A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 453

Chapter 88: The Unfinished Cold Wave (4)

That evening, at Ah-young’s officetel [a studio apartment, often small and functional].

“What is all this?”

Ah-young’s eyes widened like an owl’s as she looked at the items Joon-hoo had dumped out of his bag.

The items scattered on the floor were all unusual.

A whistle. A metal rod like a stake. Spray cans, and so on.

Anyone could see that this was…

“You probably guessed it, but they’re self-defense items.”

“Why self-defense items?”

“Si-ho has been released from prison.”

Joon-hoo’s eyes and voice held a sharpness that she hadn’t felt before. Ah-young flinched without realizing it.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to do this to you. It’s just that his name makes me react like this.”

“Is it really necessary to go this far?”

Ah-young tilted her head and asked.

Ah-young didn’t know Si-ho very well.

She had probably only seen his face about three times in the past.

She had heard about the crimes Si-ho committed through news articles.

So, Ah-young thought.

Why hasn’t Si-ho taken revenge immediately, even though it’s been several months since his release?

Could it be that he realized the futility of revenge?

Or is Joon-hoo being too sensitive?

“Ah-young, you don’t know him. He’s not the type to stay quiet. It’s like the calm before the storm.”

“Okay. It can’t hurt to be careful.”

“I’ll show you how to use the self-defense items.”

Joon-hoo continued his explanation.

The explanation wasn’t particularly difficult. The purpose and usage of self-defense items are usually intuitive.

“But what is this?”

Ah-young pointed to the metal rod. She had been curious about the identity of the rod since earlier.

“It’s a self-defense item called a Kubotan [a small, blunt weapon]. You hold it in your hand and stab the opponent.”

Joon-hoo held the Kubotan in his hand and pretended to stab his thigh. Then, he lightly poked Ah-young’s thigh as well.

“Wow… this is surprisingly painful?”

“This is with controlled force. If you stab a vital point with all your might, the opponent will collapse on the spot.”

“I think so.”

Ah-young nodded in agreement.

“Now, shall we begin the last lesson?”

“There’s more?”

“Of course. The most important lesson. What do you think is the most important thing when someone attacks you, Ah-young?”

“I don’t know?”

Ah-young stroked her hair and pondered. She had never considered such a scenario before, so it took her some time.

“Hmm… I’m not sure.”

“The most important thing is… to maintain your composure. If your mental state wavers, it’s over. Even if you’re armed with self-defense items, you won’t dare to use them.”

Joon-hoo pointed to his eyes with his index finger.

“Look into my eyes.”

“What is this? Are you Seo Kyung-young [likely a reference to a hypnotist or someone known for intense eye contact]?”

“I’m serious, so don’t joke around.”

Ah-young did as Joon-hoo told her.

Soon, Ah-young was overwhelmed with uncontrollable fear. Her hair stood on end, and goosebumps rose on her arms.

Her spine and nape felt as cold as if she had applied an ice pack.

Is this how it feels to encounter a tiger in the mountains with nothing?

She felt like she would die without being able to do anything.

“Haa… haa… haa….”

Only after Joon-hoo’s eyes softened did Ah-young catch her breath.

“You endured well. And I’m sorry.”

“What was that just now?”

“I materialized killing intent and released it outwards. If I wanted to, I could use this to…”

Joon-hoo omitted the rest of his words.

But she could understand what he meant.

After experiencing killing intent, Ah-young felt anew that Joon-hoo was from the world of martial arts.

Ah-young’s soulmate was special.

“If a stranger or someone attacks you, you’ll feel something similar to what you felt just now. Like you’ve become prey.”

“……”

“It’s important to quickly escape that state and then react. Let’s try it one more time.”

Did he really need to prepare this excessively for Si-ho’s attack?

That’s what Ah-young thought, but she didn’t voice it.

Joon-hoo’s worries usually came true with a high probability.

Ah-young didn’t want to be caught off guard by Si-ho either.

Because that would make Joon-hoo sad.

The practice of enduring killing intent continued for about 30 minutes.

After the practice, Ah-young was exhausted.

Her whole body was drenched in cold sweat.

“But Joon-hoo.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“I have a question. Can I ask you?”

“Of course.”

“We’re going to run into Si-ho again someday, right? What are you going to do then?”

Ah-young asked out of curiosity.

She was curious about how Joon-hoo and Si-ho’s persistent bad blood would end.

“I have something in mind, but I can’t bring myself to say it.”

“What is it?”

“I’m going to go to the convenience store for a bit.”

Joon-hoo changed the subject and left.

11 PM. The wind, tinged with darkness, brushed against the skin like a sharp blade.

Looking back on the past.

There were a few episodes that Joon-hoo regretted. One of them was related to Si-ho.

‘If I meet Si-ho next time…’

Joon-hoo looked up at the sky with a full moon and clenched his right fist.

* * *

The next day, in the morning.

Joon-hoo went to the unit and entered the company commander’s office.

Vibration.

The phone vibrated just in time.

When he checked, his mother had sent a text message.

[Mom is sorry. I never dreamed that your uncle would make such an absurd request to you. You don’t have to worry about that anymore.]

After reading the message, Joon-hoo also sent a text message to his mother.

It was a message saying that he was okay.

He had slept at Ah-young’s house and went to work, so he hadn’t seen his parents’ faces in the morning.

The uncle he met yesterday afternoon asked Joon-hoo to become a military service exemption broker.

He begged him to help his company’s idol, who was about to enlist in the military, receive a diagnosis of epilepsy.

Of course, that was nonsense.

Joon-hoo would have cut off anyone who made such a request, including Ah-young and his parents.

He had no intention of doing anything that went against the conscience of a doctor.

