A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 169

“We’re here.”

“Okay. Thanks for the ride. Have a good day.”

Jun-hoo paid the taxi fare and got out.

The current time was 2 PM.

The destination was a water park in Gyeonggi Province, and the entrance was bustling with visitors.

It was so crowded it looked like an army of ants.

Most of the visitors were young men and women, and joyful laughter erupted from all directions.

Jun-hoo had thought that fewer people would visit the water park in the fall because of the cool weather, but he was mistaken.

Whoosh.

As if pushed by the wind, Jun-hoo moved to the ticket booth.

And among the many people, familiar faces came into view.

A-young, Hye-jin, Tae-seop.

They were his medical school classmates who would be spending a fun time with Jun-hoo at the water park today.

* * *

[Jun-hoo, why don’t we go to the water park when we have time off?]

A message from A-young came a month ago.

It was one dawn when Jun-hoo was on duty.

[Water park? Well, I don’t think I can make it. The ward is so busy.]

[Isn’t it better to rest and get some fresh air when you’re busy? A person needs room to breathe!!!!]

[I breathe well even in the hospital, lol.]

[Idiot, that’s not what I mean. I’m saying we should take care of human Seo Jun-hoo, not just doctor Seo Jun-hoo.]

A-young’s words had a point.

Certainly, Jun-hoo was a person before he was a doctor.

He had various desires like ordinary people.

However, he was controlling all desires by focusing on the goal of medicine.

[Do you perhaps dislike swimming?]

[No. If I had to choose, I like it. I also like water. I even like the Chinese idiom ‘Sangseon Yaksu’ [上善若水, literally ‘The highest good is like water,’ referring to the Taoist concept of adapting to situations].]

[The Sangseon Yaksu you learned in ethics class?]

[That’s right. The highest good is like water.]

[Then you should go even more! Let’s get our Jun-hoo to drink some water at the water park. Maybe you’ll awaken to enlightenment if you drink some water.]

[Okay, I’ll go, lol. I’ll check my schedule and call you tomorrow.]

[You promised? Yay!!! lol]

The aftermath was swift.

When Jun-hoo told her his day off, A-young handled the rest like lightning.

Finding and purchasing discounted water park tickets in advance.

Recruiting classmates to go with them.

Setting specific times and places, etc.

A-young was surprisingly proactive.

“Where have you been wandering around since morning? It would have been better if you had come earlier to enjoy it more.”

As Jun-hoo approached the group, Tae-seop, one of the group members, grumbled.

“I had a story I couldn’t tell.”

“Tsk. I’m not curious about your story at all. If you want to tell it, send it to the radio. Did you bring your swimsuit?”

“No. I have to borrow one.”

“Then what’s in the backpack?”

Tae-seop tilted his head, pointing to the bag Jun-hoo was carrying on his back.

“I had something to buy before coming.”

A smile appeared on Jun-hoo’s lips.

The items in the backpack were the ultimate moves needed for the awakening surgery the day after tomorrow.

They were items he had purchased after observing his teacher’s surgery.

“Are you some kind of spy? Why are you so secretive?”

“I’m originally a man like an onion.”

“Damn it. I’m going to stir-fry you!”

The group, including Jun-hoo, burst into laughter at Tae-seop’s joke.

The four people gathered here were quite close.

In college, they had worked together on group assignments and overlapped in club activities.

It would have been more fun if Sung-ho hyung [older brother/male friend] was here.

Jun-hoo stroked his bracelet at the unconscious thought.

The moment he felt Sung-ho’s absence, his heart ached, but he willingly endured it.

This wound was one that Jun-hoo would have to carry until he died.

At the same time, it was also a safety device to help Jun-hoo not become desensitized to the treatment of patients and guardians.

When you see dozens of patients a day, you tend to become insensitive to the pain of patients or guardians.

After losing Sung-ho, Jun-hoo became more sensitive to the pain of patients or guardians.

It was the principle that only a wounded person can fully embrace another wounded person.

“By the way, there are so many people.”

Jun-hoo scanned the entrance of the water park and continued.

“I thought it would be okay because it’s autumn on a weekday, but I didn’t know there would be so many people.”

“You may not know this, Jun-hoo, but this is a small crowd.”

“Really?”

“If it were a summer weekend, it would be as crowded as the subway on the way to work.”

“That’s right. This is pretty good.”

Hye-jin nodded in agreement with A-young’s words.

“There are quite a few people who play even on weekdays.”

