Chapter 50
50. Donor
2023.06.19.
Dae-han drew a few more lines on Tae-joon's drawing, explaining the advanced techniques of liver transplant surgery.
"These days, liver transplant donors are incised like this. We used to draw lines like this, but now that laparoscopic surgery is available, we can resect the liver with robotic arms by making incisions only where you drew, here, here, here, here, here. We've minimized the scarring."
As Dae-han drew lines on the drawing, Tae-joon felt as if scars were being etched onto his chest.
"So, it's a liver transplant donor surgery?"
"That's right. Exactly that shape."
"It couldn't be something else?"
"With this shape, the possibility of it being something else is slim. The kidneys are on this side, so if it were a kidney donation, the shape would be a bit different."
Dae-han answered with certainty.
Tae-joon's Adam's apple bobbed violently. It felt like something disgusting was about to burst out of his mouth.
After saying goodbye to Dae-han and leaving the hospital, Tae-joon immediately called the counselor.
[Yes, customer.]
"How did it go with what I asked you this morning?"
This morning, he had contacted the counselor and asked her to find out about the person who had donated a liver to Kim Mal-hee.
[As you suspected, it was impossible to confirm. Besides, today is Sunday, so...]
"Bribe a hospital official and find out. I don't care how much it costs."
Tae-joon cut off the counselor sharply.
Although it was Sunday, Hee-wook, who had come to work because he had things to take care of, couldn't concentrate on his work and was lost in thought.
The day before yesterday, after drinking, he had whined that he missed Han So-eun, and Mal-hee had scolded him for talking crazy, and Hee-wook had been sulking ever since.
That awful Choi Hyun-ji hadn't contacted him yet. Hee-wook called, but she didn't answer. Every time Hee-wook felt frustrated, he kept thinking about Han So-eun. At least Han So-eun would answer when I called. If she couldn't answer the phone, she would contact me a few hours later. She would even apologize for not being able to answer.
Hee-wook began to seriously consider whether he should really go through with this marriage, what he really wanted. Of course, Choi Hyun-ji's specs were very appealing. But now that she had lost all her charm as soon as they became lovers, he wasn't sure if Choi Hyun-ji really liked him.
Drrr.
Still, his body moved reflexively when his phone vibrated again. But contrary to his expectations, the name that appeared on the phone screen was 'Mom'. Hee-wook answered the phone sullenly.
"Hello."
[Son. Are you with Hyun-ji?]
For some reason, Mal-hee's voice was very excited. It seemed like she urgently needed to find Hyun-ji. Hee-wook answered reluctantly.
"No."
[Really? What's she doing?]
"I don't know. Probably hanging out."
[You guys haven't made up yet?]
"......"
[Oh dear. That won't do. Marriage is a major life event, and when you're preparing for such a big event, you're bound to have disagreements and hurt feelings. If you sulk every time that happens, how can Hyun-ji trust you enough to marry you?]
Mal-hee began to nag when Hee-wook didn't answer. Hee-wook frowned, his ears burning.
[Get a grip. So-eun is just pretty, what else does she have? Just wait 10 years after you get married. Looks won't matter at all. In Mom's eyes, Hyun-ji is a hundred times better. A hundred times, no, a thousand times, ten thousand times better. Whatever you do, apologize to Hyun-ji and treat her well.]
Hee-wook's chest throbbed at the name So-eun that he heard over the phone. Unable to bear the endless nagging, Hee-wook made an excuse.
"Mom, I'm busy with work."
[Oh, okay, okay. See you later, son. If you see Hyun-ji, tell her to call Mom.]
His mom, who was always lenient when he said he was busy, hung up the phone right away. Hee-wook stared at his phone with a frustrated expression and sighed bitterly.
How can I apologize? She won't even answer my calls.
Just then, surprisingly, Hee-wook's phone rang again. It was finally a call from Hyun-ji.
He wanted to answer the phone right away, but he didn't want to seem easy, so he deliberately stalled. He cleared his throat appropriately and answered the phone in an indifferent tone.
"Hello."
[Oppa, where are you? You need to come to the department store right now?]
Just like with Han So-eun, he wanted her to apologize first, and then he would apologize for his mistakes and talk calmly about the future, but Hyun-ji abruptly ordered him around. For some reason, Hee-wook felt overwhelmed by her force and couldn't move.
Hee-wook rushed to the department store. Hyun-ji, who had been waiting for Hee-wook in the parking lot, ran to Hee-wook and grabbed his hand, pulling him along. Hyun-ji took him to the jewelry store where he had bought the proposal ring.
"Why? What's wrong?"
Hyun-ji, who had dropped the hand she was holding, had the proposal ring in front of her. Wasn't he supposed to pick it up today after getting the size adjusted?
Hyun-ji held the proposal ring in front of Hee-wook's eyes and demanded.
"They say the ring isn't genuine. What's going on?"
It felt like his heart was sinking.
"......That can't be?"
"That can't be?"
