Jeong Minsu looked on in surprise.
“Maybe it’s because you were originally in the mineral business, but everyone’s got remarkable skill with their hands.”
“That’s why we made the terraced tea fields so splendidly.”
“The story of how you first encountered Toritina was quite impressive, too.”
When Jeong Minsu mentioned it in passing, Go Jiyong, the site foreman, answered with an embarrassed look.
“That’s a bit shameful. It’s not exactly something to brag about, plucking and eating grass leaves because we had nothing to eat while looking for a development site.”
“They say new things always begin by chance, don’t they?”
“Chance is chance. The tea leaf business started when we thought we were going to starve to death because we couldn’t attract investors.”
Go Jiyong answered with a warmth as open as his expression.
It was something that could be called the very bottom of his life.
Yet he had the generous temperament to speak of even those bitter, painful moments with a smile.
Taesu had a few of his questions answered by the voices coming from beside him.
And before long, they arrived at their destination.
“We’re at the factory manager’s house.”
“Please go on in. I’ll open the door.”
Tat-tat.
Go Jiyong quickly headed for the front door.
In the meantime, Jeong Minsu said to Taesu,
“Everyone seems to have such good personalities. Mr. Mo Sangdu, too.”
“And at the same time, they each have their own pride in their fields of expertise.”
“Don’t you think they weren’t the sort of people who were supposed to end up all the way out here?”
“Were we born to come here?”
When Taesu asked back, Jeong Minsu gave a bitter smile.
“You’re right. Just like us, they probably never dreamed they’d end up here either.”
“What’s the point of asking why they came now? It’s already in the past.”
“True, true. How they live from here on is more important.”
“It’s time to meet the patient, so stay sharp.”
“I already am.”
Jeong Minsu answered plainly.
Instead of words, Taesu expressed himself with a nod.
That was how much he raised his level of tension.
Normally, when dealing with patients, he tried to keep himself as at ease as possible.
But this time had no choice but to be different.
There was no predicting what state the factory manager’s kidney would be in.
They would soon find out.
Thud.
Taesu and Jeong Minsu calmly stepped through the front door.
A short while later.
Creak.
The door opened, and Go Jiyong entered the room first.
“Factory Manager, my goodness. You really did open your eyes. Are you all right?”
“Hrrr. It aches a bit… you punk.”
“They say people’s personalities change a bit when they’re sick, so why are you exactly the same?”
“You little… shut up.”
Na Duyeong’s rough voice came faintly.
Taesu and Jeong Minsu, standing in front of the door, gave small nods.
It was because he seemed to be in decent condition for someone who had just woken up.
Then Go Jiyong opened the way and said,
“Factory Manager, you’d better watch your mouth this time… Doctors, please come in.”
“Thank you.”
Taesu and Jeong Minsu greeted him lightly and entered the room.
It was Taesu’s second time inside.
It was a simple space, with only a single wooden wardrobe.
Since he had already seen it all, Taesu looked at Na Duyeong, who was lying facedown at the end of the room. Bong Yunju was nowhere to be seen.
Na Duyeong also had his face turned toward them.
Perhaps because he saw Taesu and Jeong Minsu, his face, flattened and creased from being pressed into the bedding, suddenly brightened.
“You’re the ones… who saved me… Thank you… I’m Na Duyeong.”
He introduced himself at the same time as he expressed his gratitude.
Taesu and Jeong Minsu, who had approached and lowered themselves close to him, introduced themselves in return.
“It’s good to see you again. I’m Choi Taesu. I greeted you earlier.”
“This is my first time introducing myself. I’m Jeong Minsu.”
After they finished introducing themselves in order, Na Duyeong looked back and forth between them and spoke haltingly.
“You went through trouble… coming to… such a filthy road.”
“Not at all. More importantly, how are you feeling?”
“Don’t even ask… It feels like… my whole body… got beaten up.”
Na Duyeong immediately let out a groan of pain.
He gave off a strong impression of being an honest and straightforward person.
