Illusion Blind Date - Chapter 24

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#24

After leaving the Operating Room, Bom checked her messages late.
“Just do it among the house residents. I can’t make it today—I’m on-call duty.”
“Ah, I see. What a shame.”
“Spend some quiet time with the landlord. I’ll come by tomorrow or find another time to say hello properly.”
“Sounds good.”
“Well, if you’re done eating, shall we head out?”
Just as Bom was about to stand with Cho-eun, Rowan walked into the Cafeteria alone in the distance.
It occurred to her that she ought to have invited him to eat with them, despite being in the same department and all.
Especially after he’d given her the Nutritional Supplement.
“Bom, that’s Rowan over there, isn’t it?”
Cho-eun’s eyes sparkled as she spotted him and asked.
“Yeah, that’s him.”
“Somehow his style keeps getting better and better.”
“Really?”
“He’s different from the muscle-bound guys in your department. Sharp and gentlemanly. Plus he’s intelligent.”
“You’ve always had a soft spot for him, haven’t you?”
“If that’s the case, surely it’s more than just being cute, right?”
Rowan caught sight of where they were sitting, then quickly looked away.
“See? When he realizes I’ve spotted him, he avoids eye contact. So typical.”
Cho-eun’s eyes lit up as if she were having the time of her life.
“I find that absolutely adorable.”
Could it be that Cho-eun was genuinely serious about Rowan?
“Rowan gave me a Nutritional Supplement.”
Bom said this deliberately, as if testing Cho-eun’s reaction.
“What? Really? Ah, our Rowan’s got his signals crossed. That should’ve been for me, your older sister.”
Seeing Cho-eun’s response—whether playful or sincere, Bom couldn’t quite tell—she decided to drop the teasing.
“Does Rowan maybe have feelings for you?”
“It’s not like that. It’s just simple kindness. The kind of camaraderie where people share even a single bean. Nothing more.”
“Kindness or camaraderie aside, you’ve never liked that type of guy anyway, have you?”
“What are you talking about? We’re just friends.”
“Let’s be honest with each other, Bom. Isn’t Professor Cha Tae-mun the type you actually go for—the one you saw in that video?”
“……Well, if we’re talking purely about looks, I suppose so.”
Intending to tease Cho-eun but finding herself teased instead, Bom fumbled before answering frankly.
“I thought so. Since we’re already here, why don’t you pursue things with the Professor? You two already went on a blind date.”
“Are you out of your mind? That wasn’t a blind date—I was the only one performing. You’re talking nonsense.”
“We’ll see about what makes sense later. By the way, did you know Rowan’s family runs a Hospital?”
“No, I didn’t.”
This was news to her.
“It came up during Orientation when we were freshmen. Don’t you remember?”
Cho-eun, who’d always been a well-connected source of information both as a student and now, knew practically everything.
“I don’t recall. Honestly, there were so many kids with doctor parents in our year. And my dad’s an obstetrician too, so it all blurred together.”
“That’s right, he is. How’s your father doing?”
“He’s fine, I’m sure.”
It had been a long time since they’d been in contact. They practically lived as though they’d cut ties.
That arrangement suited both of their mental health.
Bom had grown up surrounded by her aunt’s boundless affection and never felt any lack of love.
If anything, it was excessive.
“Every time I see Rowan, I can’t shake this memory from years ago. You know how I almost fainted on the first day of Anatomy Practicum? That temperamental teaching assistant screamed at me never to apply for Surgery, and it was absolute chaos.”
“Right, that happened. That teaching assistant was pretty eccentric.”
“I was in the same group as Rowan that day. I almost destroyed the Facial Nerve by mistake, but I was saved because of him. If not for him, I might’ve gotten Grade Retention.”
“Ah, what a beautiful connection that created. No wonder.”
Bom nodded. There did seem to be something between them, something neither of them fully acknowledged.
“Is Dissection giving you trouble? After our Anatomy Practicum ended, didn’t the senior students warn us not to take the Elevator because it smells like Formalin?”
“Yeah, they did.”
The memory made Bom giggle as she answered.
Both of them—and everyone else—had found Anatomy to be such a grueling subject that neither wanted to study it ever again.
