The barrage of questions directed at Taesu continued for over ten minutes.
It lasted even longer than the time they had spent checking Shanmeheum’s postoperative progress.
That was how strongly Dr. Schmidt’s curiosity had been aroused.
“An emergency procedure, you say. Let’s hear more about that later. The idea really was excellent.”
“You’re certainly outstanding at improvisation.”
“I can well imagine what kind of time Dr. Choi must have spent in Kashmir and Nepal.”
“I think the experiences from back then led to all sorts of applications.”
Starting with Dr. Oliver, the other doctors were full of praise as well.
The more they did, the more embarrassed Taesu became, turning his gaze away.
At times like this, silence was not the answer.
Left with no choice, Taesu barely managed to speak.
“We all did it together.”
“The ideas all came from Dr. Choi.”
When Jeong Minsu quietly chimed in, Taesu immediately shot him a glare.
Reflecting exactly how he felt, the words that came out of Taesu’s mouth were all rough, and he growled them in Korean.
“You beautiful bastard, I could bite you.”
“Why are you getting embarrassed?”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
“You called me beautiful, so I thought it was.”
Jeong Minsu replied casually in Korean as well.
No, he was playing innocent.
Taesu was dumbfounded.
‘Why are you selling off your timid act now?’
And yet when it suited him, the whole mood changed.
Taesu even began to suspect, just a little, that his timid personality might have been something he’d manufactured.
Just as Taesu’s insides were starting to simmer a bit, Dr. Schmidt immediately mediated between the two.
“You performed a good surgery. There’s no need to argue.”
“Ahem. Yes.”
“In any case, I don’t think we need to worry about immediate postoperative complications.”
“That’s a relief. But…”
“Yes. The slow recovery will be made up for with time and the guardian’s care.”
As soon as Dr. Schmidt finished speaking, Dr. Oliver added a word.
“She’s still young, so her recovery will be quick. I don’t think you need to worry too much.”
“Understood.”
“You all look a bit relieved now. Every one of you.”
Dr. Oliver’s observation was accurate.
The expressions on Taesu, Jeong Minsu, and Kim Hyeokgwon had become much softer.
It seemed that once the part that had been weighing on their minds was resolved, their stiff faces had loosened.
Taesu lightly rubbed his own cheek and smiled awkwardly.
“It’s because you came all the way here to check on her. That put me at ease.”
“At any rate, you worked hard.”
“No. I’m more grateful to the patient for pulling through.”
At Taesu’s words, Jeong Minsu and Kim Hyeokgwon nodded at the same time.
It was an expression of agreement.
Just as the conversation was about to wrap up in such a warm atmosphere—
Rattle.
The classroom door opened, and two people came in.
“Dr. Talon, and Nurse Diana.”
It was an unexpected appearance, so Taesu murmured as he called out to them.
Dr. Talon left Taesu for later and greeted Dr. Schmidt first.
“You were here.”
“What brings you here, Dr. Talon?”
“I came to take over.”
“Oh? That must be welcome news for everyone.”
Dr. Schmidt’s gaze turned toward Taesu, Jeong Minsu, and Kim Hyeokgwon.
But the three of them wore puzzled expressions.
Among them, Taesu quietly asked Dr. Talon, who had approached before he knew it.
“Take over?”
“You need to get some rest.”
“Aren’t you tired too, Dr. Talon?”
“I didn’t have surgery, and I’m on duty anyway. We’ll stay here, so go get some rest.”
Dr. Talon calmly urged him.
Taesu was grateful, but he still had a desire to keep watch.
“Well…”
“Dr. Choi, do as Dr. Talon says.”
Dr. Schmidt spoke one beat faster.
No, it seemed he had already decided that it would be better that way.
Taesu’s gaze turned to Kim Hyeokgwon.
Unexpectedly, Kim Hyeokgwon answered simply.
“If these heavy-hitting doctors say it’s fine, there’s no need to groan over it, is there?”
“That’s true.”
“And Dr. Talon’s skill goes without saying.”
“Of course.”
“Then is there a problem?”
Kim Hyeokgwon pretended to ask a question while handing the decision over to Taesu.
It seemed Dr. Schmidt’s own examination and his statement that she was fine had been the decisive factor.
Taesu, too, changed his mind a little.
“Understood. I’ll go out and rest a bit.”
“Good decision. Then hand things over to Dr. Talon and let’s go out together.”
“Understood.”
After answering, Taesu began the handover to Dr. Talon as Dr. Schmidt had suggested.
There was no need to explain that part at length verbally.
Rustle.
He handed over the medical record he had written by hand during his break and spoke briefly.
“I organized it by time here, and…”
“You’re always thorough about things like this.”
“It’s essential.”
“Anyway, that’s enough, so go on out now. You worked hard.”
Dr. Talon quickly brought the conversation to a close.
It meant he wanted Taesu, Jeong Minsu, and Kim Hyeokgwon, who had worked so hard, to rest even a little sooner.
Taesu knew that, and since he had already made his decision, he did not delay any longer.
“Dr. Schmidt, shall we go?”
“Yes. Then, Dr. Talon, take care. Everyone, let’s go out.”
Step, step.
As Dr. Schmidt took the lead, Taesu and everyone else followed behind him.
When they came out of the school, it was already pitch-dark night.
Since the time was heading toward midnight, it was only natural.
At that moment, Dr. Schmidt spoke as he passed by.
“You worked hard. Rest comfortably.”
“I’ll be going first.”
“Phew, now I can finally rest easy. See you tomorrow.”
Dr. Oliver and the other doctors, their faces full of relief, offered friendly words as they walked away together.
