Dr. Taesoo Choi

A woman sitting in a corner of the café caught my eye. It’s not surprising to see someone with a head full of gray hair in their old age, but the fact that she was a foreigner made it special.
Despite her old age, the first impression was that she was beautiful.
The moment I saw her, one thought crossed my mind. At the same time, Tae-soo’s hand went into the pocket of his gown.
One ring was felt.
It’s the ring that Kaprene said to give to his wife when she comes.
Taesoo, sensing who it was, slowly moved his body.
As the man next to him followed, Taesoo quietly said.
“It seems like the two of you need to talk.”
“It seems that Mr. Choi doesn’t quite know who that person is.”
“Please excuse us.”
Taesoo politely said a word.
The man, who had been thinking for a moment, approached Madame Caprene first and said something to her. When Madame Caprene nodded, the man stepped back a bit.
Only then did Taesoo approach Madame Caprene. With a dark expression, Madame Caprene slowly stood up to greet him.
“I’m Alexandra Kaprene.”
Even without any embellishment, it was a quiet voice that exuded elegance.
Taesoo also introduced himself in English.
“My name is Choi Tae-soo.”
“Shall we sit down for a moment?”
Madame Caprene offered a seat.

There were many things I wanted to hear and many things I was curious about.
Nevertheless, Madame Caprene led the situation slowly and calmly.
Tae-soo also sat down accordingly.
For a while, no conversation passed between the two.
Only after the man who had been watching from a distance brought the coffee did the first words finally come out. Only then did Madame Caprene give a gentle smile.
“I should be serving you something better, I’m sorry for the rudeness.”
“No, it’s not.” This is the best for me right now.
“You’re an intern?” “It’s the hardest time for you, isn’t it?”
When Mrs. Caprene asked, Taesoo shook his head.
“Looking at the residents, it seems like it’s just the beginning.”
“Still, I think Taesoo will get through it well.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s not just a polite greeting.” There have been countless doctors I’ve seen with my own eyes. Mr. Taesoo has a better gaze than those people.
Mrs. Caprene first guided the conversation to a comfortable place.
She was so calm that it was hard to believe she was the wife who had come to hear about her husband’s accidental death.
Thanks to that, Taesoo found it easy to bring up the topic.
“Did you have a good trip?”
“Yes.” Thanks to you.
“I’m sorry.” I was too lacking.
Sigh.
Tae-soo pushed his chair back, stood up, and bowed deeply.
He thought it was an apology he absolutely had to deliver to Mrs. Caprene. However, Mrs. Caprene slowly shook her head and said.
“No.” Thank you so much. If it weren’t for you, I would have ended my life alone in pain. “Thank you for being there at the end; I’m actually grateful to you.”
Mrs. Kaprene slowly stood up and bent her waist with an unfamiliar gesture.
She was small in stature, but the aura she exuded was that of a queen.
Another silence fell between the two.
They sat down again, but it wasn’t an atmosphere where they could easily start a conversation.
However, Taesoo started the conversation first because he had something to deliver and say.
“There is something you asked me to deliver.”
“What is it?”
“First, this.”
Taesoo took the ring out of his pocket and handed it over. The fingertips of Madame Caprene, who was extending her hand, trembled slightly.
It is a clear indication that Madame Caprene is suppressing her emotions. Soon, Madame Kafrené accepted the ring.
As she held the ring close to her heart, Taesoo delivered the last words.
“Your smile was everything to him.”
“…….”
Mrs. Caffrenne did not say a word.
Instead, a single tear fell onto the back of her hand, which she had clasped over her chest.
Tae-soo quietly waited until she could compose herself.
Soon, wiping her tears and lifting her head, Madame Caprene forced a smile.
“I thought I had dried up all my tears, but it seems there are still some left to fall.”
“I didn’t see anything.”
Taesoo smiled faintly and pretended not to know, and Mrs. Caprene gave a slight smile.
The lady Caprene, who had been looking at him with a somehow warm gaze, pulled out a ring case from her pocket.
“Here, take this.”
“No, I can’t.” How dare I.
“No.” It’s from Taesoo. He asked me to pass it on.”
At Madame Caprene’s words, Tae-soo’s brow slightly furrowed.
“That person?”
“You might think it’s nonsense, but it’s true.”
“No, how?”
When Taesoo asked with a completely bewildered expression, Mrs. Kaprene calmly replied.
“I said that before.” “If I’m not by his side when he dies, he said he would ask the most trustworthy person to deliver the ring and the will.”
“…….”

