Startled, Taesu cried out.
“Mister!”
“Good grief. You’ll tear your throat. Speak quietly.”
“When—no, how? No, wait. Uh……”
Taesu’s thoughts tangled, and the words would not come easily.
Just then, someone abruptly appeared in front of him.
“I came too.”
“Whoa—ah. Jeongmin!”
It was Jo Jeongmin.
Startled in succession, Taesu froze for a moment.
‘No way?’
Sweep, sweep.
With eyes full of unease, he looked around.
In Taesu’s line of sight, two more people came into view.
They were Kim Hyeokgwon and Rajkumar—Raku.
Raku slowly stood and lightly greeted him with his palms pressed together in the Indian fashion.
Kim Hyeokgwon, on the other hand, asked with a puzzled look.
“Are you looking for someone?”
“Songhui didn’t come, right?”
“Why are you suddenly bringing up Songhui out of nowhere?”
“No. Thank good…… No, I just wanted to see her.”
That was what Taesu said, but he quietly let go of the tension in his stomach.
Seeing his expression, Kim Hyeokgwon immediately hit the nail on the head.
“See? I told you Dr. Choi’s natural enemy is Songhui.”
“Hahaha.”
Perhaps everyone remembered the sight of Taesu unable to do a thing against Gang Songhui, because they all burst into laughter.
“Haha.”
Raku laughed a beat late, only after hearing Kim Hyeokgwon’s interpretation.
The hospital room bloomed with laughter like that, but Taesu was filled with embarrassment.
“Ahem. I’m telling you, it’s not that I’m scared of Songhui. I just thought maybe something had happened to her and she came along.”
“How many people had surgery, and you’re only worried about Songhui?”
“Hahaha!”
At Kim Hyeokgwon’s sharp, cutting remark, a second roar of laughter erupted in the hospital room.
Taesu’s expression went beyond awkward and turned slightly red.
“Isn’t everyone being too much when a patient is recovering?”
“Only Teacher Choi is a patient? I’m a patient too.”
“Ah. Excluding you, Mister.”
When Taesu backed down a little, Jo Jeongmin cut in.
“I’m a guardian.”
“Then it’s fine for you to be here.”
Lastly, Kim Hyeokgwon stepped forward.
“I’m the tagalong.”
“You, Hyeokgwon, are exactly the problem.”
“I figured as much, so I’m planning to go have a drink with Raku.”
At that, Taesu looked at Raku.
Since he was speaking with him, he switched to English.
“Raku, are you really going?”
“I’ve seen your face, so that’s enough. I’ll come see you tomorrow after business.”
“But we barely even got to greet each other.”
“I’ll be staying for a few days, so you don’t need to worry. Then, since I’ve found a drinking companion, I’ll excuse myself.”
Raku showed no sign of disappointment and immediately rose from his seat.
Kim Hyeokgwon moved first and gave a loud farewell in Korean.
“Everyone, catch up in moderation and go to bed ear…… Well, none of you are the sort to sleep just because someone tells you to, so do as you please.”
“Don’t worry about us, and go have your drink.”
“Please nag that young and cheeky patient over there a bit.”
“That, I can do superbly. See you tomorrow.”
Park Huinam waved cheerfully in farewell.
And Jo Jeongmin, having Korean manners ingrained in him, escorted them all the way out of the hospital room.
For a moment, when only the two of them were left, Taesu asked Park Huinam.
“Mister, how’s your leg?”
“You irresponsible man.”
“Pardon?”
“You just up and left like that. After thinking about it, I wondered what was supposed to happen to me.”
Park Huinam pointed to his leg, even fitted with assistive devices, and sulkily reproached him.
Taesu answered with an awkward smile.
“The follow-up team was coming, and at the time, an accident suddenly happened, so I was in a rush.”
“I’m just saying. If I complain one more time, you’ll look like you’re ready to eat me alive.”
“What are you talking about?”
“But still, lying here like this together feels strange, in a good way.”
To Park Huinam, this moment seemed to feel like a dream.
Taesu felt the same.
