Brad Kim seemed to acknowledge it too, asking in a languid tone.
“Are you that curious?”
“You’re a graduate of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, aren’t you?”
“I told you, I barely scraped by.”
“Still, people don’t usually choose an NGO out of the blue while doing their residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital.”
Taesu pieced together what he had heard so far as he spoke, unable to hide his curiosity.
But Brad Kim’s reaction was a little strange.
His smile turned awkward, and he answered halfheartedly.
“A poor student got tired of walking on eggshells and ran away.”
“You did, Brad?”
“That’s all it was. I’ll head in first.”
Brad Kim walked quickly and slipped into the building.
His back looked terribly heavy.
Feeling the firm rejection, Taesu’s expression turned bitter.
“Maybe I should’ve asked more slowly.”
He had only asked without thinking much of it.
He hadn’t expected that reaction at all, so he was rather flustered.
There was no one without a story.
And the farther one was from the place they had built their life, the deeper that story became.
Taesu was no exception.
“Hm.”
He shook his head.
For now, Taesu set aside his curiosity.
When the time came, he would naturally come to know.
He didn’t want to prod needlessly and make things awkward between them.
That evening.
After dinner, the medical staff held a simple tea time among themselves.
But tea time was only what they called it.
All they had done was set down a cup of tea each.
In reality, it was a time to look through the notebooks they had opened and discuss the current condition of the patients.
“Yakob, who lives up above the village, is…”
“Malshad’s abdominal pain has improved a lot, and…”
The voices and expressions passing back and forth were quite serious.
It was time related to patients.
Nothing could be done carelessly.
They focused their eyes, opened their ears, listened to opinions, and spoke in turn.
It was a time to wrap up the day and set plans for tomorrow, so it couldn’t be lighthearted.
But the conversation gradually flowed in a positive direction.
Brad Kim scanned through the contents he had organized in his notebook and said,
“…I think we’ve gone over everything once for now.”
“They’ll all be discharged in three or four days.”
When Taesu replied, Jeong Minsu added,
“In a week, we’ll be sitting around twiddling our thumbs.”
“Wait, then doesn’t that mean our dispatch is coming to an end?”
Scribble, scribble.
Kim Hyeokgwon said as he repeatedly drew circles in his notebook.
His words sent ripples across a calm lake.
Taesu immediately sought the opinion of Brad Kim, the most senior doctor.
“What do you think, Brad?”
“I’m a rookie.”
“An old rookie is just old.”
“Tch. Fine, I’m old.”
Whoosh.
Brad Kim even turned his head away completely.
He wasn’t really sulking; he was slipping out of it.
He clearly had no experience with how field medical work was wrapped up, so he was doing that on purpose.
Kim Hyeokgwon stared at him in disbelief.
“You seemed a little sentimental this afternoon, and now I guess you’re feeling better.”
“I know. So, Taesu, what are you planning to do?”
Jeong Minsu subtly handed the right of decision over to Taesu.
Kim Hyeokgwon even shrugged his shoulders, hinting that he had no authority.
In the end, after going round and round, the decision landed in Taesu’s hands.
“Ha, ha.”
Taesu laughed awkwardly, not having expected it.
But it was something someone had to do.
They needed to establish a plan and present a direction to avoid confusion.
So, in the end, Taesu stepped forward.
“How about we leave in a week?”
“A week?”
“We should set out before we’re reduced to twiddling our thumbs.”
At Taesu’s proposal, everyone rolled their eyes in thought.
Then Kim Hyeokgwon quietly raised his hand and asked,
“You said the actual remaining treatment period is about three days.”
“We’re leaving supplies behind, so we should teach them how to use them.”
He meant training them in first aid.
But that one sentence settled the matter.
“I’m in favor.”
Flash.
Kim Hyeokgwon raised his hand and appealed strongly.
Slide.
Jeong Minsu did the same.
“I think that’s best too.”
“I’m in favor too. Therefore, unanimous.”
Tap, tap, tap.
Brad Kim struck the table three times and declared it as if delivering a verdict.
Taesu was even more dumbfounded by how abruptly the conversation ended.
“No other opinions?”
“No.”
“Minsu, is this the time to answer so cheerfully?”
“Dr. Choi’s opinion is the best.”
Perhaps pleased that their schedule was coming to an end, Jeong Minsu teased him with little bursts of mischief.
The other two had nothing more to say at all.
And just like that, it was decided.
Taesu immediately rose and said,
“Then I’ll report our return schedule to the PKO.”
“…”
Nod.
The three, having let go of their tension, only nodded.
Seeing that they wanted nothing more, Taesu moved.
Creak.
As Taesu opened the door to the lodging, he was startled by the sight of someone standing tall in front of it.
“Uh, oh. Raku?”
Just as Taesu said, Raku was standing there.
Still in the posture of someone about to knock, he awkwardly waved his hand.
“Should I say hi?”
“I suppose hello. No, more importantly, when did you get here?”
“I arrived a little while ago.”
At Raku’s easygoing answer, Taesu immediately opened the door wide.
Creak.
“Then you should come in. Dr. Jeong, coffee, please.”
Taesu asked Jeong Minsu and naturally stepped outside the threshold.
Thud.
As they passed by each other, Raku asked,
“Where are you going?”
“It’s time to report in. If you have some tea, I’ll be back soon.”
Taesu spoke briefly and moved first.
The faster he went up, the faster he could come down. That law was immutable.
Taesu went straight up to the rooftop.
On the rooftop stood an oddly shaped tripod reaching high into the sky.
In front of it sat a military radio.
It was the radio and frequency amplifier actually used by the PKO.
