Kim Jeonghun put down his phone and sighed.
“Ah, damn it... I don’t know. Let’s just eat.”
Kim Jeonghun headed for the restaurant in front of Geumsan Clinic.
As he opened the door and stepped inside, he naturally scanned the situation within.
“Welcome!”
“One doenjang jjigae, please.”
Kim Jeonghun sat at an empty table and looked around. The man in his sixties sitting alone at the next table, eating stir-fried spicy pork, looked familiar.
Got him!
Kim Jeonghun put a reporter’s natural affability to work.
“Huh? Sir, didn’t you just come out of Geumsan Clinic? I think I saw you in the waiting room earlier.”
“That’s right.”
The man answered while chewing his rice.
Kim Jeonghun casually slid over and sat down across from him.
“What was hurting?”
“My back.”
“Ah, back pain is really awful. How is it? Is the treatment going well?”
The man swallowed the rice in his mouth and nodded.
Kim Jeonghun narrowed his eyes with a subtle expression.
“To be honest, just between us... wasn’t that doctor there a bit too experimental?”
“Experimental?”
The man looked as if he had no idea what he was talking about.
“Yes. From what I saw, the prescriptions there are a little different from what doctors at other hospitals give. They call it customized treatment or something. Sigh, but that’s just a nice way of saying customized. Honestly, isn’t he experimenting on patients?”
“Hey now. What’re you talking about? Our director’s a famous doctor, you know. There’s a reason rich folks from Seoul come carrying bundles of money. These days it’s so hard to make an appointment, it’s a right mess. What do you even know?”
The man’s face turned stern as he waved his hand.
Kim Jeonghun smiled bitterly and nodded.
“Right. So you’re satisfied. ...Then please enjoy your meal.”
Just then, the restaurant owner came over with the doenjang jjigae and cut in.
“Were you just talking about Director Geumsan?”
Kim Jeonghun asked, looking pleased.
“What’s Geumsan Clinic’s reputation like around here?”
“Reputation? What do you mean, reputation? Anyway, you can think of it this way: Director Geumsan saved our whole village.”
“Pardon? Saved it?”
“Yes. Last year, a customer suddenly collapsed here, you see? And right then, as luck would have it, Director Geumsan had come here to eat. But the moment he saw the customer’s eyes roll back, the director knew right away.”
After setting down all the side dishes, the restaurant owner began to get excited, waving the empty tray around.
“So then, before the patient could even hit the floor, Director Geumsan shouted, bang! Hypoglycemic shock!”
Kim Jeonghun blinked blankly at the restaurant owner.
As if possessed by the god of acting, the restaurant owner became Kang Taeho and began filming an action movie all by himself.
“Huh? Hypoglycemic shock! I’m telling you, hypoglycemic shock! Bring sugar! And drinks, quick!”
“...”
“And when that customer flopped right down on the floor, he jumped straight in and saved him. The man he saved is still perfectly healthy to this day, hasn’t had to go to the hospital once. Truly, it’s something else!”
“...”
“This was the exact spot. Right here. See? He was lying right here like this. Director Geumsan was standing right here...”
After getting worked up for quite a while, the restaurant owner saw Kim Jeonghun’s expression and finished awkwardly.
“Enjoy your meal!”
Kim Jeonghun shook his head and took a spoonful of the doenjang jjigae.
“Pfft!”
It tasted absolutely awful.
***
Kim Jeonghun left the restaurant and wandered around the village, hearing all sorts of stories.
It wasn’t just one person. Every single person he met said similar things. Everyone in this village had goodwill toward Director Kang Taeho of Geumsan Clinic. No, it wasn’t merely goodwill; it was almost fanatic enthusiasm.
But no matter how saintly a person was, there was no such thing as someone without enemies. They were simply hard to find.
As his final stop, Kim Jeonghun headed to the village teahouse.
When he opened the door and stepped inside, an elderly man who looked to be in his seventies was sitting alone, drinking tea. With his sharp eyes and the deep vertical crease between his brows, he gave an extremely fastidious impression.
Maybe that old man...
“Hello.”
When Kim Jeonghun approached first and greeted him, the old man narrowed his eyes and asked,
“Where’d you come from?”
