Descent of the Demon Master

his sort of improvement? Yes, it's doable.
As long as, uh, the patient's chart didn't get swapped.”

He was a doctor, but Kang Chun-Sik was still repeating to himself that the medical chart must have gotten swapped with someone else’s chart.
That was how unbelievable this situation was to him.

Kang Jin-Ho ignored that and asked once more, “What will be her treatment method?”

“A gastrectomy is the method we'll have to go with.
We'll remove her stomach in its totality.
The operation might leave behind a few smaller tumor cells, but those can be dealt with chemotherapy.”

“In that case, please proceed.
Schedule the operation as soon as possible.”

“S-sorry? Ah, yes, of course,” Kang Chun-Sik replied while still thumbing through the patient's chart in disbelief.
If the result of the MRI was to be believed, he had to report this to his fellow academics.

“Department head?”

“Oh…”

When Jo Gyu-Min called out to him, Kang Chun-Sik finally snapped awake and remembered what he had been told earlier.
Not a single detail of this patient must be leaked to the outside, said Jo Gyu-Min.
Hell, even the sharing of information within the hospital was prohibited.

'Does that mean…
Did Jo Gyu-Min already know this would happen? Even before the tests were run?'

Kang Chun-Sik's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

'Could it be…
a new type of drug?'

This situation could be explained if Jaegyeong had indeed developed a new anti-cancer drug and had secretly used it on this patient.
If so, the young man before his eyes could very well be the leader of the team behind the drug's research and development.
They must have found a suitable patient, transferred her to this hospital's VIP room, and ran a clinical experiment on her.

Since randomly picking out a patient and running experiments without consent would be legally and ethically wrong, the higher-ups must have thought of gagging everyone for the time being.

Kang Jin-Ho quietly said, “Please inform the patient appropriately, Doc.”

“Ah, yes.
Of course.” Kang Chun-Sik nodded, having already jumped to his own conclusions.
As a doctor, he wasn’t happy about participating in things like this, but the patient's improved condition suppressed his unwillingness.
After all, being able to save someone previously thought to be beyond saving was worthy of celebration.

The office door opened, and Park Yu-Min entered while pushing a wheelchair forward.
In the wheelchair, Sister Yi bowed her head at the doctor.

“Please come in, ma'am.”

Kang Jin-Ho got up and made room, allowing Park Yu-Min to place the wheelchair directly opposite Kang Chun-Sik.
He then waited nervously for the doctor's opinion.

Kang Chun-Sik cleared his throat and spoke in a reassuring tone, “First of all, it's good news.
The patient's condition has improved dramatically.”

“R-really?” Park Yu-Min's eyes opened wide.
Wasn't he told that Sister Yi's condition was hopeless not too long ago? Yet, she had improved in such a short time?

“Yes.
The patient's illness has improved by a great deal.
We believe we can even operate on her with her current condition.”

“O-operate?” Park Yu-Min was left speechless and urgently stared back and forth between Kang Chun-Sik and Sister Yi.

An operation? They could operate on her now? Less than a month ago, the doctors in the other hospital said her cancer had advanced too much to operate.
But now, her condition had improved to the point where an operation had become a viable option?

Obviously, Park Yu-Min had asked around as much as he could, hoping to find more information.
However, most doctors or specialists he had talked to had all said the same thing—a patient in such an advanced stage of cancer would be better served by allowing them to die peacefully.
As for those who had claimed there was hope? They were either scammers or peddlers of alternative medicine.

But now, Sister Yi could be operated on?

Park Yu-Min gulped a mouthful of his saliva and asked once again to make sure, “A-are you being serious, Doc?”

“Yes.
We can do this.”

“Did you hear that, Director?” Tears began flooding out of Park Yu-Min's eyes as he tightly held Sister Yi's hand.

Strangely, the person in question remained rather composed despite the revelation of there being hope for her.
She slowly turned her head and looked at Kang Jin-Ho for a moment or two, then gently smiled at him.
“Jin-Ho, so this was it?”

“…Yes, ma'am.”

“I see.
You must've gone through a lot of trouble for me, Jin-Ho.”

Park Yu-Min also turned his head and belatedly stared at his friend.
He was too overjoyed and ended up overlooking it, but now that Sister Yi had mentioned it, Kang Jin-Ho must have done something for this situation to happen.

Kang Jin-Ho unhurriedly nodded.
“For the time being, let's continue listening to the doctor.”

Sister Yi also nodded and turned her attention back to Kang Chun-Sik.
“Indeed, let us.”

Kang Chun-Sik coughed to clear his throat before continuing.
The proposed plan was to completely remove Sister Yi's stomach, directly connect her esophagus to the small intestine, then extinguish the remaining tumorous growths.
Once Park Yu-Min heard that Sister Yi could lead a relatively normal life without a stomach as long as she paid attention to her diet, he nearly fainted on the spot.
“H-how can this be…”

When Kang Jin-Ho said Sister Yi had to transfer to another hospital, Park Yu-Min had a feeling that something was afoot.
However, he had figured it was simply a gesture to help Sister Yi's final days be more comfortable.
After learning about this miraculous change in the situation, though? Park Yu-Min couldn't even think of anything anymore.
It felt like his mind was blank.

Kang Chun-Sik continued, “We shall schedule an operation right away.
The patient's condition might suddenly deteriorate, after all.
Unfortunately, our schedule is fully booked until next month, so operating on her immediately is not feasible, but—”

This was when Jo Gyu-Min silently shot a sharp glare in Kang Chun-Sik's way.
The latter chuckled awkwardly.
“But, as the patient's case is just too urgent, we shall proceed with her operation even if it means we'll have to do it outside of regular operating hours.
As such, the operation might occur within the next few days, so we ask you to mentally prepare in the meantime.”

“Thank you so much.
Thank you, Doc.” Park Yu-Min bowed his head repeatedly, tears still streaming out of his eyes.

Sister Yi, quietly listening to the doctor's explanation until then, smiled gently and bowed her head as well.
“Thank you, Doctor.”

“No need to mention it, ma'am.
I haven't done much, anyway.
And you can thank me after the operation.”

“Then, we'll leave it in your hands, Doctor.”

“Of course.
Thank you for coming by, ma'am.
If you have any questions, please ask them when I do my rounds tomorrow.”

“I see.
Thank you,” said Sister Yi.

The group left the department head's office and stood in the corridor.

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Park Yu-Min.
“Let's take the director back to her room.”

Park Yu-Min hurriedly nodded and began pushing the wheelchair forward.
“Jin-Ho, I…
I can't think straight right now.”

“Looks that way.”

Park Yu-Min's face was a mess of tears and snot, but his hands resolutely held onto the wheelchair.
He was so elated that he looked like he would pass out, but he somehow managed to hold on.

They soon reached the VIP room.
After carefully laying Sister Yi on the bed, Park Yu-Min seemed to have finally gotten a hold of himself.
He gently grasped her hand and murmured happily, “Director, it's great news, isn't it?”

“Indeed, Yu-Min.
It seems so.
By the way…” Sister Yi turned her gaze to Kang Jin-Ho and muttered, “Yu-Min, can you leave us for a minute? I'd like to have a chat with Jin-Ho.”

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