“Could it be China?”
“Have you perhaps heard of Kazakhstan?”
“Isn’t that up north?”
Swoosh.
Taesu roughly picked a direction and pointed with his finger.
Namgung Hyeoncheol nodded, looking surprised.
“That’s right. You do know.”
“Wait a moment. Are you perhaps Koryo…”
“Why put it so complicatedly? Koryo-saram. Koryo-saram.”
Namgung Hyeoncheol spoke openly and plainly.
Taesu’s eyes wavered slightly.
“If you’re Koryo-saram…”
“We both know what it is. No need to be so cautious.”
“My. No, I’m truly glad to meet you.”
Clasp.
Taesu abruptly took Namgung Hyeoncheol’s hand in both of his.
The time he had spent in the Korean village had brought on such an intense reaction.
Namgung Hyeoncheol, whose hand had been seized, looked a little flustered.
“I didn’t think you’d be this happy to see me.”
“Ah. I’m being terribly rude.”
“Is there perhaps someone on our side you’d like to meet?”
His question was quite direct.
But though it was honestly embarrassing, Taesu had heard very little about his family history.
Even so, the reason he had acted on impulse was, after all, because of the existence of the Korean village.
In other words, he knew a certain amount about Namgung Hyeoncheol’s hometown.
But he could not very well say that to someone he had just met.
So he expressed his complicated feelings simply.
“That’s not it… I just felt the pull of blood.”
“That can happen. My grandparents don’t budge when anything related to Korea comes on TV.”
“I hope I didn’t overdo it.”
“What’s there to call overdoing it? I came over because I was drawn by Mr. Go’s muttering too.”
There was no displeasure at all in his expression; if anything, his smile stood out more.
He seemed to have a hearty and cheerful personality.
Glimpsing that nature, Taesu could also understand the difference from the impression he had felt earlier.
Smiling along with him, Taesu asked slowly.
“But how did you meet the foreman?”
“I was wandering around looking here and there, and then I heard Korean.”
“The foreman must have been the only Korean there.”
“That’s why the first thing I heard was a curse. ‘Goddamn it, you bastards just leave without even looking back?’”
Namgung Hyeoncheol even imitated Site Foreman Go Ji-yong’s actions almost exactly.
His pronunciation was spot-on, and combined with his angular features, it suited him far too well.
That tickled Taesu’s funny bone.
“Pfft.”
“What? Did I do something wrong?”
“It just seemed to suit you a little too well.”
Taesu had grasped Namgung Hyeoncheol’s personality, so he said it as it was.
Depending on how it was heard, it could have been rude.
But perhaps Taesu’s intuition had been right, because Namgung Hyeoncheol burst into loud laughter.
“Wahaha. Right? I’m as good at cursing as I look.”
“I only meant the atmosphere, so please don’t take it too far.”
“But it’s true. I’ve been misunderstood a lot, so words like that make me laugh first. Hahaha.”
Namgung Hyeoncheol laughed once more.
By contrast, Taesu’s expression grew awkward.
‘Is that something to laugh about?’
If it was a misunderstanding caused by his appearance, it must have happened countless times.
Taesu could not see Namgung Hyeoncheol as simply lighthearted.
Since it was not something to dig into needlessly, Taesu turned the conversation back to its starting point.
“So you approached him after hearing that curse?”
“Yes. I asked why he was cursing on such a fine morning.”
“If it was the foreman, he must have roughly explained the situation here.”
“He did seem to be rather loose-lipped. I’m not saying that to speak ill of him.”
Namgung Hyeoncheol subtly added that last part.
Taesu also knew Site Foreman Go Ji-yong’s personality, so he nodded.
“He probably only said what was necessary.”
“That seemed to be the case. For me, it was perfect timing too. I needed to eat, sleep, and earn some money.”
“It sounds like you’ve been traveling that way for quite a long time.”
Taesu hinted at what he had sensed earlier.
Namgung Hyeoncheol answered plainly, showing no sign of surprise.
“It’s been a few years.”
