A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 473

Chapter 92: A Stroke of Divine Insight (4)

Near the hospital, in the restaurant district.

Jun-hoo and Yena stopped in front of a restaurant.

“Are you sure about this place?”

Jun-hoo shook his head, looking at the restaurant sign with a dubious expression.

“Yeah, what’s wrong with it?”

“We’ve been working hard for half a day. Don’t you want to fill up with something hearty, like meat?”

“I’m craving something spicy. It’s definitely not because I’m thinking about your wallet, Chief.”

“Well, I can’t argue with that.”

Jun-hoo shrugged, feigning indifference.

The place they found was…

A Mala Tang restaurant.

It was a place Jun-hoo occasionally treated the staff to after a long surgery.

But today, the only attendees were Jun-hoo and Yena.

The resident was busy with ward duties, and the scrub nurse had a date with her boyfriend.

Jun-hoo and Yena took a seat by the window. They each filled a tray with food and placed their orders.

After finishing, they returned to their seats.

“This place is doing good business. Is it a popular spot?”

Jun-hoo muttered, looking around.

The time was 7 PM.

It was peak dinner time, but even considering that, the restaurant was crowded. There were only two or three empty tables.

“It’s not exactly a famous restaurant, but it’s decent.”

“Have you been here before?”

“I come here often. I like Mala Tang, and this is the only place that sells it around here.”

“What’s so great about Mala Tang?”

“The broth is spicy in a different way than ramen. You can also eat vegetables deliciously and add whatever toppings you want.”

As if she had rehearsed the answer, Yena replied rapidly.

Her love for Mala Tang seemed extraordinary.

“Come to think of it, there are a lot of young people here, aren’t there?”

Jun-hoo said, scanning the customers.

“Mala Tang is all the rage among the MZ generation [Millennials and Generation Z] these days. It’s almost as popular as tteokbokki [Korean rice cakes in spicy sauce].”

“Really? I didn’t realize it was that popular.”

Jun-hoo chuckled.

Come to think of it, Jun-hoo was already 39 years old.

It felt like just yesterday he had entered medical school.

Now he already held the title of Chief of Neurosurgery.

The past flew by like a bullet, but the present and future seemed to crawl like turtles; that’s what life felt like.

“But Chief, I have a question.”

“Ask me anything. You’ve looked curious enough for a while now.”

Yena giggled at Jun-hoo’s joke.

“How are you going to handle the aftermath now?”

“What aftermath?”

“It was supposed to be a bloodless surgery, but you ended up doing a transfusion. Won’t the guardian find the data and get furious?”

“Ah… I haven’t told you that story yet.”

Jun-hoo briefly summarized the behind-the-scenes story about the transfusion for Yena.

After listening, Yena gave Jun-hoo a double thumbs-up of admiration.

“So, you went out of the operating room and contacted the husband guardian?”

“Yes. Because the husband might not be a follower of the Sacred Soul.”

“Wow! Chief, you’re amazing.”

“Amazing? Why are you saying that like that?”

“It’s a phrase used these days when someone does something great. Anyway, that’s not important.”

Yena continued quickly.

“Fortunately, the husband wasn’t a follower of the Sacred Soul. You discarded the existing consent form and got a new one from the husband guardian.”

“That’s right.”

“How could you think of that in such a tense situation? I sincerely respect you, Chief.”

Yena felt a thrill at Jun-hoo’s quick thinking.

In fact…

When Jun-hoo first left the operating room, she was very worried.

She wondered if Jun-hoo’s mental state had collapsed.

She wondered if he wouldn’t be able to return to the operating room as a result.

If they did a transfusion, the guardian would surely sue them.

If the lawsuit made headlines, people would tear Jun-hoo apart as if they had been waiting for it.

Jun-hoo would be ruined as soon as he started his life as Chief.

But not doing a transfusion?

That also didn’t suit Jun-hoo’s usual sense of justice.