“I came from Seoul. I’m receiving treatment at Geumsan Clinic.”
The old man took a sip of his ssanghwa tea without much reaction.
Kim Jeonghun asked in an amiable, gentle tone.
“If you don’t mind, may I sit across from you?”
The old man narrowed his brow slightly, then unexpectedly nodded.
Kim Jeonghun carefully sat across from him and ordered coffee.
He studied the old man before him.
A blunt impression, but for a country elder, he was quite neat, dressed in well-ironed clothes.
Judging by a reporter’s instincts, he was the type who was fussy about everything and had plenty of complaints. Kim Jeonghun knew from experience that if you prodded someone like this properly, you could get a good source.
“Sir, you know Geumsan Clinic just up ahead, right?”
“Of course.”
“Have you ever received treatment there?”
“Of course.”
“How was it? It’s the only hospital in this town, so there aren’t any other options. I imagine even if you didn’t want to go, you might not have much choice. While going there, were you satisfied, or was there anything you weren’t happy with...?”
Kim Jeonghun asked cautiously, watching his reaction. Inwardly, he hoped some dissatisfaction or regret would come out.
The old man gazed steadily at Kim Jeonghun, then opened his mouth.
“Young man, what do you do?”
“Me? Ah. I run a business.”
“A business? What kind of business?”
“Well... I do various things related to publishing.”
“Publishing? Editing? Planning? Or sales?”
Huh? What kind of country old man asks questions like that?
Kim Jeonghun suddenly felt cold sweat break out.
But he was a veteran reporter.
Hiding his expression, he slowly lifted the cup of coffee that had just arrived.
“I write. Writing. You know, right? Writing.”
“What kind of writing? Novels? Practical books? Specialist books? Or do you write things like articles?”
“Pfft!”
Kim Jeonghun sprayed hot coffee.
Fortunately, he turned his head and didn’t spray it directly on the old man, but coffee spilled onto his own pants.
“Ah, hot!”
Kim Jeonghun shot up from his seat and brushed at his pants.
The old man was watching Kim Jeonghun expressionlessly, though somehow it also seemed as if he was slightly mocking him.
“I don’t know what kind of grudge you’ve got against Director Kang, but it’ll be hard to find fault with him in this village.”
The old man said it indifferently and rose from his seat.
The teahouse owner bowed politely to the old man at the door.
“Please get home safely, sir.”
As Kim Jeonghun paid for his coffee, he asked the teahouse owner,
“Who was that old man who just left? Was he a police officer in the past or something?”
“Ah, Elder Gu Yongsan? He’s a local notable. You can’t walk around this area without stepping on land owned by him. And among the people struggling financially in this town, there isn’t anyone who hasn’t received his help. There are two people most respected in this village, and he’s one of them.”
“Who’s the other?”
“Director Kang Taeho of Geumsan Clinic.”
The teahouse owner answered kindly.
***
He got on the expressway heading toward Seoul.
Kim Jeonghun was sunk in complicated feelings.
When he had first heard about Kang Taeho, he had been certain the man was a fraud.
A resident who had caused an incident at Seyoung Seoul Hospital and been fired.
A punk who, after causing a medical accident and failing to obtain his specialist qualification, had crawled into the countryside to make money off innocent villagers.
That punk had begun gaining attention on YouTube, and eventually, he drew attention not only in domestic news but international news as well.
Kim Jeonghun had been confident he would expose his fraud and strip away his hypocritical mask.
Kim Jeonghun let out a bitter smile as he gripped the steering wheel.
Even when he had just arrived in Geumsan-ri, he had still thought that way. Seeing the atmosphere of the old rural village had only made him more certain.
But after receiving treatment himself, everything was different.
Kang Taeho had found, in a single visit, an illness that even major hospitals in Seoul had failed to detect.
Furthermore, the villagers’ reputation of him was consistent. Everyone sincerely respected Kang Taeho and felt grateful to him. Those were reactions that could never be drawn by an incompetent doctor obsessed only with making money.
How should he write the article?
Kim Jeonghun tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
He owed a huge debt, so if he failed to handle this properly, there could be retaliation.
There were still two more hours until Seoul. He had to sort out his thoughts in that time.