Another distinct trait was that he looked noticeably younger than Go Jiyong, enough to be called baby-faced.
Wounds were scattered across that face.
Taesu smiled gently.
As a senior who had also been hit by a grenade blast, he understood Na Duyeong’s current feelings better than anyone.
“It aches all over, and your body won’t move the way you want, so you’re irritated too, aren’t you?”
“That’s right… exactly right… It’s killing me.”
“And when you remember the moment of the accident, rage just bursts up inside you.”
“Haha… argh… You really know.”
Na Duyeong reacted with strong delight.
Taesu spoke comfortably to the patient about his own experience, even though it irritated him whenever he recalled it.
“I also took a grenade from behind not long ago.”
“My goodness… That… must have felt… like shit.”
“The thing that made me angriest was that I remembered the moment I was hit by the grenade so vividly.”
“That’s really… disgusting. I’m… feeling pretty damn disgusted right now, too.”
The conversation between Taesu and Na Duyeong flowed too well.
If someone saw them, they might have thought two brothers from the same neighborhood had met again.
In that warm atmosphere, Taesu casually brought up the matter.
“May I check whether the surgery went well and see if there are any problems?”
“Do as you… please. It’s a life… you doctors saved.”
“Thank you for understanding. Excuse me.”
Taesu expressed his gratitude politely and gave Jeong Minsu a look.
Only then did Jeong Minsu, who had been watching the situation, move.
Taesu moved with him.
Tap, beep.
Checking the vitals was the start.
“Pulse is…”
“Yeah. Blood pressure, and temperature are…”
Scratch, scratch.
Taesu confirmed with his eyes and spoke, while Jeong Minsu recorded it.
Next, Jeong Minsu checked the IV, and Taesu put on his stethoscope.
Without even a moment to wait, he immediately placed the chest piece over the surgical scar.
Whoosh, whooosh.
The sound of blood flow filled his ears.
Since this was the operated kidney, comparing it to the healthy kidney was a basic necessity.
The moment he placed the diaphragm near the left kidney—
Fwaaaa!
The sound of a waterfall crashing down struck his ears.
Taesu’s expression naturally stiffened.
‘The difference is too severe.’
This wasn’t something he could decide on his own.
He opened his pocket notebook, wrote briefly with a pen, and handed it to Jeong Minsu.
“Dr. Jeong.”
“Yeah.”
Jeong Minsu received it, checked the contents, and his brow narrowed.
Scratch, scratch.
Then he wrote something and handed it back.
It had unexpectedly turned into a written conversation.
Taesu checked the content first.
—After scraping at my insides like that, what are you going to do now!!
There were no less than two exclamation marks.
On top of that, his handwriting was filled with irritation.
At that moment, Taesu noticed Go Jiyong watching quietly.
Na Duyeong was lying facedown, so he didn’t know what was happening on their side, but Go Jiyong was taking it all in from a distance.
“Why? Is something wrong?”
Go Jiyong asked cautiously.
Taesu first moved his position.
Step.
Facing Na Duyeong, he opened his mouth.
“Right now, there’s a significant difference in the movement of both kidneys.”
“Ugh, ngh… Is that… normal?”
“We’re not certain either. So I think we’ll need to focus on monitoring that part over the next few days.”
“If the problem… is serious… what happens?”
When Na Duyeong asked, Taesu’s expression sank in an instant.
Then, in a heavy tone, he spoke seriously.
“In the worst case, the kidney may stop functioning.”
“That’s… what, ugh… those sons of bitches.”
“Pardon?”
When Taesu flinched, Na Duyeong blinked rapidly and said,
“Not that… I was cursing… those soldier bastards.”
“I led the surgery.”
“Did you poke… a perfectly fine… kidney?”
“That’s absolutely not the case.”
Taesu vehemently denied it in surprise.
It was because he had heard something he had never even imagined.
Na Duyeong swallowed the saliva flowing due to his uncomfortable posture and said,
“Ssseup… Then why would I… curse you doctors?”
