Chapter 42: First Date

Glug..

Kim Cheolsu swallowed his dry saliva without realizing it. What could she be doing at this hour? His face flushed with needless imagination. Nervously, Kim Cheolsu opened the door.

“What is it?”

“Lieutenant Colonel, you left your house call bag in the car. Here you go.”

“Thank you.”

A brief awkward silence passed between them. They had never met each other at such a late hour before.

Then Shin Seyoung spoke up.

“Would you like to go sightseeing around Seoul for a bit? I can’t sleep yet.”

“Sounds good. Let’s do that.”

*****

Kim Cheolsu and Shin Seyoung began walking aimlessly together. Before long, they arrived at an amusement park.

“Wow—! Is this the World Amusement Park everyone talks about? The only one in Seoul?”

“It’s probably the only one within Seoul. Want to go in for a bit?”

“Uh? Is that okay?”

“It’s not closing time yet. I also want to go in after a long time.”

As they entered the noisy amusement park, a parade was underway, with various characters marching and performing silly dances.

“This is so much fun. That character is one of my favorites…”

“You like the mouse character? It was often on TV when we were kids.”

Confirming their shared interests, the two smiled and enjoyed watching the parade. Being in such a lively atmosphere after a long time lifted their spirits.

After the parade ended, Kim Cheolsu spoke to her amidst the dispersing crowd.

“Shall we head out now?”

“Hmm…”

She looked slightly reluctant.

Considering she was visiting the amusement park for the first time, Kim Cheolsu showed care.

“How about going to the ice rink then?”

“I’m not very good at skating. Will that be okay?”

“No problem. I’ll teach you.”

Since the amusement park was about to close, there weren’t many people at the ice rink.

Kim Cheolsu skated around once first.

He hadn’t been very good before, but now he was definitely better.

His athletic ability had improved. Contemplating the changes in his body, Kim Cheolsu slid closer to Shin Seyoung.

“Uh… uh…?! You look like you’re about to fall!”

-Thunk!

He caught Shin Seyoung around the waist just as she was about to topple.

In a gentle voice, he said,

“I’ll hold both your hands. Grab onto me.”

“…Yes. Thank you.”

Holding her shy hands, he slowly guided her forward.

Kim Cheolsu felt a flutter in his heart. He had never been alone with a woman at an ice rink before.

And yet, this moment skating with the beautiful Shin Seyoung felt wonderful.

Then she said, “It really feels like a dream… This morning, I was in Hampyeong.”

“Me too. I never had memories in Seoul before, but tonight is perfect.”

“That’s right. Really.”

Shy, she averted her gaze.

Kim Cheolsu felt that she shone even brighter on the ice rink in her civilian clothes.

He resolved to treat her better from now on.

“Doesn’t exercising tire you out? How about resting for a bit?”

“I’m fine.”

Even after eating so much at the hotel, time had passed, and their stomachs were hungry again.

Kim Cheolsu bought coffee and donuts from a nearby shop and handed them to her.

“Uh? That’s a lot…”

“Then just eat half. I’ll cut it for you.”

“Yes…”

For some reason, Shin Seyoung felt a little embarrassed about sharing food in halves.

It felt like something couples would do.

Unaware of her fluttering heart, Kim Cheolsu picked up a donut and said,

“Mmm, delicious. Food after exercise really is the sweetest.”

“It’s really sweet…”

“Yeah. Donuts are very sweet.”

Leaning against the wall of the ice rink, they enjoyed the moment eating donuts together.

Spending time outside together for the first time felt special.

Especially for Kim Cheolsu, this time felt very precious. Being with Shin Seyoung, whom he had grown close to in Hampyeong, made him feel comfortable and happy.

With white donut powder dusted around his mouth, he smiled brightly.

“Ha ha! I’m glad I came out with you instead of staying at the hotel today. Thank you, Seyoung. Thanks to you, I feel healed. It really feels like I’m truly resting.”

He hoped their peaceful and happy time would continue.

His soul, exhausted from surgery and politics, felt healed.

Looking at his face, Shin Seyoung answered,

“I had a great time too, Lieutenant Colonel. Let’s go out again next time, okay?”

The word “we” somehow sounded good to Kim Cheolsu.

Smiling, he said to her,

“Sounds good. Let’s go out again! How about a shot of soju in Yeosu next time? Eating flatfish sashimi by the sea would be wonderful. Drinking while looking at the night sea would wash away all stress.”

She fiddled with her fingers and blushed, saying,

“I’m fine with anywhere. Next time, let’s go to a place you like. Today, I showed you around Seoul, which I like.”

*****

July 15, 2001. The fateful day dawned.

Heavy rain began pouring since morning. It was fine yesterday, so why the sudden change?

Kim Cheolsu rose from bed with a slightly anxious feeling.

After returning to the hotel last night, he fell into a deep sleep. The fatigue from coming to Seoul had piled up.