Everyone in the neurosurgery department knew that Jun-hoo cared about his patients terribly.

It would have been difficult to make a choice that violated his beliefs.

It would have been difficult to kill the patient with his own hands.

Going forward was a cliff.

Retreating was also a cliff.

Incredibly, Jun-hoo created a third way on the spot.

Yena thought Jun-hoo was just good with his hands…

That was a misconception.

Jun-hoo’s problem-solving skills were also top-notch.

‘Chief’s skills are amazing.’

‘Thank goodness.’

‘This way, he won’t be swayed by the other professors.’

Yena sighed in relief inwardly.

Clatter!

While she was lost in thought, the kitchen staff placed the Mala Tang on the table.

The red broth, fresh vegetables, and various toppings captivated Yena’s senses.

Gulp!

Dry saliva passed down her throat.

“Ah. But Chief, I have another question.”

“Again? Yena, are you a ‘Curiosity Heaven’?”

“‘Curiosity Heaven’? What does that mean?”

Yena asked, widening her eyes.

“It’s the name of a TV show that aired a long time ago. People who were very curious were called ‘Curiosity Heaven.’ Just like how you said I was amazing.”

Jun-hoo said with a smile.

Certainly, time was passing, and generations were changing.

There were people who didn’t know ‘Curiosity Heaven’.

“What is it this time?”

“What if… just what if…”

Yena hesitated, looking at Jun-hoo.

“What if the patient’s husband was also a follower of the Sacred Soul?”

“That’s right.”

“What would you have done if the husband was also a follower of the Sacred Soul?”

Jun-hoo’s spoon, which was about to scoop up the Mala Tang broth, stopped.

* * *

Step. Step.

Jun-hoo was walking down the hospital corridor.

Soon, he stopped in front of the neurosurgery ICU waiting room.

The atmosphere in the waiting room was heavy. The guardians all looked tired, depressed, and listless.

Jun-hoo understood the guardians’ feelings perfectly because he had sat in that seat after his mother’s cerebral hemorrhage surgery back in high school.

Even if the surgery went well, the guardians couldn’t easily let their guard down.

“Hello, Doctor.”

Kwang-hyun, who had spotted Jun-hoo, got up from the bench.

Kwang-hyun was Yena’s father.

Jun-hoo had received Kwang-hyun’s call and came to the waiting room.

Originally, doctors didn’t give their personal contact information to guardians, but Kwang-hyun’s case was special.

“Hello. It’s nice to see you again.”

“I feel bad for making you come and go like this.”

“It’s okay. It’s good exercise.”

Jun-hoo joked with a friendly smile.

Only then did Kwang-hyun’s face relax.

Kwang-hyun looked to be in his late 30s, around Jun-hoo’s age. His face was handsome, and the glasses he wore made him look intellectual.

“I couldn’t thank you after the surgery because I was so flustered. I sincerely thank you.”

Kwang-hyun bowed 90 degrees, sincerely.

“Thanks to you, Yena’s surgery was completed safely. I was also able to uncover my wife’s misdeeds.”

“I just did what I had to do. And…”

“…”

“Isn’t it the guardians who have suffered more than me?”

Jun-hoo’s expression was filled with pity.

Yena had been abused regularly, and his wife had pretended to be a follower of the Sacred Soul to harm Yena.

Today must have been a living hell for Kwang-hyun.

“I also have my own karma. If I hadn’t neglected my family because of work, this might not have happened.”

A bitter smile touched Kwang-hyun’s lips.

“Would it be okay if I showed you a video?”

“Suddenly a video?”

Jun-hoo tilted his head, puzzled. Kwang-hyun’s actions seemed odd.

‘Could Kwang-hyun also be a strange person?’

But the moment Jun-hoo saw the video that Kwang-hyun showed him, Jun-hoo gritted his teeth.

Anger and disgust towards the wife surged to the top of his head.

“Ha… I didn’t even think of this.”

