Chapter 10
…What is this?
Why is my heart pounding like crazy?
Is the alcohol hitting me late?
“If that’s what you want, go back to Korea first.”
The low murmur wasn’t the answer Yeonwoo had expected.
“…What? You want me to go back to Korea?”
She asked again, clearly disappointed, and he nodded.
“No, I mean… I want to stay here with Dr. Beom…”
“You can do the kind of medicine you want to do in our country too.”
With his confident tone, Yeonwoo fell silent.
If she was with Dr. Beom, she could go anywhere.
But as far as she knew, there was no such place in Korea.
“Where exactly is this place?”
Ears perked, Yeonwoo stared directly at Sajun’s lips.
“Cheongbong.”
Cheongbong? Where on earth is that?
She tried to recall but nothing came to mind.
“…Did you say Cheongbong?”
Surely he wasn’t joking with his friend’s younger sister?
Yeonwoo watched his utterly serious expression and quietly repeated “Cheongbong” under her breath.
“Cheongbong Sarang Hospital. Located in Cheongchun-ri, Cheongbong-myeon.”
If the internet worked well, she’d have looked it up on the spot.
“Go there first and start working. The ER there will be just as fulfilling as here. I’ll return to work as soon as this mission ends.”
“So… there really is such a place? And you’ll be back soon?”
Yeonwoo’s lips spread into a wide grin without her realizing it.
Cheongbong Sarang Hospital, a place she’d never even confirmed existed, began to take form vividly in her mind.
“Yes. It’s a place where you can do the kind of medicine you dream of. You won’t be bound by hierarchy. You can devote yourself completely to the patients.”
He spoke as if he knew exactly why Yeonwoo had come to Africa.
Looking at the ever-perceptive man, Yeonwoo tried to calm her pounding heart.
“With Dr. Beom…”
He responded firmly.
“Yeah. What more do you need to hear?”
Follow me, and you shall find the light.
That’s exactly what he seemed to be saying.
“Yeonwoo, come here.”
It was the first time he’d called her by name.
“Anyway, Dr. Beom is like a fox disguised as a tiger. Don’t underestimate him.”
Seyoung’s words briefly flashed through her mind, but Yeonwoo stood up, as if enchanted, and walked over to him.
He gently wrapped an arm around her shoulder and threw open the door of Tukool.
Thousands of stars sparkled in the night sky that had now fallen.
“The night sky there is just as beautiful as it is here.”
Yeonwoo blankly gazed up at the sky.
As beautiful as here?
A place where she could focus solely on her patients?
Was this utopia really Cheongbong?
And she could be there with Dr. Beom?
“I’ll teach you. Just trust me and follow.”
An almost fanatical faith in him began to boil within Yeonwoo, as if she’d been swept up in a cult.
“Yes. I will.”
Yeonwoo answered, dazed.
“Good girl.”
His hand gently ruffled her hair with an affectionate touch, as if she was precious.
The pressure in her chest burst open, and a bright smile bloomed on Yeonwoo’s face.
Yes. If it was with Dr. Beom, she could go anywhere—Cheongbong or even Cheongsan.
Even if it meant enduring one more of Segwon’s filthy favors, she’d go—no matter her family’s opposition.
“We should hold a farewell party.”
Farewell party.
Just the sound of it made her eyes sting.
But it would only be a short goodbye.
Yeonwoo had no doubt they would reunite soon.
Back then, she truly believed it.
Seven Months Later
Yeonwoo stepped out through the blue gate and rode her bicycle toward the hospital.
As always, the pungent scent of manure assaulted her nose.
Not that this was her first or second time.
Yeonwoo pedaled harder, trying to think of it as the smell of flowers.
Ring-ring. Ring-ring.
The familiar chime of a text.
Probably a morning greeting from her dad, worried about his daughter who’d left Seoul for the countryside.
Thanks to one last disgusting favor for Segwon—pretending to be his girlfriend—she’d managed to arrive safely.
She was now in Cheongchun-ri, Cheongbong-myeon, about three hours away from Seoul.
