Chapter 48 – It Was Grandmother (3)

“You are awake.”

“Yes…”

Actress Hong Mi-ju swept back her falling bangs.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes.”

“Do not get up, please remain lying down.”

Ji-hyuk approached and laid her back down.

“I don’t know what is what. It feels like I’m dreaming…”

Having collapsed during a performance, been carried to the hospital, and even undergone surgery, it was natural that she had no sense of reality.

“You almost met with a major disaster. First, I will check your blood pressure.”

Puff, puff—

Kim Ji-hyuk took out a sphygmomanometer and checked Hong Mi-ju’s blood pressure.

“It’s 100 over 58. It’s a bit low, but there doesn’t seem to be a major problem.”

“Yes. You brought me here, didn’t you, Ji-hyuk?”

“That is correct.”

“I don’t understand why I am lying here and why you are in front of me, Ji-hyuk… Anyway, Ji-hyuk, you are the savior of my life…”

“No. I just performed emergency treatment. The doctor who saved your life, Mi-ju, is Yun-seok.”

“Yes?! Dr. Yun-seok?”

At the mention of Yun-seok, Hong Mi-ju was startled.

“Yes. Yun-seok operated on you, Mi-ju.”

“S-Surely it’s not the Yun-seok I know, is it?”

“It is. Yun-seok is also working here with me.”

“Ah! Really… How could such a thing happen? I still feel like I’m dreaming. Dr. Yun-seok operated on me?”

Hong Mi-ju still lacked a sense of reality.

‘Yes! Grandmother! The person who saved you is not me, but Grandfather! So from now on, don’t give Grandfather a hard time… Wait, wait a minute!’

At that moment, Ji-hyuk’s memories from before his regression resurfaced.

-Grandmother! How did you marry Grandfather?

-Did our Ji-hyuk wonder about that?

-Yes! I’m curious.

-Well… your grandfather chased after me immensely. Following me like a puppy! Feeling touched by his sincerity, I saved your grandfather.

-Hehehe, I shouldn’t have gone to watch the performance that day!

At that moment, Grandfather Kim Yun-seok, who was in the study, entered.

-Grandfather, what performance?

-Your grandmother used to act briefly in the past, and she collapsed during a performance, you see? Fortunately, I happened to be at the theater at that time. Without this grandfather, that old lady… So it wasn’t your grandmother who saved me, but I who saved her, Ji-hyuk!

-What are you saying! Have you already forgotten that I saved a naive simpleton who was too timid to hold my hand even once and would hide whenever I was visible from afar!

‘Right! The person who went to the theater was not me, but Grandfather! As I transmigrated into Kim Ji-hyuk’s body, the history changed slightly. In any case, the fact that Grandfather saved Grandmother has not changed!’

Kim Ji-hyuk suddenly recalled his childhood memories.

“Yes. It was a very difficult surgery, but Yun-seok did it well.”

“I see.”

“If it were me, I would have sent you to another hospital.”

“Then why did Dr. Yun-seok…”

“Why did Yun-seok take on that difficult surgery? If he had failed, Yun-seok would have had to bear all the responsibility.”

Ji-hyuk asked Hong Mi-ju back.

“Well. I don’t know the reason either.”

Hong Mi-ju shook her head slowly.

“Mi-ju, would you look over there?”

Kim Ji-hyuk pointed to the window.

Rustle—

Kim Ji-hyuk approached the window and pulled the curtain to one side.

“Yes?”

“You see the bright light over there, right? That is Yun-seok’s room. He is not on duty, but it doesn’t look like he is sleeping.”

Kim Ji-hyuk pointed to a brightly lit room in the building opposite.

“Dr. Yun-seok is?”

“Yes. He is looking up materials until late dawn for you, Mi-ju. To prepare for any possible sequelae. Yun-seok has such a clever head that he can memorize those thick medical books like a photograph once he sees them. In my memory, he was never this diligent even during his undergraduate years.”

