24ES | Chapter 3.2

As Yesung reassured the worried mother, Dowoon returned with the supplies.

“Ma’am, we’ll need to lay Beomjun on the bed. Hold him firmly so he doesn’t move.”

“Okay, Beomjun, let’s lie down on the bed, sweetie.”

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While the mother settled Beomjun on the bed, Yesung donned latex gloves and sat on a stool. He approached the boy with the saline bottle in hand, but before he could even begin, Beomjun started wailing and squirming violently.

“Ma’am, please hold his arms and legs firmly.”

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This was expected. Yesung calmly instructed the mother and quickly cleaned and disinfected the wound despite the boy’s resistance. After securing a sterile gauze over the area, he removed his gloves and excused himself to make a call.

“Yes, what’s up, Dr. Han?”

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“It’s a 4-year-old boy with a laceration. He hit his head on a desk while playing at daycare. The wound is deep, so I’ve cleaned and disinfected it, but I need you to suture it under sedation.”

“Me? Isn’t this something our first-year resident can handle?”

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“He’s the only child of three generations.”

“Ah… Got it. I’ll come down myself.”

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The mention of a “treasured child” carried significant weight. With a sigh that conveyed a mix of resignation and understanding, Yeon Eunhyeok, the plastic surgery fellow, agreed to come down.

Pocketing his phone, Yesung returned to the bed. The boy had stopped crying and was happily licking the lollipop. All the guardians turned their gazes toward him as he approached.

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“The plastic surgery fellow will be here shortly. He’ll suture the wound under sedation. Afterward, I’ll double-check the CT scan and follow up with you.”

“Thank you so much, Doctor.”

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“Thanks for taking care of our boy!”

“Thank you, Doctor! We’re so grateful!”

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As the guardians showered him with gratitude, Yesung maintained a polite smile. However, he decided to broach an important topic.

“I understand you wanted a pediatric specialist for Beomjun’s care, but even without waiting for me, other doctors here are fully capable of treating injuries like this. If another doctor had treated him right away, Beomjun wouldn’t have had to wait so long, cry so much, or feel as much pain.”

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His tone was gentle, ensuring his words didn’t upset the guardians while making his point. Judging by their subdued expressions, his message got through.

Just as Yesung thought the conversation had wrapped up, Yeon Eunhyeok arrived, his voice breaking the tension.

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“Yo, Dr. Han.”

“Yeah, Dr. Yeon. You’re here? This is the boy, Ahn Beomjun.”

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Yesung waved at Yeon Eunhyeok, then guided him to the patient. Placing a hand on Eunhyeok’s shoulder, Yesung leaned in to whisper.

“Make sure to suture it carefully so there won’t be a scar. I’m counting on you.”

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“Yes, yes~ No need to remind me again. I’ll take good care of it, Dr. Han, so don’t worry. You said the CT is already done? Suturing will take a while, so if you have other patients to see, go ahead. Or take a quick break if you can.”

“Thanks. Let’s grab a meal with Kang Baek-o sometime soon. My treat.”

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Yeon Eunhyeok brightened, surprised by the suggestion. He had been a college friend of Yesung thanks to their mutual connection with Kang Baek-o. Unlike others who approached with ulterior motives, Eunhyeok was genuine, much like Baek-o himself. This authenticity had allowed Yesung to form easy friendships with Baek-o’s circle.

Hearing the genuine invitation, Eunhyeok paused while pulling on his gloves, his eyes widening in delight.

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“Oh~ Really? You’re serious, right? No take-backs! Wow, when was the last time I ate with Han Yesung? And hospital food doesn’t count. I want something expensive and delicious!”

Yesung chuckled softly at how much Eunhyeok resembled Baek-o with his cheeky demeanor.

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“Sure. Oh, and I’ll take Dr. Im with me.”

Grabbing Im Dowoon by the arm, Yesung called over a passing nurse.

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“Yes, Doctor?”

“Dr. Yeon will be suturing the patient. Could you assist him?”

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“Of course.”

“See you later, Dr. Yeon.”

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Waving at Eunhyeok and nodding to the guardians, Yesung led Dowoon to a quieter corner of the emergency room, away from the busy traffic of staff and patients. Once there, Dowoon stood nervously, clasping his hands and bowing deeply.

Yesung, massaging the back of his stiff neck, regarded him with mild amusement.

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“Dr. Im.”