Even though his uncle knelt down and begged, Joon-hoo didn’t budge like a rock.

He stormed out of the place.

He also blocked his uncle’s phone number in the blink of an eye.

Judging from the fact that his mother sent a text message, his uncle must have contacted his mother as well.

Asking her to persuade him well.

The result was as you can see.

After finishing his thoughts, Joon-hoo sat down at his desk.

Other military doctors would have played games, idled around surfing the web, or taken a nap, but not Joon-hoo.

First, he closed his eyes and completed one case of imaginary surgery.

He looked up papers related to the recovery of brain-dead and vegetative patients and studied dermatology-related knowledge.

This was because soldiers often suffered from skin diseases.

As time passed and lunchtime approached.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

A knock was heard.

“Company Commander. A patient has arrived. May I let him in?”

“Yes.”

The door opened slightly, and a young man with a youthful appearance entered.

His rank was Private.

The name Gwak In-ho was embroidered on his combat uniform.

“Salute!”

“Your voice is loud. Sit down.”

Joon-hoo pointed to the examination chair, and In-ho sat down.

“What’s wrong?”

“My right big toe is uncomfortable.”

“Is it an ingrown toenail or athlete’s foot?”

“No. It’s just that my skin is too strange.”

“Your skin is too strange?”

Joon-hoo tilted his head, feeling that In-ho’s words were unusual.

What kind of skin disease could be so strange?

“Take off your combat boots first.”

“Yes.”

As In-ho took off his combat boots and socks, the problematic toe revealed itself.

“Ah…”

Joon-hoo let out a groan without realizing it.

In-ho’s toe had far surpassed Joon-hoo’s imagination.

In-ho’s toe was as black as burnt firewood.

It was the first time in Joon-hoo’s medical career that he had seen skin turn this black.

“Jung-min, bring the dressing cart.”

“Yes, Company Commander.”

Jung-min pulled the dressing cart into the company commander’s office.

Joon-hoo took out the forceps on the cart and tapped In-ho’s toe.

The black area was hard like a shell.

“How does it feel when I touch it?”

“Until recently, it hurt like I was going to die, but these days it doesn’t hurt at all.”

“……”

“But I can’t move my toe well, so I came to see you.”

“When did this start?”

“It started during the winter training.”

“Why didn’t you come then?”

“It hurt, but it was bearable. I was also conscious of my seniors…”

In-ho scratched his cheek with an awkward expression. He seemed to be very conscious of his surroundings because he was a private [the lowest rank in the military].

‘If he had come during the winter training, it wouldn’t have come to this.’

Joon-hoo clicked his tongue inwardly.

Just looking at his toe made both sides of his temples throb.

“Excuse me, can I ask why my toe is like this?”

In-ho asked.

Jung-min, who was standing behind him, also looked curious.

Joon-hoo sighed deeply and said.

“You… have frostbite.”

“If it’s frostbite, isn’t it caused by the cold? But why is my skin so black?”

In-ho tilted his head as if he didn’t understand.

“The skin has become necrotic, that is, it’s dead, so it’s like this.”

“Is it serious?”

“I need to do a detailed examination, but it doesn’t feel good.”

Joon-hoo bit his lip.

Joon-hoo majored in neurosurgery.

Even though he had the amazing abilities of internal energy and martial arts, he couldn’t treat everything in all fields.

“Let’s go to the hospital first. Follow me.”

Joon-hoo got up from his seat and left the company commander’s office.

In-ho followed behind him, limping unnaturally.

One hour later.

Joon-hoo and In-ho arrived at the Hankook General Hospital.

He saw a dermatologist and had various tests done.

As time passed, he visited the dermatology outpatient clinic again.

A male dermatologist wearing glasses glanced at In-ho and then turned his gaze back to the monitor.

His eyes were shaking as he examined the test results.

Joon-hoo sensed an unusual sign.

“I really don’t want to tell you this…”

The doctor bit his lip and continued to speak.

“I wish you had come to get treatment sooner. Necrosis has already progressed in half of your thumb.”

“……”

“At this point, it can’t be recovered with heat treatment.”

“Then what should I do?”

“Ha… there’s only one way left now.”

The doctor kept hesitating.

That’s why it felt more ominous.

“Let’s set a surgery date. You have to cut off your toe.”

“C… cut off my toe?”

In-ho’s voice grew louder in surprise.

His eyelids fluttered, and his mouth was open like an idiot.

“The only way to prevent the necrosis from spreading is to amputate the thumb.”

“Is there any other way? I don’t want to live without my toe.”

He knew that the condition of his thumb was not good. But In-ho never dreamed that he would have to cut off his toe.

He was just a private…

He just couldn’t say that it hurt.

He didn’t know that it would grow into cutting off his toe.

“If there was another way, I would have chosen that way. There is no other way but to amputate your toe now.”

The doctor said with his head down.

He looked distressed as he spoke.

The examination room was already in a state of shock and horror.

Right then!

Joon-hoo, who had been silent until now, stepped forward.

“Doctor. I’m sorry, but can I monitor the test results?”

“Are you majoring in dermatology?”

The doctor asked back in a prickly manner.

“I’m not a dermatologist, but I completed a subspecialty course in hand surgery at the Mayo Clinic [a renowned medical center].”

“……”

“I have the eyes to judge whether the toe really needs to be amputated or not.”

“Mayo… Ah… now that I see it, you’re Dr. Joon-hoo.”

The doctor nodded as if he knew Joon-hoo. And he gestured that he could come closer.

Joon-hoo moved to the doctor’s side and carefully examined the CT and various test results on the monitor.

It was a process of cross-validation rather than distrusting the dermatologist.

After looking through the chart, Joon-hoo smiled bitterly.

There was really no other answer but amputation.