KIBM Ch 2

[Cloud Clinic]

Bosung looked up at the faded sign.

Director Kang Daeun’s words came to mind.

“It’ll be boring, but it’ll be quiet.”

It was a statement artfully blending truth and falsehood.

The small, shabby hospital, bearing the name “clinic,” might be boring, but it didn’t seem likely to be quiet.

The director of Cloud Clinic was someone Bosung knew. He was by no means a quiet person.

Bosung stepped inside the low wall surrounding Cloud Clinic. However, he stopped, noticing a shadow following him.

He glanced behind him.

The woman from the bus had been following him the whole time.

Under Bosung’s wary gaze, the woman flinched and waved her hands.

“Oh, I’m not following you, so don’t worry about it.”

As if Bosung wouldn’t notice what she was holding in her arms. It would be stranger not to be concerned.

Bosung shoved his hands into his pockets, a skeptical look on his face. Just as he was about to say something, the door to Cloud Clinic opened. A man around Bosung’s age walked out.

A name tag was pinned to the chest of the man in the impeccably white coat.

Doctor Kwak Giwoo.

“Ms. Songju!”

Giwoo called out the woman’s name and brushed past Bosung.

Then he asked in a friendly tone,

“Where are you going without a car?”

The woman pointed to the white cloth she was holding.

“The one I released last month got hurt again.”

Giwoo fearlessly lifted the cloth.

“A regular customer, I see.”

As if the bland joke were funny, Giwoo and the woman laughed, facing each other.

“I got a call and went to pick him up, but he suddenly escaped.”

“You didn’t put him in a cage?”

“I put him in a box, but after being trapped a few times, I guess he learned his lesson. He somehow got out and spread his wings inside the car, flying around.”

The woman flapped her arms, imitating flight.

“I was so startled I crashed into the ditch, bang!”

Giwoo put on a surprised expression and uttered a concern that was hard to discern as genuine or not.

Whether they were dating or something, the two of them were laughing and chatting happily.

It was utterly childish.

Bosung didn’t want to pay any more attention.

Taking two steps up the low stairs at once, Bosung pushed open the door and entered Cloud Clinic.

Whoosh—

Despite being peak hours, there were no doctors or patients in sight. Furthermore, instead of the distinctive hospital smell, a strong scent of wood filled the air.

In short, it didn’t feel like a hospital.

An old wooden floor and a waiting room resembling a rural teahouse.

The only thing on the information desk labeled “Reception” was a bowl of peppermint candies.

Bosung stood still, scanning the hospital. From left to right, top to bottom.

“What kind of hospital is this?”

A reply followed his muttered words.

“It’s the countryside.”

Turning around, Bosung saw Doctor Kwak Giwoo, whom he had just encountered, standing there.

Giwoo walked towards him and stopped in front of him.

“I heard you were coming. I’m Kwak Giwoo, working here.”

Giwoo extended his hand first. Bosung took his hand with a dubious expression.

“I’m Cheon Bosung.”

Giwoo’s wrist glittered.

He was wearing a luxury watch that anyone would recognize, and the lenses of his glasses reflected the light. They were so spotless that Bosung almost mistook them for lenses without frames.

After releasing his hand, Bosung spoke again.

“Where is Director Heo Junhee?”

This was Bosung’s reason for being here.

The director of Cloud Clinic, Heo Junhee, was a senior of Director Kang Daeun of the plastic surgery clinic, and someone Bosung had met during his residency.

“Director Heo won’t be in today.”

“Is it his day off?”

Giwoo averted his gaze.

He couldn’t say that the director was playing hooky, even if it were true.

Giwoo pointed to a secluded room.

“That’s Dr. Cheon’s room.”

Dr. Cheon?

He was a bit too informal from their first meeting.

“I heard we’re the same age. So, let’s be friendly…”

Whizz—

“…okay?”

Bosung walked right past Giwoo.

Giwoo adjusted his glasses, looking embarrassed.

“What a personality.”

Just as expected.

Giwoo had already done his research on Bosung.

A specialist from S University’s medical school. A plastic surgeon who was quite famous as a hired doctor in Cheongdam.

And, recently, the unpleasant incident involving surgery on a minor.