After returning to Korea last year from overseas medical volunteer work, Yeonwoo spent the remaining time in Seoul wrapping up her life there and moved to Cheongbong in January.
At first, the peaceful, quiet countryside felt unfamiliar and awkward compared to Seoul, but after five months, she actually found it more comfortable.
Or at least, she was trying to convince herself it was.
In truth, a half-madwoman lived in Yeonwoo’s heart, going through each day with the patience of a monk.
That jerk.
She cursed Beom Sajun once again as she pushed her pedals harder.
Then something familiar appeared in her view.
Between the deep green rice paddies, a figure walked determinedly with crutches.
A man cloaked in all black from head to toe—identity unknown.
Though she hadn’t seen his face clearly, he’d recently moved into the house next door.
In a rural village where young men were rare, a man radiating suspicious vibes living next door naturally made her cautious.
Ding-ding. Ding-ding.
Yeonwoo quickly passed him, ringing her bicycle bell.
[Always be careful of men.]
Her family motto suddenly came to mind.
Feeling as if someone was stabbing her in the back with their eyes, Yeonwoo sped up.
The beginning of June.
A warm breeze brushed gently past her cheeks.
Her loosely tied hair tickled her face and made it hard to see.
In the fields where rice had been planted, young sprouts were growing.
The village elders, who had been worried about the drought and whether the roots would take hold, might feel reassured today.
The sky beyond the mountains had been full of fluffy clouds since morning.
Yang Yeo-sa, walking from the opposite side, greeted her.
She was the landlady of the house Yeonwoo rented.
According to the village chief, Yang Yeo-sa was one of the most influential people in Cheongbong, though her true background was unclear.
Sometimes, she even came to help out in the Cheongbong Sarang Hospital cafeteria where Yeonwoo worked.
“Hello, ma’am! Are you heading to the garden again today?”
Yeonwoo slowed down and greeted her cheerfully. Yang Yeo-sa paused for a moment.
“Yes, and you’re heading to work?”
She smiled warmly as she massaged her back, making Yeonwoo smile too.
Screech.
Yeonwoo brought her bicycle to a complete stop.
“Is everything okay with the house?”
“Perfect. I love it.”
How could there be any problems?
Thanks to Yang Yeo-sa tending the vegetable garden and even the yard, Yeonwoo had little to do around the house.
“That’s a relief. So, how’s work?”
“It’s going well.”
“The village elders can’t stop praising you. They’re all so happy a competent doctor moved in.”
“Really?”
Yeonwoo’s lips twitched with pride.
“Of course. Remember that old man Bae’s son? The one who nearly died in a motorcycle crash? He survived thanks to Dr. Ryu, they say.”
“No, I didn’t do it alone.”
The orthopedic chief who was dragged out of bed played a huge part.
If she’d been alone, the surgery wouldn’t have succeeded.
“Pretty face, kind personality. Whoever ends up with you has hit the jackpot.”
“Thank you. I’ll get going now.”
“Alright. Look at me holding up someone on their way to work. I’ll be picking lettuce and peppers from the garden later. I’ll hang them by your door.”
“Thank you, always. Next time I’m off, let me help out too.”
“It’s no trouble. Go on now.”
“Take care of your back!”
Yeonwoo pedaled forward again.
The stench of manure passed, replaced by a fragrant floral scent from somewhere.
The season of lush greenery deepening—Yeonwoo’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the small red-brick, three-story building in the distance.
When she first saw the cozy hospital, it felt unfamiliar and awkward, but now it felt like home.
Though it was less than a quarter the size of the hospital she used to work at, it was the only place in Cheongbong capable of performing surgeries.
Though she’d been tricked—almost as if possessed—into leaving one of Seoul’s top five hospitals, she had no regrets.
Except…
She was still annoyed at someone who hadn’t shown up once.
“You can do the kind of medicine you want to do in our country too.”
Just as Dr. Beom had said, Yeonwoo was indeed doing the kind of medicine she wanted here.
With renewed energy, she pedaled toward the hospital.
