24ES | Chapter 6.2

“What’s this child’s name?”

“It’s Jung Areum.”

Looking through the glass walls of the resuscitation room, Yesung saw her parents crying, their hands pressed against the barrier. Though they couldn’t hear, it seemed they already understood the outcome from the doctors’ demeanor.

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“No, no! Areum! Areum, no!”

“Honey!”

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Turning away from the heart-wrenching sight, Yesung solemnly announced, “March 23, 20XX, 7:21 PM. Jung Areum, deceased.”

At his words, the nurses began disconnecting the medical equipment attached to the girl. The monitor went dark, and the relentless beeping ceased.

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As the team began cleanup, Professor Seok approached Yesung and patted his shoulder.

“Yes… Thank you for your hard work, Professor.”

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“Alright. See you next time, Dr. Han.”

Professor Seok, who had been steadily patting Yesung’s shoulder, gave it one final, firm squeeze before letting go. With him leading the way, Lee Siyeon, Jang Kihyun, and the other medical staff gradually filed out of the resuscitation room.

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“You can go first, Dr. Seong,” Yesung said.

“Huh? But still…”

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“Don’t you have other patients to see, Dr. Seong?”

“Oh, right… Yes, I do. Then… I’ll be heading out first as well!”

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Even Seong Yugang, who had been practically kicked out by Jung Hageon, was gone. Now, only Yesung and Jung Hageon remained, alongside Im Dowoon and a single nurse, left to clean up the aftermath.

After all the other medical staff had left, Yesung, who had been staring blankly for a while, called out to Im Dowoon.

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“…Dr. Im.”

“Y-yes, sir.” Im Dowoon quickly responded to the low call. Yesung spoke in a calm tone, issuing instructions.

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“Suture the large and small wounds on the child’s body carefully, clean the blood as thoroughly as possible, and… let the child and the guardian meet.”

“…Understood. I’ll do that. Thank you for your hard work, sir…”

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Im Dowoon couldn’t lift his deeply bowed head. It was clear he was struggling with the patient’s death. Yesung placed a hand on Im Dowoon’s shoulder to comfort him.

“You did well today, Dr. Im. Good job.”

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“…Thank you, sir.”

For someone still new to this, losing a patient was undoubtedly overwhelming. After all, Im Dowoon was just an intern. Even the death of an adult patient could be tough to accept, so losing a child was likely even more devastating. Im Dowoon’s lips trembled as he tried to suppress his tears, his expression filled with visible pain.

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Just as Professor Seok Hoon had once done for him, Yesung patted Im Dowoon’s shoulder firmly before releasing it. Then he left the resuscitation room without exchanging a single word with Jung Hageon.

Before the declaration of death, the patient’s guardian had been difficult to locate outside the resuscitation room. The last image of the child’s mother collapsing in despair replayed in Yesung’s mind.

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Professor Seok must have explained the situation to the child’s father in Yesung’s stead. There was no need to meet the guardians separately.

After scanning the area one last time, Yesung left the resuscitation room without hesitation, heading straight out of the emergency room and toward the hospital exit.

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It was spring, but the night breeze carried a coolness that brushed against his sweat-soaked hair and face. Familiar with the hospital’s layout, Yesung walked purposefully and entered another building. He climbed the stairs at a steady pace, his legs moving without pause, until he reached the top.

At the end of the staircase stood a thick metal door. Without hesitation, Yesung pushed it open. As the door creaked and swung wide, a sharp, cool breeze rushed in to greet him. He stepped into the wide-open rooftop space.

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As he moved further in, the heavy door behind him groaned shut with a loud clang.

Yesung walked slowly to the railing and looked down. The hospital building below radiated light into the darkness, illuminating the paths of people hurrying to and fro.

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A sigh escaped him as his lips parted involuntarily.

“Ha…”

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Exhaling deeply, he tilted his head back. The dark night sky filled his view completely.

“There’s no way…”

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He muttered self-deprecatingly, staring at the artificial satellites twinkling faintly in the urban night sky. His hand fumbled into his pocket, retrieving a cigarette pack. With practiced ease, he flipped open the lid and pulled out a cigarette, the slim white stick resembling the stem of a lollipop. He rolled it between his fingers before placing it between his lips.

Shielding the cigarette from the wind with his hand, he lit it, the flame flickering momentarily before the end glowed red.

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Ssshh… Whoo.

The acrid smoke filled his lungs, its sharpness both familiar and soothing. A thin wisp of smoke curled out from his lips, dispersing like a mirage. Instead of the bustling world below, Yesung’s gaze stayed fixed on the dark, silent sky above. He took another long drag from the cigarette.

