Matan’s Shooter

TL: xLordFifth

ED: 

Ram Hwayeon hastily followed Leeha’s gurney again and showed an exasperated expression.

“Even if the surgery goes smoothly, it’s a major operation that will take at least 5 hours, and all you’re asking is-“

“Well, it’s possible! I have a quest I need to do, and the deadline is-“

“Enough, enough! Even during rehabilitation, you can play Middle Earth, so stop thinking about useless things-“

The door to the operating room opened. A place where no one else, including Ram Hwayeon, could enter, and where Leeha had to endure alone.

“Stay strong.” 

“You got this.”

As Leeha’s gurney passed through the door, both Ram Hwayeon and Shin Nara said the same thing simultaneously, which couldn’t have been a coincidence. Bobae firmly held Kijung’s hand. Leeha’s surgery had begun.

***

“Ram Hwajung-ssi? Standing there won’t make the surgery end faster. Why don’t you sit down?”

Kijung pointed to an empty chair, but Ram Hwajung just glanced at him and didn’t sit. In the chairs in front of the operating room, Kijung, Bobae, and Shin Nara were sitting in a row, but Ram Hwajung remained standing. She wasn’t just standing still; she was pacing in small circles in front of the operating room door.

“It’s supposed to take about five hours, right?”

“Yes. That’s what Ram Hwayeon-ssi said.”

“About four hours have passed now… Maybe it could end earlier, or something? Isn’t it almost over? I wish they would at least let us know the progress…”

Bobae bit her lip, voicing her worries, but neither Nara nor Kijung could provide an answer. The anxiety in Bobae’s mumbling was shared by everyone present. Even the world’s best doctors and medical facilities could make mistakes in surgery. Though the likelihood of a problem was extremely low, such ominous thoughts inevitably arose while waiting.

“I know she can tell.”

“Sorry?”

Ram Hwajung, who hadn’t spoken a word for four hours, finally spoke. Due to being dragged around by Ram Hwajung in recent days, Kijung and Bobae were somewhat familiar with her way of speaking.

“How can Ram Hwayeon-ssi know?” 

“Just ask Peng-hyung.”

“Hmm, it’s a good idea, but ultimately we still have to wait, so maybe it’s better to wait quietly-“

“I want to ask.”

Ignoring Kijung’s words, Ram Hwajung immediately turned and began to walk away. Kijung and Bobae considered stopping her but eventually let her go. They didn’t want to cause a commotion in front of the operating room, and it wasn’t like Ram Hwajung would listen if they called her.

“Really can’t figure her out, right, Bobae-ssi?”

“Exactly. I was so surprised when she suddenly got excited and bought us ice cream and jerky, or when she brought us luxury gifts as presents.”

“I thought we got close then, but maybe it was just my mistake.”

“Me too.”

Unaware of Kijung and Bobae’s complaints, Ram Hwajung quickly strode down the corridor. At that moment, the two people Ram Hwajung was looking for, Ram Hwayeon and Ram Peng, were drinking tea in the ‘Chairman’s Office.’

***

“Aren’t you going to check? You seem to care so much about that person.”

“Who cares about whom.”

“Right, right. I know you got quite a bit of help from that person in the ‘new project,’ but…”

“It’s Middle Earth.”

Ram Hwayeon sipped her coffee, while Ram Peng’s eyes sparkled from across the cup.

The new business venture Ram Hwayeon advocated for Ramlong Group, Middle Earth, had indeed received some help from Leeha, and thanks to that, Ram Hwayeon’s stock within the group had risen.

However, Ram Peng wasn’t referring to that. Just because Leeha had helped stabilize a new revenue stream in their new business venture, it didn’t make her a person Ram Hwayeon would ‘ardently care for’.

In essence, Ram Peng was implying something more, and Ram Hwayeon, fully aware of this, feigned ignorance.

“Right, Middle Earth. Yes. Whether it’s Middle Earth or whatever. You’ll need my push quite a lot in the future.”

“And how would your push change anything?”

“Convince Father – I mean, the Chairman, all by yourself? Hwajung’s feeble attempts won’t be any help. If you’re really thinking what I think you are… you’ll definitely need my help.”

If Ram Hwayeon indeed thought of Leeha as ‘special’. If she considered something beyond mere affection for Leeha?

Leeha is Korean, not someone from politics or business. Convincing Ramlong Group’s chairman to place such a person beside Ram Hwayeon wouldn’t be easy. Ram Peng pointed this out, causing Ram Hwayeon’s brow to furrow slightly.

“Stop talking nonsense and take care of your own business. I hear the pharmaceutical sector in the Netherlands is making significant inroads. I heard our market share has dropped noticeably. Can’t even defend properly, let alone attack – would Father even appreciate such a person?”

“…I’ve taken care of it already.”

“I know. I’m talking about the ‘methods’ you’ve used. Stupid fool.”

“What, what? How would you know-“

Ram Hwayeon’s voice rose, and Ram Peng was taken aback. Before he could make any excuses, Ram Hwayeon spoke up.