“Yes, Doctor!”

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“Dealing with pediatric guardians can be a bit challenging, right?”

“Sorry… Wait, huh?”

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Dowoon had reflexively started to apologize but froze, startled by the unexpected question. Yesung let out a small laugh.

“Why? Did you think I pulled you aside to scold you?”

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“Um… yes? No! Not at all!”

Dowoon’s face betrayed his flustered honesty. It wasn’t unusual; most juniors assumed the worst when summoned by a senior, especially as an intern. Yesung had experienced it himself during his early years.

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“I didn’t call you over to scold you. I wanted to praise you. You handled the guardians well, even when they insisted on having a pediatric surgeon. You made the right call by proceeding with the basic tests first.”

Dealing with pediatric patients wasn’t inherently difficult; the real challenge often came from their guardians. In this case, Dowoon couldn’t be blamed. With such insistent and numerous guardians, calling in another department was nearly impossible.

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If Dowoon had been less capable, he might have panicked and done nothing, overwhelmed by the parents’ demands. Instead, he had taken proactive steps to address the situation.

Yesung valued that. He had noticed Dowoon’s quick thinking before, during Seungchae’s case, and it was rare to find such a sharp and intuitive intern. Gently patting Dowoon’s shoulder, Yesung offered an encouraging smile.

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“Thank you, Doctor! I’ll work even harder!”

“Good. I hope so. By the way, Dr. Im?”

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“Yes?”

“Which department are you rotating through next?”

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“Uh, oh! Surgery!”

Caught off guard, Dowoon answered honestly, not realizing how informal their dynamic had become. Yesung’s lips curled into a knowing smile.

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“Really? Then we’ll see each other more often.”

“Yes! I look forward to it—”

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“And while we’re at it, have you thought about pursuing pediatric surgery?”

It was a perfectly laid trap. At the unexpected suggestion, Dowoon’s eyes widened in shock.

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“Th-thank you, Doctor! I’ll think about it!”

“Good. Think seriously about it. Got it? Pediatric surgery’s a great field.”

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Dowoon nodded hesitantly, clearly overwhelmed. Yesung sealed the deal by handing him an expensive chocolate he always kept for moments like these. With his “recruitment pitch” done, he sent Dowoon off and returned to the ER station, where Kang Baek-o greeted him with a grin.

“Yo, Sung!”

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That nickname. It was thanks to Baek-o that the entire hospital had adopted it, finding endless amusement in how it suited Yesung.

Giving Baek-o a sharp glare, Yesung walked over, making the latter feign a shiver.

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“What’s this? Did I do something wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing. I’m not.”

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Baek-o narrowed his eyes, suspicious but soon brushed it off.

“Anyway, that intern, Dowoon, the one running around like crazy earlier—he was dealing with the patient you just saw, right?”

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“Yeah, that was him. You’re lucky to have such a capable intern.”

“Lucky? Nah, what good does that do me? He’s not in EM. Next month, he moves to another department. If he were switching with one of my residents, maybe. But surgery’s mandatory, so there’s no way.”

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“Wow, Kang Baek-o. You’ve changed.”

Baek-o blinked, confused by Yesung’s impressed tone.

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“Huh? What?”

“You used to say, ‘A promising tree shows its worth from the seedling.’ You even scouted Baek Euijun, now a third-year resident in EM, when he was just an intern.”

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Whether EM no longer needed more people or Baek-o had softened his stance, Yesung couldn’t tell. Judging by Baek-o’s bewildered expression, it seemed neither.

Baek-o’s eyes gradually widened in realization before he blurted, “Wait… Don’t tell me…”

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His expression made it crystal clear what he was implying, and Yesung bit back a smile.

“Good to know you’re already aware Dr. Im’s rotation next month is surgery. If you don’t want to lose him, you’d better step up. Though it might already be too late.”

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“Wow… Han Yesung, you… I didn’t see this coming. Wow… while I’ve been too busy to even think about it, you’ve been working behind the scenes like this…”

Baek-o’s exaggerated frustration didn’t faze Yesung, who merely smiled wider. Baek-o stomped a foot in mock irritation before glancing toward Beomjun’s guardians lingering near the bed. His annoyance slowly faded.

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“By the way… I saw earlier—does that kid really have his mom, dad, and both grandparents here? The whole family came?”

“Yeah. He’s the only child in three generations.”

