Lee Young-chul, head of General Surgery, was dumbfounded by the two people standing before him.
July 4th, 2001.
The morning paper had been buzzing with the likelihood that Beijing would be chosen as the host city for the 2008 Olympics.
There was also excitement over the upcoming 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, which was just around the corner.
This World Cup was different from previous ones. Korea had hired the Dutch coach Hiddink, and the overseas players mixed well with the seasoned veterans from the domestic league, raising high expectations.
“Maybe we can even make it to the Round of 16…!”
Even Lee Young-chul, as a member of the public, was humming happily as he headed to work that morning, looking forward to the 2002 World Cup.
But what was this nonsense? These crazy fools had caused a huge incident overnight. An absolutely unbelievable, massive incident.
“Haa… Are you guys seriously out of your minds?”
When really angry, his speech became polite. Usually, Lee Young-chul spoke bluntly and harshly, but now he raised his hand to his aching head and spoke formally.
Even Kim Cheol-su, usually so confident, flinched at this. They had indeed performed surgery without permission.
Seeing Kim’s expression, Lee Young-chul’s anger cooled a bit, and he tapped his desk with his hand as he spoke.
“Looking at your faces, I guess you know you did something wrong. So… you all secretly gathered and operated on Hong Jin-oh? After 11 PM, and on a cancer surgery no less? Ha! This is maddening. Seriously.”
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Shin Se-young interrupted.
“I’m sorry, Head. But we had no choice. If Patient Hong Jin-oh is discharged from the military, he will die.”
“You could have just had the surgery done at a civilian hospital. Why would he die?”
“You know this surgery is difficult even at S University Hospital, right? The jaundice had improved with non-surgical treatment until now, making it the right time for surgery… and later, his condition might have worsened so much that surgery would no longer be possible. That’s why we operated without informing you. Please forgive us.”
“Ugh… So that’s how it is… Haa. Was the surgery successful?”
“Yes. It was successful. There won’t be any accidents or complications you’re worried about. I promise.”
Having stayed longer at the military hospital, Shin Se-young explained tactfully.
Lee Young-chul, though reluctant, finally spoke.
“Haa… Alright, I understand. It was a crazy thing to do, but since no one knew, it’s fine. The medical review will continue, and Jin-oh will be discharged. We can’t keep someone with a serious illness in the army. But it’s best to keep the fact that you went ahead and performed cancer surgery a secret. Just make it look on paper like he still has cancer.”
“Thank you, Head.”
Kim Cheol-su, who had been silent until then, spoke.
Lee Young-chul glared at him as if resentful, then lowered his gaze back to Hong Jin-oh’s chart.
“Anyway, good job saving the patient. You may leave.”
“Yes, sir.”
Outside, the two exchanged relieved looks and sighed.
Shin Se-young cheerfully said,
“This really turned out well. The surgery was successful, and we even got the Head’s approval.”
“Now Jin-oh can be discharged from the military. I can’t even imagine how happy he must be.”
“Shall we celebrate? We should throw a party today!”
“Jin-oh still needs to rest. Let’s wait about three days and then have a big party in the General Surgery ward.”
*****
Three days later.
July 7th, 2001. A lucky day with two sevens.
Though it wasn’t anyone’s birthday, the General Surgery ward was decked out with a grand birthday spread.
In front of the bed where Hong Jin-oh lay, the cafeteria lady had lovingly prepared delicious food, and many people approached the surprised Jin-oh with congratulations.
“You really went through a lot, Jin-oh. Congrats on the successful surgery!”
“You’re getting discharged? You’re leaving before me? Congrats, man!”
“So jealous! Congrats! Haha!”
The surgical team—including Kim Cheol-su, Shin Se-young, and Oh Ha-jin—had gathered. Despite their busy schedules, they came together to celebrate Jin-oh’s discharge from the hospital.
The medical review finished earlier than expected, and he would soon be transferred to a civilian hospital. It seemed Lee Young-chul had used his influence to keep the surgery under wraps.
Thanks to that, Jin-oh was finally able to leave the military. It was truly a joyful day: successful surgery and military discharge.
“Congratulations—today’s like your birthday, right? Here’s the fresh cream cake you like. Blow out the candles.”
At last, Shin Se-young brought over a lightly sweetened fresh cream cake made specially with low-fat, lactose-free milk, smiling brightly as she placed the candles.
The candlelight flickering brightly in the darkness seemed to symbolize Hong Jin-oh’s bright future.
After midnight tonight, he would be reborn as a civilian.
It wasn’t a birthday party, but a discharge party. Still, Jin-oh would be happier than on any birthday.
“Thank you, everyone…”
Jin-oh smiled as he looked at the beaming faces of Kim Cheol-su and the others, then took a bite of cake.
He wasn’t sure how long it had been since he’d eaten outside food, but it tasted sweet and delicious.
He fought back tears and said,
“This is really sweet…! So delicious… Ugh…!!! Doctor, thank you. Because of you, I’m alive again. And Nursing Officer, you worked so hard. Every time chemo got tough, your help kept me going. And Mom…! Ugh…!!”
He had been speaking well without crying, but when he called for his mother, the tears poured out. Jin-oh rubbed his face vigorously with his arms and collapsed into his mother’s embrace.
“Mom…! You’ve worked so hard. Now that I’m discharged, I’ll do really well. Thank you. I love you…! Mom…!!!”