He had known they would meet again, but meeting in this state was a little unexpected.
And yet, that made it even better.
“Now is the perfect time to chat all night.”
“Didn’t you say sleep was the best thing before?”
“That was when I was a doctor. When I’m a patient, I have to adjust to patient standards.”
“You used to go on about us being bad patients, but Teacher Choi is even worse.”
“Of course. The one who knows better is always worse.”
Taesu was agreeing with a bright smile when—
Rattle.
Jo Jeongmin entered and asked why the atmosphere was so cheerful.
“Why are you all so excited?”
“We’re going to chat all night.”
“Teacher Choi, you weren’t like that before. You really are completely different when you’re the patient.”
“Shouldn’t there be some pleasure in acting differently depending on what clothes you’re wearing? Haha!”
Taesu burst into a refreshing laugh.
It had only been two or so months since they had last met, but he was overwhelmingly happy to see them.
No matter what anyone said, being able to communicate well was the best.
No matter how much English Taesu used, Korean was on an entirely different level.
‘Nothing beats our own.’
He was already excited at the thought of talking with the Korean village people he had met again about everything that had happened since.
Just as they were about to properly begin their stories—
Taesu shifted his body this way and that, then his expression stiffened slightly.
“Hmm.”
Seeing that, Jo Jeongmin immediately asked.
“Why are you suddenly doing that?”
“Now that we’re about to talk, the posture just isn’t working.”
It was exactly as Taesu said.
The hospital room was square and spacious.
Because it was so wide, the distance between Taesu’s bed and Park Huinam’s bed was quite far.
The beds were also facing different directions, so for Taesu to see Park Huinam’s face, he had to twist his neck mercilessly.
Taesu’s concern was immediately passed on to Jo Jeongmin and Park Huinam.
Of the two, Park Huinam thought deeply for a moment before speaking.
“I can just go over next to Teacher Choi.”
“Where do you think you’re going? If anyone goes, it should be me.”
“What are you talking about when you can’t even move properly? I can at least move.”
Tap.
Park Huinam casually touched the leg packed with assistive devices.
It seemed the fragmented bones had begun to knit together now. Since four months had passed since the surgery, it was a natural recovery process.
Even so, Taesu could not allow it.
“A hospitalized patient is a king.”
“You said Teacher Choi is a patient too.”
“Since we’re both patients, are we both kings?”
When Taesu said something absurd, Park Huinam frowned.
“I’ll just go. I’ll go.”
“No. Mister, Teacher Choi, there are wheels on the beds. Couldn’t we just move them?”
Jo Jeongmin raised his voice.
At the same moment, Taesu realized his oversight and quickly gave him a thumbs-up, praising him highly.
Thumbs up.
“That is an excellent idea.”
“Then I’ll……”
“No. I think it’d be a bit hard alone. Let’s see.”
While Taesu was thinking—
Rattle.
The hospital room door opened.
Through the gap, Jeong Minsu came in with a large paper bag in his arms and a bright expression on his face.
“Come on, if all of you came, you should have told me you were here!”
“Goodness?”
“Mister. What kind of reaction is that?”
Jeong Minsu grumbled, but Park Huinam was still surprised.
“Teacher Jeong…… right?”
“Then if I’m not Jeong Minsu, who am I? Wow, that’s too much.”
“Why have you become half the man you were?”
Park Huinam was so astonished by Jeong Minsu’s change that he even rubbed his eyes.
Jo Jeongmin was the same.
“You really lost so much weight.”
“You don’t know, do you? I had the opportunity, so I tried being harsh on myself for once.”
“You didn’t mean to say you overworked yourself, did you? Wow.”
Jo Jeongmin looked Jeong Minsu up and down and could not hide his admiration.
Taesu, on the other hand, had watched the entire process, so he had no reaction.
But he was extremely glad at the appearance of a person named Jeong Minsu.
“You came at just the right time.”
“When you say that, I get a little uneasy.”
“Seeing that you came with food, you’ve become human.”
