At that moment, Taesu pressed a hand to his aching head and muttered.
"Ah, back to square one."
He wanted to be done with this kind of conversation by now.
Royce spoke to Taesu with an impassive expression.
"I'm sure Dr. Choe himself is well aware that he is clumsy and somewhat lacking at the moment."
"Th-that's..."
"But since you will work diligently, I'm sure you'll be of help to many more people."
It was impossible to tell whether it was an insult or a compliment.
Taesu simply let it go.
"Yes. Please continue."
"It's not as though I could steal such an opportunity, now could I?"
"Thank you for being so understanding."
"Thinking it over again, it's a fine decision—one I can quite pat myself on the back for."
His tone carried a patronizing air, as if he were letting Taesu off easy.
Taesu answered in a resigned, whatever-happens-happens manner.
"You're right. I'm extremely clumsy and lacking, so I'll have to work hard."
"I see potential, so I'm confident that if you keep at it, you'll grow into a competent doctor."
"Thank you very much for thinking so highly of me."
Taesu forced a smile as he replied.
It was then.
Thud, thud.
Footsteps approached, followed by the sound of Brad Kim calling out.
"Dr. Choe."
When he turned to look, Brad Kim and a group of medical staff were approaching.
Judging by the unfamiliar faces, they seemed to be the ones who had come to collect Royce.
This torturous moment was finally coming to an end.
Taesu spoke to Royce with a genuinely bright expression.
"It seems it's time for you to leave."
"Your face just brightened considerably."
"A patient is being moved to a better environment. What doctor would be unhappy about that?"
"Hmm. Do you truly feel that way?"
Royce's tone remained provocative until the very end.
Taesu had already shown his true feelings, so he didn't bother hiding them anymore.
"Of course I mean it."
"Looking at your eyes, you certainly do."
"And one more thing."
"Please, go ahead."
When Royce calmly prompted him, Taesu brought up what he'd been dying to say.
"Please don't set up such reckless travel itineraries without safety measures ever again."
"Everyone has their own circumstances."
"But my circumstances aren't included in yours, are they?"
"That's true. There was no plan to meet Dr. Choe on a snowy mountain in my travel itinerary."
As Royce admitted plainly, Taesu added,
"I'm truly relieved to hear there wasn't."
"Then if I travel again, I suppose I should consider such schedules as well."
"Do you remember that your life was in danger?"
When Taesu asked, just in case, Royce answered nonchalantly.
"Of course."
"I asked because you don't seem like it at all."
"My mental fortitude is so outstanding and strong that I do tend to think little of past events."
At such blatant self-praise, Taesu simply laughed.
"That must be nice."
"Dr. Choe can do it too if he keeps working hard."
"Is that so?"
Taesu spoke half-heartedly, but Royce continued his advice with a smile.
"You must have a lot to do, but you mustn't neglect your self-development."
"I'll try to develop properly for once."
"You must work hard. You will have to work very hard."
Royce passed provocative remarks without hesitation, a round smile on his face.
The truly amazing thing was that it wasn't something he said consciously.
Perhaps because it was a manner of speech ingrained in his very being, it came across as perfectly natural.
He spoke without the slightest consideration for his counterpart's displeasure, to the point of sounding almost brazen.
'Could I be like that too?'
Taesu looked at Royce and found himself reflecting on his own behavior.
Amidst this, Brad Kim and the medical staff arrived.
Sensing the strange atmosphere, Brad Kim attempted to gloss over it awkwardly.
"Did you two say your goodbyes properly?"
"Yes. I was glad to see Dr. Choe before leaving, and it was all the more meaningful because we had such a candid conversation."
"I-I see."
Brad Kim answered awkwardly.
Taesu was simply bewildered.
'It was good? What part?'
Then Royce looked at Taesu.
With a calm face and voice, he spoke politely.
"The phrase 'wonderful doctor' doesn't suit Dr. Choe."
"What did you say?"
"Instead, you will become a good doctor."
"Why?"
"Because doctors who can admit their mistakes to their patients are rare."
Royce smiled broadly and even offered words of blessing.
He wasn't one to pay mind to those around him.
His tone, his gaze, his actions—they were all filled with unfeigned sincerity.
Taesu was flustered whenever this happened.
'Why the hell is he like that when he's so terrifying?'
That was what he thought inside, but it was common decency to return the greeting he had received.
And Taesu returned the greeting with staggering formality.
"I sincerely wish you a swift recovery and an early return to a healthy daily life."
"Thank you. And Dr. Choe."
"Yes."
"Let's have a meal sometime."
At the sudden meal proposal, Taesu blinked.
"What..."
"I cannot say when that will be, but I shall invite you to a setting more than fitting."
"I'll look forward to it."
He agreed without any real intention, simply wanting to send him off quickly.
Soon, the hospital bed Royce lay on began to move.
Rumble.
The moment it turned, Royce and Taesu's eyes met.
"..."
Blink.
He greeted by closing his eyes deeply and then opening them. And he kept his gaze on Taesu until the very end, conveying a light of gratitude.
Taesu bowed his head in return.
That was the last image.
The bed carrying Royce soon passed outside the ward tent.
Taesu stared at the fluttering partition.
A hollow laugh escaped him.
"Ha. Manners without decency."
It was even more amazing that the two could coexist.
He ended his sentiment there.
To be exact, he didn't want to think about it anymore.