“It’s also the vacation season. That’s why there’s the term ‘Homo Ludens’ [Latin for ‘playing man,’ referring to the concept of humans as playful beings]. Playing human.”

Tae-seop replied.

“Why are you suddenly showing off here?”

“I wanted to sprinkle some ink too [Korean idiom for showing off knowledge]. Why are you so bitter?”

“Well, a little?”

“By the way, the most dangerous person here is you? Please don’t overdo it today. Okay?”

“Why me?”

“The rumor that you’re a ‘patient-attracting doctor’ has spread to other departments.”

Tae-seop continued with his arms crossed.

“Please don’t create patients at the water park. If a CPR situation happens here, it’s all your fault?”

“Don’t put the blame on me too. I’m already dying of injustice.”

“Stop the chatter and let’s go in.”

A-young and Hye-jin, who had their arms linked, took the lead, followed by Jun-hoo and Tae-seop.

“Tae-seop. I have a question.”

Jun-hoo’s gaze was fixed on the two people walking ahead.

“What is it?”

“Why do A-young and Hye-jin walk with their arms linked?”

“Hmm… Isn’t it a sign of friendliness?”

“There are many women who don’t walk with their arms linked?”

“There are many women who walk with their arms linked.”

Listening to Tae-seop, it was true again.

There were quite a few women who had their arms linked like A-young and Hye-jin.

“What? Seo Jun-hoo of all people misses skinship [physical contact]? Then I’ll take the plunge and link arms with you?”

“Try it. I’ll break your arm.”

“Jun-hoo, why don’t you stop wondering about useless things and wonder about something really worthwhile?”

“What’s a real curiosity?”

“Are you really pretending not to know, or are you pretending not to know?”

Tae-seop suddenly looked at Jun-hoo with a pathetic expression.

It was as if Tae-seop knew something Jun-hoo didn’t.

“Today won’t end like watered-down alcohol [Korean idiom for a boring or disappointing event]. Be prepared.”

Tae-seop’s voice was somehow solemn.

* * *

Water park locker room.

Tae-seop was taking off his clothes and putting on the swimsuit he had brought.

Well, isn’t this not bad?

Tae-seop smiled as he checked his appearance in the wall mirror on the side.

I had been dieting hard for the past month in preparation for today.

Was it thanks to that?

I didn’t have any prominent muscles, but my upper body was quite slender and well-proportioned.

There was no need to wear a t-shirt to cover my belly.

Tae-seop pretended not to notice and subtly scanned the other men who were undressing.

A smile deepened on his face.

*With my body, I felt like I could be in the top 10 percent at this water park.*

Hehehe. Could I expect a good encounter because of this?

“You’re here? You’re a bit late.”

“Yeah. There were quite a few people renting swimsuits besides me.”

Jun-hoo joined us in the locker room belatedly. He took off the clothes he was wearing and changed into the swimsuit he had borrowed.

But upon seeing Jun-hoo’s bare body, Tae-seop was greatly shocked.

Jun-hoo, wearing a gown at the hospital, gave off the impression of being skinny.

To exaggerate a bit, you could say he looked like a reed.

But Jun-hoo’s body, while undressed, was unexpectedly firm.

It wasn’t the muscular body of someone who constantly worked out, but he had a sturdy yet pleasing physique like Bruce Lee.

His shoulders were broad like a swimmer, and his upper body had a cool inverted triangle shape.

Kuh-heuk-

*Even if I lose in looks, I was confident I wouldn’t lose in terms of body!*

Tae-seop had added a painful ‘1 loss’ all by himself.

“Hey, you have a good body. Do you work out separately?”

“Well, rather than working out separately, I’d say I know how to use my muscles? If you know that, you can train your muscles even with trivial movements in everyday life.”

“For example?”

“Let’s assume you’re holding a scalpel.”

Jun-hoo, who had finished changing, pretended to hold an imaginary scalpel with his right hand.

Then the brachioradialis muscle (the muscle from the wrist to the elbow) of his right arm bulged.

Thick blood vessels stood out.

“You can use the scalpel like this and build muscle too.”

“Are you a health nut? You build muscle while scrubbing?”

“I’m not doing it on purpose. It just happens to me.”

“Good for you. Good for you. Kiss my ass.”

Tae-seop shook his head.

Since his days as a medical student, Jun-hoo had been an outstanding and eccentric kid.

And that part hadn’t changed at all even while going through internship and residency.

