Ch. 58
Jong Seojun was taking care of a patient as usual today.
"..."
Although he might not look any different on the outside, Jong Seojun was in a mentally unstable state.
Cheon Myeong, who had come to see him a few days ago, that meeting had brought back memories that he had barely buried to the surface.
How much he had struggled to calm down the events of that time four years ago.
At that time, Jong Seojun had been in so much pain and hardship that he had not been able to take care of patients properly for about a year.
Of course, it was not as much as at that time, but still, it was inevitable that he could not concentrate properly.
"Your condition has improved a lot compared to before. You will be able to recover completely in a few days, so just focus on maintaining your stability as you are now."
Jong Seojun, who somehow maintained his concentration and finished taking the patient's pulse.
Then, the patient, not knowing what to do, bowed his head to Jong Seojun repeatedly to express his gratitude.
"Thank you! It's all thanks to you, Your Excellency."
This is the most rewarding moment as a doctor.
Perhaps the driving force that allowed him to stand firm in this position as a doctor even at this age was that one word of thanks from the patient.
But still, there seemed to be a bitterness in the smile on Jong Seojun's lips.
"Head."
As soon as he finished taking the pulse, a man approached Jong Seojun.
"A guest has come."
"..."
Hearing those words, the smile on Jong Seojun's lips immediately disappeared.
Although he wouldn't know if it were a normal day, Jong Seojun was not very pleased that a guest had come at this time.
'Could it be...'
He had surely warned him not to come to see him again before he had left the reception room at that time.
But could it be that he had come to see him again?
Although he had not yet heard who the guest was, Jong Seojun had a somewhat ominous feeling.
"...Who is it?"
Jong Seojun barely opened his mouth and asked.
And his two ears, which were concentrating on the man's voice.
In the tension, the man answered.
"It is the Head of the Finance Hall."
"...The Head of the Finance Hall?"
For now, Jong Seojun was relieved that it was not Cheon Myeong.
But the thought that immediately came to him, Jong Seojun could not understand why Hong Yeorin had come to see him.
'Why did that woman come to see me...'
It was very rare for Hong Yeorin to visit the Demonic Medical Hall herself.
Since she was a person who could call a doctor to where she was even if she was sick, come to think of it, it seemed that she had never come here herself.
For such a Hong Yeorin to suddenly come to the Demonic Medical Hall.
Although he had thought about the reason for a moment, nothing came to mind.
"...I will be there soon, so will you guide her to the reception room?"
Hong Yeorin was a guest who could not be ignored.
If he were to get on that woman's bad side, the finances of the Demonic Medical Hall might be cut in half in an instant.
Of course, since the Demonic Medical Hall was also a very important institution within the main headquarters, Hong Yeorin could not openly do that, but still, it would be better not to do anything that would get on the bad side of the real power within the main headquarters.
"I understand."
As Jong Seojun said that, the man bowed his head and immediately retreated.
And Jong Seojun, who was looking at his own attire.
Since he had been taking care of patients until now, the clothes he was wearing were quite dirty.
Since there was even blood on them, going to see Hong Yeorin wearing these clothes might be seen as a rude act, so it seemed better to change his clothes before going.
'Another guest after a few days...'
A succession of guests.
Perhaps because the guest was not a patient but a person who did not usually come, Jong Seojun was not very pleased with this situation either.
* * *
Jong Seojun changed into clean clothes and immediately headed to the reception room.
'Is this it?'
In front of the reception room where Hong Yeorin was waiting, Jong Seojun straightened his appearance for the last time before entering the room. And when he was done, he cautiously opened the door.
Creak-.
Just as he opened the door and was about to enter the room and greet Hong Yeorin, Jong Seojun discovered the person sitting next to Hong Yeorin and hesitated to bow his head.
'Cheon Myeong...?'
Why was that person sitting there?
He had clearly heard that the guest who had come was Hong Yeorin, but since there was another person, Jong Seojun couldn't help but be puzzled.
"..."
No, since Hong Yeorin was also sitting there, what he had heard was not wrong.