It wasn’t as if Kashmir had no cell phones.
Development had progressed to the point that small cities had cell phone stores.
But that was a convenience found in cities.
It was unreasonable to expect base stations all the way out in a mountain village like Makut.
That was why the military communication equipment was currently their only means of contact.
Looking at his notebook, Taesu operated it with practiced hands.
“Today’s frequency is…”
Click, click.
After adjusting it properly, Taesu immediately attempted radio contact.
Click.
“This is Makut. Headquarters, please respond.”
—Crackle. This is headquarters. Dr. Choi, we’ve been waiting for your call.
“The current situation in Makut is…”
Taesu began reporting the situation here, as well as the return schedule they had just decided on.
Since he wasn’t a soldier, Taesu’s radio communication was similar to an ordinary phone call.
About ten minutes passed.
Click.
He calmly turned off the radio.
Just then, Raku’s voice came from behind him.
“So this is how you contact the PKO.”
“Hm? Why did you come all the way up here?”
Turning around, Taesu showed pure curiosity toward Raku.
In Raku’s hand was a cup with steam rising from it. He came closer and offered the cup to Taesu.
“I came up to have a cup of tea with you.”
“Rooftop coffee. How romantic.”
“I knew you’d understand. Here.”
“What is this… Huh?”
Inside was a liquid tinged with brown.
The feeling of it was so familiar. As Taesu stared at it and grew surprised, Raku gave him a meaningful smile and said,
“Dr. Jeong and Dr. Kim were practically losing their minds over it.”
“Is this really instant coffee mix?”
“I think you’ll know for sure once you drink it.”
“Excuse me.”
Sip.
Taesu asked only that much permission and quickly took a sip.
If it really was instant coffee mix?
A shiver ran through him.
The bitter taste of coffee, the sweetness lingering on the tip of his tongue, and even the slightly heavy yet smooth feel of the creamer.
The taste of home filled his mouth.
Without realizing it, Taesu let out an exclamation.
“Ah, this is it.”
“Haha. Dr. Choi, your reaction is exactly the same. I didn’t know everyone would be that surprised and happy.”
“We really couldn’t drink it because we didn’t have any.”
“Hehe, you’re saying the same thing too. Your next question must be how I got it, right?”
Raku beat him to it and asked first.
But Taesu’s reaction was unexpectedly different.
“No.”
“Then…”
“I’m just so grateful that I’m drinking this right now. Cheers.”
Clink.
It was the rough sound of stainless steel, but Taesu’s smile was clear and bright.
Raku, on the other hand, looked dumbfounded for a moment before smiling softly.
“Dr. Choi, you have a talent for slipping out of my expectations far too easily.”
“It’s because I’m a crooked kid. Haha.”
“You look happy.”
“Of course. With caffeine and sugar filling me up, I get this happy right away.”
As Taesu answered with a beaming smile, Raku acknowledged it too.
“It certainly is unique.”
“And on top of that, drinking it outside in this chilly weather makes it taste incredible.”
Sip.
Taesu took another sip and turned his gaze toward the wide surroundings.
Rooftop coffee was a memory he had often enjoyed with Lee Gijun.
That bastard. It would’ve been even better if he hadn’t talked so much nonsense.
Thinking of him like this, he did wonder whether he was doing well.
At that moment, Raku came up beside him.
Tap.
Standing together at the railing, he drank the instant coffee mix and lightly shrugged his shoulders.
“I think this really does have a special charm.”
“That’s why we drink it. More importantly, it really is chilly at night.”
“It seems Kashmir is slowly entering winter too.”
At that, Taesu smiled bitterly.
“To be honest, I was a bit surprised. I thought this place didn’t have winter.”
“Many people experiencing their first winter here think that.”
“Do the goods you purchase change too?”
When Taesu asked casually, Raku answered in his easygoing way.
“Of course they change. There are regions where it snows, after all.”
“Then it drops below zero.”
“I’m planning to bring in winter supplies soon as well. If you need them, I’ll prepare special A-grade items for you.”
“I don’t think we’ll be here by then.”
At Taesu’s words, Raku smiled gently.
“Then I can go to your next dispatch site.”
“I don’t know where that is. I’m in a position where I go after being notified too.”
“Ah, I see.”
Raku drank his instant coffee mix with a slightly regretful expression.
Meanwhile, Taesu watched him for a moment.
An enemy should be repaid ten thousandfold, and a kindness ten millionfold. That’s what makes a person human.
From that perspective, he had received a great deal of help.
Then?
Taesu did not hide the little scheme spinning around in his head as he asked,
“Do you perhaps go to the NGO camp as well?”
“There… To us, it’s a gold mine. No, it’s a diamond mine.”
“Then you should mine some diamonds.”
Wink.
When Taesu sent him a meaningful look, Raku blinked.
“Are you serious?”
“You must have heard that we’re returning in a week.”
“Yes. I heard.”
“Just in case, I’ll tell them to let you in even if we’re not there.”
At Taesu’s confident words, Raku gave a slightly awkward smile.
“Isn’t the security there handled by the PKO?”
“Then you can do business with them too.”
“That’s not what I mean. I’m saying the entry permit is difficult.”
“You know I’m close with the PKO.”
Taesu reacted indifferently.
Raku, on the other hand, was startled as he remembered the fact he had forgotten.
“That’s right. Yes, I remember.”
“I think you’ll have to bring so much that your truck is bursting.”
“No, that place is really… Thank you so much. Truly, thank you.”
“I’m the one who was so grateful on the first day. I feel like something that had been knotted inside me has finally loosened a little.”
With a gentle smile, Taesu leisurely brought the instant coffee mix to his lips.