In the afternoon, while seeing outpatients, Hyunwoo encountered Guseonghee, a patient who had come to get a prescription for painkillers.
The patient, who had refused surgery despite having a time bomb in their head, looked noticeably worse than when they had come a few days ago.
Their eyes were deeply sunken, and their face seemed gaunt, as if they had lost a few kilograms since the last visit.
“Are you here alone today?”
“No. My husband is outside. He said he had an urgent call.”
“…Given the urgency of the surgery, why won’t you be admitted?”
Although he stared dryly at the patient who couldn’t answer readily, Hyunwoo meticulously examined them, picking up on every detail.
His gaze fell on the worn-out shoes and the worn-out synthetic leather bag.
Could it be an economic issue?
“Nowadays, with a well-established social security system, I don’t think there’s as much financial burden as you’re worried about.”
“Well… that’s true. I discussed it with my child’s father. He said the surgery itself is risky.”
“The surgery itself is not dangerous. Not having the surgery is more dangerous now.”
Assertively stating that the surgery was not dangerous, Guseonghee avoided Hyunwoo’s gaze, which was inquiring but unresponsive.
After confirming that the door was tightly closed, Hyunwoo asked, “You can be honest with me. Why don’t you want the surgery?”
“I… don’t have a reason.”
The trembling voice seemed to suggest that the statement was a lie. The uneasy eyes seemed to show fear.
However, it wasn’t easy for Hyunwoo to grasp what Guseonghee’s fear was about.
With a stern look, Hyunwoo checked the firmly closed door and asked, “Can you really tell me anything? What’s the reason you don’t want the surgery?”
“Something… there isn’t anything.”
The unexpected question about the surgical method suddenly arose.
Usually, patients asked about the success rate or side effects, but today, this patient asked a question that went beyond expectations.
It was strange, but it wasn’t a question that couldn’t be answered.
“Since the purpose is direct removal, the surgery can only be done by opening the head in the area of the lesion.”
“Is there really… no other way than that method?”
“Yes, that’s right. The surgery can only be done by opening the head.”
Hyunwoo’s eyebrows furrowed. He felt something was odd.
“Doesn’t the guardian come in at all?”
“Well, it seems the call is taking a long time.”
“I’ll prescribe painkillers first. Even if you take the medicine, there will likely be difficult times when the pain doesn’t subside. It would be better for you to be admitted before that happens.”
Guseonghee said goodbye with a listless face and left the examination room.
Hyunwoo apologized to the next patient and briefly stepped out of the examination room.
In the d
Insensitive words flowed coldly through a dry voice.
“Ms. Guseonghee, if you leave it like this, you’ll be in great pain. How do you intend to endure it?”
Even the husband’s close-up glance was pathetic. The disease seemed to completely ruin their lives.
So, it was even more incomprehensible.
“The headaches will become so severe that I’ll feel like tearing my own flesh apart.”
After pulling a towel to wipe his hands, the husband tried to leave the restroom as if escaping. However, it wasn’t easy with Hyunwoo blocking his way.
“Don’t you want to live a day longer with your wife without pain? In that case, I told you that surgery is not a choice.”
“The decision to have surgery or not is not ours to make, is it? Don’t force us like this. My wife won’t have the surgery.”
“Why? Just tell me the reason.”
“What difference does it make if I live one more day in this world?”
Hyunwoo wondered what he just heard. His throat tightened for a moment, feeling stifled.
“If your body is going to die anyway, wouldn’t it be better to have a complete body even if you die? That way, when you leave this world, you can find peace in the afterlife.”
“Right now… What on earth are you talking about!”
Hyunwoo, who had never raised his voice to a patient or guardian, spoke a bit louder. Hyunwoo, who had wet the back of his doctor’s gown due to frustration, glared fiercely at Guseonghee’s husband.
In the past, this man was saying the same things Hyunwoo’s mother used to say.
“Have you seen it? Do people with scars on their heads and bodies wander after death?”
Where on earth did he hear such pseudo-religious beliefs?
“I’ve only seen it once. People leave behind only a handful of dirt when they die.”
Hyunwoo, who became emotionally mixed and intensified, spoke as if spitting out the words.
“What humans can do in the face of disease and death is one thing. Believing in the possibility of survival by doing our best to treat. Please keep that in mind.”
Hyunwoo slammed the door and left.
Even if he advised them like this, they would not reverse the decision they had made.
He knew that his futile advice would not change anything. His son had also failed to persuade his mother.
The wounds he thought had healed were still unhealed.
An Indifferent Woman is the One Men Desire the Most
One-line summary: The female lead is actually cold-hearted and extremely rational. She has stage-by-stage relationships and won’t two-time, but there will always be someone who secretly likes her.
This novel has the following triggers, so if you’re sensitive to these, please don’t read:
1. The female lead has had many relationships, but she treated each one seriously and broke up properly.
It’s just that the men unilaterally pestered her incessantly. For the female lead, when she doesn’t like someone anymore, she simply doesn’t like them.
(This applies to her relationships with Male Lead 1, 2, 3, and 4 as well, but she’s loyal in each 1-on-1 relationship!)
2. In this novel, Male Lead 2 and the female lead kiss in a car, and Male Lead 1 sees it and beats up Male Lead 2.
The female lead calls the police and sends both Male Lead 1 and 2 to the police station! Male Lead 1 begs the female lead not to break up with him.
3. Male Lead 1 has a gentle appearance but an obsessive personality.
Male Lead 2 has a delicate and soft appearance, slightly green tea-like (two-faced).
Male Lead 3 is a youthful college student and a smart person who has secretly liked the female lead for a long time.
Male Lead 4 is the female lead’s father’s special assistant, a business elite with deep, hidden thoughts.
4. At the beginning of this novel, the female lead has already broken up with Male Lead 1 (Chapter 4) and gotten back together with Male Lead 2 (ex-boyfriend).
5. Enter with caution if you have triggers!!!