When Taesu pointed it out immediately, Jeong Minsu showed him the large paper bag.
“If snacks are missing from a chat, you’ll be punished by heaven.”
“That’s a splendid idea. And while we’re at it, let’s change the room layout too.”
“Oh-ho. If that’s why you’re calling for me, then by all means. Shall I put some muscle into it?”
Whoosh, whoosh.
Jeong Minsu set the paper bag down and approached, swinging his arms.
This time, Taesu and Jeong Minsu’s bickering ended very quickly.
That was how much more important the reunion with Park Huinam and Jo Jeongmin was.
A little while later.
The hospital room layout had been completely transformed.
Two hospital beds and two guardian beds were gathered into a square.
A table was placed in the middle, and on top of it, snacks and drinks were piled high.
To Park Huinam and Jo Jeongmin, it was a new world.
Park Huinam in particular was shocked by the dizzying sweetness of the snacks that filled his mouth and mind.
“Such a taste? I need to feed Seonggu and Seolji this.”
“You can buy some before you go, so please eat plenty.”
“They look expensive, though.”
“They’re not really, and you don’t need to worry about that. So please eat a lot.”
Taesu looked after Park Huinam very firmly.
Jeong Minsu kept glancing at Taesu, signaling something with his eyes.
Flick, flick.
When Taesu followed his gaze, he saw a small sign hanging at the foot of the bed.
— Fasting.
It seemed he was scheduled for an examination tomorrow morning.
Taesu froze for a moment.
But as always, his decision was short and his actions were quick.
He immediately sent Jeong Minsu a signal with his eyes.
Flick, flick.
Seeing that, Jeong Minsu quietly removed the fasting sign and let it drop to the floor.
Afterward, Taesu and Jeong Minsu’s gazes briefly met.
‘So what?’
‘It’s not an emergency.’
They were showing truly magnificent brazen nerve.
Then Jo Jeongmin’s exclamation reached their ears.
“Kyaa, what is this sweet, fizzy water?”
“It’s a beverage loved by people all over the world. Is this your first time drinking it?”
“Yes. The Chinese village I lived in when I was young was near the desert.”
“So that’s why, when we went up the mountain back then, everyone picked those strange poisonous herbs.”
“Oh, dear. Whoops.”
Jo Jeongmin flinched hard and cautiously looked around.
He had been so amazed by the drink that he had let slip something about the past.
At that moment, Park Huinam comforted him openly.
“Teacher Jo, don’t worry about it.”
“Still……”
“Are Teacher Choi and Teacher Jeong strangers? When you talk, things slip out here and there.”
Crunch.
Park Huinam energetically chewed his snack.
Eating them himself was important, but it was clear that he was first thinking of good gifts to take to the children.
Jo Jeongmin, however, was subtly rigid.
“It’s not that I think of them as strangers either, but……”
In the end, Taesu cut in with his Shameless Divine Art.
“What did Jeongmin even say? Minsu, did you hear anything?”
“Yeah. So, Jeongmin used to……”
Jeong Minsu, without reading the room, even got ready to say it again.
At that moment, Taesu threw the snack in his hand toward his body.
“Damn it, you clueless bastard.”
“You asked me.”
“Is that the same thing? I need to chew some chocolate. My blood sugar’s dropping fast.”
Crunch.
With a face full of dissatisfaction, Taesu glared at Jeong Minsu and smashed the chocolate between his teeth.
Jeong Minsu flinched for a moment and glowered at Taesu.
“He only does that to me.”
“Because only you do that. Only you!”
“What did I do so wrong!”
As the two growled at each other, this time Park Huinam cut in.
“It’s been so long since you’ve seen each other. Don’t raise your voices.”
“His tact needs some fixing.”
“Why go that far…… Oh, right. Did I tell you the news about the cashmere sheep’s first pregnancies?”
At those words—
Whoosh!
Taesu and Jeong Minsu looked at Park Huinam in exactly the same way and asked.
“The sheep are pregnant?”
“How many of them?”
Their reaction made the fact that they had just been fighting seem meaningless.