Putting it all together, Giwoo’s assessment was this:

In short, someone who chose the medical profession not to heal people, but to make money. Someone who, blinded by money, performed surgeries indiscriminately and ended up tripping over his own greed.

So, is this place supposed to be a refuge?

Seeing Bosung walk off to his room so coldly, it seemed like even less than a refuge.

“Doctor.”

Giwoo snapped out of his thoughts at the sound coming from behind him.

He turned to see an elderly woman entering with a cane. A regular at Cloud Clinic.

“Are you here for your blood pressure medication?”

“Yes.”

Giwoo quietly watched the woman’s labored steps.

“Is it manageable to walk?”

“It’s manageable, but…”

The woman lifted her left arm.

“This bulge under my armpit. It keeps getting bigger, and it’s so uncomfortable to walk. Can anything be done?”

“I told you last time. You need to have surgery at a larger hospital.”

The woman spoke in a barely audible voice.

“Larger hospitals are expensive.”

But Giwoo seemed not to hear her.

“You need to keep walking, even if it’s uncomfortable. Understand? Follow me. I’ll prescribe your blood pressure medication.”

Giwoo led the way.

Meanwhile, Bosung entered the examination room and took in the humble interior.

It was about half the size of the examination room he used in Seoul. Not only was it small, but the old desk, chair, and faded curtains were the worst.

“…Sigh.”

As another sigh escaped his lips, his phone vibrated. It was a message from Director Heo Junhee of Cloud Clinic.

[Heard you arrived? I don’t think I can make it in today. What should we do?]

Director Heo sent him an address along with a message saying they should greet each other tomorrow.

[This is where you’ll stay while you’re here. The passcode is 0707. Get some rest early today, and I’ll see you tomorrow.]

His indifferent tone was the same as always.

“You’d think he’d change a bit.”

Muttering to himself, Bosung searched the address.

Fortunately, it was only a 30-minute walk. Bosung could get there even without a car.

He grabbed his bag and strode out of the musty clinic.

˚⊹🩺₊˚⊹♡

“That thing’s back again?”

Jiyu, Songju’s colleague and friend, took the owl.

Only then did Songju brush off her clothes. Her shirt was a mess, covered in dust and feathers. Jiyu grumbled.

“Could you do that outside? Please?”

Jiyu shook her head, sighing.

“Do I look that bad?”

“You have no idea.”

Judging by Jiyu’s expression, he must have looked awful.

“Should I wash up?”

“Yes. Quickly.”

Yes. First and foremost, Bosung wanted to get out of his damp sneakers.

Songju went into the changing room and took off her shoes and socks. Come to think of it, the hems of her pants were a mess too.

It had been a shallow ditch. Her assumption that, at worst, the soles of her shoes would get a little wet, had been very, very wrong. Not only were her shoes soaked, but muddy water had splashed up, dirtying her pants as well.

She quickly gathered her clothes and headed for the shower.

Her jaw dropped when she saw her reflection in the mirror.

“Seriously, words fail me, Yoon Songju.”

Songju currently works as a veterinarian at a wildlife rescue center. She had become a veterinarian, her childhood dream, and was now rescuing wildlife, just as she had always wanted. In short, she had achieved her dream.

It had only been a year since she transferred here from an animal hospital, but with her characteristic friendliness and bright personality, she got along well with everyone, not only at the wildlife rescue center, but also with the villagers.

Songju untied her messy ponytail.

Her long, loose hair, her eyebrows, and her hazel eyes sparkled under the light. All the colors were the same tone, as if coordinated. Overall, she had an intelligent and gentle impression.

Whoosh

The water streamed down Songju’s body.

As the dirt and grime washed away, the icy stare directed at her flashed through her mind.

She’d been holding an owl, looking like that.

“No wonder he cursed.”

A wry smile escaped her lips as she imagined how she must have appeared to the man.

‘…Ugh! Shit!’

It had been a pretty human reaction.

“He looked so cold, too.”

The image of the ice-cold man, startled into cursing, lingered vividly in her mind.

Now that she thought about it, the man had also taken a small step back.

Chuckle.

Amusement mingled with guilt at having startled the man.

“But who was he?”

She was suddenly curious.

Who was this man who didn’t seem to belong in this village, and why was he here?

