Chapter 28 - A Suspicious Patient and an Even More Suspicious Guardian (6)
—Everything will be fine. Don’t worry. Let’s meet tomorrow and talk more. ...I love you.
An impressive baritone male voice was flowing from the other side of Lee In-im’s receiver.
‘Hwan Sa-jun... the lawyer?’
All of Sihyeon’s attention began to focus on the content of the call.
……
“Hmm.”
He listened for a good while longer, wondering if he had misheard, but the owner of the voice was definitely the lawyer who had visited the ward earlier.
‘So both of them are having affairs.’
Even after regressing, the human heart remains unknowable.
‘But why is she so obsessed with her husband? Even while she’s having an affair herself?’
Suddenly, the words Lee In-im’s husband had said came to mind.
— Doctor, daily life is impossible because of this woman. She contacts me all day long, demanding to know where I went...
The lyrics of a song claiming that even if I have an affair, you absolutely shouldn't, seemed to ring in his ears.
At first, he had been curious about the psychology of the husband who was framing his innocent wife as a patient with delusional disorder. But seeing it now, the wife’s psychology was no less difficult to understand.
‘At any rate, I’ve sufficiently confirmed that it isn't pathological jealousy... she could even be discharged tomorrow.’
In effect, the goal of the admission—evaluating whether she had a delusional disorder—had already been achieved.
Click.
“Let’s head out too.”
Hwang Jin-ho, who had been writing the transfer records for patient Jeong Gi-cheol, spoke as he pressed the save button.
“Sihyeon...?”
“......”
Because he was focused on the content of the call heard from afar, he hadn't heard what Hwang Jin-ho, right next to him, was saying.
[Remaining Time 00:00:00]
[The effect of the ‘Potion of IPPA’ ends.]
“What are you thinking about so deeply?”
“Huh? What did you just say?”
Only after the voices of Lee In-im and her lover faded into the distance did Hwang Jin-ho’s voice reach his ears.
“I’ve processed Jeong Gi-cheol’s transfer. Let’s get some rest now. Aren't you going back to the dormitory?”
“Should we?”
“Why is it so busy today? Let’s go quickly. We should sleep even a little before an ER call comes.”
Hearing that patient Jeong Gi-cheol had been safely transferred, Sihyeon's tension unraveled and fatigue began to rush in.
Owned Resources - 0P]
He didn't even have enough points left to buy a Recovery Potion.
‘I need to rest.’
As he stood up following Hwang Jin-ho, a notification window he had never seen before appeared before his eyes.
Ding-dong!
[System: You have achieved the Hidden Quest ‘Accidental All-In’!]
‘A hidden... quest?’
Sihyeon’s eyes soon narrowed.
———
[Hidden Quest – Accidental All-In]
Success Condition:
– Reach 0P in owned resources through item purchases.
Success Reward:
– A 1,000% additional reward will be issued upon achieving an accomplishment through the use of said item.
(Note: Item purchases and usage for the purpose of improving the user’s health are excluded from the reward.)
———
‘The reward is ten times?’
[System: Issuing achievement reward.]
[Master of Survival – You have achieved 1st place in contribution to patient survival (70%). (Very Hard Difficulty +7,000P)]
[Single Point Breakthrough – You have achieved the best results with the best possible tools available in an unfavorable environment. (Very Hard Difficulty +3,000P)]
[System: 100,000P will be additionally awarded due to the effect of the quest ‘Accidental All-in’.]
‘Yes!’
[Resources Held – 110,000P]
The points had increased in an instant.
His empty heart was suddenly filled with warmth.
“I’m going to stay a bit longer to prepare for the academic society review. There’s a research meeting too, and the research supervisor said we should finish the data entry within this week.”
“Huh? We could just do it together tomorrow.”
Hwang Jinho seemed to feel guilty, as he couldn’t bring himself to leave the ward right away.
“Go ahead and get some rest. I’m really fine.”
[Resources Held – 108,500P]
Sihyeon pushed Hwang Jinho toward the exit while tapping on three recovery potions in a row.
