Chapter 24
At that same time, Kim Misuk opened her real-estate office one hour later than usual.
She hadn't slept at all.
She'd changed sweat-soaked pajamas twice during the night.
She still hadn't properly made up with her daughter.
At breakfast, Yoonji had silently eaten one bowl of cereal and left for school.
Misuk had said,
"Have a good day."
Her daughter had walked out without even answering.
The feeling of being ignored made anger rise inside Misuk again.
"I need to work. Focus on work."
Kim Misuk muttered to herself.
She looked at the notebook on her office desk.
It contained property listings she hadn't finished organizing yesterday.
"..."
Misuk stared at the notebook.
Nothing entered her mind.
She closed it.
A small framed photograph stood on the edge of her desk.
It had been taken at the entrance of the market when her husband was alive and their daughter was five.
Her husband had his mouth wide open in laughter because their daughter had eaten an entire roll of gimbap by herself for the first time.
You don't even know what happened to my friend.
Her daughter's words returned.
Misuk sighed.
Then the bell above the door jingled.
"Misuk, would you like some rice cakes?"
Park Mansu, owner of the neighboring rice-cake shop, entered carrying a plastic bag still steaming with heat.
He had a warm, friendly appearance.
He was the fourth-generation only son of his family and had inherited the rice-cake shop first established by his great-grandfather.
He often gave fresh rice cakes to neighbors and was generous with customers, making him quite popular.
He and Kim Misuk had known each other since elementary school.
"Ah, Mansu. You didn't need to do that."
Kim Misuk half rose from her chair.
"Don't call me Mister Owner. I brought the bean rice cakes you like on purpose."
"Thanks. How much?"
"Come on. We're friends."
Park Mansu placed the bag on the desk.
He didn't seem to intend to sit.
Instead, he adjusted his shop apron and studied Misuk's face.
"You don't look good."
"I didn't sleep much."
"We got some good Solomon's-seal tea at the shop. I'll bring you a pack around lunch."
"I'm fine."
Mansu scratched his head.
Then he snapped his fingers as if remembering something.
"Oh, right. Did you hear?"
"If you just say 'did you hear,' how am I supposed to know what you're talking about?"
Misuk snapped without meaning to.
Mansu calmly answered.
"Yesterday, two customers came to buy rice cakes and said the student council president at the school your daughter attends suddenly collapsed during evening study and was taken away by ambulance. Didn't Yoonji tell you?"
"..."
Student council president.
Kim Misuk slowly repeated the phrase in her head.
At the beginning of the school year, Yoonji had proudly said,
Mom, my desk partner became student council president this year. She's really smart and pretty.
Only now did Misuk understand why her daughter had been so upset last night.
"She's my daughter's desk partner. Yoonji must've been really worried."
Park Mansu nodded.
"Oh, I see."
"What do you mean, 'I see'?"
"That Hyundai OB-GYN out front. You handled their lease, right?"
"Yeah."
"Say something to the director for me. Their patients keep parking in front of my rice-cake shop. Ask them to guide people better."
Ah.
So that's why he brought the rice cakes.
"Fine. I'll go tell her."
Kim Misuk nodded.
People often asked the gentle and approachable Misuk for favors.
Normally she didn't mind.
She even liked feeling useful.
But right now she was exhausted and didn't want to deal with anyone's problems.
I heard the clinic is busy these days.
Misuk picked up the bag of rice cakes.
She didn't feel like eating them.
Maybe she'd just take them to the clinic.
She walked over to Hyundai OB-GYN.
Then stopped in shock.
Why are there so many people?!
A long line stretched outside the shabby neighborhood clinic.
It looked like people were waiting to buy tickets for an idol concert.
Someone had even shown up to sell traditional taffy to the crowd.
Cars were parked crookedly through the narrow alley.
The line wound around them, blocking the road and interfering with market traffic.
It passed the rice-cake shop.
Then the real-estate office.
Then extended all the way toward the high school.
At the very end of the line stood a woman in her early thirties.
Gong Huijin from Somang Daily.
Her business card said reporter.
But today's assignment wasn't really journalism.
"Reporter Gong, you know that female doctor from the UCC video? Give her a big feature in our paper, then bring her in as a promotional ambassador for the Miss Gyeonggi Somang preliminary round. Even better if you can get her to compete."
The newspaper owner was serving on the pageant organizing committee again this year.
If the beautiful viral doctor appeared onstage, interest would rise.
More interest meant more sponsorships.
More sponsorships meant the owner gained prestige.
The article was bait.
Take pretty photos.
Write a pretty story.
Package the pretty woman and bring her back.
...Did I become a reporter for this?
Huijin sighed only internally.
She opened her notebook and started walking along the line.
At least she could collect material.
A few comments saying the doctor looked like a celebrity.
Some mothers who were fans.
One good photograph.
"Hello, I'm with Somang Daily. I heard the director here is very beautiful. People say she looks like a celebrity?"
A heavily pregnant woman tilted her head.
"Beautiful? Sure, she is. That was my first impression, but..."
The woman frowned.
"That's not what's important. She's a real doctor."
"I called at two in the morning and she answered."
"Ah. Still, does she do anything special for beauty care or..."
"Beauty care? She sleeps in the clinic. She spent more than thirty minutes draining my friend's mastitis. Almost an hour."
"I came because she's a female doctor. There are things I'd rather die than tell a male doctor. Here, she listens until I'm finished."
Gong Huijin held her pen between her lips and looked down the long line again.
All the way to the high school.
A doctor who treated this many patients all day.
Answered emergencies at night.
And slept inside the clinic.
