A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 209

We arrived near the summit of Namsan Mountain via cable car.

The first thing that caught my eye was the towering Namsan Tower in the distance.

It would have been nice to come at night and enjoy the night view…

Jun-hoo swallowed his disappointment.

He had a separate schedule for the evening.

“I’m going to the restroom and then buy a love lock. Stay here,” he said.

“As you wish.”

Watching Ah-young’s retreating figure as she hurried away, Jun-hoo turned his gaze to the observation deck.

The observation deck’s fence was covered with countless love locks.

The locks were visible everywhere, like colorful fruits hanging from a tree.

Why do people do such pointless things?

…Jun-hoo didn’t really think that.

Those locks were proof of love, left by couples who were once in love, or still are.

The locks symbolized the love, history, and memories shared between two people.

Just imagining those stories was enough to make the visit meaningful and enjoyable.

How will my love with Ah-young end?

Will we be separated by death?

If we break up, who will leave first, and who will be left behind?

Just watching the locks filled Jun-hoo with thoughts and deepened his emotions.

Perhaps it was because it was a rare day off.

He felt that his sensitivity had become heightened.

Beeeeeep-

Just then, his phone’s vibration came as an unwelcome guest.

Jun-hoo frowned.

Surely it wasn’t a call to return because an emergency patient had appeared?

Ah-young was already upset about the emergency room incident.

It would be troublesome if he was called back.

Feeling displeasure and unease, Jun-hoo hesitated before finally answering the phone.

Checking the number, it was an unknown number.

Starting with 010 [South Korean mobile phone prefix], it wasn’t an advertisement call either.

It was too early to let his guard down, so Jun-hoo took a deep breath and answered the phone.

“Yes, this is Seo Jun-hoo.”

-This is neurosurgeon Seo Jun-hoo, right?

“Yes, it is. But who is this…”

-I’m Sung Gyu-shik, a professor of hand surgery.

“Ah, Professor. Hello. What brings you to call me?”

-I’m calling to express my gratitude.

Gyu-shik then explained the reason for his call.

He thanked Jun-hoo for saving his younger sibling with CPR during the morning check-up and for identifying the propofol anaphylaxis [severe allergic reaction to the anesthetic propofol].

Only then did Jun-hoo breathe a sigh of relief inwardly.

“I just did what I had to do. I was also lucky in many ways.”

-You’re being modest, Dr. Seo.

Gyu-shik burst into a hearty laugh.

-When a patient who has finished a sleep endoscopy is lying down, people usually think they are recovering. Who would suspect cardiac arrest?

“…”

-And that’s not all, is it? You even diagnosed rare propofol anaphylaxis. Dr. Seo, you’ll become a famous doctor in the future.

“You flatter me… Did your sibling return home safely?”

-Thanks to you. It wouldn’t be right to let this go without offering something, so how about I treat you to a meal sometime?

“No, it’s okay. I appreciate the thought.”

The conversation with Gyu-shik lasted for nearly five minutes.

Gyu-shik repeatedly praised Jun-hoo, thanked him, and said he would mention today’s performance to the head of the neurosurgery department.

Hanging up the phone, Jun-hoo looked up at the blue sky.

He wondered if this was also fate.

Hand surgery specialized in treating arms and legs and performed surgeries to reattach severed hands or arms.

Only those with neurosurgery or orthopedic surgery certifications could receive training.

Brain tumor and cerebrovascular part.

Cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine part.

Stereotactic neurosurgery part.

Trauma surgery part.

Hand surgery part.

Jun-hoo’s goal was to master the five subspecialties related to neurosurgery.

Depending on the interpretation, it was to become a pentaboard surgeon [a surgeon certified in five different subspecialties].

But today, by saving Gyu-tae.

Jun-hoo had already gained connections in the hand surgery field. He couldn’t help but feel proud.

-Helping people is an act of accumulating good karma, and good karma will surely save you someday.

He remembered what Abbot Hye-won of Shaolin [referring to the Shaolin Monastery] had once told him. In fact, Jun-hoo’s life was following Hye-won’s words exactly.