But Jong Seojun had not heard even a hint that Cheon Myeong had also come as a guest.
'I told him not to come again...'
If he had heard that Cheon Myeong was also there, he would not have come here.
As such thoughts filled his head, Jong Seojun could not rashly enter the room.
"Come in and sit down."
At that moment, Hong Yeorin said to Jong Seojun.
Although he wanted to get out of this place as soon as possible, it was already too late.
If only Cheon Myeong had been there, he would have thought of just leaving since he had already warned him, but turning his back without a word in front of Hong Yeorin was not something he wanted to do.
"..."
In the end, Jong Seojun entered the room. And he took a seat opposite where Cheon Myeong and Hong Yeorin were sitting.
Swish-.
As soon as he sat down, Jong Seojun looked at the side where Cheon Myeong was sitting.
A gaze that was by no means favorable.
As he thought that Cheon Myeong had used a trick to create this situation, his gaze couldn't help but become sharper.
"I didn't expect you to go this far."
"..."
"I don't know how you coaxed the Head of the Finance Hall, but to be honest, I'm not very pleased with this situation."
Jong Seojun immediately grasped the interests of the people sitting in this place.
From the moment he had heard that Hong Yeorin had come to see him, he had had a strange thought.
If there had been some work-related problem, Hong Yeorin would not have visited the Demonic Medical Hall but would have sent someone or would have summoned him to the Finance Hall herself.
The reason why Hong Yeorin had come to the Demonic Medical Hall was to create this situation. In other words, it meant that Hong Yeorin had not come to see him for personal business.
And the person who really had business with him would be the person who was meeting his eyes, Cheon Myeong.
"First of all, if you were offended by that, I will apologize."
Cheon Myeong said that and bowed his head slightly.
And Jong Seojun, who was watching him silently.
Cheon Myeong raised his head again and looked at Jong Seojun and said.
"But if I hadn't done this, you wouldn't have met me, Head."
"..."
"That's why I had no choice but to create a situation like this."
As Cheon Myeong had said, if it hadn't been for this method, he would not have met Cheon Myeong.
So although he could understand what Cheon Myeong was saying to some extent, that didn't mean that he could accept this situation pleasantly.
"So... what is your business with me?"
The fact that Cheon Myeong had used Hong Yeorin to create this situation meant that he had something to say to him.
Since a situation had been created in this way, Jong Seojun was planning to quickly hear only the main point and leave this place.
"After talking with you a few days ago, I have been looking into various things."
"..."
"So I have made a guess as to why you hate me, Head... but I don't know if my guess is correct."
As that story came out, Jong Seojun's expression began to harden.
However, Cheon Myeong did not stop talking.
"I heard that your son has Blood Death Disease."
Flinch-.
Blood Death Disease, as that word came out, Jong Seojun couldn't help but react sensitively.
Within the hall, no one had ever uttered the character for 'blood' of Blood Death Disease in front of Jong Seojun.
Someone had once accidentally said that word, and at that time, people had seen Jong Seojun so angry for the first time.
So after that, no one had ever mentioned the word Blood Death Disease in front of Jong Seojun, and even if it wasn't in front of him, they had tried to be as careful as possible with their words within the hall.
Tremble- tremble-.
But now, Cheon Myeong had broken that taboo.
Since it was this place, Jong Seojun was forcing himself to hold it in, but even now, his emotions were quite welling up.
That fact was quite palpable even on the outside, but Cheon Myeong, as if he were doing it on purpose, did not stop talking.
"Although there is no way to completely cure Blood Death Disease, I heard that there is one effective treatment within half a day after the symptoms appear."
"..."
"If it were you, Head, you would have been able to save your son with that treatment. But wasn't the reason you couldn't do that because of me?"
"Stop..."
"Because you were treating me, who was in a coma due to Qi Deviation, you missed the only time when treatment was possible... I thought so."
"Stop!"
Jong Seojun shouted and held his head with his two hands as if he were in pain.
