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nChapter 150

nKim Yuri looked as if she was praying, holding his hands.

nAnd she did not raise her head.

nThere was some sort of desperateness in her trembling shoulders and her occasional crying,

n“Boohoo… He’s my father, my father.”

nThe face of the patient, Choi Jongchol, could not be seen clearly because of the white fogs inside the oxygen respirator he had on, but a closer look could confirm his faint smile.

nThough she cried, he felt it was the most pleasant melody in the world to his ears.

nFinally she recognized him as her father.

nThough even one drop of blood was not mixed with her, he thought of her as his daughter the moment he saw her.

n‘She was a child born into my heart. Yes, my daughter.’

nThough her mother deserted her, she was still his daughter.

n“Yuri…”

nWhen he murmured something, she shook her head strongly, saying,

n“Don’t say anything. Just stay still like that!”

nBoth of them reached out their hands and felt their warmth.

n“Sir!”

nSuhyuk turned his head back to find Park Sungjae.

nHe said, looking over the patient’s chart.

n“What about his slipped discs in his spine? It looks like it’s very severe.”

n“I think he can wait until he is fully recovered first.”

n“Can I partic.i.p.ate when you perform the surgery on it too?”

nSuhyuk made a bitter smile because he would have to leave the hospital for a while by the time when the patient needed the disc surgery. He was supposed to attend a n.o.bel Prize ceremony.

n“I’m afraid I can’t because of the n.o.bel Prize award ceremony.”

nTypically Suhyuk would not go anywhere if he had a patient like this.

nBut the situation changed now, because there were disc treatment experts at Daehan Hospital.

n“Follow me.”

nWhen Suhyuk moved ahead, Park followed him quickly.

nBoth of them got on the elevator.

n“Where are you going,sir?”

nWithout replying Suhyuk just smiled at him.

nGetting off the elevator, Park opened his eyes wider, because they were now at the desk of the cardiothoracic surgery department.

nNervously Park asked, “Why did you take me here?”

n“You said you wanted to observe a spinal disc operation, right?”

nSuhyuk walked through the hallway, exchanging greetings with the medical staff.

nLooking at the nameplate of the office blankly, Park turned his head to Suhyuk suddenly,

n“Hope not…”

nDespite his surprised look, Suhyuk just knocked on the door.

n“Come on in!”

nWhen he opened the door, he saw Prof. Lee Mansuk.

nWhen he saw Suhyuk, Lee stood up and greeted him gladly,

n“Dr. Lee!”

n“How are you, prof. Lee!”

nProf. Lee grabbed his hands all of a sudden.

n“How come I can’t see your face more often? I called you the other day for a dinner appointment, but you didn’t answer the phone…”

n“Oh, my cellphone was turned off, sir.”

nPark joined them quietly now, looking at Prof. Lee nervously.

nPark heard that Prof. Lee was very tough, but he did not seem like that now.

n“Have a seat.”

nAt his gesturing, Suhyuk sat on the sofa, and looked at Park.

n“Please sit down, Park.”

nBrewing coffee by himself, Prof. Lee turned his head, asking,

n“By the way, who is he? I have not see him before…”

nPark stood up abruptly, saying,

n“How are you, sir? This is resident Park Sungjae with the cardiothoracic surgery department.”

nSeeing Park standing at attention, Lee scratched his ear and opened his mouth,

n“Ooops, your voice makes my ears deaf!”

n“I’m so sorry!”

nShaking his head, Prof. Lee offered coffee to Suhyuk and Park.

n“Congrats!”

n“Thanks.”

nPutting down his coffee, Prof. Lee opened his mouth after looking at him for a moment,

n“Are you leaving for the award ceremony next week?”

n“Yes, I think so.”

n“By the way…” Prof. Lee cast a doubtful look at Park sitting next to Suhyuk.

nPark said with a stumbling voice,

n“The problem is…”

nSuhyuk quickly cut in,

n“The patient I performed the open surgery on had a spinal disc slip. So, after he is recovered…”

nSuhyuk asked Prof. Lee for the surgery.

nTalking to Prof. Lee, Suhyuk suddenly turned to Park, and thought to himself.

nHe’s going to be really a good doctor. Like him, Park was acutely aware of the patient’s pain.

nWhen he found it difficult to find the patient’s blood vessel, he used his own arm to find it.

nAccordingly his forearm was covered with bruises due to countless needle punctures on it.

n“I’m afraid he can’t catch up with you.”

nAt Prof. Lee’s remarks, Park nodded his head.

