Illusion Blind Date - Chapter 45

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

#45

Since opening Neulbom Internal Medicine, the patient flow had never dropped like this.
Of course, there had been a gradual decline, but this sharp plummet was entirely due to Park Jin-won, her former classmate now right in front of her eyes.
He’d opened an internal medicine clinic in the shopping center next door and was drawing in patients like a vacuum.
She couldn’t take down the sign or back away from Neulbom Internal Medicine—a name she’d chosen because she wanted Han Bom to always be happy.
“That’s why I said I’d take responsibility.”
Park Jin-won flashed an unctuous grin and tapped a prescription pad.
“Stop talking nonsense. I’m seriously about to lose my temper.”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
“Then you’re serious?”
“Your niece is grown up now. How long are you going to keep looking only at her?”
The two had briefly dated in university before parting ways, and since then had been too busy living their separate lives to stay in touch.
Of course, she thought of him occasionally, missed him sometimes, but she’d buried those memories as just that—memories.
Five years ago, when Ae-jeong happened to attend a class reunion, she saw him there.
Once Park Jin-won learned that Ae-jeong had never married and was still single, he’d made a point of calling ever since that day.
She’d naturally assumed he’d married by now, so she was somewhat surprised to hear he was also unmarried.
But that didn’t change anything.
They would each live as they always had, and for Ae-jeong, nothing mattered more than her beloved niece.
Then this shameless man suddenly quit his position at a university hospital and opened a clinic right next to her place.
“Do you want to know why I really came here?”
He was doing well as the head of internal medicine at a Seoul university hospital, and he was saying that his sudden resignation and relocation to open a private practice was all because of her.
A flower already withered—that’s what she was.
She wanted to spend the rest of her life looking only at her Han Bom, as she’d always done.
“Doctor Han, couldn’t we spend our remaining years together, loving each other?”
“What are you talking about? I’m menopausal. At my age, love is—”
“So what? What does that matter?”
“If I’d ever wanted to try things with you, I would have done something about it when I was younger, at least before menopause. Don’t you see the wrinkles around my eyes?”
“Doctor Han, you’re still beautiful even now.”
Park Jin-won, knowing she disliked her given name, still didn’t call her by it.
“It won’t work. If that shameless brother of mine remarries, what happens to our Han Bom? And I can’t do it either. Absolutely not.”
Park Jin-won exhaled heavily.
“I should have killed that bastard years ago…”
“Instead of that, you should have met a good woman and gotten married ages ago. Who wants to live alone like an idiot?”
She couldn’t fathom why he’d remained single all these years, clinging to that brief youthful love.
“And why did you stay single?”
“I said I was raising Han Bom.”
“Looking at how your niece can’t get married and lives alone because of you, I’m sure she’d be thrilled. If someone came to take her away, she’d welcome it with open arms.”
“So now you’re saying you’ll take on this old, weathered version of me?”
Park Jin-won, meticulous about his self-care, had aged into a handsome middle-aged man by any standard.
He looked like he could pass for his forties, retaining his youthful appearance virtually intact.
She, by contrast, had developed a belly, gained considerable weight. Her skin—what was there to say? She’d lost elasticity long ago.
She worried that even the faint memory of first love she still carried might shatter.
“Ae-jeong, I tried not to call you by your name if I could help it.”
“Don’t call me that. Please don’t.”
“You’re the only one I find beautiful. Isn’t that enough? How much longer do we have to live anyway? I just want to live like a person, without loneliness. I’ll give you a month. Think about it, and if you really can’t do it, I’ll close the clinic.”
“Do whatever you want. My mind won’t change.”
Ae-jeong rose from her seat.
All that mattered was watching Han Bom meet a wonderful, impressive man and get married.
“Honestly, you really are something.”
Park Jin-won sighed as if she were hopeless, then stood up.
“Where are you going?”
“I’ll walk you back.”
“It’s practically next door—close enough to bump noses. Why would you need to walk me? Just eat lunch.”
Ae-jeong had come here during her lunch break and was planning to stop by a kimbap place on the way back to grab a bowl of ramyeon.
“Go on, I’ll buy you lunch.”
Ae-jeong, playing reluctant, left the clinic with Park Jin-won.
“I’ll grab lunch and come back.”
“Yes, Director.”
Ae-jeong passed through the waiting room and out of the hospital, her confused gaze lifting toward Park Jin-won.
His eyes, warm and tender as he looked down at her with a generous, gentle smile, remained as kind as ever.
Ae-jeong averted her eyes in a panic. Her heart was trembling in a way she couldn’t control.