But that wasn’t what mattered now.

Today was the day the subway flooding accident he had foreseen in a dream would happen.

From the morning, he felt tension run through his whole body.

Splash…!!!

After taking a hot shower, he dried his hair.

Then he changed into his neat military uniform. There was a reason he insisted on wearing it.

Today, he was no longer a civilian but returning as a military doctor.

Feeling the cold razor against his skin, he finished shaving cleanly.

Then, carrying his house call bag, he left the hotel room.

Downstairs at the buffet on the first floor, Shin Seyoung and Oh Hajin were already eating, both in military uniforms.

There was a rumor that the breakfast at the Shilla Hotel was quite impressive, but now Kim Cheolsu had no appetite.

“Lieutenant Colonel, you’re down. Would you like something to eat?”

From early morning, pretty Shin Seyoung spoke brightly, but Kim Cheolsu replied curtly.

“I don’t have much of an appetite.”

“The chef is making scrambled eggs fresh. Shall I bring some?”

“I can go myself…”

“Sit and rest a bit. I’ll go for you.”

Watching Shin Seyoung get up busily, he glanced around.

Apparently, Hasaebyeok (early morning) was someone who liked to sleep in. He thought this was actually fortunate.

Today was going to be… truly busy. There would be no room for civilians to interfere.

Kim Cheolsu planned to move with the medical staff.

“Lieutenant Colonel, I brought scrambled eggs and a few other things. Try some. You said you have an appointment at lunch, right? You should eat something since there’s plenty of time before then.”

With Shin Seyoung’s kind consideration, Kim Cheolsu forced himself to move the fork.

Warm eggs going down his throat eased some of his tension.

Though he initially had no intention of eating, the hotel chef was clearly different.

The buttery scrambled eggs were warm, with carrots and green vegetables inside, whetting his appetite.

To be honest, he had planned to skip breakfast… but if he had, he would have deeply regretted it.

“This is delicious. Thank you, Seyoung.”

“Have some coffee too—”

“Thank you, Lieutenant Shin.”

“Here’s some bacon and French toast as well. Please eat these.”

Though he felt a little like a child being doted on, Kim Cheolsu silently ate what was given.

Shin Seyoung smiled as she watched him.

It was like watching a young child refusing to eat breakfast.

“You’re much older than me, but you act like a kid sometimes.”

She thought he was a little cute as she watched him eat.

Unaware of her feelings, Kim Cheolsu fully immersed himself in the delicious breakfast.

Overall, the food was clean and tasty, especially the hash browns made from grated potatoes—they were truly delicious.

It was somewhat like Korean potato pancakes… but a Western dish.

“Have some fruit too—”

“Thank you. You keep running back and forth because of me today.”

“No worries! I’m fine.”

Finally, he finished the whole plate of blueberries Shin Seyoung brought.

Eating foreign fruit he’d never had before made him feel refreshed and energized.

With this much strength, he felt he could handle anything today.

Breakfast really was important after all. His tired body was infused with new vitality.

Now he could move in earnest. The Shilla Hotel breakfast was truly excellent.

After roughly finishing the meal, Kim Cheolsu spoke to Shin Seyoung and Oh Hajin in front of him.

“You two will be on standby at the Catholic Hospital emergency room today.”

“Oh? So we’re going to the hospital with Lieutenant Colonel?”

Oh Hajin asked. Kim Cheolsu nodded in response.

“That’s right. Today, with the hospital’s permission, we’ll be using their emergency room. That’s why we’re meeting the hospital director. Let’s all move to Catholic Hospital before lunch. And we’ll see how heavy the rain gets. It might not stop easily.”

-……..

Shin Seyoung and Oh Hajin tensed greatly.

They hadn’t been given detailed explanations, but they knew Kim Cheolsu had never been defeated before.

So they prepared their minds to perform surgery at any moment.

Who would foolishly ask how surgery could be done in someone else’s hospital?

They knew Kim Cheolsu’s style well.

To calm the two who looked overly nervous, Kim Cheolsu smiled and joked.

“Don’t worry. When have I ever failed a surgery? Just follow me well. Together, we can save any critically ill patient.”

“Yes! Lieutenant Colonel!!”

Between the three of them, trust was firmly established. Teamwork had formed through multiple surgeries together.

No matter how brilliant a doctor was, surgery couldn’t be done alone.

Feeling relieved to have such precious teammates, Kim Cheolsu looked out the window at the pouring rain.

Splash…! Drip drip!!!

This rain wasn’t going to stop easily. The raindrops had thickened like a downpour, feeling terrifying.

If things went wrong, many lives wouldn’t be saved. From now on, there was no time to waste.

Kim Cheolsu resolved to act quickly before the events he had seen in his dream came true.

“You can’t stop the rain from falling from the sky. But if we prepare in advance, we can prevent many deaths. I must save people. With all my strength!”