……
[11:58 PM]
‘Shall I get through some of this backlog?’
It was all well and good to send Hwang Jinho away so boldly, but doing it alone actually took quite a lot of time. Even with four years of experience, his speed at handling busywork wasn't much different now than it had been in the past.
[SORA: Recommended to use ‘Multi-tasking Potion (D)’.]
‘Good. I’ll use it right away.’
[System: Using ‘Multi-tasking Potion (D)’.]
‘Heh, 1,000P is nothing.’
It was an amount of points equivalent to two days' worth of daily quests, but for the current Sihyeon, it wasn't a burden at all.
Whoosh.
The documents scattered across the desk began to spread out before his eyes in the form of notification windows. What was amazing was that even while looking at multiple documents simultaneously, it wasn't difficult to grasp their contents.
‘At this rate, I could probably write a web novel while watching YouTube.’
It was an item specialized for processing all sorts of busywork in a short amount of time.
Tap-tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap-tap.
The incessant sound of typing filled the interview room.
Ding-dong.
[System: Achievement reward granted.]
[Master of Paperwork – Due to swift and accurate processing of tasks, the probability of passing the academic society review has increased significantly. (Very Hard Difficulty +2,000)]
‘I knew it would be something like this.’
It was like giving a peck and getting a bushel in return. Sihyeon was gradually beginning to realize the knack for obtaining additional rewards.
……
The next day, during rounds.
“Patient Jeong Ki-cheol had a drop in blood pressure and dyspnea, so we transferred him to Thoracic Surgery.”
“Oh dear! What was the cause of the cardiac tamponade?”
“At first, we suspected drug-induced pericarditis, but considering the amount of pericardial effusion, it seems there is another cause.”
“I see. That could have been dangerous, but you handled it well.”
Lee Gwang-seop wore a satisfied expression.
“The ward patients seem generally stable. How is the newly admitted Ms. Lee In-im doing?”
This time, Lee Gwang-seop directed his question to Sihyeon.
“There are no specific aspects suspicious of delusions in the interview content.”
“How are you handling the medication?”
“Since there were complaints of insomnia, I prescribed Zolpidem extended-release 6.25mg, which she usually took at a local clinic.”
At Sihyeon’s report, Lee Gwang-seop’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Try to avoid using sleeping pills as much as possible, and if absolutely necessary, let’s use a small dose of anti-anxiety medication instead.”
“Yes, Chief. There is a possibility the patient might request a voluntary discharge today or tomorrow.”
“Oh, really? Why do you think so?”
Lee Gwang-seop asked with an intrigued expression.
“The patient went out with her attorney yesterday, and it seems she caught her husband in the act of cheating. Since it has been confirmed that it is definitely not a delusion of infidelity, at the very least...”
Sihyeon explained the events of yesterday to Lee Gwang-seop. However, he omitted the part about the phone call between the patient and the lawyer.
It was partly because he couldn’t exactly explain that he had overheard the conversation because his senses had improved so drastically, but also because there was no need to mention details that were disadvantageous to the patient.
“I wonder. Will the patient just leave quietly once it’s confirmed it’s not a delusion?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m saying we should take a close look at what the patient’s true motivation is.”
Lee Gwang-seop left the ward with that same inscrutable smile.
……
“Doctor, if you aren’t busy, could we have a talk?”
Once the rounds were over, Lee In-im requested a consultation with Sihyeon.
“Oh, are you perhaps being discharged today?”
“No. I’d like to stay a few more days.”
Someone who wasn’t even sick wanting to stay longer in the ward—it was an unexpected response.
“Seeing my husband at home is stressful. My daughters are on their way here now; could you explain my condition to them well?”
“What kind of explanation, exactly?”
“Just as it is. Please make sure to tell them that I am in a state of great disappointment and anger toward my husband.”
‘Is it secondary gain?’
Secondary gain.
The secondary benefits resulting from an illness. In other words, it refers to gains such as obtaining sympathy and attention from those around you or being exempted from responsibilities and duties by being sick.
