“People always say only those who’ve felt pain themselves can truly understand someone who’s suffering.”
Sehee’s voice shook, but her words cut through the stillness of the counseling room.
“You’ve never gone through that, have you, Doctor? That’s why you can’t possibly know how miserable and desperate I feel.”
Inhu replied without hesitation.
“No, I don’t. But I also don’t want to keep breaking myself by caring too much about others. That’s why I can’t recommend it.”
His cold stare made Sehee bite her lip. She tried to hold back, but the tears came anyway. Hot and silent, they slid down her cheeks.
A knock broke the silence.
Dongchan stepped in, sent by the nurses who insisted someone check on Counseling Room 6. He stopped at the sight of Sehee’s tear-streaked face and Inhu’s rigid posture. His jaw tightened. He looked at Inhu, eyes demanding an answer.
“Dr. Kang, I told you to counsel her. Not hurt her.”
He cleared his throat.
“Hello. I’m the director of this hospital. I’m sorry. You must be very upset.”
Dongchan turned to Sehee, his voice gentle.
“This is Dr. Kang’s first time doing counseling. It seems he’s still learning. Please try not to take it to heart.”
“Please do the surgery.”
Her voice was small and flat.
“Oh. Of course. If you’d like, I can do the surgery myself instead of Dr. Kang. My schedule is usually packed, but I’ll make time for this.”
Sehee’s face began to soften under Dongchan’s calm reassurance. But then Inhu spoke again, his voice cutting through the moment.
“If you go into surgery without even trying, with that mindset, you won’t change. Not now. Not ever.”
The light in Sehee’s eyes faded. Her expression turned cold again.
“Dr. Kang?”
Dongchan kept his tone even, but the warning was clear. He couldn’t raise his voice in front of a patient, but the tension in his jaw said enough.
Inhu didn’t stop.
“If you walk out of this hospital and manage to lose the weight on your own, I’ll help you with your revenge. That’s a promise.”
