Chapter 172
“What’s the matter?”
“…”
Only upon being asked did Hyeon-woo realize he had come to see Tae-geon without any real reason.
Hak-gyu had warned not to eat or drink anything, not even water, before the general anesthesia. There was no need for Hyeon-woo to visit Tae-geon so early when he didn’t even need help with meals. Hyeon-woo gave up trying to find an excuse and answered honestly.
“…Just dropping by. Wanted to see your face before your surgery.”
Seemingly embarrassed by Tae-geon’s unconcealed surprise, Hyeon-woo quickly added, “There are even waiting seats outside the operating room. It looks like a real hospital.”
“…”
“Good luck with the surgery. I’ll be waiting outside.”
Just as he finished speaking, there was a knock on the door. When Hyeon-woo opened it, he saw the stern-faced butler and medical staff in white gowns behind him.
Seeing the wheeled bed they brought, it seemed it was time to move. Sure enough, one of them said, “We’ll be moving to the operating room now.”
They were about to wheel Tae-geon out when his quiet voice broke the silence of the room.
“Don’t forget the promise.”
Feeling as if those words were binding him like heavy shackles, Hyeon-woo quickly replied, “I got it.”
Then he grumbled gruffly, “…The surgery needs to go well first before keeping or breaking promises.”
It was his way of telling Tae-geon to focus on the surgery.
The butler, glancing between Tae-geon and Hyeon-woo during their casual exchange, showed a peculiar expression, not understanding the context.
“Let’s go now,” Hyeon-woo urged, and Tae-geon’s bed started moving again. The sound of wheels rolling on the old wooden floor gradually faded away.
*
About thirty minutes after Tae-geon entered the operating room, the door opened and Hak-gyu appeared in a white gown. Hyeon-woo, sitting in the corridor, couldn’t hide his relief at seeing him.
“Uncle!”
Hak-gyu, hearing the call, quickly approached Hyeon-woo.
“I didn’t see you this morning, so I thought you weren’t coming today.”
“How could that be? I’m his primary physician. Though surgery isn’t my field, I’ll be monitoring his vitals alongside the surgeons.”
After answering, a look of puzzlement crossed Hak-gyu’s face.
“By the way, I heard all the employees were on vacation?”
“Ah, I’m just curious about Tae-geon’s surgery results…”
Hyeon-woo gave a vague answer to what seemed like a question about why he was there. There was no need to mention promises or conditions, and he was genuinely curious about the surgery results. Even now, every minute felt like an eternity.
Noticing Hyeon-woo’s anxious state, Hak-gyu volunteered information without being asked.
“His temperature, pulse, and blood pressure are all normal, and the anesthesia has taken effect well. There are no issues with his breathing either.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, now we just have to trust and wait for the surgery to go well.”
Hyeon-woo nodded at Hak-gyu, who spoke in a calm tone as if to reassure him.
“Please come and have your meal.”
Only at Scott’s call did Hyeon-woo realize it was lunchtime. As Hyeon-woo hesitated to leave his seat, Hak-gyu approached him.
“Go ahead. I’ll keep watch here.”
Hyeon-woo could hardly taste the food as he ate. As he got up from his seat after hastily finishing his meal, Scott handed him a small paper bag. Inside were two sandwiches.
“Please give this to the doctor.”
It was lunch for Hak-gyu, who couldn’t leave his post. When Hyeon-woo returned to the waiting area with it, he saw a tall man in a black coat standing in the middle of the corridor, facing Hak-gyu. The man hadn’t been there earlier.
Sensing Hyeon-woo’s approach, the man with the familiar yet unfamiliar back suddenly turned around.
“…!”
“Oh…!”
They exchanged surprised looks as they recognized each other.
“…Hello,” Hyeon-woo bowed first, greeting Choi Mu-seok, Tae-geon’s father.
Mu-seok’s lips twisted strangely as he stared at Hyeon-woo. His low voice broke the heavy silence that had settled in the corridor.
“Dr. Kwon, could you give us a moment?”
Only after Hyeon-woo nodded to Hak-gyu, indicating it was okay, did he leave the corridor.