Probably, it would be hard to find someone at Shinwon University who didn’t know Jun-hoo.

Except for new employees, that is.

“If you’re all changed, let’s go.”

“Okay.”

Tae-seop came out of the locker room with Jun-hoo.

We waited for A-young and Hye-jin to come out while basking in the warm autumn sunlight.

While waiting, he looked around, and the gazes of many women were directed towards them.

The passing women would always glance at them once.

But Tae-seop’s elation was only temporary.

Because he realized that the women’s gazes were scanning Jun-hoo, not him.

“What’s it like to be someone who’s good-looking and good at their job?”

“It’s no different from you.”

“It looks very different?”

“Everyone has hell in their heart. Suffering in life is the same. No matter how much wealth you have, no matter how much wealth and fame you have, it doesn’t matter.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Yeah. Basically, you can’t avoid birth, aging, sickness, and death, right? Also, even if you have 1 trillion [Korean currency, roughly equivalent to $800,000 USD], you want to earn 2 trillion, and if you become a politician, you want to become president.”

After speaking, Jun-hoo looked up at the sky with a bitter expression.

*If everyone has hell in their heart, it must mean that Jun-hoo also has hell in his heart.*

Tae-seop found it hard to understand that Jun-hoo had hell in his heart.

What does Jun-hoo lack?

“Then what’s the hell in your heart?”

“I don’t think this is the place to talk about it. I’ll tell you later if I get the chance.”

“Hey, don’t gloss over it and tell me.”

“There, A-young and Hye-jin are coming out.”

Jun-hoo cut off Tae-seop’s words.

Apparently, Jun-hoo didn’t want to answer any more.

“A-young, is Hye-jin a shield or something? Why are you hiding like that?”

Tae-seop asked playfully, looking at A-young and Hye-jin approaching them.

Because A-young was hiding behind Hye-jin.

“It’s… a bit embarrassing….”

“Then are you going to keep doing that?”

“I guess not, right?”

A-young stood next to Hye-jin, feeling embarrassed.

The moment Tae-seop saw A-young’s swimsuit, he immediately knew why A-young was embarrassed.

A-young was wearing a revealing bikini.

Considering A-young’s usually demure personality, it was an unexpected choice.

It seemed that A-young was also determined for ‘that operation’.

“Jung Tae-seop. Can you close that mouth of yours?”

“Was my mouth open? I suddenly couldn’t breathe. Hahaha.”

Tae-seop laughed awkwardly after receiving Hye-jin’s sharp glare.

A-young in a bikini was beautiful.

In fact, the men passing by were sparkling their eyes after discovering A-young.

Looks and body shape are not absolute criteria for judging people.

At least, it couldn’t be unimportant as far as the water park was concerned.

“Hey, A-young’s gone crazy today?”

Tae-seop nudged Jun-hoo’s side with his elbow and asked.

“I don’t know?”

“Huh? What kind of nonsense is that?”

“A-young looks prettiest when she’s wearing a gown.”

Jun-hoo whispered to Tae-seop.

“Are you crazy? Where are you comparing a doctor’s gown to a bikini?”

“Please respect my opinion?”

“That’s not an opinion, it’s just nonsense?”

“Hey, you two over there. Turn off the local broadcast [stop bickering].”

The two people’s argument was put to an end by Hye-jin’s remark.

“Let’s go to the wave pool first. A-young and Jun-hoo, lead the way.”

“Sure, why not.”

“Okay.”

A-young and Jun-hoo led the way, followed by Tae-seop and Hye-jin.

“How’s Jun-hoo’s reaction?”

Hye-jin stood next to Tae-seop and asked first.

Hye-jin’s gaze was fixed on the two people walking ahead.

“Jun-hoo is completely crazy. He says A-young looks prettier in a gown than in a bikini.”

“He’s in a serious condition. If I were a man, I would have gone crazy for A-young.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“What? You’re also crazy about A-young?”

Tae-seop flinched at Hye-jin’s fierce gaze.

“Whoa, whoa. Calm down. I’m just saying it as an analogy. Anyway, it looks like today won’t be easy?”

“That’s why you have to do well. Stir up Jun-hoo’s heart.”

“Don’t worry. Seducing people with my tongue is my specialty.”

“If you fail, I won’t let you off the hook? I don’t want to see A-young upset anymore.”

“Me neither?”

Tae-seop and Hye-jin exchanged determined glances and nodded.

In fact, the two were members of the expedition team united for A-young’s confession.