Illusion Blind Date - Chapter 58

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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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#58

“I couldn’t tell whether they were weeds or flowers, so I left it to Bom. She has an almost supernatural knack for sorting these things out.”
“This won’t do. Everyone up.”
Before Bom arrived, a fierce determination seized him — he had to clear those weed seeds before they spread.
“What? But it’s not even been ten minutes yet?”
“We’re pulling every last one today.”
When Cha Tae Moon volunteered to help, Ji Moon grabbed his arm and pushed him back into a chair.
“Rest a bit first.”
He looked on the verge of tears, so he sat down for now.
Bang Su Ho crunched ice between his teeth as he fixed Cha Tae Moon with a knowing stare.
“Sir, are you secretly taking something good for your health?”
“That’s the only explanation — where else would all this energy come from!”
“Just as I thought! This is betrayal, plain and simple! Everyone says health tonics only work if you keep them to yourself, but this is too much!”
He was spouting absolute nonsense.
Cha Tae Moon’s chest ached at the mere thought of Bom weaving through every corner of the garden, pulling weeds.
“Or how else would you have such vigor at your age?”
“Stop talking nonsense. Get up and work.”
“I’m serious! You operate day and night, and even on your day off you’re swinging that electric saw before dawn — do you know how terrifying that was? How is any of this reasonable?”
Ji Moon’s voice rose sharply.
“It’s really too much. Meanwhile, Bom is in Busan living the high life.”
Cha Tae Moon’s dark eyes turned toward Su Ho.
“Living the high life? What do you mean by that?”
The Busan Branch Hospital wasn’t exactly renowned for its amenities — there was no way she’d be enjoying herself.
Bom was enduring hardships in an unfamiliar place that bore no comparison to what the others experienced.
Cha Tae Moon, who exchanged messages with Bom nearly every day, let Su Ho’s words go in one ear and out the other.
“Every evening she’s bragging about gazing at the sea, eating fresh sashimi and spicy seafood soup, and sipping soju — they keep insisting on treating each other, she says.”
“She’s probably just done it once or twice.”
If she was drinking soju every evening, how was she getting any work done?
When Cha Tae Moon remained unconvinced, Su Ho thrust his phone toward him.
“Take a look at this. There are pictures. Bom is absolutely popular.”
“Did Bom send you those?”
“Well, no — there’s someone from the Emergency Medicine Department who went to Busan too. He sent these.”
Cha Tae Moon took the phone and studied the image on the screen.
It was a photo of a group of attractive young people gathered around a table laden with sashimi.
Bom sat in the center, beaming with genuine joy.
“See the man sitting next to Bom? That’s the EM Fellow. He seems to absolutely adore her.”
Su Ho pointed directly at a man with his finger, his tone growing uncomfortably suggestive.
“A new doctor who just started this year — absolutely impressive. And handsome to boot — a real Gyeongsang man!”
Cha Tae Moon stared at Su Ho for several seconds as he affected the awkward dialect.
Then he thrust the phone back into his pocket and clamped his mouth shut.
“But you know, there’s been all this talk about you and Bom dating — wouldn’t it be better if Bom found a boyfriend now? Then the rumors would die down anyway, right?”
Ji Moon offered his rare attempt at serious nonsense. Su Ho, sensing the mood, chimed in.
“Exactly. There was this weird rumor going around about how you picked a grain of rice off Bom’s face at the restaurant — of course, rumors get distorted, but still…….”
“Stop talking about rice and get all those weeds pulled before dinner. I’ll inspect them later.”
Cha Tae Moon stood up.
Less than twenty days remained. Time crawled.
When was his day off again?
He’d have to make the trip sometime next week.
“Come on, do it properly!”
“I’m moving out!”
“You’re leaving, but you still have to pull every weed before you go, don’t you?”
Despite his words, Cha Tae Moon watched Su Ho and Ji Moon working diligently at the weeds and let out a quiet laugh.
He turned away from their bickering and walked on.