Then Brad Kim, who had been pondering something beside him, asked.
"Does Royce know Dr. Choe's phone number?"
"No. Not at all."
"There's no way an NGO would give out a doctor's personal information, so what gives?"
"I suppose he was just saying it."
Taesu reacted nonchalantly.
He had a vague feeling that wasn't the case.
However, he had absolutely no intention of waiting eagerly for a call that might come who knows when.
If you lived busily, things were bound to be forgotten.
He chose to think of it lightly.
It was then.
The medical staff for another patient left the ward tent behind them.
Then Jeong Minsu arrived at his side.
"Phew. He's gone."
"How was it?"
"He nitpicked and grumbled endlessly, but at the end he was so polite."
At those words, Taesu glanced at him and asked.
"Are you talking about me right now, or yourself?"
"I'm talking about myself. How would I know about your business that I didn't even hear?"
"You sounded exactly the same."
"Those guys even resemble each other in weird stuff because they're friends. Strange."
Jeong Minsu stroked his chin and tilted his head.
The way Taesu felt was exactly the same as Jeong Minsu.
But their expressions and atmosphere were strangely similar.
Brad Kim, who had been watching quietly from the side, said nonchalantly,
"Well I'll be. Birds of a feather flock together, as they say."
"Huh?"
"I'm talking about those two. Since they're so alike, they must get along."
"You're right. It's not easy to be like that."
Taesu and Jeong Minsu seemed completely unaware it was about them.
Brad Kim, seemingly with no intention of stirring up trouble, subtly changed the subject.
"Whew, now that the patients have left, there's cleanup to do, reports to file...... There's a lot on my plate."
It was accompanied by a groan.
Taesu and Jeong Minsu quickly exchanged glances and subtly stepped back.
"Then we'll be on our way."
"Take care."
Shuffle.
Taesu and Jeong Minsu left the medical tent with quick steps right after their farewells.
Brad Kim watched them dumbfounded, then shook his head.
Once the patients departed, their vacation continued.
Taesu and Jeong Minsu showed an amazing persistence in becoming one with their beds.
Time passed, and a new week began.
Morning.
A military jeep was driving along the outskirts of the PKO base.
And soon it stopped somewhere.
That place was a low hill quite far from the main facilities.
Clack.
Soon the door opened, and Taesu, Jeong Minsu, and Gim Hyeokgwon got out in turn.
Everyone was busy looking around the unfamiliar place.
Various structures had been built on a spacious site.
His eyes brimming with curiosity, Jeong Minsu pointed somewhere and spoke first.
"I've seen that on TV before. Uh, that too."
"There are quite a few things similar to the Korean military facilities I saw in documentaries."
"Is this what the army is like? It's incredibly bleak."
Taesu simply accepted it as such, while Gim Hyeokgwon wore a thoroughly unfamiliar expression, as if he had never even seen such things on TV.
They were looking around like that.
Thud.
A sound of something striking down came from behind.
When they turned slightly, someone was standing on a low platform holding a long rod.
The pants were a military uniform, but the top was a black jacket.
Above all, he wore a military cap with a long brim pulled down low, making it impossible to tell who he was.
Then came the thunderous shout of the nameless soldier.
"Trainees, assemble quickly."
At the familiar voice, the three brightened.
"Saem."
But what came back was cold indifference.
Thud.
"Did you come here to play? Get your heads straight."
"...Yes."
"Trainees, assemble quickly in front of this instructor. Assemble."
Squad Leader Saem's voice thundered, filling the surroundings.
Taesu and the other two exchanged glances and approached him.
They had come to receive training.
Since they had come determined, they didn't try to rely on past familiarity.
Snap.
Taesu, Jeong Minsu, and Gim Hyeokgwon stood in a line in front of the platform with as much discipline as they could muster.
At the same time, Squad Leader Saem lightly raised his head.
Beneath the military cap, a gaze that was nothing short of savage poured down on the three.
In that very posture, Squad Leader Saem spoke.
"From this moment forth, this instructor standing before you will control your training."
"Yes."
"Normally I should designate you as recruits, but since you are not soldiers, I will address you as trainees. Is that clear?"
"Clear."
Taesu and Jeong Minsu answered immediately.
Meanwhile, Gim Hyeokgwon furrowed his brows and grumbled.
"We all know each other's names, so why must we insist on calling each other instructor and trainee?"
"Trainee Gim."
"What. Why?"
It was the moment Gim Hyeokgwon replied gruffly.
Taesu and Jeong Minsu quickly gave him hints from beside him.
"That's how it's done in the army."
"When did doctors switch careers to become soldiers?"
"We're not soldiers, which is why they're only doing this much. Normally they'd really dish out punishment drills."
"I think this entire situation is completely absurd."
Gim Hyeokgwon did not back down.
Taesu and Jeong Minsu instinctively realized they had encountered an unexpected obstacle.
'A tormentor.'
'And an old one at that.'
He was a character who appeared unfailingly in the army stories their friends told.
Frustration that felt like chewing a thousand sweet potatoes, stubbornness, and obstinacy were a given.
He couldn't understand what was being said to him, and even interpreted and acted on his own, leaving everyone clutching the backs of their necks in frustration—the legendary tormentor himself.
They had never imagined that figure would be Gim Hyeokgwon.
So it came as an even greater shock to Taesu and Jeong Minsu.