2.4

He thought he had held it in well. After all, he hadn’t lost his temper in the operating room today, which he considered a victory. But the moment he left the operating room and saw the resident sanitizing his hands, he couldn’t just walk past. So, he called him aside to a quiet space.  

“Kim Jinwoo.”  

When Junmo called his name in a low voice, Kim Jinwoo, who had been placing a takeout coffee in front of him, glanced up cautiously. 

“Are you going to keep that habit of yours?”  

Junmo clenched his teeth and growled, causing Kim Jinwoo to blink and appear lost in thought, as if he couldn’t figure out what habit or mistake was being referred to.  

“How many times do I have to tell you? When I ask you something in the operating room, don’t just nod—answer me out loud.”  

“Ah, ah…”  

“What? ‘Ah, ah’?”  

“S-sorry.”  

“Do I have to stop what I’m doing during surgery every single time just to look at you and confirm your nod?”  

Realizing his mistake, Kim Jinwoo’s ears turned bright red, and he lowered his head deeply.  

“I’m sorry.”  

“Do better. Next time, I won’t let it slide just because there are trainees around. Go.”  

Kim Jinwoo hesitated, looking at Junmo with a doubtful expression, as if he expected something worse to happen.  

“Do you have something to say?”  

Junmo’s tone was sharp as he dismissed him, clearly irritated by the hesitation.  

“N-no, Sir.”  

Kim Jinwoo quickly scurried off.  

Now alone, Junmo leaned back in his chair and stretched. The day had passed like a rushing current. With no emergencies to handle, he thought he might actually get to leave work on time for once. Feeling a sense of relief that the day was over, he reached for the steaming cup of coffee in front of him.  

But then his phone rang.  

His brow furrowed in tension for a moment, but upon confirming it wasn’t an emergency call, he felt his body relax involuntarily.  

It was his mother, Oh Soohyun.  

• I’ve been calling you all day. Why are you only answering now?  

The moment Junmo answered the call, Oh Soohyun started scolding him.  

“I’ve been busy.”  

Junmo pressed his thumb and pinky finger against his temples, rubbing them as he replied.  

• I’m at your brother’s hospital room. How can you be so heartless? Your brother just had surgery, and you haven’t even stopped by to check on him… 

“I did stop by. Two days ago.”  

• Oh, sure, that’s plenty. Are you even family? At this point, you’re worse than a stranger. Even strangers would make time to visit, but you, working in the same hospital…- 

“I’m coming now.”  

Junmo abruptly stood up from his chair as he replied, then ended the call without waiting for her response.  

He ripped off his lab coat and threw it over the back of his chair. Just as he was about to leave, his phone buzzed softly with an incoming text message.  

It was from Nurse Park Sujin.  

We weren’t on texting terms, nor did we have any professional reason to communicate directly. So why was Park Sujin texting me out of the blue?  

Puzzled, Junmo swiped his phone screen with his finger to read the message.  

• If you go to the security team, you’ll find the answer to the question you asked me. Wouldn’t the CCTV footage from the VIP ward elevator after midnight suffice?  

Junmo let out a short laugh.  

So, she doesn’t want to say it outright because of professional ethics, but she also doesn’t want to get on my bad side?  

It was a cheeky message.  

Typical Park Sujin. 

***

Junmo ignored Park Sujin’s text.  

What was the point of checking now?  

There’s no way Leeseo did something like that.  

It wasn’t that the thought hadn’t crossed his mind. He had tried hard to convince himself otherwise, but it was no use. Certainty wasn’t something you could force. Even when he tried to rely on reason, logic, and common sense, they were useless against the suspicions created by circumstantial evidence.  

Adding imagination to the mix only made things worse. His insides churned a dozen times a day, as if a fire was raging beneath his ribs.  

“Well, well, what a rare visit.”  

When Junmo entered the room, Junhyung, who was sitting up against the raised bed, sneered at him. Junmo closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath to calm his rising anger.  

“Oh my! My son looks so dashing. Are you just getting off work?”  

Oh, Soohyun’s face lit up with joy at the sight of her son.  

“Look at you, all dressed up. A crisply ironed dress shirt and slacks… America must have done you some good. You’re not the same as you were during your residency, are you?”  

