A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 99

The Great War (4)

Hospital basement, first floor cafe.

Seung-yong, sitting by the window, quietly scanned the cafe.

The cafe was bustling with people as always.

Some patients were in hospital gowns.

Some were in wheelchairs.

Some had IV stands beside them.

There were also guardians.

Hospital staff.

Insurance company employees, and so on.

Seung-yong was extremely displeased with the various noises that these diverse people were making.

Seung-yong hated uncontrolled commotion.

He turned his gaze to the counter and saw Seung-beom coming towards him with two cups of coffee.

He had run into his son in the lobby.

Because his son said he had something to say, Seung-yong reluctantly came to the cafe.

“Your order hasn’t changed. Don’t you get tired of drinking only iced Americano?”

Seung-beom said, placing the coffee in front of Seung-yong.

“Have you ever seen rich people get tired of making money? Iced coffee has that kind of meaning to me.”

“Hahaha. Your words are grand and profound.”

Seung-yong took a sip of his coffee instead of answering. The cold, bitter coffee went down his throat.

Seung-yong liked iced coffee.

No, he liked all cold foods.

Cold noodles, cold soup, ice cream, fruit punch, and so on.

His food preferences had somehow started to reflect in his taste in people.

Seung-yong liked cold people.

He liked people who were only loyal to their own desires and knew how to distance themselves from others.

Conversely, he hated warm people who tried to connect their flesh and hearts through affection, sacrifice, and service.

“I made time to rest, but I didn’t know I would be wasting it like this.”

Seung-yong frowned and continued.

“Get to the point briefly.”

“Yes, Father. Actually, there’s a favor I need to ask.”

“A favor?”

“Yes. There’s an intern named Seo Jun-hoo training in the gastroenterology department right now. Can you use your power to make things difficult for him?”

“Are you out of your mind?”

Seung-yong’s hand, holding the coffee cup, trembled.

Asking the head of the gastroenterology department and the deputy director of medical affairs to harass an intern…

Seung-beom’s request was absurd.

Seung-yong was about to scold Seung-beom when he suddenly became aware of Seo Jun-hoo’s existence.

The intern who performed CPR on the patient with dextrocardia [a rare condition where the heart is located on the right side of the chest].

The intern who assisted in his surgery in the operating room today was Seo Jun-hoo.

“Do you perhaps know Jun-hoo?”

Like father, like son, Seung-beom recognized Seung-yong’s expression and preempted him.

“How could I not know him? He’s caught my eye twice already.”

“He always gets attention wherever he goes.”

“What did Jun-hoo do wrong to you?”

“It was huge. Do you remember that incident when I was in medical school?”

Seung-beom’s explanation was surprising.

In the past, Seung-beom had caused trouble by posting a photo taken with a cadaver on social media.

To prevent that incident, Seung-yong had called his classmate, who was the head of the department at the time, and asked him to handle the matter well.

The problem was that the incident was reported in the news.

Even Seung-yong’s solicitation was in vain.

And the main culprit was Jun-hoo?

“That’s right. Jun-hoo screwed me over back then. I still can’t sleep when I think about it.”

“…”

“So, can you please use your power this time? You’re the best in the gastroenterology department, Father.”

Seung-beom spoke with a fervent expression.

Seung-yong listened with a cold expression.

Seo Jun-hoo…

He thought he was a typical goody-two-shoes who only knew patients but was highly skilled.

Jun-hoo was surprisingly resourceful.

“You’ll listen, right? Father? Huh?”

“Son.”

Seung-yong called Seung-beom in a low voice.

“I’ve told you repeatedly that helping you was only that one time, right?”

“This request is an extension of that time. It’s not separate.”

“That’s what you think.”

“Father. Are you going to watch me get sick?”

“How dare you argue with me? Do you not see what’s in front of you anymore?”

Seung-beom tucked his tail [became submissive] at Seung-yong’s chilling gaze.

The atmosphere at the table instantly became heavy and tense.

“Leaving aside our father-son relationship, you are making a request to me. And to make a request, there must be something in return.”

“…”

“If you want to deal with Jun-hoo, bring me something. Then I’ll listen.”

Having said what he wanted to say, Seung-yong grabbed the canned coffee and got up from his seat.

He left his son with a bewildered expression and walked towards the operating room.

Crunch.

Crunch.

The ice fragments shattering in his teeth scattered throughout his mouth.

Seung-yong still liked cold things.

* * *

That evening, the gastroenterology department’s on-call room.