***

Han Bom
I have an appointment tonight, so I need to leave. Everyone, thank you for your work.
Cha Ji-mun
Once we look into it, everything comes out.
You’re going on a date with Lee Ro-un, aren’t you? Admit it.

Tae-mun’s heart lurched at the casual arrow Ji-mun had just shot.

Choi Yun-gun
Yep.

Yun-gun joined in.

Bang Su-ho
Did Ro-un get shot in the head? Dating Han Bom now?
Ro-un’s quite the popular one.

And with Su-ho’s thoughtless words, Tae-mun found himself cast as the guy who’d been shot in the head.
“What is this, the phone’s going to wear out. Who texts that much?”
Hae-il cast a sideways glance at Tae-mun and asked.
“Just eat your meal.”
The two of them, who had to go into a Collaborative Surgery after eating, decided to have lunch together while they discussed things.
The rice that had been going down so easily before now refused to pass his throat at all.
“What, did you bite your tongue?”
Tae-mun stared silently at Hae-il for a few seconds, then picked up his water glass and took a drink.
“It’s about Lee Ro-un.”
“So? Why Ro-un? Do you like him too? That won’t work either. He needs to focus on his own cases.”
The moment Tae-mun entered the operating room with Lee Ro-un, he could spot his strengths at once.
Though Ro-un stood as second or third assist, one glance was enough to understand everything.
Ro-un’s hands were both swift and bold.
To be bold meant to be fearless, but it also meant to be confident.
Confidence came from knowledge. One couldn’t make bold moves without understanding.
Given how much interest Ro-un showed in surgery generally, he must be putting in considerable effort behind the scenes.
To become so comfortable with instruments that he could handle them like second nature required nothing short of dedication.
“If you’re going to do it, do it properly.”
The fact that they happened to have the same day off nagged at him, so he added an edge to his words. And it wasn’t just that—whenever he made rounds and looked for Han Bom, Lee Ro-un was always beside her.
“If you’re worried about who’s assisting today, don’t be. The second and third year residents will be coming into the OR. No matter what, they outrank a first year.”
Watching Hae-il state the obvious, Tae-mun clicked his tongue softly.
Spending nearly all his time in the operating room meant he had few chances to cross paths with Han Bom, and on the rare occasion he did, it was nothing more than a brief glance during surgery.
He’d thought that since Han Bom had today off, they could have dinner together in the evening, but even that fell through, and he couldn’t help the irritation that twisted inside him.
“Oh, that’s right. You know we’re sending a first year resident to the Busan Branch in May?”
“Yeah? Do you know who’s going?”
“I’d bet it’s Han Bom going.”
Tae-mun looked at Hae-il with an expressionless face, hiding his surprise.
“You’re sure?”
“More or less.”
It wasn’t his place to weigh in on hospital policy, but he couldn’t help feeling regret.
Tae-mun glanced at his wristwatch and nodded to Hae-il.
Hae-il, finished with his meal, rose from his seat with his tray in hand. Tae-mun did the same, lifting his tray and standing.
Now was the time to set aside all other thoughts and focus entirely on the surgery.
“I’ll be heading down to the operating room soon.”
“Sure. See you later.”
The patient had a mass in the small intestine. The complication was that metastasis had already spread to the peritoneum, and the gallbladder was so distended that it too would need to be removed. Left as it was, rupture could happen at any moment.
Tae-mun quickened his pace, mentally preparing himself for another lengthy procedure.

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