˚⊹🩺₊˚⊹♡

Cloud Road, Number 7.

Bosung confirmed the address and finally looked around. A few small houses lined the narrow alley, barely wide enough for a single car. It wasn’t close to downtown, nor were there any convenient amenities. There wasn’t even a school.

All Bosung had seen on his walk here were a few dilapidated houses and an old church.

It wasn’t a suitable place for the elderly to live, nor for children. It was too bleak for a newlywed couple, too. Unless it was absolutely necessary for work, it wasn’t a neighborhood anyone would choose to live in.

Some of the sparsely scattered houses exuded warmth, while others emanated a chilling coldness.

Behind the house, a mountain, taller than a hill, stood starkly.

Bosung opened the low gate and entered.

Weeds choked the small yard. Still, it seemed adequate for a two or three-month stay.

He closed the gate and climbed the stone steps.

‘It’s the house the community center assigned me last year. But it wasn’t my style, so I moved out.’

Director Heo’s words.

He was a native of this village and ran a clinic here. That didn’t mean he fit in with the village, though. He didn’t seem particularly attached to his hometown. In Bosung’s memory, he preferred Western food to Korean, hotel vacations to camping, and high-rise apartments to houses.

Now that Bosung listed them out, it was a little puzzling that he had been born and raised here in the countryside and still lived here.

Bosung stepped inside and dropped his bag on the sofa.

Director Heo had said that most things would be provided, so he wouldn’t be inconvenienced, and he hadn’t been wrong.

There was a sofa, a television, a dining table, and a refrigerator. The bedroom had a bed and a nightstand. Everything he needed was there.

Bosung took off his jacket and checked his phone.

The tow truck driver had sent a message saying he wouldn’t arrive until late in the evening. Bosung replied briefly.

[It’s better if you come early tomorrow.]

That was better. Going back and forth now would be inefficient. Of course, he also desperately wanted to rest.

As soon as the driver replied that he understood, Bosung took off his clothes.

First, he wanted a refreshing shower.

He hung his suit and the clothes he had taken off in the empty closet.

He stepped into the shower stall and turned on the water. The stream flowed down his long body.

All he did for exercise was jogging and light strength training, but since he was naturally muscular, muscles had unintentionally formed all over his body.

‘If I were my brother, I’d be dating a lot of women and showing off even bigger muscles.’

His younger brother, Jisung, often shook his head while pondering Bosung’s life choices.

‘Spending your best years at a desk, your best days in a hospital… What’s the fun in living like that?’

Did life need to be fun? You just lived.

Competence and money.

Those alone made life bearable.

Bosung cleared his mind, rinsed off the soap, and turned off the water.

He ran a wet hand through his hair and wiped his face with the other. Then he reached out.

Groping.

It’s disconcerting when something that should be there isn’t.

“What the…?”

The towel rack was empty.

Bosung’s eyes quickly scanned the bathroom. There was even a diffuser, but the one essential item was nowhere to be found.

Bang!

Bosung slammed the cabinet door shut and muttered as he roughly dried himself with his hands.

“A house with everything in it, and not a single towel? Seriously?”

Sigh.

Another sigh.

Bosung looked up at the bathroom ceiling as if it were the sky. It felt as closed off as he did right now.

Leaning weakly against the wall, Bosung walked out of the bathroom with a dejected look on his face.

Drip, drip.

Shaking off the water wouldn’t remove all of it.

Bosung looked down at himself.

He could tolerate everything else, but…

The dampness under his arms and between his legs was unbearable.

“…Damn it.”

Even as he cursed, his body moved instinctively.

Bosung spread his arms and legs and began fanning himself.

Ding-dong, ding-dong.

The doorbell rang.

Startled, Bosung instinctively turned off the living room light.

Ding-dong, ding-dong.

There was no one who would visit him.

Naked, Bosung tiptoed to the window and peeked through the curtains.

His eyes widened as he recognized the person standing at the gate.

It was the woman.

The woman who had been holding the owl.

Bosung held his breath. Pretending he wasn’t home was the best course of action right now.

The woman peered around the house, rang the doorbell two more times, and then turned away.

Bosung unknowingly exhaled the breath he’d been holding.