Kim Cheol-su felt warmth fill his heart as he took a large forkful of cake.
The soft sweetness of the cream and the rich taste of milk delighted his tongue. He was truly happy to savor this sweetness today.
He gently patted Jin-oh’s shoulder as the young man cried in his mother’s arms and smiled brightly.
“You endured difficult treatment and surgery well, Jin-oh. It was only possible because we all worked together. Once you’re out of the army, make sure you treat your mom well, okay? I’ll be watching. Haha! And congratulations on becoming a civilian starting tomorrow!!”
*****
After the party, Kim Cheol-su headed alone to the Trauma Surgery ward.
He was going to see a patient he had operated on while on emergency duty.
The Trauma Surgery department disliked Kim Cheol-su so much that after the operation, he hadn’t even been able to see the patient’s face.
As he entered the Trauma ward, Captain Bang No-eul greeted him warmly.
“Major Kim Cheol-su! You’re here! I was wondering when you’d come. I figured you’d come see that patient.”
“I’ve been busy with this and that, and the Trauma Surgery head dislikes me. Is he not here now?”
“The head is seeing patients in the consultation room. Only me and the nursing officers are in the ward. Please come in. I’ll show you around.”
Ignoring the curious looks from the other nursing officers in Trauma Surgery, Bang acted friendly.
Kim Cheol-su awkwardly said,
“Are you sure it’s okay to talk with me like this? The atmosphere in Trauma seems like they don’t like me.”
“Oh, I don’t care about that. I’m a senior captain here, after all. Major, don’t worry about that and just follow me.”
This was a stark contrast to the cold atmosphere when they first met.
Kim Cheol-su recalled what she said after surgery. It was a bit embarrassing, but it felt friendly.
He had thought she might have just said that in the heat of the moment in the OR… but she seemed to have a strong personality.
Other nursing officers would definitely report today’s events to the Trauma Surgery head, but she marched forward resolutely.
Kim Cheol-su was secretly grateful and followed her, stopping in front of a private room.
“… There’s a patient in one of the few private rooms? From that day’s surgery?”
“Yes. Once you go in, you’ll understand everything. Just come in.”
Her meaningful tone made Kim Cheol-su curious.
Come to think of it, there were more than one strange things about this case.
The female patient from that day was a civilian, yet she still hadn’t been transferred to a civilian hospital. Why was she still here?
Was she the daughter of a chaebol or a general? Was it difficult to reveal her identity, so she stayed here?
No matter how he thought about it, no clear answer came to mind.
Kim Cheol-su stepped into the room as Captain Bang opened the door, still smiling.
The military hospital’s private room was lacking compared to civilian hospitals but was still quite clean inside.
The room was small, but it had all the essentials: bed, bathroom, and so on.
To be honest, this was a rare luxury in a military hospital.
On the window, which gave a good view outside, was a beautiful bouquet of roses. Seeing that, Kim Cheol-su thought the occupant of this room wasn’t an ordinary person.
“Oh, who are you?”
The woman, sitting on the bed looking out the window, turned her gaze toward him, her long black hair swaying.
She was beautiful.
Her catlike eyes gave off a slightly cold impression, but the kindness in them was unmistakable.
Kim Cheol-su was surprised to see such a beauty, rare in these rural areas.
He hadn’t realized in the chaos of that day just how pretty she was.
“Oh, I should have knocked. Sorry. I’m the doctor who performed the trauma surgery.”
“Are you Doctor Kim Cheol-su?”
Hearing his introduction, her clear yet slightly hollow eyes brightened.
She stood up from the bed and suddenly grabbed Kim Cheol-su’s hand.
He was startled by the unexpected warmth from a stranger but couldn’t pull away—her grip was too tight.
With lively energy, she expressed her gratitude.
“I’ve heard so much about you from Captain Bang. You saved my life…! Thank you. I’m a singer. Ha Sae-byeok. Do you know me?”
Her eyes glittered brightly as she asked if he knew who she was.
Kim Cheol-su felt a bit awkward but finally managed to free his hand.
“I’m not sure. I don’t watch much TV.”
“Oh my, really? You don’t know the girl group S.E.A?”
“S.E.A? Isn’t that the word for ‘sea’ in Chinese characters?”
“Yes, exactly! That’s right! Haha—Doctor, you have a great sense of humor. Who in Korea doesn’t know our group? Are you joking…? Or maybe not?”
She laughed, clutching her stomach, but when Kim Cheol-su looked at her seriously, her smile faded.
She realized he really didn’t know her.
Oddly, that made her feel more at ease.
The life of a celebrity might look glamorous on the outside, but it’s filled with hardship.
She was very grateful for her fans, but sometimes, when they got too close, it was scary.
In fact, she once received a bottle of water laced with glue and almost ended up in serious danger.
Luckily, her manager stopped her from drinking it. If she had drunk it, she might have lost her life.
Later, the doctor told her that coming to the hospital late after ingesting something like that could be fatal, which shocked her and made her wary of others ever since.
Being a top star brought her wealth and fame, but it also took a lot away from her.
She couldn’t have normal relationships with others.
So at this moment, she felt comfortable with this doctor who saved her life.
He didn’t know who she was, and that was a relief.
Suddenly, she spoke seriously.
“Doctor, please do me a favor. A celebrity friend of mine is sick. Could you see him?”
“Sick? Where is this patient?”
Kim Cheol-su asked, and she smiled.
“In Seoul.”