BANE

21

Geun Won just get back from his favorite past time activity in the hospice, helping in the kitchen when Soo Ah & Geun Soo arrived. He couldn't wipe the smile off his face everytime he exchanged some culinary skills and pointers with Chef Cha Young, the doctor's wife. Both husband and wife are really talented with culinary skills. Cha Young has exceptionally remarkable taste on desserts. What surprised him most is when Cha Young told him that actually the stoic Dr. Lee Kang's cooking skills far surpasses her and more of an all-rounder. And that is without any professional training! The doctor is really a natural talent. He wonders why he chose to be a doctor, though. He could fare very well if he chose to be a chef.

Geun Won generously handed over the Jang's original recipe to Cha Young, telling her to use those recipe for patients who longed the Korean foods or even some who missed the bar foods. He even willingly taught the recipes to another one young chef who would come during weekends. That young man is blind but his sense of taste is remarkable. The personality is very pleasant, kind and calm. He can't help but grew fond of him and be reminded of the Myung Do kid.

Cha Young accepted Geun Won's willingness to spare all his knowledge on his family's recipe both to her and her junior, with gratitude and would refer to him to make sure she got the taste correct. Plus her junior seems more adept to Korean traditional foods and Italian foods.

On his way back to his room, Geun Won suddenly experienced dizzy spells. These days, it has been occuring more often. The nausea and joint stiffness has been a bit more severe each passing week. The dizzy spell makes his sight becomes blurry and unable to focus. He started to feel that he is off balance and grabbed the nearest railings. Geun Won cursed under his breath. It's just less than 10 meters to his room but turns out even that distance is a challenge to him now. Maybe he spent too long in the kitchen today.

Chef Cha Young let him taste the chocolate shasha she made and challenged him to make it. Of course, he failed miserably at first attempt. Only on the 3rd attempt he managed to get the taste right despite burned it a bit. It was such an ugly presentation. All of them in the kitchen including Nurse Kang had a good laugh at it.

"My nose almost fall off from the burned chocolate smell, Hyung." The blind kid also teased him. From his sunbae's hysterical laugh, he could guess just how disasterous the chocolate shape must be.

One of the nurse came rushing from behind Soo Ah and Geun Soo, zooming past them. From the faint sweet smell laced by the stronger smell of soaps, it is clear that the nurse also came back from the kitchen. She is supposed to escort Geun Won from the get-go, but needs to make sure her hands and everything is hygienic to tend to him and starts her rounds to the other rooms. On her left pocket, a name tag showed her name 'Kang Yun Bok'. This middle-aged nurse have a strong motherly vibes to her. Even the way she walks and fusses over Geun Won is like a mother fussing over her stubborn child in trouble.

Upon seeing that, Geun Soo was left frozen at his place. He look at Soo Ah who are also froze there, but with worry and not shocked at all. Soo Ah's gaze followed both figures in front of them to the single ward room. Did she know it already? Maybe. He assumed Soo Ah must know it since Geun Won had been under her employment for few months. Perhaps the illness had struck at the workplace.

Geun Won still didn't realize their presence there.

The nurse realized there are two people watching.Miss Kang Yun-Bok, a lovely middle-aged nurse who treated all patients at the hospice as her children. Her own son was treated there for free due to the hospice's president's kindness many years back. She returned the kindness by transferring there few 10 years ago and treats all patients lovingly as tribute to their last moments in life.

She greeted them & herded both to come in. She took a guess that Soo Ah is the one that Geun Won have always been longingly waiting for. She also caught glimpses of Soo Ah's pic at Geun Won's diary for a few times during her rounds.