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“Wow.”

The astonished gasp didn’t come from Baek-o. Yesung wasn’t surprised—cases like this were common in pediatric surgery—and Baek-o had long outgrown being shocked by such things.

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Both men turned toward the voice, finding a first-year EM resident nearby who had apparently overheard their conversation. Embarrassed, she gave an apologetic bow.

“Sorry… I overheard without meaning to.”

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“It’s fine. We weren’t exactly whispering. Surprised, huh?”

“Uh… yeah, a little…”

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Her reaction wasn’t unusual. To someone unaccustomed to pediatrics, the idea of an entire family dropping everything for one child’s ER visit could seem excessive. She hesitated before opting for an awkwardly noncommittal agreement.

Yesung glanced at her briefly before redirecting his focus. Beomjun was still mid-suturing, and it seemed like a good time to review the CT results. Straightening up, he prepared to leave when Baek-o suddenly raised his voice.

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“Ah! Right, Sung!”

Yesung flinched at the loud call.

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Baek-o, do you have to yell like that…?

If he had more to say, he could just ask quietly instead of making such a scene. It felt like a petty retaliation for how Yesung had dealt with Im Dowoon earlier.

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Normally, Yesung would have snapped back, but he knew Baek-o only pulled these stunts because he wouldn’t escalate in front of others. Narrowing his eyes, Yesung glared at him.

“If you’ve got something to ask, just say it normally. My ears are fine, thanks.”

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Though he tried to stay calm, a hint of irritation seeped into his tone. Baek-o, grinning at his reaction, slung an arm around his shoulders, leaning in conspiratorially.

“So, about that thing I wanted to ask…”

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“What is it?”

“You and Dr. Jung left early that night, didn’t you? Just the two of you?”

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As expected, Baek-o’s voice dropped to a whisper, conscious of the EM resident still nearby.

Yesung froze momentarily, his reaction triggered by two key words: that night and Dr. Jung.

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“Senior, are you… gay?”

Jung Hageon’s quiet words and the mess of unresolved issues he had been avoiding suddenly resurfaced, making his chest tighten. Suppressing his unease, Yesung composed himself.

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“No, I didn’t.”

He genuinely didn’t know if Jung Hageon had gone home or not; he’d left abruptly, taking a taxi in his flustered state.

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His straightforward answer made Baek-o look skeptical.

“Really? That’s weird… I mean, right after you left, Dr. Jung took your coat and phone and walked out. I figured you two went straight home together.”

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Listening to Baek-o’s rambling guesswork, Yesung picked up on one key detail: Jung Hageon hadn’t returned to the bar after leaving.

He felt a slight relief—at least Jung hadn’t spread rumors. Dropping his shoulders slightly, Yesung sighed, only for Baek-o to close the distance even more.

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“Seriously, though? You’re not lying?”

“Yeah, I’m not.”

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Was Baek-o always this suspicious? Normally, he’d just let things go. His persistent questioning was unlike him, and Yesung frowned, growing exasperated.

“What, did you two go for a second round without us? Just the two of you?”

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“Of course not. I grabbed my coat and phone and went straight home. I have no idea what Dr. Jung did after that.”

“Wait… you’re serious?”

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Yesung, already tired of anything involving Jung Hageon, snapped back irritably. Baek-o’s eyes widened as he pointed an accusing finger at Yesung.

But before Yesung could retort, he noticed something behind Baek-o—Jung Hageon, stepping out from behind a curtain near the beds.

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Their eyes met.

Yesung froze, his expression betraying pure shock at the unexpected appearance of the very person they were discussing.

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“What’s wrong?” Baek-o asked, confused by Yesung’s reaction.

“Why is he here…”

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Turning to follow Yesung’s gaze, Baek-o spotted Jung Hageon and immediately pieced it together.

“Oh, it’s Dr. Jung.”

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“Sunbae.”

Jung’s voice was deep and directed entirely at Yesung, his gaze unwavering.

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“Baek-o, I’m leaving first. Send me Beomjun’s CT results later, okay? I’m counting on you.”

Panic rising, Yesung clapped Baek-o’s shoulder and bolted before Jung could close the distance.

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“Wait, what? Sung! Where are you going?!”

Baek-o’s incredulous shout echoed behind him, but Yesung ignored it completely, not daring to look back. He fled the ER, heading straight to the third floor of the pediatric ward.

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