***

Kang Sang Hyung, Department Head, had been summoned to the Director’s Office before evening rounds, and now, as he lifted the teacup from the table, he found himself contemplating why he had been called here.
Ah.
He was checking to see whether the son was adjusting well to the hospital.
Realizing belatedly why he’d been summoned, Sang Hyung inwardly reproached himself for his carelessness.
He’d known that Cha Tae Moon was Sim Eun Gyeong’s only son, yet he’d treated him like any other professor—but now that he’d been called in like this, he understood.
He was managing an extraordinarily important person.
He should have taken initiative to look after him before being summoned like this; his prospects for advancement were finished.
Though to be fair, as department head now, he was drowning in an avalanche of patients himself.
“Drink the tea before it gets cold.”
Sim Eun Gyeong urged the cup toward him.
Sang Hyung sipped it while gauging the director’s mood.
Sim Eun Gyeong, who dreamed of entrusting the hospital to her son and sailing overseas with her husband, was surprisingly hands-on about hospital operations.
“I hope calling you in hasn’t been too much of a burden.”
“No, not at all.”
“Among the first-year GS residents, there’s one named Han Bom, isn’t there?”
Sang Hyung’s eyes widened at the unexpected name.
“Yes—in fact, didn’t you give her bonus pay recently?”
“I did.”
The way she answered with a knowing smile suggested she already knew everything.
But why was she asking about Han Bom?
Thinking she’d called him about something related to Professor Cha Tae Moon, Sang Hyung studied the director with lingering confusion.
“I heard she’s in Busan right now—is that correct?”
“Ah, yes. That’s right.”
She was the only female surgeon and performed well, so he’d been keeping a close eye on her progress.
“So are you thinking of going to the Branch Hospital yourself?”
Ah.
Now Sang Hyung grasped why the director had wanted to see him.
There was a custom whereby faculty members with time would visit the Branch Hospital to encourage dispatched residents. She was referring to that.
“It seems I’ll be the one to go.”
“Is that so?”
Sim Eun Gyeong offered a meaningful smile.
Then there was a moment of silence.
“If I may ask—why do you ask?”
He’d said he would go, but the director’s intention seemed to be something else. So he asked.
“It’s my hope that you’d send Professor Cha instead. What do you think?”
“Ah, well, that works fine for me.”
“I thought it would be good for him to meet the hospital director in Busan and pay his respects.”
“Of course. I’ll speak with Professor Cha about it.”
“Please don’t mention that it came from me. Even between parent and child, I think he’d resent that kind of interference.”
“Of course not.”
“I’m counting on you.”
Her talk of wanting to shed the director’s title soon didn’t seem like mere lip service. So she was probably putting Busan under Cha’s purview as well.
“If the opportunity arises, I’ll pass along her message to exchange greetings with the hospital director.”
“That’s not terribly important, really. Just make sure he goes to Busan and comes back.”
Then what is important?
The question lingered, but for now he let it go.
“Ah, yes. I understand. If there’s nothing more, I’ll take my leave.”
“Yes, I have high hopes for you.”
“Thank you very much.”
Sang Hyung rose from his seat. Her remark about high expectations likely meant he should look after Cha Tae Moon well.
He bowed formally and left the Director’s Office.

After Sang Hyung had left, Eun recalled a conversation she’d had with Ji Moon earlier that day.

“Even though we live in the same house, Bom and my brother hardly ever see each other. There’s nothing for my aunt to worry about.”

Eun had privately hoped that living under one roof might lead to something fortunate, but hearing Ji Moon’s words, it seemed she needed to take a more direct hand in bringing them together.
Hadn’t the two of them looked quite beautiful sitting together before?
Eun picked up her phone and called Han Bom’s aunt Jeong Ae.
She was thinking of arranging a meal together soon.
How strange that fate should weave their threads together like this.
A faint smile played at the corners of Sim Eun Gyeong’s lips.

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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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