n“You’re right, professor. Dr. Lee is like a hospital on the move.”

nSuhyuk took the coffee cup to his lips with an awkward smile.

nThen Prof. Lee looked at Park gently.

nThe resident recommended by Suhyuk.

nProf. Lee was now forming some sort of expectation of Park.

n“I hope Park is in good hands, sir,” said Suhyuk.

nSuhyuk stood up with a polite greeting.

nSuhyuk headed to the exit.

n“Where are you going?” said Prof. Lee, looking at Park.

nPark, who was following Suhyuk, looked at Lee with wide eyes.

n“I need to talk with you some more,” said Prof. Lee.

n“Oh, yes, sir…”

nSo, Suhyuk went out the office alone, leaving Park behind.

nLee’s loud voice came out the office.

n“Don’t you know that, man!”

nSuhyuk walked through the hallway.

nIt seemed like Park needed to make lots of efforts to learn from him.

n—–

nAfter he got back home early, Suhyuk was on the bus to go somewhere.

nIt was only 9pm.

nHe looked out the window quietly.

nThe street lights pa.s.sed by, leaving a long tail behind.

nThe bus stopped at the traffic light.

nHe saw a couple walking hand in hand.

nThe lady walking behind her boyfriend smiled brightly.

nThere appeared some smile on Suhyuk’s blank face.

nHe looked happy.

nThen his cellphone in the pocket buzzed.

nIt was a call from Prof. Han Myungjin.

n“Yes, professor.”

n“Are you busy?”

n“No, sir. Please go ahead.”

n“Well, the Korean Doctors a.s.sociation made a request for your lecture on stem cells.”

nSuhyuk did not refuse it.

n“When is it, sir?”

n“Well, it’s tomorrow.”

nSuhyuk shook his head before he knew it. Why so suddenly…

nBut he changed his mind. It did not matter.

n“What time do I go and where?”

n“3pm. They’ll send someone to pick you up when you report to work tomorrow.”

n“Got it.”

n“Okay, have a good rest then.”

nAfter the call, Suhyuk pressed the bell inside the bus because he already arrived at his destination.

nGetting off the bus he looked at the street while walking up the overpa.s.s.

nSomewhere there he was. .h.i.t by a motorcycle a long time ago.

nThe suspect was none other than the son of the hospital director.

nThe incident was vivid in his memory as if it just happened yesterday.

nHe could not remember how many times he walked up and down this place.

nWalking down the overpa.s.s now, he turned into an alley.

nThe rusty street light was still flickering occasionally.

nIt was there that he noticed Choi Suryon’s abnormal symptoms.

nHe wondered how she was doing these days.

nSuhyuk had to walk several more minutes to his destination.

nFinally he stopped before a restaurant with bright lights inside.

nHanas’ Rice and Soup restaurant.

n“Hey, one bottle of soju, please!”

n“Yes!”

n“Please give me one more dish of oxhead slices!”

n“Okay. Oxhead slices, please!”

nA lady with her long straight hair tied up was working, busy with taking the orders.

nShe was none other than Hana.

n“Here you are,” said Hana, offering a bottle of soju on the customer’s table.

nAt that moment the entrance door of the restaurant was opened.

nWith a smile, she turned back to greet the customer.

n“Please come on in…”

nFrozen like a stone statue, she found her pupils trembling.

nA handsome man was smiling before the door.

n“It’s you…”

nSuhyuk came in, saying, “How have you been?”

nHana could not say anything.

nIt was Suhyuk who opened his mouth first.

n“I’m here, sir.”

nHana’s father, who came out of the kitchen with a dish of oxhead slices, greeted him,

n“Oh, you came here. Have a seat at any empty table.”

nHaving said that, Hana’s father put down the dish on the customer’s table.

nHe did not walk with a limp anymore. He was walking normally just like an ordinary man.

nThat made Suhyuk’s smile brighter.

nSeated at the table Hana’s father pointed to, Suhyuk looked around.

nAs only two tables were occupied, they did not seem busy.

nThen Hana moved to the refrigerator.

n“Aunt, give me rice and soup, and a bottle of soju!” said Suhyuk.

nHana turned back suddenly, demanding, “Who dared call me an aunt?”

nWith a smile, Suhyuk pulled away her wrist, and she squatted on the seat next to him.

n“I’m going abroad for some business briefly. I hear the landscape is terrific, along with fresh air there.”

n“You’re going there to win the n.o.bel Prize…”

nSuhyuk continued, blocking her mouth, saying, “Let’s go together.”

nIt took him so long for him to confess his true feelings to her like that.

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