“You seem to pursue a free life.”
“Freedom sounds nice when you put it that way. Walking on my own two feet all night is my everyday life.”
Despite the complaint, his face was full of smiles.
A question occurred to Taesu, but he soon changed his mind.
“That… Never mind.”
“You want to ask why I wander around?”
“I’m curious, but I thought it would be rude.”
“No need to go that far. It’s nothing special. I’m just taking a look around the wide world while I’m young.”
Namgung Hyeoncheol answered simply.
The more they talked, the more Taesu felt a lively energy from him.
Timid Jeong Min-su, negative Kim Hyeok-gwon, and selfless Brad Kim.
Perhaps because of the personalities of those around him, this forthright conversation felt welcome.
However, Taesu intended to stop at an appropriate point.
Namgung Hyeoncheol’s complexion was gradually becoming tinged with fatigue.
Taesu asked about it indirectly.
“You look tired.”
“I’ve been sleeping outside for a few days, so I suppose I am.”
“You’ve had it rough.”
“Traveling without money isn’t always happy.”
Namgung Hyeoncheol answered with a smile.
Taesu immediately raised his hand and pointed somewhere.
“You see that house over there with the gate open, right? It’s empty, so rest there for a bit.”
“May I?”
“You’re someone the foreman brought, so it should be fine.”
“You don’t sound very certain.”
When Namgung Hyeoncheol looked at him with a strange expression, Taesu answered with a slightly sheepish face.
“I only arrived yesterday myself, so it’s a little awkward to recommend it confidently.”
“Right. I heard that. You’re a doctor?”
“Yes. I’m still a greenhorn surgeon.”
Taesu stated his profession with an embarrassed expression.
At that moment, a faint glint flashed through Namgung Hyeoncheol’s eyes.
It was only for an instant.
Namgung Hyeoncheol responded with an unbothered face.
“I see. I’m sure there’ll be another chance to talk in detail.”
“You said you’d help with the work here?”
“Yes. And eat, too.”
“Then we’ll be seeing each other often. Please rest comfortably.”
“You too, Dr. Choi. Lululu.”
Namgung Hyeoncheol lightly hummed as he headed toward the empty house.
Taesu followed his back with his eyes.
It was because he had detected that wavering the moment he said he was a surgeon.
“Do people from that side hate doctors too?”
It had not felt particularly pleasant.
He felt a little regretful that they had not spoken any further after that.
Still, his favorable impression of Namgung Hyeoncheol had not vanished in an instant.
What sort of story does he have?
That thought suddenly appeared in his mind.
What were the odds of a Korean and a Koryo-saram from Kazakhstan meeting in this remote mountain village?
Looking at it that way, it was curious as well.
Lately, the saying that one could not know even an inch ahead in life had been sinking in far too deeply.
Thinking of the others who would be at the lodging, Taesu moved.
A short while later.
The medical team and the PKO soldiers sat gathered around the wooden platform in the lodging yard.
Taesu and the medical staff were comfortably sitting cross-legged.
On the other hand, Squad Leader Sam and the soldiers were sitting in uncomfortable positions. Even enduring that awkwardness, they remained in place.
They had gathered like this to discuss the schedule going forward.
Before that, Taesu informed them of Namgung Hyeoncheol’s appearance.
“…That’s the kind of person he was.”
He relayed exactly what they had talked about, no more and no less.
At that, Jeong Min-su was the first to speak.
“So in conclusion, we’ve gained one more person to harvest tea leaves.”
“If you think simply, yes.”
“What’s complicated about it?”
When Jeong Min-su tilted his head, Kim Hyeok-gwon spoke in Taesu’s place.
“We still don’t know whether he’s the type to work well, or a troublemaking airhead.”
“Mr. Kim. Still, if he’s been traveling without money for a long time, wouldn’t he have a certain amount of sense?”
Brad Kim seemed to think of the positive points first.
After thinking for a moment, Kim Hyeok-gwon surprisingly agreed.
“That may be true.”
“Let’s think of the good points first for now.”
