"Hello? Nurse Park?"
Noisy sounds could be heard over the phone before it abruptly clicked off.
It sounded like fighting, and also like crying. Taeho called back, but the call wouldn't connect.
Something had definitely happened.
Taeho immediately called Park Yeonji.
"Yeonji. It seems Nurse Park is in a situation where she can't answer the phone. Do you happen to know her home address?"
"Yes, I know it."
"I should go check. I think something has happened."
"Should we go together too? I have an appointment, but I can cancel it."
"No, I'll go alone. Just tell me the address."
Taeho drove his car toward Park Geumja's house.
Arriving at the address, he found an old villa.
Jangmi Villa, Unit 203.
Taeho climbed the stairs to the second floor.
As he walked down the hallway, he heard strange sounds.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
It was the sound of something hitting the wall hard.
"No! Stop!"
A voice close to a scream.
It was Park Geumja's voice.
"Mom! Mom, let go!"
A boy's voice, in the middle of puberty, was also heard.
Taeho's heart began to beat faster.
"Stop it! Minsu. Please stop!"
Park Geumja's wailing echoed down the hallway.
Taeho stood in front of Unit 203's door. Loud noises continued from inside.
Taeho pressed the doorbell.
Ding-dong—
"Nurse Park? It's Gang Taeho."
A moment later, the door opened. Park Geumja poked her face out; her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were swollen. Compared to her normally neat appearance, she was a mess to the point of being shocking.
"Di-Director..."
"What's going on?"
Just then, a boy who looked to be in middle school came out from inside. His hair was disheveled, and his clothes were torn.
"It's all fake! Where is my real mom! Who is that person! Did you come to take me away?"
"Minsu, no. It's the Director."
"Nurse Park, may I come in?"
Just then, Minsu suddenly started hitting the wall with his fists.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Minsu!"
Park Geumja tried to stop her son, but Minsu was both taller and stronger than his mother.
Through the open door, Taeho quickly surveyed the inside of the house. There were fist marks all over the walls, and the furniture was smashed to pieces.
Minsu covered his ears and shook his head from side to side.
"No! I'm not crazy! You guys are demons!"
"Minsu, nobody said that. Stop it, Minsu."
Park Geumja comforted her son, tears streaming down her face.
Minsu's eyes rolled back, and he raised his fist above his head.
"It's a lie! Where did our mom go?"
The moment Minsu tried to strike his mother, Taeho grabbed his wrist.
"Calm down."
At Taeho's calm voice, Minsu froze and stopped.