Fifth Vital [EN]: Chapter 237

237. So Embarrassing, Seriously

Choi Tae-shik left the hospital room, acknowledging Kim Seong-hoon’s energetic greeting.

As a career soldier, he had experienced many things, but today felt particularly rewarding.

“I’m glad it all worked out well.”

Tae-kyung approached Choi Tae-shik, who was coming down the stairs after finishing everything.

“Ah! Director? Hello!”

“Yes, Captain. Hello.”

The two exchanged friendly greetings.

“I’m glad things worked out for Seong-hoon.”

“Yes, it seems so.”

“You’ve worked hard, Captain.”

“Seong-hoon and the Director did all the hard work. And I apologize for my behavior the other day.”

“Why would you suddenly apologize, Captain?”

“I think I was a bit rude when I first came to the hospital with Kim Seong-hoon.”

Choi Tae-shik felt uneasy about how sharply he had treated Tae-kyung when he first brought Kim Seong-hoon to the hospital.

“Is that something to apologize for? It’s natural from a guardian’s perspective, so don’t worry about it.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course. Feel free to ask.”

“When I asked Private Kim Seong-hoon earlier, he said he gained courage thanks to you. I’m curious how you changed Seong-hoon’s mind.”

He wondered what Tae-kyung had said to Kim Seong-hoon to change his will so drastically in an instant.

“Ah! That? It’s simpler and less significant than you think……”

“Simple?”

“Yes, I just listened to Seong-hoon’s story.”

“Really?! That’s all?”

“Yes, it’s really nothing, right?”

The answer was so bland it was almost anticlimactic.

“But it can also be said to be more significant than you think. Seong-hoon wanted someone to acknowledge and listen to his tired and struggling heart.

As you know from managing soldiers in the unit, Captain, sometimes just listening to someone’s story can be a great help.”

Choi Tae-shik nodded silently as he listened to Tae-kyung’s story.

“What I’ve felt while meeting countless patients is that nothing is more powerful for a person than comfort and empathy.”

Come to think of it, when counseling his unit members, he hadn’t often provided great solutions.

Just listening to their stories changed their expressions the next day.

It was a moment of realizing something he had taken for granted, thanks to Tae-kyung’s words.

“That’s right. You’re right, Director. Thank you for your kind words.”

“Ah! That’s right. There’s one more thing.”

“One more thing? What is it?”

“I drained the pus.”

“Pus? Besides the surgery, was there more pus on his body?”

“Of course. There was a very big boil. Well, I’ll go see my patients now.”

In the middle of their conversation, Tae-kyung received a call from the ward and moved away.

“Go in carefully.”

“Ah! Yes. Thank you. Director. I’ll see you again next time.”

After saying goodbye to Choi Tae-shik, Tae-kyung checked on the patient who had called and stopped by Kim Seong-hoon’s room.

“Thank you again, Doctor.”

“Me too. Thank you for saving our Seong-hoon.”

After conveying Kim Seong-hoon’s current condition, the whole family took turns expressing their sincere gratitude to Tae-kyung.

“You’re welcome. Then, please continue your conversation. I’ll stop by again during the next rounds.”

As always, he had only done what he was supposed to do, but the family was so grateful that Tae-kyung couldn’t overcome his embarrassment and left the hospital room.

Click-

“Doctor!”

As soon as Tae-kyung left the hospital room, Kim Seong-hoon followed and called out.

“Oh, Seong-hoon, why did you come out?”

“I have something I need to tell you.”

“Is something uncomfortable? Does the surgery site hurt?”

“No. It’s not that. I couldn’t say it with my family around.”

“What is it?”

“Thank you so much, Doctor.”

Kim Seong-hoon slowly bowed his head and offered his sincere gratitude.

“If it weren’t for you, I would still be stuck with my pathetic feelings, unable to do anything. Thanks to you, I gained courage, changed, and handled things well in the unit. Thank you so much.”

“I appreciate you saying that……”

Tae-kyung stroked Kim Seong-hoon’s head with a pleased expression and continued.

“The one you should thank isn’t me, but yourself.”

“Yes?”

“Not everyone changes like you. Listening to my story, telling your story, and deciding to change. All the courage came from you, Seong-hoon.

That’s harder than you think. So, as you live your life, keep praising yourself for doing well. And whenever you have a hard time, remember this and don’t fall apart, but stand up strong.”

Kim Seong-hoon nodded and agreed after listening to Tae-kyung’s story.

“Doctor, do you perhaps read a collection of famous quotes?”

“What?”

“No, every word you say moves people’s hearts. I’m serious.”

“That! That’s because I’m originally a masterpiece myself. My heart is written all over my face. Don’t you think?”

“Well, I’m not sure yet……”

“What? You’re joking around, so you must be okay now. Your family is waiting. Go in quickly.”

“Yes, I’ll see you again.”

Kim Seong-hoon, who had looked like a wilting flower when he first arrived, went back into the hospital room with a lively, smiling face.

“I’m glad both his body and mind are healing well. Ha! That’s great.”

Tae-kyung, with a proud look on his face, headed to the next patient.

* * *

While Tae-kyung was talking with Kim Seong-hoon, Choi Tae-shik met Choi Mona.

“Oppa?” [Older brother, a common term of endearment used by sisters in Korean culture.]

“Oh! You came.”

“Did the matter get resolved well?”

“Yeah. About that……. Hey! Mona?”

