Earlier in the week before the blind date, Jimin realized he had made a mistake.
He had placed the clock that his brother gave him beside the desk lamp in his bedroom. At times when he was reviewing drafts under the lamplight, he would see the wood sculptures and feel happiness.
He thought the birthday present was very sweet and precious. Had he not been a light sleeper who would be bothered by the ticking of the hands, he might even have put it on his bedside table.
For three consecutive nights, he was awakened by the chirping pigeon and music at twelve o’clock midnight and could not fall asleep until after two hours of tossing and turning.
He bore with it without complaint until Thursday morning when he mentioned it nonchalantly at the dining table, “What happens if the clock breaks?”
“I can fix,” Taehyung answered while eating congee.
“Can you also change the time that the pigeon comes out?”
His brother nodded.
“Very tricky. I can change.”
Jimin let out a breath of relief. He carefully took the clock in his arms and placed it on the coffee table.
“If you have time after work, could you change the time to six o’clock?”
Taehyung looked at his brother for a while and then nodded.
-
Noontime on Thursday, a few of the higher-ups went out of town for a meeting, so the atmosphere in the office was very relaxed. Jimin let a few colleagues know before leaving for the hospital to pick up the check-up results.
He had lost the receipt slip and had to go through a whole procedure to get the results.
He flipped through it and found that other than the basic vision, weight, blood pressure and so on, there were many Latin abbreviations and medical terms that he did not understand.
The doctor had left two pieces of advice in the final summary. One, he was too light, and that was not a good sign in terms of health. Two, his CEA levels were on the high side, and it was recommended that he consult the related doctors.
Jimin flipped back to find after much searching the CEA item under the blood work results: 8.2. The brackets behind it showed the norm was below 6.0.
Jimin frowned.
The check-up department had a doctor specifically to answer any inquiries regarding the reports, and there was an incredible line outside. Jimin had to wait for a long time.
The doctor was a middle-aged man wearing glasses.
Jimin passed his report to him.
“I’d like to know what a high CEA means.”
The doctor looked through his results and asked with a frown, “Do you smoke?”
“I don’t.”
“Have you ever been diagnosed with cirrhosis or pancreatitis?”
“No.”
“Has your stool been normal recently?”
“…I think so?”
“Do you get bloody stool?”
“No…”
“Have you eaten lunch yet?”
“Not yet.”
“Great. Take this report and register at gastroenterology. Ask for a gastroscopy and colonoscopy.”
