At that moment, Taesu and Jeong Minsu appeared simultaneously from the left and right.
Sasak.
Both their faces were filled with indescribable astonishment.
“The bleeding’s been stopped?”
“Where? Where?”
Their gazes went straight to Bong Yunju’s finger.
Several thin, tiny needles were inserted all the way up to her wrist.
Her finger was bright red from the blood that had already flowed out. Through the wound, a minute amount of blood was still seeping.
It hadn’t stopped completely. Even so, compared to the size and depth of the wound, it was an absurdly small amount.
Even that was visibly decreasing.
The scene of the bleeding stopping was being broadcast live right before their eyes.
Taesu and Jeong Minsu’s eyes grew round, then filled with disbelief.
“Bleeding can be stopped… with needles?”
“With a wound like this, you’d have to pour on a ton of powdered hemostatic agent and hold it for three minutes…”
“Doesn’t it look like it stopped?”
“Yeah. It really stopped.”
Their back-and-forth was full of bewilderment.
To the two of them, Namgung Hyeoncheol quietly said a word.
“Is this your first time seeing bleeding stopped with needles?”
“Yes.”
“How provincial.”
He treated it as so obvious that he actually rebuked them.
But even hearing those words, they didn’t feel offended at all.
It was because they really had never seen such a sight before.
“Wow, seriously…”
“I can’t believe this is possible…”
Taesu and Jeong Minsu’s faces were filled only with the expressions of people who had encountered a new world.
Meanwhile, Namgung Hyeoncheol was getting an earful from site foreman Go Jiyong.
“Hyeoncheol, how can you just disappear like that? Everyone was looking for you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“If you look that sorry, I’m the one who feels embarrassed.”
Go Jiyong, who had scolded him, was the one who looked sheepish instead.
Even so, Namgung Hyeoncheol’s attitude remained the same.
“I should at least have told someone.”
“No, no. I’m just saying we were looking for you. If we’d known you were here, we wouldn’t have.”
“I came here rather suddenly myself.”
“Was it because you’re good at acupuncture? Did Dr. Choi drag you here or something?”
When Go Jiyong asked in a roundabout way, Namgung Hyeoncheol answered with an awkward expression.
“I was loitering around to see if there was anything I could help with, and I got caught.”
“So Dr. Choi grabbed you. But you really are good with needles. How did you stop it like this?”
Go Jiyong’s reaction was only one of curiosity.
He hadn’t realized just how astonishing this situation was.
Stopping the bleeding was important, but Taesu was also listening closely to how Namgung Hyeoncheol handled this.
If he had explained the situation, he could have avoided being scolded.
And yet he hadn’t mentioned Taesu.
His serious attitude, not blaming others even over a small matter, was unexpected.
‘He’s got an interesting personality.’
Until now, they had only exchanged greetings in passing.
This was the first time they had spoken at such length, so Taesu was seeing unfamiliar sides of him.
In the meantime, Namgung Hyeoncheol was removing the hand acupuncture needles from Bong Yunju’s finger.
Ppok, ppok.
“Does it hurt?”
“No. It doesn’t hurt at all.”
“Still, it’s a relief it wasn’t worse.”
“Thank you. And I’m sorry for making you worry, Hyeoncheol.”
Bong Yunju’s eyes softened at the corners as she spoke sincerely.
Namgung Hyeoncheol removed the remaining hand acupuncture needles and said,
“You resemble my eldest sister back home, so I wonder if I overstepped.”
“I told you, you can just treat me like your older sister.”
“Slowly, later on. All right, the needles are all out.”
Sseuk.
As Namgung Hyeoncheol stepped aside, Jeong Minsu, who had been waiting, moved forward.
“Then it’s my turn now. I’ll start with cleaning.”
Jol jol.
He rinsed away the blood first, letting saline flow over it.
The emergency treatment that would continue nonstop through suturing began.
A little while later.
Bong Yunju greeted them with thick gauze wrapped around her finger.
“You’re all busy, and I’m sorry for making you worry about me for nothing.”
“Not at all. It pains me that such precious hands were injured.”
