"How are you? Are you all right?"

Sang-jong asked Gyeong-eun, lying in the bed. At his question, Gyeong-eun, before she knew it, went to nod and grimaced.

"It'll be difficult for her to answer just yet. But she's come to, and she's recognizing her surroundings normally, too."

Answering in Gyeong-eun's stead, Chang-mu Kim brought a hand up before her eyes.

"Gyeong-eun. Can you see this? Do you know how many fingers I'm holding up?"

"Two… of them."

Chang-mu Kim nodded, moved his hand from before her eyes, and asked again.

"Do you know where you are right now?"

"The hospital… the hospital. But where's Seong-ho… where is Seong-ho?"

Gyeong-eun tried to find Seong-ho among the people surrounding her. Seong-ho, who'd drawn back, came forward, took her hand, and answered.

"I'm right here."

"Seong-ho. Why am I lying here? I definitely came to help with your checkup… so why am I the one lying down?"

"A blood vessel in your head suddenly burst, and you had surgery. As it happens, Doctor Chang-mu Kim here was present, so you could have the surgery without delay, and they say it went very well. So don't worry about anything now, Gyeong-eun—just focus on getting better."

"I'm really all right, aren't I?"

"Right now you're just foggy because it hasn't been long since the surgery. So rest well and focus only on recovering. Once you've recovered, you'll be back to your old self."

Having reassured Gyeong-eun, Seong-ho turned to Chang-mu Kim. Chang-mu Kim, who'd quietly listened to their exchange, said to the people present,

"Seeing that she can speak well too, it seems everything's gone well."

Her speech was fine, and her cognition seemed undiminished. Gyeong-eun's surgery had gone even better than they'd feared, and, so long as she recovered well, there looked to be no problem returning her to her former self.

Seong-ho, who'd been holding Gyeong-eun's hand, rose and bowed to Chang-mu Kim again.

"Thank you. I won't forget this kindness."

"Kindness? It was only what a doctor is bound to do. I'll be going now. Recovery is more important than anything now,…