Hyun-ji now shouted at the store employee. It seemed like she was deliberately screaming.
"He says it can't be! My boyfriend says it can't be!"
"Ma'am, but the ring really isn't genuine. We thought it was strange, so we had it appraised by the head office, and the results came back the same. It's an imitation product. The quality of the diamond itself is different."
Did they definitely switch the fake with the real one properly?
Hee-wook felt dizzy, but he thought he should insist until the end. After all, he had spent money on it, and he couldn't be unfairly accused of fraud.
"How could that be? There's a record of me buying the ring at the store. I bought the ring myself, so if this is fake, then the store sold me a fake! Are these people trying to frame a customer!"
"Sir, we only sell genuine products."
But the employee didn't back down either.
After a while, an employee who seemed to be the manager of the store typed on the keyboard in front of the PC and said.
"Looking into it, there's another record of you purchasing the ring."
Hee-wook felt a chill down his spine.
"You purchased it on July 24th, but you got a refund on July 25th. And then you purchased the same product again on July 27th."
"......Wait. That's a bit strange? I got proposed to on July 26th."
Hyun-ji, who had been listening quietly, tilted her head with a frown.
"How could you propose to me with this ring if you got a refund for it?"
Cold sweat streamed down Hee-wook's back.
"......Was it really fake?"
Hyun-ji, who had grasped the whole story, questioned him with a shocked expression.
"You copied the real one and made a fake ring because you didn't want to spend the money?"
Just like before, she was deliberately screaming, making a loud noise that attracted the attention of those around her.
"And then you came to buy the ring late because you were afraid I'd find out? And then you failed to switch the rings?"
Hyun-ji threw the fake ring at Hee-wook's face and strode out of the store.
Hee-wook, who had chased after her, grabbed Hyun-ji urgently.
"No! No, it's not like that. Hyun-ji."
"Let go!"
Hyun-ji shook off Hee-wook's hand violently. As expected, passersby continued to glance at them with curious eyes.
"How could you do this to me, after everything I've done for you, and everything I've done for your mom! Who do you think you are to embarrass me like this!"
Choi Hyun-ji, who was shouting with a flushed face, was no longer pretty.
"You're the worst."
Hyun-ji left Hee-wook as if she was disgusted.
Hee-wook tore at his hair.
Ugh. This is so unfair!
He was already dying over wasting five million won trying to buy a fifty-five million won ring, but now he was being unfairly accused of fraud!
"Ah... I'm so embarrassed."
He was even more disgusted with the current situation as people stared at him as if he were a zoo monkey.
What kind of movie am I trying to live in that I'm being humiliated like this? If I hadn't bought that stupid ring in the first place, none of this would have happened.
What has she done for my mom! Did she give her a liver or take care of her when she was sick or what?
Hee-wook, who was fed up with Choi Hyun-ji's vanity, thought of Han So-eun, who had been moved as if she had the whole world even with a small Simple ring, who had been upright and devoted. He missed her unbearably.
The next day.
Tae-joon gave up going to work and went to meet the counselor in person. It felt like his insides had been burned black while waiting for the counselor's call. He couldn't sit still any longer.
The counselor had used her connections to contact a staff member in the hospital's administration department, but not even the smallest detail of Kim Mal-hee's surgery record was revealed. It felt like the records had been deliberately hidden.
While waiting for the counselor to return from her investigation, a text message arrived from So-eun after arriving at the office.
- Director, I heard you took a day off today. Are you feeling okay?
Tae-joon felt a surge of emotion and his throat tightened at So-eun's message, which casually expressed concern for his health. Tae-joon sent a short reply.
I'm fine. You don't have to worry.
Yes. The TF Team members are hoping to have a dinner on Tuesday, but if it's too much for you, Director, should I suggest another day?
Another message arrived as soon as Tae-joon sent his reply. He was about to send a reply saying that he was fine and that they could do as they pleased when the office door opened. The counselor had returned.
Tae-joon stood up from his seat and asked.
"Did you find out?"
"Yes. As you requested, I contacted a staff member in the transplant surgery department and received the data."
After much effort, the counselor handed Tae-joon a copy of the organ donation consent form, which she had barely managed to obtain through unofficial channels. Tae-joon snatched the data that the counselor handed him and unfolded it urgently.
"The donor is Ms. Han So-eun."
The consent form that the counselor handed over had her name written neatly in Han So-eun's handwriting.
Tae-joon couldn't move as he held the consent form. It felt like the world had stopped.
"As you suspected, it seems that someone deliberately hid the record that the donor was Han So-eun. The records of other donors remained intact, but there was no data left for Han So-eun. Even though it was a recent surgery. ...Customer?"
The counselor called out to Tae-joon, who was not responding. Tae-joon raised his head as if he had finally come to his senses. No emotion was revealed on his face, but the whites of his eyes were bloodshot.
"I understand. I'll transfer the fee right away."
Tae-joon said goodbye and left the office. The thin piece of paper was ruthlessly crumpled in his grip.
