It was the first surgery he had ever had in his life.
And that surgery had been under general anesthesia.
On top of that, his own leg had ended up looking strange.
His startled reaction was entirely understandable.
“Nnngh.”
But he kept twisting his body, straining to move.
If the anesthesia wore off like this, it was hard to predict what would happen. One thing was certain: the atmosphere did not suggest a good outcome.
Taesu did not stand by and called out in a sharp voice.
“Mr. Park Huinam.”
“U-uaaah.”
“Damn it.”
With that bitter mutter, Taesu immediately swung his hand.
The destination of that hand was none other than Park Huinam’s cheek.
Smack.
With a crisp sound, Park Huinam’s face snapped to the other side.
Kim Hyeokgwon, who had been preparing a tranquilizer before anyone knew it, flinched in surprise and stared.
“Now you’re… hitting patients.”
“Should I just leave him?”
“I didn’t see anything.”
Rustle.
Kim Hyeokgwon glanced around and turned back again.
But he was still shocked by the fact that Taesu had laid a hand on a patient.
It was not as if Taesu felt at ease after hitting him.
Park Huinam needed a shock to break free from his extreme confusion.
Right now, his head remained turned to the side.
“……”
As the silence continued, Taesu apologized first.
“I’m sorry. It wasn’t a situation where I could explain, so I had to use my hand.”
“It did bring me back to my senses. Hiss, my cheek is burning.”
“Ahem. My hand does sting a bit.”
“So why did things end up like this?”
Rustle.
Park Huinam asked, meeting his gaze.
The confusion had not completely faded, but he seemed capable of conversation.
Taesu began telling him the facts accurately, no more and no less.
“After the surgery began, your thigh…”
The explanation that followed was based on the facts, but he pared it down as much as possible.
Park Huinam had only just woken up.
He could not listen closely to the entire surgical process, which was practically an epic in itself.
Taesu took that into account as he explained.
Even after trimming it down and trimming it again, the explanation continued for nearly three minutes.
“…And that’s how it came to this.”
“Hmm. So you’re saying it wouldn’t have been strange even if you’d cut it off?”
“That’s right.”
“May I speak honestly?”
Park Huinam asked in a low voice, his face stiff.
Taesu had a rough idea what kind of question it would be and brought it up first.
“Does it sound like a lie?”
“……”
“I see.”
Taesu answered calmly.
But Kim Hyeokgwon’s reaction was different.
“This guy, the more I listen, the more outrageous he gets.”
“Hyeokgwon.”
Taesu tried to stop him, but Kim Hyeokgwon did not bat an eye as he grumbled.
“Did I say something that wasn’t true?”
“Even so.”
“You don’t have to appreciate how much we suffered.”
“Please.”
Taesu gave him a subtle warning look.
Even so, Kim Hyeokgwon continued to grumble without wavering.
“I’m not telling you to bawl your eyes out and be moved, either.”
“Good grief.”
“To put it bluntly, if I took a nap, woke up, and heard I’d nearly had my leg cut off, I’d feel like shit too.”
“So please.”
Taesu warned him again with his eyes.
Even so, Kim Hyeokgwon dug in his heels and raised his voice.
“What can I do when that’s the truth?”
“Ahem.”
Tug, tug.
Taesu cleared his throat and even lightly tugged at his surgical gown.
Kim Hyeokgwon pushed Taesu’s hand away.
Rustle.
“Let go. I’m going to say this to the end, if only because I feel wronged.”
“Phew.”
Taesu let out a bitter breath.
He had no way to stop Kim Hyeokgwon when he was this worked up.
On the other hand, Kim Hyeokgwon, whose reins had completely come loose, spoke coldly to Park Huinam.
“Listen here, mister. Forget everything else. I have to say this much.”
“What?”
“Even a mutt, if you fix its injured leg, comes over and licks you to say thanks. It can’t talk, so it does it with its actions. But you can talk, can’t you?”
“Ahem.”
Park Huinam gave a low cough.
Even so, Kim Hyeokgwon paid no mind and added coldly.
“At the very least—at the most basic level—you shouldn’t be saying that to us after we wrestled with your body for ten hours.”
“……”
“And still he says nothing. Damn it. Is the land this village sits on filthy, or are the people’s personalities filthy? Which is it?”
The moment Kim Hyeokgwon spat out his irritation, Taesu stepped in.
“You’d better not say any more.”
“Doctor Choi.”
“Hyeokgwon.”
Taesu called him back in a heavy voice.
His firm gaze was telling him not to go any further.
Kim Hyeokgwon met that gaze head-on.
But when Taesu showed such a resolute look, there was always a reason.
In the end, Kim Hyeokgwon was the first to avert his eyes.
“Ah, damn it.”
Whoosh.
He turned away roughly.
Meanwhile, Taesu apologized to Park Huinam again.
“You must be confused. I apologize on his behalf for words that were not pleasant to hear.”
“……”
“But they were not untrue.”
Taesu added the last words in a low voice.
In truth, Taesu did not like this atmosphere either.
If Park Huinam had not only just woken from anesthesia, it would have been difficult to say how Taesu would have responded.
After hearing those harsh words, Park Huinam kept his mouth firmly shut.
“……”
At his silence, Taesu and Kim Hyeokgwon said nothing more.
Rustle.
Taesu turned his gaze away and bit his lip slightly.
‘What exactly did we do?’
He was trying very hard to understand, but his mood had already hit rock bottom.