“I also looked into it just in case. I didn’t think humans could become so ugly.”

“You’re telling me.”

The video Kwang-hyun showed was from a CCTV camera.

A resident on the 3rd floor of the same building had installed a surveillance camera to catch a petty thief.

A terrible scene was captured on the camera.

Yena was playing on the veranda.

This was undeniable.

But the horrific truth hidden in the middle of the video was revealed.

The wife forcibly pushed Yena’s back through the flimsy burglar bars.

So, strictly speaking, Yena didn’t fall; she was pushed.

“At this point, it’s safe to say it was premeditated murder.”

“Yes. I’m planning to go to the police station as soon as my mother arrives.”

“Is your wife currently…?”

“She slapped me and ran off somewhere. She probably ran away to her parents’ house.”

Kwang-hyun’s hand, which was putting his cell phone back in his pants pocket, was trembling.

Jun-hoo couldn’t even begin to imagine the anger Kwang-hyun was feeling right now.

“I don’t know if it’s right to say this…”

Jun-hoo hesitated before continuing.

“But it’s still fortunate. I also resented your wife. She sold her religion to harm her own child, didn’t she?”

“…”

“But I was frustrated because there was no way to punish her, but now that you’ve brought this evidence, she’ll have to pay the price for her sins.”

“Well, justice is still alive.”

Kwang-hyun said, ruffling his hair.

“Anyway, I want to repay you.”

“Oh, no. It’s okay. What repayment?”

Jun-hoo waved his hands firmly.

“The video you just showed me cleared away all the pent-up feelings. That’s enough.”

“…”

“If you really want to repay me…”

“If I want to?”

“Please try to help Yena forget today’s pain and live on. That’s all I need.”

Jun-hoo said with sincerity.

The father and daughter’s journey was perhaps just beginning. And that journey would not be easy at all.

“Taking care of Yena is a matter of course. And I can’t live with owing someone a debt.”

Kwang-hyun was also not one to back down.

He took out a business card from his wallet and handed it to Jun-hoo. Jun-hoo reluctantly accepted the business card.

[Yena Cherry Publishing, CEO Sung Kwang-hyun]

Kwang-hyun was the CEO of a publishing company.

“I’ve looked into you a little bit, Doctor. You’re very talented and have a great personality.”

“…”

“That’s why I’m saying this: how about publishing a book about you?”

“I don’t think my story is worth publishing…”

Jun-hoo felt embarrassed.

There were many famous doctors in his field, including his mentor, Jae-hyun.

Compared to them, Jun-hoo was just a rookie.

“It’s not like there’s a separate story to publish. If you publish it, it becomes a story.”

“Ha… this is really… And I’m not in a position to publish a book. I don’t have time to write.”

“That’s simple. We can get an interview and have a writer write the book separately.”

Even though Jun-hoo repeatedly refused, Kwang-hyun was persistent, as if he wouldn’t let Jun-hoo go until he agreed to the book.

“In my opinion, someone like you should be more famous. Is the world a little bleak these days?”

“…”

“Other people need to know that there are still people like you who are like a lighthouse illuminating this bleak world.”

“Then let’s seriously consider it for now.”

“I think you’ll be busy, so I’ll leave you alone today. But I’ll definitely contact you soon.”

The conversation with Kwang-hyun ended like that.

After finishing his business, Jun-hoo finally left for home.

As he left the hospital, a cool night breeze blew.

A full moon was shining in the sky.

The hospital was deserted after outpatient hours.

-What would you have done if the patient’s husband was also a follower of the Sacred Soul?

On the way home, Yena’s question suddenly popped into his head.

At that time, Jun-hoo had answered like this:

Since he couldn’t delay the transfusion any longer, he would have pushed ahead with the transfusion boldly.

Whether the guardian sued him, whether they made a fuss, he would have fought them tooth and nail.

In Si-ho’s case, Jun-hoo felt it desperately.

Animals that are not human should be treated like animals.