“Thank you. I’ll make you a delicious dinner.”
“It’s always delicious, so please be careful not to let water touch the wound.”
“Yes. Then I’ll be going.”
She bowed.
At the same time Bong Yunju lowered her head, Taesu, Jeong Minsu, and Namgung Hyeoncheol hurriedly did the same.
Then Bong Yunju turned away first.
In the meantime, site foreman Go Jiyong asked Taesu,
“Is Hyeoncheol going to stay here?”
“I think that would be best, but I should ask the boss for understanding first.”
“No. I’ll talk to him, so don’t worry about it.”
“Every person is precious right now… I’m sorry.”
Even knowing their circumstances, Taesu showed his intention not to let Namgung Hyeoncheol go.
He hadn’t said it aloud, but the truth was that he was considerably fatigued from the influx of patients.
On top of that, if Namgung Hyeoncheol possessed such an astonishing skill, Taesu couldn’t help but want him.
Fortunately, Go Jiyong understood, even waving his hand.
“I said it’s fine. You’re working so hard because of us.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Your face is so haggard, you look like an apple that got hit by a typhoon. Take it easy now and then.”
At Go Jiyong’s guileless comparison, Taesu smiled.
“Haha. Understood.”
“Then I’ll excuse myself too. Sorry for causing a fuss.”
Hwik hwik.
Go Jiyong waved his hand once more as he walked away.
He was the type with especially many hand gestures.
With that, the sudden situation was wrapped up for the time being.
That was what Namgung Hyeoncheol thought.
“Uja, then shall we get back to… I was about to say that, but why are you looking at me like that?”
Namgung Hyeoncheol, who had been stretching, flinched at the stares pouring toward him.
That was how intense Taesu and Jeong Minsu’s gazes were.
Question marks seemed clearly visible in their eyes.
But Taesu shook his head, regained his reason, and said,
“For now, let’s continue with the examinations.”
“Why does that sound slightly unsettling?”
“You can reflect on that yourself… Dr. Jeong. We should continue.”
Tap.
Only after Taesu lightly nudged him did Jeong Minsu flinch and answer.
“Right. We should keep going… Hyeoncheol, don’t think about running away later.”
“Even if I run, it’ll only be within the village.”
“That’s nice. Let’s go.”
Sseuk.
Taesu and Jeong Minsu turned side by side and returned to their respective places.
Namgung Hyeoncheol, left alone, also shrugged and moved.
That evening.
The medical staff sat gathered around the wooden platform at the lodging.
Namgung Hyeoncheol was among them.
No, everyone was watching him.
The incident from the afternoon had been relayed to everyone.
Kim Hyeokgwon lightly stroked his chin and looked at Namgung Hyeoncheol with a strange gaze.
“No wonder I smelled nutritious chicken baeksuk instead of disinfectant.”
“Pardon?”
“I mean the smell of herbal medicine. I thought it was because you brought that chicken baeksuk that time, but that wasn’t it.”
“Do I smell? Sniff, sniff.”
Namgung Hyeoncheol even put his nose to each shoulder and smelled himself.
He looked unexpectedly serious, so Taesu stopped him.
“Mr. Hyeokgwon was just making an analogy.”
“He was staring so hard while saying it that I thought it was true.”
“Let’s leave the smell talk at that. Hyeoncheol, just who exactly are you?”
At Taesu’s question, Namgung Hyeoncheol tilted his head.
“I’m Namgung Hyeoncheol.”
“That’s not what I’m asking.”
“I told you, I learned it while getting scolded by my grandfather.”
“Was he an incredibly famous Korean medicine doctor?”
He went straight to the heart of the matter.
But Namgung Hyeoncheol thought silently for a moment, then nodded.
“In the neighborhood, he was famous as the cranky old needle man.”
“I’m not joking.”
“Neither am I. He lived his whole life in one place before he passed away.”
“And he was someone who could stop bleeding with acupuncture?”
Taesu couldn’t believe it.
Jeong Minsu and Kim Hyeokgwon also shook their heads, reacting the same way.
At that moment, Brad Kim asked from a slightly different perspective.
