The Perfect Cut

The soft hum of machines filled the operating room, punctuated by the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor. Dr. Eun Jisoo's hands moved with practiced precision, guiding her scalpel along the patient’s chest. The atmosphere was tense, but her calm, focused expression gave the surgical team a quiet confidence.

"Clamp," she said, her voice steady despite the late hour.

"Clamp," echoed the nurse beside her, swiftly handing her the tool.

This surgery—an urgent bypass for a man in his sixties—was risky but necessary. The patient’s life hung in the balance, and for Eun Jisoo, failure wasn’t an option. She had built her career at Daehan Central Hospital by never losing focus. It was why she was the hospital’s ace heart surgeon, trusted to handle the most complex cases.

Her eyes flicked to the monitor. The patient’s heart rate was stabilizing. Relief tugged at the corners of her mind, but she suppressed it. Not yet. Not until the final stitch.

"We’re almost there," she muttered under her breath, the soft clink of surgical instruments the only reply.

After what felt like an eternity, the last suture was in place. She pulled back, letting the tension in her body unwind as her assistants began closing up the incision. Her part of the job was done. Eun removed her gloves and mask, and with a nod to her team, she stepped out of the operating room.

As she walked down the hall, her thoughts shifted away from the patient on the table and back to the larger battle ahead. For months, she had been fighting to establish a dedicated heart transplant center within the hospital. The project was personal—deeply personal. Years ago, she had lost her younger brother to a heart condition, and his death had fueled her drive to specialize in cardiac surgery. Now, she wanted to save others from the same fate.

But securing funding for the center had been a challenge. The hospital board, led by the calculating and notoriously cold chairman, Kang Hyun-joon, wasn’t easily swayed. Despite her stellar reputation and the importance of the project, the board saw only numbers—and those numbers didn’t favor her proposal. The heart transplant center was seen as too risky, too costly.

Eun reached her office, sinking into the leather chair behind her desk. She had a meeting with the board the next day, a final chance to plead her case. She couldn’t afford any setbacks.

Just as she leaned back, her phone buzzed on the desk, jolting her out of her thoughts. It was the billing department.

"Dr. Eun?" The voice on the other end was tense. "We have a situation. Mr. Nam—your patient in Room 12—he’s... he’s gone."

"Gone?" Eun’s brow furrowed. "What do you mean gone?"

"He left the hospital without notice. Discharged himself against medical advice, and... well, he left behind a significant unpaid bill."

Eun sat up, a knot of dread forming in her stomach. Mr. Nam had been one of her wealthier patients, a man with connections and influence. He had promised to pay his medical expenses once his legal issues were resolved, but now he was gone, and the hospital was on the hook for his unpaid bills.

"How much are we talking about?" she asked, her voice tight.

"Around five million won. It’s... it’s going to be a problem for the hospital’s finances, Dr. Eun. And with your project still pending—"

"I understand." Eun cut the conversation short, already knowing the implications. "Thank you for informing me."

She ended the call and leaned back in her chair, her mind spinning. Five million won in unpaid bills would be disastrous, not just for the hospital, but for her transplant center proposal. The board would never approve it if they had to absorb such a large financial loss.

Her phone buzzed again, but this time it wasn’t the billing department. It was a number she recognized all too well. Kang Hyun-joon.

She hesitated for a moment before answering. The chairman rarely contacted her directly, and when he did, it was never good news.

"Dr. Eun," his voice was cool, detached. "I assume you’ve been informed about the situation with Mr. Nam."

"I have," she replied, keeping her tone professional. "I’m working on a solution."

"Good," Hyun-joon said, though there was no warmth in his voice. "Because this situation reflects poorly on the hospital, and your project is already a contentious issue with the board. Any further missteps could see it delayed—or canceled altogether."

"I understand," she said, suppressing a surge of frustration. "I’ll handle it."

"See that you do," was his only reply before the call ended.

Eun put the phone down and let out a slow breath. Hyun-joon was a man of few words, but his meaning was clear. If she didn’t fix this problem, her heart transplant center would never see the light of day.

Her mind raced, trying to come up with a solution. Finding Mr. Nam would be next to impossible, and the hospital couldn’t afford to lose that kind of money. Her only option was to find a way to secure the funds herself—but how?

She stood up and began pacing her office, wracking her brain for answers. She needed an ally, someone with influence and resources. Someone who could sway the board in her favor. And that someone, whether she liked it or not, was Kang Hyun-joon.

But getting him on her side would be a challenge. The chairman was known for his icy demeanor and business-first mentality. He had never shown any interest in personal matters, and he certainly wasn’t the type to do favors.

Unless...

Eun’s thoughts flashed back to the hospital gossip. Rumor had it that Hyun-joon’s family had been pressuring him to settle down, to find a suitable partner and secure the family legacy. It was a ridiculous thought, but... what if she could offer him something in return?

A partnership. A fake relationship that could benefit them both. If she helped him deal with his family’s demands, perhaps he would be willing to help her secure the funding for the heart transplant center.

It was an insane idea. Completely out of character for her. But desperate times called for desperate measures.

She took a deep breath and picked up her phone once again. If she was going to propose this arrangement, she needed to do it carefully. There was no turning back now.

With a determined expression, she dialed Hyun-joon’s number.

"Chairman Kang," she said when he answered, her voice steady despite the nerves in her stomach. "I have a proposal that I think might benefit us both."

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