Even after they were left alone, Mu-seok simply stared at Hyeon-woo without speaking. His gaze lingered on Hyeon-woo’s uniform for a long time before slowly scanning him from head to toe.
Though the cold, eerie gaze made Hyeon-woo feel like cold sweat was running down his spine, he didn’t avoid Mu-seok’s eyes. The more intimidated he felt, the more he deliberately straightened his posture.
This man was no longer his father’s superior. Hyeon-woo stood tall, reminding himself that Mu-seok had no influence over him anymore. Watching this interesting display, Mu-seok let out a short laugh. “Ha.”
“…I see. I wondered what sudden whim it was…”
Mu-seok’s gaze, which had been appraising Hyeon-woo, finally dropped away with a low mutter. Feeling like he could finally breathe, Hyeon-woo discreetly steadied his breath, careful not to show it outwardly. Then he boldly asked,
“Do you have something to say to me?”
Mu-seok’s eyebrows twitched as he met Hyeon-woo’s gaze again, smiling as if amused.
“Sit down first.”
“…”
As Hyeon-woo sat in one of the chairs lining the corridor, Mu-seok took a seat nearby.
“I heard you immigrated to America. How did you end up here?”
He seemed completely unaware of the situation. Of course. Hyeon-woo had left intending to sever all ties with Korea. If Mu-seok had known everything, that would have been unpleasant in its own way.
“The immigration failed, and my parents died in a car accident. Both of them.”
“…!”
Hyeon-woo carefully observed Mu-seok’s face, which couldn’t hide its surprise. His genuine reaction proved he had nothing to do with his parents’ accident. If Mu-seok wasn’t involved either, then only Tae-geon would hold the key to the truth.
“…That’s unfortunate. He was a kind-hearted fellow…”
Mu-seok, seeming lost in thought, remained silent for a while before standing up and approaching the statues lining the corridor.
“Nothing has changed here at all.”
Mu-seok’s hand moved slowly over a dusty statue with a chipped corner, as if tracing old memories.
“It’s as if this place is in a world of its own.”
Mu-seok’s nostalgic demeanor was unfamiliar. Had his face ever looked so human before? As Hyeon-woo felt awkward at this unfamiliar side, an unexpected question reached his ears.
“Have you ever heard of the Phajaan ritual?”
Phajaan ritual…?
Hyeon-woo shook his head at the unfamiliar term. As if expecting this, Mu-seok continued his explanation.
“They confine a three-month-old baby elephant in a cage and starve it for ten days while beating it with iron hooks.”
Even as he saw Hyeon-woo’s face turn to shock, Mu-seok didn’t stop speaking.
“Some die, but those who survive lose their wild instincts and have their sense of self destroyed, becoming obedient to humans for life.”
“…”
“This act of crushing an elephant’s spirit is called Phajaan.”
Strong hostility filled Hyeon-woo’s eyes as he looked at Mu-seok. He couldn’t understand why Mu-seok was telling him such a cruel story without changing his expression at all.
“Why are you telling me this?”
Mu-seok raised an eyebrow, looking at Hyeon-woo with amused eyes at his unflinching response.
“The iron hook used in Phajaan is called a bullhook. I thought I had been holding it in my hand all this time. But it seems that’s not the case.”
Hyeon-woo frowned deeply at Mu-seok’s self-mutter that came with an incomprehensible smile. He was still going on about that damn ritual. His heart pounded with an unpleasant beat. Even though he was speaking in terms of elephants, even someone as naive as Hyeon-woo could understand who he was really talking about.
“Why are you telling me this?” Hyeon-woo shot back defiantly.
“…You’re his father.”
“…”
“You shouldn’t do things like that!”
“…Father?”
Mu-seok slightly furrowed his brow before suddenly bursting into laughter. His gaze, which had been scanning Hyeon-woo with a chilling snake-like look, fixed on his uniform for a long time.
“…How curious.”
“…”
“Do you believe in fate?”
Now he had moved on from elephants to talking about fate. It was so out of the blue that Hyeon-woo remained silent, lips tightly pressed. Fate? Hearing about fate from Mu-seok, who seemed like he would scoff at such concepts more than anyone, felt strange.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
