Several days later, in the operating room.
After the cherry blossom date, Sori had spent days in Hyun Woo’s lab, immersed in preparing for the surgery. For the first time, she was to be his right hand, striving to complete the operation as swiftly and efficiently as possible.
She had studied Min Guk’s brain CT scans to the point of dreaming about them.
Though she was just a first assistant, she had mentally simulated the surgery multiple times, preparing for the worst-case scenarios, though hoping they would not occur.
And now, today was the day of Min Guk’s surgery.
With a face marked by tension, Sori took a deep breath before entering the operating room after finishing her scrub.
Hyun Woo, who had just finished his scrub, approached Sori, looking her straight in the eyes.
“Don’t be too nervous.”
“Yes, Professor.”
Sori bowed slightly, showing her respect to him.
Hyun Woo entered the operating room, followed by Sori.
As Hyun Woo gave his instructions, anesthesia began, and Sori took one last look at Min Guk’s unconscious face.
It was a craniotomy surgery.
After the scalp incision, the sound of the drill filled the operating room.
It was a surgery to connect a blood-rich vessel to a blocked one. Hyun Woo had chosen direct anastomosis and planned to combine it with indirect anastomosis depending on the situation.
Until the dura mater was opened, the surgery proceeded smoothly.
However, when the arachnoid membrane was opened, suddenly bright red blood started to flow. There was bleeding before even opening the lamina terminalis.
“Professor, it seems there’s a vascular hemorrhage!”
Sori’s eyes widened in panic.
A sudden subarachnoid hemorrhage. If it was an aneurysm rupture, it would be one of the worst scenarios.
Predicted but overwhelming when faced directly, Sori’s heart pounded violently.
“Suction.”
“…”
“Yoo Sori, suction!”
“Yes… Yes, Professor!”
Jolted back to reality by Hyun Woo’s call, Sori’s hands moved more quickly.
“It’s not an aneurysm. Let’s find and close the ruptured vessel and continue. Focus, Yoo Sori.”
“Yes.”
The ruptured vessel might have eventually burst anyway, given the patient’s moyamoya disease, which often leads to more frequent brain hemorrhages and strokes post-surgery.
Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise.
Thinking positively, Sori quickly selected the necessary clips from the hundreds she had studied, prepared for this moment.
She laid out the clips needed to close the ruptured vessel on a cart where Hyun Woo could see them.
Hyun Woo, surprised by her readiness even before his instruction, did not show it.
He looked into Sori’s eyes once.
The tremor in her eyes gradually ceased as she returned his gaze.
The fear was slowly replaced by sharp, determined, hazel eyes, radiating a will to succeed, born from thorough preparation and a fervent wish.
He felt proud of Sori, who had proven that his choice was not reckless.
With steady hands and concise movements, Hyun Woo managed the critical situation.
“Professor, it looks like the bleeding has stopped.”
“Irrigation.”
Despite Sori’s voice revealing her elation, Hyun Woo calmly instructed.
Finally, the bleeding had ceased, and their vision was clear.
Hyun Woo relaxed a bit and carefully opened the lamina terminalis.
He placed the detached vessel near the brain and started suturing the dura mater. The operation would soon be over.
They had already delayed due to the bleeding, so they needed to proceed more swiftly.
Sori worked hard to maintain his surgical field of view, giving her best until the very end.
The surgery continued without further issues.
Despite the bleeding, the operation concluded a bit earlier than Hyun Woo had planned.
“Well done.”
“Good job, Dr. Yoo Sori.”
Both of their foreheads were dotted with sweat.
The operation, which began in the morning, only ended in the afternoon.
It had been a grueling 7-hour surgery.
Exhausted, Sori trudged to the hospital’s basement convenience store.
She preferred snacks over a meal, as her mouth felt parched.
Then, a man wearing a beanie appeared before Sori.
“Oh? Hello.”
Despite her fatigue, Sori recognized the man and bowed in greeting.
Last time he was in a wheelchair, but now he walked with a half cast.
“You seem to be recovering very fast.”
“Yes, I re-injured an old wound, but it’s healing well.”
“That’s really fortunate.”
Sori genuinely felt glad and smiled brightly.
“Dr. Yoo Sori.”
“Yes?”
Whenever she met this man, she felt guilty, as if she had committed a crime. The feeling was the same now.
She also feared more people finding out.
“I’d like to buy you a coffee. Do you have time?”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
“I should be the one buying. How can I let you treat me?”
The man raised and then lowered his eyebrows. Sori feeling guilty about shaving his head wasn’t unpleasant for him.
“Shall we go to the café, then?”
A striking couple suddenly brightened the café.
At the counter, the two playfully argued. Hwang Jun Su tried to pay, but Sori insisted, pushing forward her card.
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