“I don’t intend to speak ill of someone I’ve never met either. I’m just saying we don’t know what we don’t know.”
“On that point, Hyeok-gwon is right.”
Brad Kim’s tone was not one of thinking only positively, either.
A few more words were exchanged, but they were not especially important.
Finally, Kim Hyeok-gwon gave his own overall assessment.
“Let’s watch and see what kind of person he is.”
Nod.
Everyone showed their agreement with a light nod.
At about that point, Taesu changed the subject.
“Now we should discuss the medical treatment that will begin tomorrow.”
At those words, Squad Leader Sam raised his hand.
“I think we should keep watch around the area.”
“After all this, surely they wouldn’t cause trouble, would they?”
“I don’t think you should take it only in a comfortable light.”
“There weren’t any incidents in Ijambak.”
When Taesu showed doubt, Corporal Guspia spoke.
“They are still enemies. It’s very dangerous to be certain there will be no problems when they’re gathered in one place.”
“I’m of the same opinion as Guspia on that point.”
Sergeant Ryan agreed as well.
Kim Hyeok-gwon added a word to that.
“Dr. Choi, I’m on this side too.”
“You too, Hyeok-gwon?”
“Back then there were only a few, and now they’re going to come pouring in like a complete gift set, aren’t they?”
Kim Hyeok-gwon emphasized that the situation was different.
Thinking from that perspective, a crease also formed between Taesu’s brows.
“That’s true. There’s no need to create problems by being too complacent.”
“Dr. Choi, do you have any clever plan?”
Worry was visible on Brad Kim’s face as he suddenly asked the question.
After thinking for a moment, Taesu suggested another method.
“There is a way to split them into two sides and treat each side separately.”
“Right. Then they won’t run into each other, so there won’t be any reason for problems to arise.”
“But Brad. There are only four of us.”
Taesu gestured lightly to all of them as he spoke.
The atmosphere among the medical team sank in an instant.
Jeong Min-su spoke in a somewhat sullen voice.
“That’s true. There are only four of us.”
“Imagine if an emergency breaks out.”
“We don’t even need to go as far as an emergency. It’s an unwritten rule that the patients in the worst condition all come rushing in for the first round of treatment.”
“Mm. Correct.”
Taesu also acknowledged that point, so he smiled bitterly.
It was the same for Kim Hyeok-gwon and Brad Kim.
The same situation had repeated itself at every dispatched site so far.
The problem was that it was only natural.
Squad Leader Sam and the squad members, who had been listening, flinched at the same time.
They had not thought that far. Because their attention had been focused only on maximizing safety, as was their objective, it was something they had overlooked.
Still, perhaps hoping otherwise, Squad Leader Sam asked cautiously.
“Do you think it would be difficult to split into two sides and provide treatment?”
“Why not just tell us to drop dead while you’re at it?”
Kim Hyeok-gwon immediately rebuked him with a sharp gaze.
Swoosh.
At the same time, Taesu lightly raised a hand to stop him, then explained more kindly to Squad Leader Sam.
“You saw it in Malnoi. Even if there are fewer patients than back then, there are many parts that would be difficult for two people to handle.”
“Especially if surgery is needed… Back then, you were almost on the verge of fainting.”
“That could happen again.”
“Hmm. I don’t want you to push yourselves that hard.”
Squad Leader Sam immediately admitted his thinking had been short-sighted.
But that did not mean they could instantly multiply the number of doctors.
At that moment, Jeong Min-su asked Taesu with a gaze filled with various thoughts.
“Isn’t the number of soldiers sent from each side limited each day?”
“It should be.”
“Then once they’ve all arrived, we can give them a first sweep and operate in order of urgency, right?”
As Jeong Min-su continued asking, Kim Hyeok-gwon interrupted.
“That’s what we usually do, so why ask?”
“That’s not it. We taught Sam and the squad members first aid, didn’t we?”
“Was it the advanced class, or the expert course? Anyway, we taught them.”
Since Kim Hyeok-gwon had participated in it, he readily agreed.