“What.”

“Was Seong-hoon’s surgery successful?”

“Yes, it was. You don’t know how much we struggled in the operating room. I’m not lying, but if the surgery had been delayed even a little, I couldn’t have guaranteed the outcome.”

“But after the surgery, was there some big boil on his body?”

Choi Tae-shik asked Choi Mona because he couldn’t understand Tae-kyung’s ambiguous words about a big boil.

“Huh? What nonsense are you talking about? There’s no such thing.”

“Really? No matter how I think about it, your director seems like a unique person.”

“Well, I thought so too at first. But there’s a lot to learn from him, and he’s a good person.”

“Okay, I admit that. The fact that my stubborn younger sister, who never listened to others, has changed this much means he’s a great person. I admit it!”

“Whatever!”

“I talked to Mom yesterday, and she said you seem brighter, Mona.”

“What are you talking about? I was always bright.”

“That’s not true. Anyway, from my perspective, it seems like only one thing needs to be fulfilled……”

“What are you going to say now? If you’re going to say something useless, go away quickly.”

“Hey, you there!”

Choi Tae-shik, who was listening to Choi Mona’s words, suddenly raised his voice towards someone.

“M-me……?”

“Yes. That’s right. Come here.”

“What, Oppa? Do you know someone at our hospital?”

“I’d say it’s someone who might become an acquaintance?”

“What are you talking about? Who?”

Choi Mona turned her head, wondering what he was talking about, and made a blank expression. The person Choi Tae-shik pointed out was none other than Lee Chan-hee.

“M-me?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Lee Chan-hee, who didn’t see Choi Mona shaking her head, telling him not to come, approached Choi Tae-shik as if drawn by a magnet.

“Ah, hello.”

Lee Chan-hee, who approached with quick steps, gave an awkward smile and greeted him sheepishly.

“Nice to meet you. You are……”

“What are you doing? Oppa, are you crazy? Why are you talking informally when you just met him?”

“Ah! That’s right. Sorry.”

“Ah, no. Please speak comfortably. I’m Lee Chan-hee, a colleague of Doctor Choi.”

“Okay. Doctor Lee Chan-hee. Nice to meet you. Anyway, I have something I’m curious about, so can I ask you?”

“Yes, of course. Feel free to ask.”

“So, are Doctor Lee Chan-hee and our Mona dating……”

“Hey! Choi Tae-shik!”

Choi Mona quickly held out her palm at her brother’s question about whether she was dating Lee Chan-hee.

“Ugh!”

Choi Tae-shik, who had been genuinely curious with a completely clueless expression, had to shut his mouth after being hit on the back.

“Seriously, what’s wrong with you? Huh? Ugh! So embarrassing, seriously.”

“No, I was just curious.”

“Doctor Lee? Do you like me?”

“Uh! Ah, no. Of course not. Why would I like Doctor Choi?”

“Exactly. I don’t like Doctor Lee either. See! Done? Oppa, you can go now.”

“……”

“What are you looking at? I said go.”

“Okay. Okay. This Oppa will leave now. Then, Doctor Lee, let’s see each other again later.”

Choi Tae-shik quickly left the hospital after seeing Choi Mona, who was raging and swearing with her eyes.

“Yes, goodbye.”

“What do you mean goodbye?”

“No, I just said hello because you were leaving. My friend Gae-Mona [Gae is a Korean slang term that intensifies the following word, often negatively. Here, it implies Mona is being particularly fierce or wild.] is quite prickly today.”

“Whatever! The director went to the ward, so why did you leave the emergency room? Let’s go in quickly.”

“The patients are okay right now?”

“I’m going in first.”

“Phew! What, there’s even a cute side to……!”

Lee Chan-hee, who was muttering to himself while looking at Choi Mona’s angry back, was shocked at the words he had just uttered.

“What! What am I saying right now? Am I crazy? I must be crazy. Ha! I need to meet a woman quickly. Ugh. Creepy.”

“What are you grumbling about by yourself?”

“Ah! You scared me.”

Tae-kyung, who had gone to the ward and come down, tapped Lee Chan-hee’s shoulder and approached.

“Why did you come down so quickly, Doctor? Weren’t you on rounds?”

“No, I was coming back from visiting room 201 and checking on Kim Seong-hoon. But what was so creepy?”

“Me. I was momentarily surprised by my own appearance, so I got goosebumps.”

“What are you talking about? And isn’t that an everyday occurrence? I sometimes get goosebumps when I see you too.”

“I’m not kidding. More than that, do you ever have those moments?”

“What?”

Lee Chan-hee followed Tae-kyung, who was heading to the water purifier, and spoke.

“Like, what should I say? When something completely unexpected pops out of me without me realizing it. Like, a feeling of disbelief and absurdity that I even said something like that?”

“What else could it be? It’s just my true feelings that I’ve always thought.”

“True feelings?”

“Doesn’t that usually happen? Why?”

“Yes? No way! That’s not it.”

“Did someone find out your true feelings?”

“Find out? No way. I was just curious.”

“Then I guess not. Stop talking nonsense and go see your patients quickly.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Lee Chan-hee decided not to think about what he had said earlier.

“That can’t be. Yeah, it’s because I’ve been working hard lately. Get a grip, Lee Chan-hee.”

“Doctor Lee? The results for the patient in bed 9 are out.”

“Yes, Doctor. I’ll go right away.”