Acting with selfless devotion always brought good results.

It wasn’t like he was hoping for blessings, though.

“Sorry, am I late?”

Ah-young stood next to Jun-hoo, shaking a love lock in one hand.

The other hand was on her waist.

“No, you came in the blink of an eye. Is your back hurting again?”

“Just a little. It’s nothing, so don’t worry about it.”

Ah-young replied with an indifferent expression.

She didn’t have a herniated disc, but Ah-young’s back wasn’t in good condition. The pain had worsened while she was a resident.

“Let’s go, we should put on a lock too.”

“Okay.”

Jun-hoo moved to the observation deck with Ah-young.

In front of an artificial tree where the two stopped, there were already numerous locks hanging.

The colors and shapes varied; some were new, and some were rusty.

Some people probably put on multiple locks.

Clang!

Jun-hoo and Ah-young placed their hands together and hung a heart-shaped lock on the tree.

A lock that did not exist in the past.

It was their own lock that would not exist in the future either.

* * *

That evening.

Jun-hoo was having dinner with Ah-young at a high-end restaurant located in Gangnam [affluent district in Seoul].

It was a place that served a Western-style dinner course costing 200,000 won [approximately $150 USD].

The restaurant’s interior was as sophisticated as the food prices.

The lighting was soft and elegant.

The tables, chairs, and tableware were stylish, and the staff were polite and courteous.

“Tonight is Dutch pay [split the bill evenly]. Don’t say you’ll pay for everything alone.”

Ah-young said firmly.

“I’ll pay. I brought you here on purpose for that reason… Have you forgotten that I’m a 600,000-subscriber NewTuber [YouTube creator]?”

“I don’t want you to overdo it alone. And I earn money too, you know?”

“I looked into it, and I suggested we come, so I should pay.”

“No way.”

Jun-hoo was troubled by Ah-young’s stubbornness.

Spending 200,000 won on a meal with a resident’s salary was excessive.

Salaries varied depending on the on-call schedule and the hospital, but usually, a first-year resident’s salary was 3 to 4 million won [approximately $2,200 – $3,000 USD].

Of course, it wasn’t a small amount.

But compared to the money poured into medical school.

It was low compared to the salary expected from a doctor.

Moreover, Ah-young was also contributing to her family’s living expenses…

“Then how about we decide fairly with rock-paper-scissors? Let’s decide with a best-of-three. If you win, Ah-young, it’s Dutch pay, and if I win, I’ll pay.”

“Do we really have to do that?”

“I think I’ll feel better if we do.”

“…Sigh. Okay.”

The rock-paper-scissors game of the century, with 500,000 won [approximately $375 USD] including the wine cost on the line, began.

The result was win-loss-win, and victory went to Jun-hoo.

“Let’s do one more round!”

“We did a best-of-three, why do we need to do more? It’s already over.”

Jun-hoo smiled.

Ah-young would never know, even if she died and came back to life, that she could never beat Jun-hoo at rock-paper-scissors.

Jun-hoo checked what rock-paper-scissors Ah-young was going to throw and then threw the winning hand.

Usually, if you use such a trick, you’ll be criticized for being late.

But not Jun-hoo.

Jun-hoo’s reaction speed, having experienced the Murim world [world of martial arts experts], transcended human limits.

Even if he checked the opponent’s hand and then threw his own, his actions didn’t seem awkward at all.

In other words, Jun-hoo was confident that no matter who he played rock-paper-scissors with, even if he played ten thousand times, he would never lose even once.

Of course, if he kept winning, he would be suspected.

“Tch, you’re so annoying I could die.”

“Isn’t this all heaven’s will? Accept it.”

“But Jun-hoo, what do you think you would be doing now if you hadn’t become a doctor?”

Ah-young changed the subject.

It was an interesting topic.

“There would have been many things I could have done. I could have become an athlete. I could have run a massage shop. I could have become a hairdresser.”

“Why a hairdresser?”

“I’ve heard a lot of stories about how well I do ‘shakdu’ [shaving a patient’s head to prevent contamination during brain surgery]. What about you, Ah-young?”