***
The medical specialist team at the Taeyoung Ilbo in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
It was past 9 p.m., but the light was still on at Kim Jeonghun’s desk.
A document window was open on his computer screen. Words had already been typed into the title field.
A Local Clinic’s Dangerous Experiment
> An Unverified Treatment Method Targeting Naive Patients
Kim Jeonghun looked at his hands resting on the keyboard. The tingling that had started in his right index finger had clearly subsided. Until just a few days ago, the discomfort he felt every time he typed had improved to an almost unbelievable degree.
Seyoung Seoul Hospital, Gilcheon Medical Center, Gusan Hospital... For three months, he had gone from one place called Korea’s top hospital to another, but the answer he received had always been the same.
‘It is peripheral neuropathy of unknown cause. We’ll need to monitor its progress.’
But that country doctor had made an accurate diagnosis of microscopic polyangiitis in a single examination. And in just a few days, the effects of the treatment had appeared.
Kim Jeonghun looked down at his feet. In the past, the tips of his toes had been numb, making him uneasy every time he walked, but now he was beginning to feel the texture of the floor. The prickling sensation that had once made it hard to fall asleep at night had also eased considerably.
How can I write a false article when I can feel the treatment working with my entire body?
He picked up the mouse and dragged over the title. Then he pressed the Delete key.
He began typing a new title.
A Country Clinic Rewrites the Future of Medicine
> Director Kang Taeho of Geumsan
Kim Jeonghun’s fingers began to move quickly. All the knowledge and experience he had accumulated over ten years as a medical specialist reporter melted into the article.
***
The next morning, Kim Jeonghun’s article was posted as the top story on the main page of the Taeyoung Ilbo website. Page views exploded, and the comments were positive as well.
-He’s truly an incredible doctor.
-I’m glad someone like him exists.
-Seoul citizens want to receive that kind of medical care too.
-He’s someone I’d like to meet in person someday.
Praise continued one after another.
At 10 a.m., Kim Jeonghun’s cell phone rang.
Seeing the name displayed on the screen, Kim Jeonghun squeezed his eyes shut.
So it’s here.
After hesitating for a moment, he answered the call.
“Hello.”
-Reporter Kim!
A cold voice came through the phone.
-So that’s how you’re going to write the article?
A voice frighteningly full of menace.
Kim Jeonghun felt his hand trembling despite himself. After hesitating briefly, he opened his mouth.
“I’m sorry, but... that man is a truly capable doctor. I am a reporter, but before that, I’m also a patient. I was actually treated by him, so I couldn’t write a false article.”
A long silence followed.
-Let’s see what happens.
The call ended.
Kim Jeonghun put down his phone and let out a deep sigh.
But in the next moment, the realization of what he had done hit him.
This wasn’t simply a threat, but a warning.
The other party was someone in a position to send someone like Kim Jeonghun plummeting into ruin with a single blow.
“Aaaagh!”
Kim Jeonghun clutched his head and sprang up from his seat.
***
That night, Kim Jeonghun went to see the medical specialist team leader.
“Jeonghun, that article was good. The internal response has been good too. But why do you look so pale?”
Kim Jeonghun smiled bitterly.
“Team Leader, I think I need to take a break for a while.”
“What’s going on? You’re the guy who refused to rest no matter how much I told you to...”
Kim Jeonghun let out a long sigh.
“Just for a while. I’ll be away only briefly. It won’t be an official leave of absence, so please think of it as an unofficial dispatch. Something strange is happening in Gambia right now.”
“Why Gambia all of a sudden?”
“You know my friend in Doctors Without Borders. He said recently that the movements of Doctors Without Borders and WHO dispatch teams around Gambia have been unusual. He said it’s something even foreign media can’t cover. I’ll go make a round over there and come back.”
“That area’s been feeling like war could break out lately. Are you sure you’ll be okay? Is it something like an infectious disease?”
“We don’t know for sure from here. I have to go to find out.”
“But do you really have to? Why go out of your way to a place where you might die?”
“I’m going so I can live. I...”
Kim Jeonghun sniffled.
***
The next evening.
At the residence on the third floor of Geumsan Clinic, Taeho, who had been watching Hayul draw, received an international call.
-Doctor Kang, can you come to Gambia right now?
“What? What is this all of a sudden...”