Jun-hoo was eating pizza with Yoo-jung and Dae-jin for a late-night snack.

Pizza was a favorite late-night snack for doctors on duty because it was easy to eat and the leftovers were easy to store.

“Yoo-jung, aren’t you being too sly?”

Jun-hoo said, looking at Yoo-jung.

Yoo-jung had only left the crust of the pizza.

“I have to minimize carbohydrate intake even when eating pizza. Don’t you know I’m doing keto [a diet high in fats, moderate in protein, and very low in carbohydrates]?”

“Eating the bread crust won’t kill you.”

“It’ll make me gain weight. My blood sugar will go up.”

“Still, shouldn’t you eat properly when you only eat it once in a while?”

Jun-hoo had a hard time understanding Yoo-jung’s diet. This was a different dimension from respecting Yoo-jung’s diet.

Originally, you shouldn’t leave food behind.

“Tsk. You don’t know. The vast world of keto.”

“By the way, where did Senior Mi-ho go?”

Jun-hoo asked Dae-jin about Mi-ho, who was not there.

“She has tomorrow off, and she said she has plans. She doesn’t eat pizza because it makes her face swell.”

“Tomorrow off was supposed to be for you, wasn’t it, Senior?”

“I gave it up. I don’t have anywhere to go or anyone to meet anyway.”

Dae-jin shrugged as if it was nothing.

However, Jun-hoo’s hardened expression did not ease.

He thought that the line that Mi-ho was using Dae-jin was gradually becoming excessive.

The problem was that Dae-jin accepted Mi-ho’s actions every time.

But Jun-hoo felt frustrated and, on the other hand, understood Dae-jin.

Although his personality was a bit different from Dae-jin, there was a time when Jun-hoo also didn’t care about himself for others.

“Senior. Lie down on the bed.”

“Wow, is Seo Jun-hoo special coming out?”

Yoo-jung joked to Dae-jin, throwing away the pizza crust.

“Seo Jun-hoo special?”

“You know Jun-hoo is good at massage, right?”

“I know. I got one earlier too.”

“Among Jun-hoo’s massages, the Seo Jun-hoo special is the best. You’ll be surprised when you receive it.”

“Was there anything more surprising left?”

Dae-jin tilted his head and lay down on the bed as Jun-hoo told him to.

“Relax your body and stay still.”

Jun-hoo performed Chugung Gwahyeol [a technique to correct bone alignment and improve blood flow] on Dae-jin, who was lying face down.

Crack. Crack.

He increased mobility by straightening the neck and back bones one by one through segmentation.

He also loosened the muscles shortened by tension around the neck and back by rubbing them with fingers containing internal energy.

That wasn’t all.

He also acupressured the Taeyang [temple], Baekhoe [top of the head], and Amun [base of the skull] points to clear Dae-jin’s head.

This is because blood circulation becomes smooth with acupressure, which makes you feel refreshed.

“Seriously crazy? It feels like I woke up feeling refreshed?”

After the Seo Jun-hoo special, which lasted about 5 minutes.

Dae-jin moved his body and exclaimed.

The difference between before and after the massage was as clear as a hot and cold bath.

At least with the current mood.

It felt like he could handle being on duty for two days.

The effect was better than the massage he received earlier.

“Thank you. Jun-hoo. I feel like I’m going to live.”

“If you’re tired, feel free to find me anytime. I’ll serve you for free.”

“What? Won’t you do it for me?”

“You got it before you ate the late-night snack. You’re so greedy.”

Jun-hoo created a friendly atmosphere and brought up the main point.

There was an issue that he had to address with Dae-jin.

“Senior. There’s something I want to say about Senior Mi-ho.”

“What is it?”

“I mentioned it briefly this morning. Please refuse when Senior Mi-ho asks you for something.”

Jun-hoo wanted Dae-jin to shake off Mi-ho, who was leeching off Dae-jin.

Jun-hoo knew because he had been leeched on in the past.

He knew the feeling of becoming more and more lethargic and rotten in body and mind.

Perhaps that’s why.

When he watched Dae-jin walking a similar path to his past self, he just felt sorry for him.

“If you keep overdoing it like that, Senior, you’ll become a patient.”

“It’s okay. I can still handle it. I also have a junior by my side who is good at his job and good at massage, like you, Jun-hoo.”

“There are things that get better the more you endure, and there are things that get worse the more you endure. I’m worried because it seems like the latter for you.”