It was then.
Rustle.
The screen rose, and Jeong Minsu showed his face.
“Taesu.”
“What were you doing, only showing up now?”
Glare.
Taesu’s fierce gaze shot toward Jeong Minsu.
“……”
Jeong Minsu did not answer and quietly stepped aside.
Behind him stood Old Man Wang and a woman in her forties.
The moment Taesu saw the woman, he instinctively knew she was Park Huinam’s wife, Kim Jeongsun.
It was a face he had never seen before.
But he could easily see that she was full of worry and had traces of having cried.
Kim Jeongsun hurried quickly toward the bed.
“Honey, are you okay? Does it hurt a lot?”
“Mm. Uh… You came?”
“What do you mean, came? I’ve been waiting over there since earlier, since a long time ago. Your leg really is still attached, right?”
“What are you…”
Before Park Huinam could say anything, his words were buried beneath Kim Jeongsun’s voice.
“Oh my, your leg is here. Kids, your dad’s leg is here. It’s still attached.”
“How do you know that?”
“How would I not? Dr. Jeong explained it over and over for an entire hour.”
“You believed that just like that?”
Park Huinam still showed doubt.
But then.
Thud.
Old Man Wang belatedly arrived at the operating table.
His eyes were blazing with anger as he said a single word to Park Huinam.
“Pathetic fool.”
“E-Elder…”
“That sharp-tongued fellow didn’t say a single wrong word.”
“How on earth…”
“They wrestled with that precious leg of yours until their blood ran dry, and even if you were unconscious and didn’t know, how can you talk like that?”
As Old Man Wang scolded him mercilessly, Park Huinam’s eyes wavered.
“T-that’s…”
“Shut your mouth, you fool.”
“……”
“You came here of your own accord, saying you were in pain and wanted surgery, and now this is what you say? Tch.”
Old Man Wang seemed so displeased that he even turned his head away.
At that harsh treatment, Park Huinam seemed to bristle and finally spoke up.
“The one who was most wary of them was you, Elder Wang.”
“That’s why I stuck around to keep watch like this. What, does that bother you?”
“……”
When Park Huinam fell silent, Old Man Wang gave him words that pierced straight to the lungs.
“Park Huinam. Did you want to live like me?”
“Uh. That’s…”
“If that’s not it, then why don’t you know gratitude?”
“……”
For a moment, Park Huinam gaped as if his mouth had been blocked.
At that moment, Old Man Wang looked at Jeong Minsu and beckoned.
“You there, big fellow. Bring me that.”
“You want to show him this? That’s a bit…”
“You brat. Hurry.”
Snap.
Old Man Wang held out his hand and demanded it proudly.
Jeong Minsu’s eyes darted around before he sought rescue from Taesu.
At that look, Taesu gave a light jerk of his chin.
Rustle.
It meant to give it to him.
Taesu’s expression was still dark.
What was certain was that all of them had been in the surgical waiting room and had heard the conversation taking place here.
That was why Taesu was not hiding his displeasure either.
In the end, Jeong Minsu approached hesitantly.
As he did, he put his hand into his pocket and took something out.
It was a piece of Park Huinam’s femur that had been cut out during the surgery.
It had been badly eaten away by inflammation and looked thinned.
He had taken it out to use in his explanation.
When Jeong Minsu handed it over, Old Man Wang immediately showed it to Park Huinam and said,
“This is your leg bone. Look at it.”
“Hup.”
“With the bone melted away like this, do you think the inside would have been fine?”
“No… sir.”
Park Huinam barely managed to answer, clearly shocked.
Old Man Wang did not care and pointed at the structure as he spoke even more coldly.
“They cut out this much, and in its place, they made it like that.”
“Then this is…”
“They said it’s to match the length of your leg. They were worried that if you walked with uneven legs, your back might break. That’s what they were worried about.”
“I-is that so?”
Park Huinam faltered.
To him, Old Man Wang spoke solemnly.
“I still dislike those fellows even now.”
“T-that’s what I mean.”
“But Changg yu, Songhui, and now you. I know enough to be grateful that they saved and fixed my children.”
“…Yes.”
“But have you ever thought about it from their side?”
Old Man Wang shouted.
His eyes were filled with sorrow.
Park Huinam’s eyes were still wavering.
Then there was a hand that warmly wrapped around his.
When Park Huinam looked over, Kim Jeongsun was gazing at him with sorrowful eyes.
“Dr. Jeong said so. He said you would be very confused, and that you might be scared too.”
“Mm?”
“You’re a warm person. You’re not this kind of bad person. I really don’t think this is right.”
Overcome with emotion, Kim Jeongsun shed tears again.
As Park Huinam watched her, the venom in his eyes slowly softened.
Then, in a voice that had lost much of its edge, he asked quietly,
“The kids?”
“Honey.”
“Go tell the kids Dad’s okay. They must be worried too. Hurry.”
Tap, tap.
Park Huinam merely flicked his hand, soothing Kim Jeongsun.
Feeling his touch, Kim Jeongsun calmly looked at his face.
Had she noticed that something had changed?
Soon, Kim Jeongsun withdrew her hand and nodded.
“I’ll tell the kids and reassure them.”
“Yeah. Do that.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
After speaking, Kim Jeongsun turned to the medical staff.
Then she bowed deeply and sincerely.
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
“Not at all.”
Bow.
Taesu and the other two bowed back.
No matter how bad their mood was, they could not ignore such a heartfelt thanks.