Now only Taesu, Jeong Minsu, and Kim Hyeokgwon remained.
Surprisingly, the three of them did not hurry.
Perhaps because it had been a long time since they had come outside, they stood side by side and enjoyed the chilly early winter weather.
“Winter’s almost here.”
“We came when it was hot, but time really flies.”
“When you get to my age, it flies even faster than a bullet.”
At Kim Hyeokgwon’s words, Taesu and Jeong Minsu smiled awkwardly.
But then—
Taesu looked around left and right with a puzzled expression.
Watching him, Jeong Minsu couldn’t hold back his curiosity and asked.
“Why all of a sudden?”
“I don’t see them.”
“What in the world?”
“The guardians.”
Only after hearing Taesu’s words did Jeong Minsu and Kim Hyeokgwon notice that something was strange.
But then—
From over there, the guardians came rushing over in a crowd.
“Hup.”
“You just had to say it.”
“This doesn’t look like an atmosphere where we can avoid them.”
“Then let’s enjoy it.”
The approaching guardians’ faces were bright.
It seemed they had already heard the news.
Unless there was some unavoidable circumstance, they did not put off meeting with guardians.
Especially at moments of joy like this, they also wanted to share it with them.
The three of them greeted the guardians running toward them with bright smiles.
A short while later.
Shanmeheum’s family left in a rush once again.
Only Taesu, Jeong Minsu, and Kim Hyeokgwon remained there.
But all of them had blank expressions.
They truly looked as if their souls had been sucked out, unable to move an inch.
That lasted only for a moment.
Soon, Taesu shook his head and opened his mouth.
“Those people are really no joke.”
“A storm. They’re a storm.”
“…”
Flutter, flutter.
Kim Hyeokgwon didn’t open his mouth at all and only waved his hand.
Looking at him, Taesu asked with a worried face.
“Are you all right?”
“Ugh.”
He only held his jaw and groaned.
It seemed his jaw was stiff from interpreting nonstop.
Taesu and Jeong Minsu fully understood that suffering.
Looking down the path where the guardians had left, Jeong Minsu smiled bitterly.
“That was Shanmeheum’s mother, right? She literally threw herself at us.”
“That’s how shocked she was, and how relieved she must have been.”
“Yeah.”
Sensing a wistfulness in Jeong Minsu’s response, Taesu glanced at him and asked.
“What’s with you?”
“Huh? No, it’s nothing.”
Slide.
Jeong Minsu trailed off and lightly rubbed his own cheek.
It was the very spot where Shanmeheum’s mother had pressed her cheek against his in gratitude.
Taesu had received the same greeting.
So he could roughly guess what Jeong Minsu was thinking right now.
“Does it make you think of your mother?”
“It does.”
“I miss mine quite a lot too. Hap.”
Taesu, who had been answering wistfully, suddenly clapped a hand over his mouth.
Jeong Minsu, who had looked puzzled, also changed to an expression of realization.
At the end of their gazes was Kim Hyeokgwon’s face.
“…”
He said nothing, but his eyes were full of melancholy, and his expression was wistful.
It seemed he too was thinking of his mother, who had passed away long ago.
The two of them simply held their breath in silence.
Then Kim Hyeokgwon glanced at them and opened his stiff mouth.
“Let me ask one thing.”
“Anything.”
“Is family… something warm?”
The look in Kim Hyeokgwon’s eyes as he asked was exceedingly serious.
Glance.
Jeong Minsu looked at Taesu.
Taesu answered while keeping only Kim Hyeokgwon in his eyes.
“You’ve seen many families up until now, haven’t you?”
“I have. I’ve seen many.”
“And yet do they feel special to you?”
It was not a question meant to provoke.
It was closer to a request for him to share his honest feelings.
Perhaps Kim Hyeokgwon felt the same, because he nodded calmly.
“They hit me a little differently.”
“But what can you do?”
“What do you mean?”
“They’re not particularly different from the families we’ve met until now.”
Taesu answered plainly.
As if he had found a hint within those words, Kim Hyeokgwon answered with a bitter face.
“Then the problem is with me, for feeling them differently.”
“Yes. A person’s eyes see things differently depending on their heart.”
“Heh, that’s true.”
“Ah, I didn’t ask you that question.”
When Taesu changed the subject, Kim Hyeokgwon looked at him questioningly.
“What question?”
“So, did you save the young Hyeokgwon?”
“Mm.”
Kim Hyeokgwon hesitated.
Taesu waited calmly.
Jeong Minsu, too, seemed to recall what the question meant and looked at Kim Hyeokgwon with a serious expression.
Soon, Kim Hyeokgwon slowly turned his gaze toward the school.
With his eyes fixed elsewhere, his voice came drifting back.
“I suppose I did.”
“It seems you haven’t saved him completely yet.”
“Can you settle the past all at once?”
“It would be difficult.”
When Taesu answered, Kim Hyeokgwon glanced back and said,
“Still, someday, the time will come to settle it.”
“It will.”
“I’m going in first. You’re tired, so don’t loiter around and get some rest early.”
After leaving behind that casual farewell, Kim Hyeokgwon slowly moved away.
Meanwhile, Taesu watched his back with a heavy gaze.
Jeong Minsu rolled his eyes and asked,
“What does that mean?”
“I think it means he’ll keep sticking with us.”
“Mm, is that so?”
Jeong Minsu blinked in response.
Taesu lightly patted him on the back.
Thump.
“No need to rack your brain over it.”
“The conversation was just too profound.”
“Let’s think of it simply. I don’t like complicated things either.”
“Eugh. Then let’s go in too.”
Jeong Minsu suggested as he stretched.
It was late at night, and Taesu did not want to linger any longer either.