“I thought it was because you often traveled abroad, but maybe you knew something after all.”
“I see.”
Tae-Soo quietly responded, and Mrs. Caprene continued.
“When I checked the body that arrived from the United States, the ring was missing. That’s why I came to look for it.”
“You said you’d be the one to come.”
Tae-Soo now fully understood the certainty Mrs. Caprene had earlier. She spoke slowly, trying to maintain composure.
“He asked me to give this to you.”
She subtly handed the ring case back to him.
It was one of the deceased’s last wishes, so he couldn’t just refuse it.
Tae-Soo carefully took it and asked,
“May I open it?”
“It’s for you, Mr. Tae-Soo.”
“Understood.”
Tae-Soo opened the case after replying. Inside, there was a beautifully shining golden ring, and engraved letters caught his eye.

T.C.S

Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
It was an abbreviation for thoracic surgery.
As Tae-Soo stared at it in confusion, Mrs. Caprene continued explaining.
“It’s the ring he received from the World Medical Association on his 60th birthday.”
“This doesn’t seem like just any ring.”
“It’s a one-of-a-kind ring created by many people to thank him for his lifelong contributions to medical advancement.”
For a moment, Tae-Soo’s face stiffened.
The ring was made by the world’s top doctors.
It was also proof that Caprene was one of the best thoracic surgeons in the world.
“How could I receive such a meaningful ring?”
“Well, I think I’ve already explained the reason,” Mrs. Caprene said in a calm voice, but with determination.
Tae-Soo had no words to argue. He absentmindedly fiddled with the ring case.

The conversation that followed was simply casual.
After about 30 minutes, Tae-Soo and Mrs. Caprene stood at the door.
Tae-Soo bowed politely and said,
“I’m sorry, but I can’t leave the hospital, so I can’t see you off.”
“No, I’m grateful that you’ve returned what was most precious to me.”
“Then please take care on your way back.”
Just as Tae-Soo was finishing his second farewell, Mrs. Caprene hesitated for a moment before quietly asking,
“Will you visit my husband’s grave later?”
“I will. But I won’t go just like that.”
“Then?”
“I’ll go when I can stand before him with dignity.”
At Tae-Soo’s words, Mrs. Caprene smiled kindly.
“I’ll wait for you.”
“Please don’t scold me for taking too long.”
“Not at all. That won’t happen.”
“Then I’ll make sure to keep my promise.”
Tae-Soo spoke politely but firmly.
Soon after, Mrs. Caprene got into the car that was waiting for her and drove away.
Vroom.
Once the car passed through the hospital gates, Tae-Soo turned his gaze.
His eyes naturally fell on the ring case in his hand.

Back in the SICU, Tae-Soo was called by Kim Seok-Dong.
Kim Seok-Dong stood with his arms crossed and asked,
“Who came by?”
“Someone I know.”
It was a vague response, difficult to define their relationship, but Kim Seok-Dong’s gaze sharpened slightly.
“Then who came if it wasn’t someone you know?”
“It’s a personal matter.”
“A personal matter? And you came all the way to the hospital for something like that?”
A “personal matter?”
Tae-Soo’s gaze grew calm.
It may have been someone unrelated in the past, but not anymore.
In a low, clear voice, Tae-Soo said,
“I understand that you may not have good feelings toward me, but please don’t belittle the people around me.”
“What?”
“Here, have this.”
Tae-Soo handed over the paper cup he was holding.
Perhaps because of his intense gaze, Kim Seok-Dong hesitated but took the cup.
After a brief moment, Tae-Soo met his gaze again before turning away.
The aura around him seemed to say, “Don’t come any closer.”
Tae-Soo made his way to the patient Im Taek-Jin’s side and took a seat there.
No one came near, nor did anyone make eye contact with him.
Tae-Soo preferred it that way.
He didn’t want to take out his frustrations on anyone else.
Alone now, Tae-Soo took the ring case out again.
Click.
He opened it, and the shining ring was once again in his view.
Tae-Soo carefully took the ring out and examined it.
It still gleamed, as if it had been cherished by Caprene.
While examining the ring, Tae-Soo’s mind grew more complicated.
With time, it felt like his connection with Caprene was deepening.
Also, with each patient he treated, knowledge that he couldn’t explain kept emerging—knowledge that seemed to have appeared after meeting Caprene.
Could it be memory transfer?
Realistically, and medically, it didn’t make sense.
Yet, what he was experiencing was the complete opposite.
“My head hurts.”
Tae-Soo shook his head forcefully. It was a sign of how complicated his thoughts were.