“Jun-hoo. I’m really grateful that you think of me, but let’s keep it moderate. Huh?”

Dae-jin’s expression changed to a fierce one for the first time.

“How many times do I have to say that I’m not being taken advantage of? I’m just helping a colleague who’s having a hard time.”

“…”

“Is it a sin to help a colleague? Then would it be a sin for a doctor to take care of a patient?”

“There is a proper line for helping and receiving help. Both Senior Mi-ho and Senior have crossed the line right now.”

Jun-hoo also answered without backing down.

As the two people’s conversation escalated to the level of an argument, Yoo-jung, who was watching, anxiously watched both sides.

The atmosphere in the on-call room instantly turned into a battlefield.

“Isn’t it you who’s crossing the line?”

“…”

“Why are you saying I’m not okay when I, the person involved, am okay?”

Dae-jin spoke passionately.

Jun-hoo calmly retorted immediately.

“There are times when everyone thinks they’re okay even when they’re not.”

“…”

“And that time is a really dangerous time. Don’t you know the boiled frog syndrome [a metaphor for the inability to recognize gradual danger]?”

“…”

“If you put a frog in a beaker and heat it slowly, the frog can’t even think of getting out and slowly dies.”

“You’re talking like a frog. And how do you know that?”

“Of course I know. Because I’ve experienced it with my own body… painfully.”

There was a hint of sadness in Jun-hoo’s voice.

In the Murim world [a martial arts fantasy setting], Jun-hoo had experienced incidents and accidents that modern people could not even imagine.

Thanks to that, he suffered as much as it was hard to express in words, but he also gained some enlightenment.

He learned when to step back and when to move forward.

He also learned how to control his mind.

Perhaps that’s why.

Jun-hoo’s intuition was telling him.

That Dae-jin was precariously driven to the edge of a cliff.

Jun-hoo couldn’t pretend not to see such Dae-jin and leave him alone.

At least Jun-hoo wanted to embrace every good person around him without exception.

He was now sick of watching his colleagues struggle and suffer.

“Ha… you talk too much. Jun-hoo, you go do rounds. Yoo-jung, you know the duty, so go to the on-call room.”

Dae-jin waved his hand in the air as if he was annoyed by everything.

However, Jun-hoo narrowed the distance with such Dae-jin.

“Although I had a disagreement with Senior, I’m on Senior’s side. I’ll wait until Senior sorts out his feelings.”

* * *

“Haa…”

Dae-jin sighed deeply, looking up at the white ceiling of the on-call room.

After arguing with Jun-hoo, he felt uncomfortable as if food was stuck in his throat.

In fact, Dae-jin didn’t think Jun-hoo’s words were wrong.

Mi-ho’s request was excessive.

His actions of listening to the request without complaint were also excessive.

The relationship between him and Mi-ho was clearly abnormal.

Even so, it was not easy to change his mind.

Maybe it’s because he’s the eldest son.

Maybe it’s because his natural disposition is like that.

Dae-jin found it too difficult to refuse other people’s requests.

He felt like he was committing a sin if he refused a request.

He felt like the person who made the request would abandon him.

So he granted almost all the requests made by the people around him.

Because it was better to be physically tired than mentally tired.

Damn it, here we go again.

Dae-jin frowned and placed his hand on his chest.

His chest hurt as if someone was grabbing his heart with their hand.

It was a pain that had been coming and going for several weeks.

He thought it was getting a little better after Jun-hoo’s massage, but it seemed like he was mistaken.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

Even as he took deep breaths and calmed his mind, his heart beat faster and faster.

Conversely, his spine was cold.

And cold sweat formed on his forehead.

Something was wrong. The symptoms were too violent than usual.

“Ugh…”

A groan leaked out from between his parted lips.

Dae-jin was now struggling to even sit in the chair. His consciousness was fading, and his body was not listening to him.

-If you keep overdoing it like that, Senior, you’ll become a patient.

-There are times when everyone thinks they’re okay even when they’re not.

-And that time is a really dangerous time. Don’t you know the boiled frog syndrome?

-If you put a frog in a beaker and heat it slowly, the frog can’t even think of getting out and slowly dies.

In his fading consciousness, Jun-hoo’s words flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.

Am I really suffering from boiled frog syndrome?

Was I neglecting myself without even knowing I was dying?

So the ending is a heart attack due to overwork?

Regret and lament did not last long.

Thump!

Dae-jin’s body collapsed powerlessly on the floor like a bundle of straw.