“His heart for the patient is indeed amazing.”

Hmm, Hong Mi-ju let out a short sigh.

“Are you pretending not to know? Do you really not know? I think this is enough explanation as to why Yun-seok tried so hard to save you, Mi-ju! If I were you, I wouldn’t ever give up on a man struggling with medical books in that room!”

“……!”

“Then get some rest. From tomorrow, Dr. Kim Yun-seok will be your attending physician!”

“All of a sudden?”

“If you don’t want to, request the hospital for a change!”

Kim Ji-hyuk opened the door and walked out of the room.

* * *

Surgery department office.

Humming—

As if something pleasant had happened, Kim Yun-seok entered the office humming.

“What’s up, Kim Yun-seok? Did something good happen?”

Kim Ji-hyuk approached and asked.

Although he already had a hunch as to why Kim Yun-seok was in such a good mood, Kim Ji-hyuk pretended not to know.

“A kid doesn’t need to know! By the way, where is Mr. Kim Jeong-gyun’s chart…”

Lalala—

Kim Yun-seok looked in the best mood recently.

Ignoring Ji-hyuk, Kim Yun-seok was busy opening drawers to find the chart.

‘He must be getting along well with Grandmother! You did well, Grandfather! Now I feel relieved!’

Seeing Kim Yun-seok’s lively appearance, it seemed things were going well with actress Hong Mi-ju.

“Huh? What did you just say? You?”

Kim Ji-hyuk rolled his eyes.

“Dude, Mi-ju said you smell of breast milk. So you are a kid.”

“What? Smell of breast milk?”

“Yeah! She told me to pass this to you. Here! You kid smelling of breast milk!”

Kim Yun-seok took out a few drop candies from his pocket and threw them at Kim Ji-hyuk.

“Drop candies?”

“Yeah. Mi-ju told you to eat them. She said she thinks of you whenever she sees snacks or drop candies, so she told me to give them to you.”

“Absurd.”

“So, please! Don’t act like a kid and act maturely. How can a doctor act so childishly? That’s why Mi-ju throws things like this for you to eat.”

‘They say blood is thicker than water… I recall Grandmother filling a snack box with chocolates for me in the past. But does this statement apply to the current situation too?’

“…….”

“Anyway, Mi-ju did seem to find you very cute. She said you are like her youngest brother? That means a guy like you is absolutely not seen as a man! You kid smelling of breast milk, Kim Ji-hyuk!”

Hahaha, Kim Yun-seok laughed so hard his throat was visible.

“…….”

Well—

‘Anyway, things are going well with Grandmother, right? What a relief, Grandfather!’

In that way, after going through all kinds of hardships, an opportunity was prepared for Kim Yun-seok and Hong Mi-ju to develop as lovers.

A few days later, Hong Mi-ju’s ward.

Actress Hong Mi-ju’s recovery speed was very fast.

Generally, a splenectomy does not take very long to recover from as long as the surgery goes well, but considering she also had a problem in her lungs, it was encouraging.

Hong Mi-ju was facing discharge in a healthy state.

Knock, knock—

“Mi-ju, I am Kim Ji-hyuk.”

“Yes! Come in!”

‘Hehehe, is this the power of love? Anyway, it seems we saw the benefit of Grandfather treating her with all his heart! What a relief. It’s great that Grandmother recovered! Do not ever get sick again, Grandmother!’

Entering the ward, Kim Ji-hyuk’s expression was very bright.

“Mi-ju, congratulations on your discharge!”

“Thank you. It’s thanks to you, Ji-hyuk.”

Hong Mi-ju had a much better complexion.

“Thanks to me, my foot. I did nothing. This is all thanks to Yun-seok caring for you with all his heart day and night.”

Kim Ji-hyuk gave all the credit to Kim Yun-seok.

“Yes. Dr. Yun-seok treated me so well that it felt excessive. In the past, I thought he was just a blunt person, but that wasn’t the case. He is incredibly kind and caring…”

Hong Mi-ju could not continue speaking, her face shy.