After finishing their meal, Rowan and Cho-eun left the Cafeteria and headed up to the 1st Floor.
“But why is it so eerily quiet today? Calls should’ve come in by now.”
Cho-eun was saying ominous things.
“Stop saying inauspicious things. Let’s grab a coffee and head up. I’ll buy.”
“Oh, you’re in a generous mood today.”
The two of them made their way toward the Café in the Annex Building.
The Hospital was teeming with patients, their companions, and medical staff.
“Rowan, do you see that guy over there? Wow, he looks like a model.”
Cho-eun nudged Rowan’s arm and pointed to someone across the way.
“Where?”
It was only natural that one’s eyes would light up at the mention of a handsome man.
Rowan perked up at Cho-eun’s voice and began looking around curiously.
“Over there—don’t you see him? The one in the Doctor’s Coat. I think he must be a professor at our Hospital.”
A man of impressive stature, approaching nearly 190 centimeters tall, came into view.
Struck anew by the realization that not all Doctor’s Coats are alike, she took in the sight of his broad shoulders and long legs.
“I never knew a Doctor’s Coat could look so striking.”
Just as Cho-eun said, everyone passing by was stealing glances and turning to stare at him.
But why did that silhouette seem so familiar?
……!
Could it be Professor Cha Tae-mun?
Rowan’s pace began to slow, caught off guard.
“What? Who is it?”
Then Cho-eun seized Rowan’s arm and shook it.
“Is it really Professor Cha Tae-mun?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“No way. This guy is basically a model. An actual model.”
“Let’s go. We can get coffee later.”
Just as Rowan tried to turn back, reluctant to face him, Cho-eun grabbed her and began pulling her forward.
“What’s the harm? Let’s just say hello.”
Even as Rowan was dragged along, she felt her heart pounding so hard it seemed ready to burst, which struck her as strange.
Is something wrong with my heart?
Why does just seeing him make me tremble like this?
The man, who had been placing a coffee order, sensed their presence and slowly turned around.
“Well, well—the driving forces of our Hospital.”
The Administrative Director, whom neither had noticed standing nearby, greeted them warmly with a familiar nod.
“Oh, hello.”
“Hello.”
Both exchanged greetings with the Administrative Director.
Then Cha Tae-mun’s sharp gaze turned toward Rowan. Their eyes met directly, and Rowan hastily lowered her head in greeting instead.
“Administrative Director, thank you for your hard work today. Shall we head out?”
He briefly withdrew his gaze from Rowan and addressed the Administrative Director.
“Oh, should I? I hope the Hospital tour went well.”
“It was sufficient.”
“Then I shall take my leave.”
The Administrative Director, with his salt-and-pepper hair, bowed with such deference one would think he was addressing someone even higher-ranking, then excused himself.
As he left, he didn’t forget to nod politely to Rowan and Cho-eun.
After the Administrative Director’s departure, a brief silence settled over them.
‘We should just leave,’ Rowan thought.
Unable to bear the awkward silence, Rowan found herself resenting Cho-eun and began nervously gnawing at her lower lip.
Over Rowan’s face descended a pair of dark eyes. His searching gaze lingered on her face before shifting to Cho-eun.
Cho-eun, who had been watching Cha Tae-mun with curious eyes, stepped forward and greeted him in a confident voice.
“Hello, Professor. I’m Cho-eun Lee, a first-year resident in the Thoracic Surgery Department.”
“……Lee Hae-il’s sister?”
“Yes, you remember me?”
“Of course. You’ve grown quite a bit.”
A radiant smile bloomed across Cho-eun’s beautiful face.
Cho-eun was meticulous about her appearance, favoring bold makeup that suited her perfectly.
Moreover, as a natural beauty, Cho-eun’s skin maintained its luminous glow even after four consecutive days of On-Call Duty.
Standing beside such a Cho-eun, Rowan became conscious for the first time of her own unmade-up appearance and smoothed down her hair.
Yet why did the Professor’s expression seem so peculiar?
The way he looked at Cho-eun’s face was far from ordinary.
He who had been studying her as though dissecting her now turned his gaze toward Rowan.
And then his eyes drifted back to Cho-eun again.
“So that’s whose work it was.”
He muttered something under his breath, unintelligible, then let out a soft laugh.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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