“I… I think I would have run a bakery. Because I like bread so much.”

“No way. Then you’d definitely go bankrupt. You’d eat more bread than the customers, Ah-young.”

“That’s true, isn’t it?”

Ah-young chuckled.

“Later, when we both retire, should we open a bakery or something? I’m strong, so I think I’d be good at kneading dough.”

“It sounds great just imagining it. I already feel like I want to retire.”

“I know.”

Jun-hoo nodded as if agreeing.

While dating Ah-young, Jun-hoo had opened his eyes to a new kind of happiness.

It was the happiness of everyday life.

He had come to realize that the small happiness he felt in everyday life was just as valuable and precious as the satisfaction of treating patients in urgent situations.

“Do you know what I’m really proud of today? You weren’t nervous when you were with me.”

“Nervous? Me?”

“Yeah. You’ve always been watching your surroundings, and your body was stiff. But I didn’t see that today.”

“I can’t deny it.”

Now that he heard it, it was true.

Living with the memories of the Murim world, suspecting various ambushes and assassinations, Jun-hoo had never let go of his tension.

He had been desperately searching for threats anytime, anywhere.

That was why he had found the patient’s cardiac arrest in the sleep endoscopy room.

But when Ah-young was by his side, Jun-hoo relaxed.

He focused solely on Ah-young.

This could also be called a new change.

Perhaps Ah-young was Jun-hoo’s savior.

The dinner with wine ended in an hour.

Ah-young left the restaurant with Jun-hoo and took the subway home.

As they stepped outside the station, a cool breeze greeted their faces.

A bright full moon was in the sky, and the sound of night insects could be heard from somewhere.

Ah-young thought it was truly a day full of happiness.

Holding hands with Jun-hoo.

Ah-young walked behind the station. It was a shortcut to her house.

The back of the station, a motel district, had a gloomy atmosphere. There were sparse streetlights, so the darkness was thick.

“Should we rest here for a while before we go?”

Ah-young stopped walking without realizing it at Jun-hoo’s bombshell statement, pointing to a motel.

There was no way Ah-young, an adult, wouldn’t know what that meant.

Instantly, both cheeks flushed.

A motel on the first date…

Wasn’t the progress too fast?

Of course, they had known each other for over seven years, but they had only been dating for less than a month.

“If we’re going to re… rest, wouldn’t it be better to rest at home? It’s only a 15-minute walk. And I have a curfew at home.”

“What time is it until?”

“T… Twelve o’clock.”

“Twelve o’clock is plenty of time. There are still two hours left. Don’t you think it’s a shame to part like this?”

Jun-hoo didn’t seem like he would back down easily.

Wh… What should I do?

Ah-young couldn’t look at Jun-hoo’s face and fidgeted.

Of course, Ah-young was sad to part with Jun-hoo early. But she couldn’t help but be nervous because the place to rest was a motel.

Ah-young stared at the motel that Jun-hoo was pointing at instead of Jun-hoo.

She felt so embarrassed at the thought of doing that kind of thing with Jun-hoo in a motel.

Gulp-

Ah-young swallowed hard.

We’re both adults, we love each other, and it’s something we’ll have to do someday.

It might be a good thing.

I packed my underwear well, so there’s no problem.

Ah-young nodded as if she had made up her mind.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

“I’ll make sure you don’t regret making time.”

Ah-young’s earlobes turned red at Jun-hoo’s suggestive remark.

As they entered the motel, a couple was already at the front desk.

They were being assigned a room.

Ah-young happened to make eye contact with the couple.

She wanted to hide in a rat hole because it felt like the couple’s eyes were saying, ‘Did you come to do that too?’

Before she could come to her senses.

Ah-young had already entered the motel room with Jun-hoo.

Click!

As Jun-hoo inserted the card key, the lights turned on brightly.

“Shall we finish this quickly? Ah-young, hurry up and lie down on the bed.”

Ah-young was horrified at Jun-hoo’s beast-like comment.

Wha… What’s going to happen to me today?

Her heart was racing like crazy.