“Even if it’s for the group, using force is unacceptable. We’re businessmen. Even if we don’t limit our means, using illegal methods is the worst. You’re not some gangster-“

“But, I had no choice! What do you know? Who ruined three meetings that even involved party officials! How dare they do such things on our land!”

“Our land? Foolish boy. We’re already a global group! They are too! Not just simple threats, but actual violence… Do you think they’ll just sit back? There are those who flee from violence and those who meet violence with violence.”

“Hmph, what can those people possibly do?”

“Be careful, Peng. I called it the ‘pharmaceutical sector’ for a reason.”

“For that reason?”

“They have government backing. They’re not just any company. They won’t back down easily.”

Ram Hwayeon’s heavy words made Ram Peng’s mouth clench shut. He swallowed dryly. It had only been a week since he ‘sent a message’ to the Dutch pharmaceutical sector. The fact that Ram Hwayeon already knew about it was surprising enough, but did she also know information that even Ram Peng himself hadn’t fully grasped?

“But, it’s fine! I’m only here, in our hospital and the adjacent hotel! What can those guys do, unless they want to start a war?”

“Is it all over if you just stay careful?”

“…Yes, I know! I’m responsible for you and Hwajung here too. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure our family is safe from any harm. At least they can’t get to me. This hospital is… my fortress.”

Ram Peng spread his arms confidently. Ram Hwayeon didn’t respond further.

Although she had given him various information and hints, it couldn’t be considered as fully repaying her ‘debt’. Both Ram Hwayeon and Ram Peng knew this.

Bang!

The door to the chairman’s office was flung open at that moment. Ram Peng, still startled by Ram Hwayeon’s recent words, was embarrassed by his reaction. He looked at his watch and stood up.

“Ahem. It’s that time already? Let’s go, sister. I’ll ask Dr. Heinrich myself.”

The three of them once again navigated the hospital’s complex structure, heading toward Leeha’s operating room. In the meantime, whether they were aides or bodyguards, large figures trailed behind the Ram siblings

***

“Ram Hwayeon-ssi!”

“Ah, Master Kay. Ha Leeha hasn’t come out yet, I guess?”

Seeing the large group suddenly appear at the operating room, Kijung was startled. However, Ram Hwayeon was calm.

“Ram Hwajung-ssi just came to ask-“

“Peng-hyung. Quickly.”

Ram Hwajung, emerging from behind the figures, suddenly grabbed Ram Peng’s hand. He was the slowest to act among those present.

“Alright, alright. I’ll go in and ask, just wait-“

Ziiing…

Just as Ram Peng was about to walk forward, the door of the operating room opened.

“What are you all doing here, making such a commotion?” Dr. Heinrich, looking exhausted, frowned as he surveyed the crowd. Everyone stared at him in a daze. It was somewhat unusual for a surgeon to emerge from a major operation and speak like this, but at least he didn’t mention anything specific about the results. No news is often good news.

“Dr. Heinrich, how did the surgery go?”

“Don’t worry about the report, I’ll take care of it. Oh, and the patient’s guardians.”

“Yes, yes?”

“When the anesthesia wears off, you’ll need to massage the patient’s legs diligently. It might take some time for the sensation to return.”

For the first time, a smile appeared on Dr. Heinrich’s lips. He gave a thumbs up.

“The surgery was successful.”

“Yes! That’s great!”

“Really? So now Leeha-ssi will-“

Bobae clapped her hands in joy. Kijung stood up abruptly but then had to sit back down, his legs too weak to stand. Shin Nara quietly covered her mouth at the side. Tears streamed down her face, hidden by her hand. Ram Hwayeon, seeing this, couldn’t feel annoyed. Her vision was already blurred with tears.

“Oppa, massage.”

Moments later, when Leeha, still under anesthesia, was brought out on the gurney and Ram Hwajung began massaging his toes, everyone was finally able to laugh.

***

Leeha’s lower body was moving again.

Kijung and Ram Hwajung held hands tightly, trying to calm their racing hearts. To anyone looking, they resembled a close-knit older brother and younger sister, sharing the same expression and posture. Beside them, Ram Hwayeon stood with her arms crossed. The three of them focused on the same sight – people beyond the transparent window.

Among them, a man fidgeting between the long parallel bars caught their attention. The man, struggling to rise from a wheelchair and putting all his strength into his arms, was, of course, Leeha.

“Do you feel it? It’s your first time, so don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Push? If it’s this kind of effort, I can do it all year long.”

It had been three days since the surgery. Leeha, still unable to stand and dripping with sweat, was smiling.

He remembered the past three days. Though he hadn’t started rehabilitation like now, he could enjoy the results of the successful surgery even while lying in bed.

The feeling of wiggling toes, the sensation of tightening muscles in his calves and thighs, and above all, the joy of feeling the natural urge to urinate and being able to do so on his own, not just fiddling with a device! Leeha couldn’t count how many times he had cried upon finally experiencing these once taken-for-granted sensations. And it wasn’t just Leeha; many people who visited his hospital room felt the same way. Shin Nara, who returned to Korea the day before, remembered her time in Hong Kong as nothing but tears. Bobae, laden with gifts from Ram Hwajung, felt the same.

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