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The rooftop he had chosen was part of the hospital annex, which housed facilities for employee recreation. However, few visited the space due to the demanding schedules of hospital staff. The quiet atmosphere made it an ideal place to steal a moment of solitude. Although the annex was a bit far from the main building, the seclusion it offered made the effort worthwhile. It was one of the few places where Yesung could smoke without worrying about being seen.

He exhaled a long breath of smoke, his mind wandering to Minwook, the young patient from earlier in the day.

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“Minwook was 14… Areum was 13.”

Just one year apart. Both had come to the hospital in critical condition, but while one survived, the other became a star in the sky.

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Witnessing the death of a patient had never gotten easier, not even during his intern years. Yesung remembered thinking back then that it would get better with time. As an intern, resident, and now a fellow, he thought he would eventually adjust. But even as a full-fledged specialist, it was still just as hard, still just as painful.

The only difference was the gradual dulling of the pain over time.

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“Back then, I couldn’t even deliver the death pronouncement properly…”

Although it was still difficult, it didn’t hurt as acutely as it once had. It no longer made his chest feel like it was being crushed, nor did it bring him to tears. Instead, the emotions were soothed by something as small as a single cigarette.

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Now, he could move on to the next patient without hesitation. The thought brought a wry smile to his lips. The faint gray smoke rising from his cigarette blended into the black expanse of the night.

Then came a sound.

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Click… Creak…

The heavy metal door behind him opened. Startled, Yesung quickly hid his cigarette. While the annex rooftop was rarely used, it wasn’t completely off-limits. Occasionally, even patients or their guardians would wander up after hearing rumors about its quietness.

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Though Yesung didn’t mind other medical staff catching him smoking, being seen by patients or guardians was a different matter—especially considering the expectations placed on a pediatric surgeon.

As he turned to hide the cigarette, the door swung fully open, revealing the unexpected visitor. Yesung’s dark eyes widened as his brows furrowed sharply.

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It was him again.

Jung Hageon.

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What was Jung Hageon doing here, on this rarely used rooftop? And why now, of all times?

“…Did you follow me?”

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The answer was obvious if he thought about it. Jung Hageon must have tailed him from the emergency room. That was exactly the kind of thing Jung Hageon would do.

When Yesung asked in disbelief, Jung Hageon met his gaze evenly.

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“…Yes.” This time, he didn’t even bother denying it. After a brief pause, he gave a straightforward answer. Yesung’s frown deepened.

“Why?”

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“I saw you heading this way.”

Jung Hageon began walking toward him, his steps unhurried. Yesung matched his pace by turning away slightly, still trying to keep the cigarette hidden, and let out a laugh full of disbelief.

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“Are you my shadow or something? Don’t you have anything else to do? Why do you keep following me?”

“……”

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“Earlier too. You didn’t need to come to the CS side; Dr. Seong could’ve handled it alone. But you showed up anyway, didn’t you? And when I walked off without saying much, couldn’t you have just thought, ‘Oh, he must want to be alone,’ and left me be?”

Like a stray dog unable to leave its owner’s side, must he follow so persistently?

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Jung Hageon, who had remained silent until then, nodded his head.

“Yes. You’re right. I didn’t think that. When I saw your back as you walked away, all I could think was, ‘I need to follow him.’”

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Not only did he confirm all of Yesung’s accusations, but he also gave an answer so brazen it left Yesung momentarily speechless. He let out something between a laugh and a sigh, looking away first. Yet Jung Hageon’s gaze remained fixed on him, unrelenting.

“…Why?”

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The stare was so intense it felt like it could pierce through the side of his face. Unable to endure it, Yesung turned back to face Jung Hageon, who, as if he’d been waiting, slowly closed his eyes and opened them again.

“…Sunbae, do you smoke?”

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At the unexpected question, Yesung flinched. How did he know…? When Yesung’s eyes widened in shock, Jung Hageon let out a soft sigh.

“Sunbae, you seem to have so many secrets, but you’re so sloppy about them that I can’t help but wonder how you’ve managed to keep them hidden all this time.”

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“What are you even talking about?”

Yesung muttered, frowning at the cryptic comment. Jung Hageon then gestured with his chin toward something behind Yesung. Following his gaze, Yesung let out a muted groan.

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“…Ah.”

Damn it. He realized it too late. He’d been so startled by the sudden noise of someone entering the rooftop that he’d only focused on hiding the cigarette, forgetting to stomp it out.

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The cigarette, still burning at the tip, released faint smoke into the cool air. Half the stick had burned away even though he’d barely taken a few puffs.

Biting his lip in frustration, Yesung turned back to face Jung Hageon. Why… why was it always Jung Hageon? Why was it always him who discovered these things about him—things no one else had ever known?

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Yesung’s gaze faltered, betraying his unease. Seeing this, Jung Hageon reassured him.

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.”

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