“Yes. I am also his old friend, but it’s my first time seeing him this dedicated to someone. It was truly amazing, you know?”

Ji-hyuk smiled brightly.

At that,

“I feel an affection for you, Ji-hyuk, for some reason.”

Mi-ju stared at Ji-hyuk with warm eyes.

“Huh? Affection?”

“Yes. You are cute, Ji-hyuk.”

“Oh, what is that? Not as a man?”

“Hehehe, yes! At first, I also wondered if I liked you as a man.”

“Ah…”

“But it was clearly not that. I don’t think it’s a feeling felt as a man. But it’s so strange. I keep feeling an affection for you. It feels sorrowful too… I don’t know why.”

Hong Mi-ju stared at Ji-hyuk with a sorrowful gaze.

‘That’s because I am the grandson you loved most! Anyway, I find it amazing too, Grandmother! Right now, not a single drop of your blood flows in my body! So the saying that blood is thicker than water doesn’t even make sense, does it? But it’s so amazing that I feel such an emotion!’

“Oh, well… Isn’t it just because I look somewhat common?”

“Is that so? Your face is not a common face, Ji-hyuk.”

“Well, I do look a bit Western.”

Hehe, Kim Ji-hyuk scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

“Yes. You are very cute. Mmm… don’t misunderstand.”

“Yes? Ah, yes.”

“Lastly, I want to hold your hand once. Would that be okay?”

“Ugh! If Yun-seok sees that, he’ll try to kill me.”

“Hahaha, it’s fine. Dr. Yun-seok is not that kind of person. Just… actually I wanted to stroke your head once, but I can’t do that, can I? So I want to hold your hand once.”

‘You can hold it! I also wanted to hold Grandmother’s hand once!’

“Yes! Here it is.”

Ji-hyuk readily offered both hands to Hong Mi-ju.

“It’s warm! But… it’s really strange… Why do tears keep coming?”

Sniff—

Holding Ji-hyuk’s hands, Hong Mi-ju’s eyes turned red.

‘Ah… Grandmother!’

Ji-hyuk’s nose also tingled.

“Mi-ju, you must be healthy! Don’t skip meals. And take your medicine well… When the cold wind blows, avoid going out. Your joints…”

“Huh? G-Grandmother?”

“Hahaha, no, I mean when you become a grandmother later, watch your joints!”

“Hahaha, yes, yes! It feels exactly like a grandson worrying about his grandmother.”

‘What a relief, a huge relief, Grandmother!’

Clatter—

“Mi-ju! I have the car ready! I’ll take you home!”

At that moment, Yun-seok opened the door and entered.

“Yes! I was waiting for you, Dr. Yun-seok. By the way, you didn’t have to prepare a car…”

“What are you saying! You must not catch a cold wind yet! So I will take you to your house.”

“Haha, thank you, Dr. Yun-seok!”

“Yes. By the way, is there somewhere you don’t feel well? You look like you cried.”

Yun-seok checked Hong Mi-ju’s complexion.

“Ah, no. It’s nothing. I think some dust got in my eye.”

Hong Mi-ju wiped her tears with her sleeve.

“Oh dear! Hey! Kim Ji-hyuk! Mi-ju’s eye hurts, and you just stood by?”

Yun-seok snapped at Kim Ji-hyuk.

“Geez! If dust got in her eye, what exactly was I supposed to do?”

Kim Ji-hyuk grumbled.

“Is that so? Anyway, you are fine now, right?”

“Yes, yes. I’m completely fine.”

“Good! Then let’s go.”

“Yes.”

In that way, Hong Mi-ju completed her surgery and was discharged in a healthy state.

‘You two! Live happily for a long, long time!’

Kim Ji-hyuk stared at their backs with a sorrowful gaze for a long time.

* * *

November 12, 1953.

Finally, US Vice President Richard Nixon arrived in South Korea with a handwritten letter from President Eisenhower.