“Because this situation came about due to our lack of skill.”
“Don’t say… such nonsense… You’re people who… came running… all the way to this remote mountain area.”
Na Duyeong’s way of speaking felt strangely refreshing.
At that moment, Go Jiyong subtly cut in.
“Our factory manager has really toned down his words because he’s in front of the doctors.”
“What… you punk?”
“You usually say things like this, don’t you? ‘Why are you whining like some son of a bitch who couldn’t even beg a meal off anyone?’”
When Go Jiyong said it as if teasing him, Na Duyeong opened his mouth despite his discomfort.
“Hey… Foreman.”
“Yes?”
“Go to the stove… and bring me… a fire poker.”
“Why, all of a sudden?”
“So I can beat you… Even if I’m so sick today… I die, I’m still… going to hit you once first.”
Na Duyeong spoke roughly, his eyes fierce.
Perhaps it wasn’t just a joke, because Go Jiyong suddenly became busy.
“Oh dear, what did I forget? I’m sure I forgot something.”
“Your damn… senses, bastard.”
“Ah, that’s it. Then I’ll excuse myself first to go find my senses. Bye-bye, Factory Manager.”
Swish, swish.
Go Jiyong even kindly waved his hand and boldly fled.
Taesu and Jeong Minsu gave awkward smiles at the appearance of a new pair of nemeses.
Perhaps sensing that the mood in the room had become awkward, Na Duyeong casually threw out one more remark.
“If there’s a medicine… to shut that bastard’s… mouth, catch him… and inject him with it.”
“I think that would be difficult with modern medicine.”
“Right… That one, that one… is beyond saving… Doctors… please be generous with him.”
Na Duyeong’s request was so natural.
Taesu almost answered without thinking.
Quickly regaining his senses, Taesu brought the topic back to where it belonged.
“I don’t think that’s the issue right now.”
“The kidney… if one’s gone… I can live with… the other.”
“It’s not a problem you should think of so simply.”
“I heard… from the children’s mother… earlier. Ngh.”
When Na Duyeong let out an uncomfortable groan, Taesu quickly stopped him.
“If you’re uncomfortable, please rest before speaking.”
“I’m fine… Dr. Choi… said it all, right?”
“Yes. I wasn’t certain, but I thought it was right to tell your wife first.”
“Then that’s enough… The person who’ll scratch my back… when I grow old says she trusts you… so I trust you too.”
Na Duyeong considered it so naturally that it was almost strange.
But to Taesu, it was not natural at all.
“I’m saying your health may deteriorate, Factory Manager.”
“You think I’m an idiot… I understood it all.”
“Then I don’t think you should speak of it so lightly.”
Taesu showed strong concern.
At that moment, Na Duyeong’s nose twitched violently.
“I, water… Give me some water.”
“Here it is.”
Rustle.
Jeong Minsu moved like lightning.
Since it would be difficult to have him drink water directly, he used a gauze handkerchief.
After moistening his throat like that, Na Duyeong spoke in a much more comfortable voice.
“My throat was in a drought, so how could words come out? Ahem. Now I can talk a bit.”
“I see. I didn’t notice.”
“It’s my body, so how would you know everything? You doctors are really something.”
Na Duyeong’s eloquence became even more dazzling.
Neither Taesu nor Jeong Minsu had anything in particular to refute.
Still, Taesu slipped in a word.
“If we’re doctors, we should have that much perception.”
“This may sound a little arrogant, but.”
“No. Please go ahead.”
“When I was young, I used to drive around Korea at night with the top down, you see?”
At Na Duyeong’s sudden story about the past, Taesu didn’t understand what he meant, but answered first.
“I see.”
“Back then, my appendix suddenly burst, so I went to Yeonseong to get surgery. You know Yeonseong University Hospital, right? One of the top five hospitals in Korea.”
“Yes. I know it.”
Taesu gave a bitter smile at the name he had not heard in a long time.