“Dr. Choi, just a moment… Hyeoncheol. To what extent can you control bleeding?”
“Well. I’ve never dealt with tremendous bleeding before.”
“Then, excuse me, but since you said your father currently works as a doctor in the village, have you ever witnessed your father’s experience?”
Brad Kim’s questions gradually went deeper.
Namgung Hyeoncheol, not knowing the reason, looked flustered.
“Is the fact that I stop bleeding with needles really something that deserves this much attention?”
“Yes.”
“You’re incredibly firm about that.”
As if he hadn’t expected such a reaction, Namgung Hyeoncheol looked awkward.
Then Taesu added an explanation.
“As I briefly told you this afternoon, we often go out to find emergency patients.”
“Many times, it’s in the middle of an empty field with absolutely nothing. That’s why we’re especially sensitive about bleeding.”
“As Dr. Jeong said, there are many people we could save if only the bleeding could be stopped quickly.”
“And we saw bleeding stop right in front of us. That’s why we’re like this.”
Taesu and Jeong Minsu spoke seriously in turn.
Hearing that, Namgung Hyeoncheol seemed to understand their reaction.
However, he gave a bitter smile.
“Let’s say I can stop bleeding to some extent. Who am I to squeeze in among doctors?”
“Then what does that make me?”
“Ah… Mr. Hyeokgwon is here.”
Namgung Hyeoncheol flinched and watched Kim Hyeokgwon’s expression.
On the contrary, Kim Hyeokgwon did not get unexpectedly upset, but spoke calmly.
“I’m not the only special case.”
“When we go out on medical volunteer work, patients come flooding in, so volunteers step up as needed too.”
“We run ourselves ragged getting there, and when a patient closes their eyes right in front of us, it feels truly awful.”
“If you register as support personnel with the Helicopter Medical Team, there’s no problem at all.”
This time, Kim Hyeokgwon and Brad Kim spoke in perfect rhythm.
Of course, it didn’t mean that was what would happen unconditionally.
Depending on what level of skill Namgung Hyeoncheol possessed, the direction of the conversation would change.
Even under such attention, Namgung Hyeoncheol did not look greatly burdened.
“If such a system exists, I am tempted.”
“That’s why we arranged this meeting and are asking you again.”
“It seems what you said about me being a real doctor wasn’t something you just threw out.”
At Namgung Hyeoncheol’s words, Taesu nodded in response.
“Compassion for patients, mutual support for colleagues, and even diligent study from childhood. You’re not lacking in anything.”
“I think you’re overestimating me too much.”
“If you had no confidence in yourself, you’d be fidgeting in this seat right now.”
Taesu pointed out Namgung Hyeoncheol’s current state.
Even under this interest and all these gazes, his expression was calm.
Namgung Hyeoncheol smiled gently and asked,
“Do you not think it might be bravado? What I showed you this afternoon could be all there is.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Why not?”
“Because if we throw you into dispatch scenes, you’ll have no choice but to improve on your own.”
Taesu’s answer was refreshing, but within it lay experience embedded so deeply it felt chilling.
As if he had sensed it, Namgung Hyeoncheol looked around at everyone.
Jeong Minsu, Kim Hyeokgwon, and Brad Kim too.
Their intense gazes and weighty atmosphere proved it.
Namgung Hyeoncheol recognized at a glance that they had such experiences.
“I feel like I’m with some extraordinary people.”
“We don’t particularly like beating around the bush at moments like this.”
Taesu now wanted to hear a clear answer.
Namgung Hyeoncheol shrugged and opened his mouth.
“I can treat most symptoms with needles.”
“Pardon?”
“I learned while getting beaten from the age of ten, so I should at least be able to imitate it, shouldn’t I?”
“What about bleeding?”
When Taesu once again pinpointed the core issue, Namgung Hyeoncheol answered after some thought.
“That isn’t something that can be defined precisely…”
“For example, severe internal abdominal bleeding?”
“That would be difficult. I’d have to know the location of the bleeding to respond.”
“Then what if an arm had been turned to rags?”
Taesu gave a provocative example, but Namgung Hyeoncheol answered unexpectedly mildly.