While it was certain she had no delusions, he questioned whether her anger toward her husband was truly that significant. He recalled the joyful expression she wore last night after confirming her husband’s infidelity.
“Yes, then I will see you in the consultation room in 30 minutes.”
Sihyeon went into the consultation room and opened a green search window to start looking up a few things.
‘I need to get information. Even if it’s just a little.’
Lee In-im. Pajeon Law Firm. Hwan Sa-jun.
[IM Bio Co., Ltd. signs Legal Consulting MOU with Pajeon Law Firm]
What popped up on the first screen was an article from two years ago.
‘Have they known each other since then?’
In the photo, Lee In-im, her husband, and Hwan Sa-jun were all smiling broadly.
IM Bio. When he used the company name as a search term, the company’s homepage and stock price window appeared.
Lee In-im had said her husband ran a “small company,” but it was a much more blue-chip company than he had expected.
Its primary business was the production of prescription drugs and new drug development. It was even conducting clinical trials with leading university hospitals in the country.
——
Major Shareholders | Kwak Jeong-su and 11 others
Kwak Jeong-su’s Stake (%) 19.6
Lee In-im’s Stake (%) 19.6%
Kwak Eun-gyeong’s Stake (%) 7.1%
Kwak Eun-hui’s Stake (%) 4.9%
......
——
The couple held equal shares, and it was a company where the two daughters also held a significant amount of stock.
‘If a fight breaks out in this family, even the company atmosphere will turn sour.’
Knock, knock, knock.
Lee In-im and her two daughters opened the door to the consultation room and walked in.
“Hello, Dr. Cheon Sihyeon.”
Behind the mother and daughters stood an unexpected figure as well. It was Attorney Hwan Sa-jun.
‘Why is he here?’
Reflexively, Sihyeon typed the lawyer’s name into the green search bar.
[Hwan Sa-jun / CEO of Pajeon Law Firm]
Seeing that his profile came up immediately, he seemed to be quite a famous figure in the industry.
[Specialist in M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions)]
The first line of the lawyer's career history caught Sihyeon’s eye.
‘Was this... what they were after?’
Sihyeon carefully observed the faces sitting at the consultation room table. An M&A lawyer and the two daughters.
‘What if she brought the daughters here not as guardians, but as major shareholders of the company?’
He began to suspect that the reason for her hospitalization might not have been simply due to trust issues with her husband in the first place. Kwak Eun-gyeong and Kwak Eun-hui. They were the two who had differing opinions regarding Lee In-im’s “delusions.”
But what if it was confirmed that the infidelity was true, and even the attending physician emphasized that Lee In-im was suffering because of it? The daughters' opinions would undoubtedly tilt to one side.
From this point on, he needed to focus on every single word.
‘Kaitman’s Glasses.’
[SORA: Purchasing a 1-day subscription pass for immediate use.]
‘The Multi-tasking Potion as well.’
As the effects of the potion were added, the shifting expressions of the four people sitting at the table came into view all at once.
[System: Kwak Eun-hui and Kwak Eun-gyeong’s primary emotions are ‘Depression’ and ‘Worry’.]
So far, these were reasonable emotions for children to experience.
“The daughters might be shocked, but these are the photos taken yesterday.”
Hwan Sa-jun made the first move as if he had been waiting for this moment.
“What on earth is this...?”
As they checked the photos placed on the table, the daughters’ expressions began to twist.
[System: Kwak Eun-hui’s primary emotion has changed from ‘Depression’ → ‘Anger’.]
“How could he do that to Mom after all that!”
[System: Kwak Eun-gyeong’s primary emotion has changed from ‘Worry’ → ‘Contempt’.]
However, what truly caught Sihyeon’s eye was the next analysis result.
[System: Lee In-im and Hwan Sa-jun’s primary emotions are ‘Joy’ and ‘Anticipation’.]
It was the kind of reaction that would only appear when things were going exactly as planned.
It was now clear that this meeting had been arranged specifically to persuade the two daughters.