Then, Cheon Myeong finally stopped talking and watched him.
It seemed that his guess was correct, looking at that reaction.
"Ugh..."
The memory of that time, which was still vivid now.
About four years ago, under Cheon Jin's orders, Jong Seojun had intensively taken care of Cheon Myeong, who had fallen into a coma due to Qi Deviation.
No matter how much Jong Seojun was called 'Healing Hand, Curing Words', it was a difficult task to return a patient who had fallen into Qi Deviation to normal, so Jong Seojun had been by Cheon Myeong's side for several days and nights.
But how could he have known at that time? That in the meantime, Jong Shingeon's Blood Death Disease would show its symptoms.
"Do you... do you know? The feeling of a parent who could not save their child even though they could have saved them!"
"..."
"From the moment I knew that my child had Blood Death Disease, I had been watching him carefully. But... I had been watching him like that for six years, but for such a thing to happen at a time when I could not do anything."
Because of Cheon Jin's orders, Jong Seojun could not leave Cheon Myeong's side for even a moment.
If Cheon Myeong had died then? For leaving for just that moment, not only Jong Seojun but the entire Demonic Medical Hall would not know what kind of reprimand they would receive.
Knowing that fact, the subordinates had also hidden that fact from Jong Seojun.
Because if he found out that something was wrong with Jong Shingeon's body, Jong Seojun would not be able to fully concentrate on Cheon Myeong's treatment.
In a way, it could be said that it was a selfish choice, but at that time, it couldn't be helped.
"And the person who provided that cause is you!"
"..."
"If you hadn't fallen into Qi Deviation... no, if it hadn't happened at that time..."
Jong Shingeon would not be living such an unhappy life now.
Just like children of his age, he could have played outside with his friends and lived a normal life.
But since he had to risk his life just by going outside, Jong Shingeon could not even take a single step out of his room as he pleased.
"The only place that child can go is a small room."
"..."
"He can't even meet people carelessly. That's why even I, his family, can't hug him carelessly."
If Jong Shingeon were to get sick because of him?
At that time, he would really not be able to live with the guilt.
Of course, even now, he always had a huge sense of guilt in his heart, but if such a situation occurred, it would be to the point where he could no longer hold it.
"..."
Jong Seojun belatedly realized that he had poured out rude words to Cheon Myeong.
This is why he had not wanted to meet Cheon Myeong.
Although he had vented his anger on Cheon Myeong in this way, he did not feel relieved at all. No, rather, his heart became more frustrated.
"...I also understand that it was not your intention, Young Master. But... still, I could not completely forgive you."
The title changed to 'Young Master', and at the same time, Jong Seojun said with a slightly calmer voice.
Then, as if he had been waiting for the right time, Cheon Myeong opened the mouth he had been keeping closed until now and said.
"Of course, I don't have a child, and I haven't experienced such a situation directly, so I can't completely understand your feelings, Head."
"..."
"But to think that I did such a thing to the person who saved me from the brink of death, even if it was not my intention, I will sincerely apologize."
Cheon Myeong said that and bowed his head so deeply that his forehead touched the table.
Although that appearance seemed quite calm, that didn't mean that Jong Seojun's heart was relieved.
"Raise your head... I did not intend to receive an apology from you, Young Master."
Rather, the person Cheon Myeong should apologize to would be his son, not him.
But even if Cheon Myeong apologized to his son, the current situation would not change.
In the first place, an apology itself is a meaningless action.
Swish-.
As Jong Seojun said that, Cheon Myeong raised the head he had been bowing.
"Now, I think I should tell you the reason why I have come here again."
"...?"
As Cheon Myeong said that after raising his head, Jong Seojun couldn't help but be puzzled.
Wasn't the reason why Cheon Myeong had come to see him to ask for his forgiveness?
Since Jong Seojun had been thinking in that way, he was about to get up from his seat.
"There is a way to treat it."
"...What is that."
"I know a way to treat Blood Death Disease."
Cheon Myeong said with a face that did not waver an inch.
(End of Chapter)