Her gaze quickly scanned Junmo’s outfit, and she smiled with satisfaction.  

Junmo didn’t respond. This was the third time he’d heard similar remarks today. His friend Hyungwook said it earlier when he left for work, the staff commented on it before he changed into his scrubs, and now his mother was saying it.  

Everyone seemed surprised.  

To be honest, he hadn’t planned to dress up like this. When he entered the dressing room, he intended to grab whatever was convenient. An Oxford shirt and cotton pants—his usual choice—would have sufficed. They were easy to wear, and he liked them for that reason.  

But once inside the dressing room, he had to change his mind.  

The dress shirts were hanging neatly on their hangers, pressed without a single wrinkle. The pants, which he usually left tossed on top of the dresser or hung haphazardly, were now perfectly arranged on hangers, looking brand new. T-shirts and socks were folded neatly in the drawers. Everything was there—except his usual Oxford shirts and cotton pants.  

For a moment, he was startled by how different the dressing room looked. Then he noticed a Post-it note stuck to the top of the dresser’s mirror, and a dry laugh escaped him.  

‘Good morning, oppa. I left early because there’s an important event at the company. Don’t just wear the same old thing out of convenience—I’ve coordinated your outfit, including the socks, so just wear what I’ve prepared.’ 

The note was written in neat handwriting.  

Come to think of it, Leeseo, who should have been by Oh Soohyun’s side, was nowhere to be seen. Oh Soohyun always had Leeseo with her, so he naturally assumed she would be here as well. Leeseo was like her shadow, silently moving to meet her needs. Sometimes, she seemed so emotionless that it was almost unsettling.  

“Where’s Leeseo?”  

“She went out of town.”  

“For what?”  

“You know your grandfather’s birthday is coming up. She’s handling the gift.”  

Junmo frowned deeply.  

“Shouldn’t that be something you take care of yourself, Mother? A gift should come from the heart. How long are you going to—”  

“There you go again, losing your temper. Do you think a gift for your grandfather can be prepared with just sentiment?”  

“What exactly did you send her to get?”  

“I didn’t tell her to get anything specific. She’s taking care of it on her own. Once your grandfather receives the gift, Junhyung’s position will improve significantly. Mark my words, your brother will secure at least one key department in Mo Group.”  

“I wish you success with your ambitious plans, Mother.”  

As they went back and forth, Junhyung, who had been watching the exchange, finally spoke up.  

“Mother said we should have a family dinner. To celebrate my discharge.”  

Junmo glared at Junhyung sharply. His brother averted his gaze slightly, as if feeling guilty. This realization strangely calmed the fiery anger that had been building inside him.  

“Hyung, being discharged isn’t exactly a cause for celebration.” 

He responded nonchalantly, hiding his true feelings.  

“Oh, it’s not just that.” 

Oh Soohyun interjected.  

“What else is there?”  

“Honestly, how can you be so oblivious to what’s happening in the family?”  

Junmo looked at Junhyung, silently urging him to explain.  

“Mother received the Exemplary Taxpayer Award today. It’s even on the news.”  

Junhyung held up a tablet as if to present evidence, but Junmo scoffed before even glancing at it.  

“Paying taxes is a basic responsibility when you run a business. Why give an award for that?”  

“Watch your tone. Would it kill you to say, ‘Congratulations, Mother’? Is that so hard?”  

Oh Soohyun scolded him, clearly displeased.  

“If they’re going to give awards, they should give them to salaried workers who diligently pay taxes every month—not business owners like you.”  

“Well, you’re definitely your father’s son… Tsk.”  

“Now that I’ve seen you, I’ll be leaving.”  

Junmo grabbed the jacket he had taken off earlier. Junhyung seemed oddly relieved, while Oh Soohyun openly displayed her dissatisfaction.  

“Junmo, have you been keeping in touch with your grandfather?”  

When Junmo glanced at Junhyung and smirked, he replied, 

“Not as often as you, Hyung, but I do visit occasionally. Chuseok, Lunar New Year, the first day of the year.”  

With that light remark, Junmo left the hospital room.  

“Oh dear, what are we going to do with him?”