Chapter 127 - A Mature Lee Joon Gi

Ye Rim tried to speak to Lee Dae Won as soon as she woke up, but received no response from her calls and messages. Dae Won had the right to be upset, even though Ye Rim tried to explain herself in text, as she couldn't speak to him. 

Naturally, her conscience was heavy and contrite. Promising herself to try a few more times until she got her benefactor's forgiveness, Ye Rim put her cell phone aside for a moment. Right now, she was waiting for Duk Mi to inform his data to Dr. Kim's secretaries.

They were at the Ji Hyeon Foundation, two days after the Fashion Ball. Ye Rim was accompanying Duk Mi, who was surprised to have been informed of a change in the surgeon's schedule. Duk Mi was re-scheduled as the last patient of the day. Her Sunbae, in a cunning way, immediately summoned Ye Rim to accompany him. And there was a clear reason for that. Duk Mi thought he would have a good discount if Ye Rim was around. But the singer also had her intentions with that. She wanted to ask Jun Hyeon to have a conversation with Dae Won about the reasons he took her out of the party.

"Sunbaenim, all these tests? Are they recent? Don't you think the doctor should order the tests he deems necessary?" she asked, looking at the pile of papers that the senior singer was carrying.

"I did these tests recently. Another doctor requested them recently! Do you think I am rich to keep doing tests all the time? Of course, I'll undergo any tests he orders, but he should be able to check these tests first."

"But are these tests for?.."

"Ye Rim, Ye Rim" he hummed her name, "Dr. Kim may be the best plastic surgeon in Korea, but he's not the only one. Of course, I have been to other plastic surgeons, I like to have all possible opinions,"

The singer was a little confused, but when she would ask more questions, they heard a woman's voice speaking loudly, in the corridor beside the room where they waited,

"Who does he think he is to refuse to do a procedure? He's not taking into account the patient's wishes, but his own aesthetic opinions! I should report him to the medical board!"

Ye Rim heard the voices of Dr. Kim's two secretaries trying to calm her down, but the woman shouted,

"Don't come near me! This is harassment! Do you think I can't do it ?! Dr. Gong said he would, but my husband insisted that I should come here! The 'doctor of the stars', he said. 'He's the best!' What a waste of time and money! I didn't need his second opinion, since he doesn't have any! Success is going up in Dr. Kim's head, that's the truth!"

Duk Mi gave a serene and condescending smile, while in the corridor, they tried to calm the frustrated client,

"What a silly woman! Dr. Gong is the plastic surgeon who advertises on buses! If he were that good, would he need such cheap strategies? He must be a terrible professional, unlike Dr. Kim, the plastic surgeon of the stars!"

Ye Rim didn't know if advertising on buses was demerit for the professional, but she was surprised by the calm and favorable reaction of her Sunbae, who was normally so fickle. She had to admit to being surprised by Duk Mi's restrained behavior since they arrived at the clinic, as well.

Duk Mi insisted that she enter with him in the Doctor's office, although Ye Rim wasn't so willing. Dr. Kim, of course, was surprised but didn't object to that.

Sitting down with a smile, after greeting them, the surgeon apologized for the noisy incident near the waiting room. Duk Mi soon came in favor of the doctor,

"Don't worry, I understood everything. Oh, it's so hard! So hard! Tsk Tsk! A responsible doctor cannot go along with everything the patient wants. The human body isn't a stone block for the surgeon to model as if it were Michelangelo. There are nature's limits!"

"I'm glad you understand that, Duk Mi. We are a step ahead in our conversation, then. But tell me, what do you have in mind?"

The older man smiled, feeling connected to the doctor, and relaxed more, saying,

"Well, we had talked informally the other time, about correcting a little under the eyes and also… Wait. Better than talking, it's showing," Duk Mi took some photos and magazine clippings from a folder, which he handed to the doctor.

Ye Rim followed with interest the exchange between professional Dr. Kim, and Duk Mi. She knew Jun Hyeon was aware of her presence, but his focus was on his patient.

Dr. Kim went through all the photos, and raised an eyebrow, spreading the photos like a suit of cards on the table. Ye Rim peeked out, at the same time as the plastic surgeon questioned,

"I don't know if I understand well, as they are pictures of two very different people. Some are yours, in various stages of life, Duk Mi. And others are… Actor  Lee Joon Gi."

"Yes, I know. He's a lot younger than me. But please think about it like this… I reasoned a lot, and I don't want to be like that lady and many other people, who enter with unrealistic expectations into a plastic surgeon's office. I am aware of my age. But also of your expertise. Wouldn't it be very unrealistic to plan how to achieve this result, would it? A 'mature' version of Lee Joon Gi?"

Ye Rim fought hard to keep from laughing. She didn't want to be a mocking person. But she couldn't see any resemblance between the Sunbae Duk Mi and a mature version of Lee Joon Gi, for starters.

Dr. Kim didn't smile, just pursed his lips and stood up,

"Why don't we simulate the results that we can achieve? Come here a moment, my assistant will film you while I look at all these tests that you were kind enough to bring. My colleague who consulted you earlier ordered them, is that it?"

"Can't I look like Lee Joon Gi? My mom always says he looks like me when I was young!" Duk Mi exclaimed as the assistant took him to the next room. The doctor inspected the tests, with little attention, and commented,

"Na Ra wants to kill me for leaving her there alone. I should have done something I didn't do, and it was important."

"I understand, because I'm also in trouble with Dae Won Oppa. He's not picking my calls."

"Neither mine," Dr. Kim commented, but his attention turned to an exam, and then he compared it to others, looking concerned.

"Is there anything wrong?" Ye Rim asked, alarmed.

He didn't reply, as Duk Mi was returning from the brief computerized photo shoot.

"Show me then what our 'Michelangelo of flesh' can do for this man," the senior singer looked excited.

"Let's look at some possibilities. I saw on your tests you have a congenital coagulopathy, Duk Mi. This makes complex surgeries difficult and a great risk, you know that, don't you?"

"Yes. But plastic surgery is not the same as heart surgery, is it?" the singer spoke candidly, with a smile, and Ye Rim wondered how much Dr. Kim was controlling himself at the time.

"In fact, Duk Mi, any surgery is always risky. It's not that you cannot do surgery, just that you should choose those that are really necessary, if possible. Coagulopathies mean that ..."

"I know, I know, ha haha. The Doctor is not speaking to an ignorant here. The Doctor is the doctor of the stars! But…" the singer's expression was desperate when he stopped pretending that everything was fine. "Is there anything that can be done for this man here?! I look like a frog!"

°°°

When Duk Mi took a taxi home, looking very disappointed, Ye Rim consulted the GPS to find out how to get to his agency. Today she'd sign some papers and take the advance on her contract to pay Pearl's debt.

A message appeared on the screen of her cell phone,

KJH: "I will take you wherever you are going."

It took a smile off her face. It was perfect because she could talk to him about Dae Won and also about tap dancing classes.

Jun Hyeon stopped in front of her with the car, and opened the door, with a smile,

"Don't tell me you think I was cruel to your Sunbae."

After entering and fastening the belt, Ye Rim replied,

"I only have one question: would you be able to turn my Sunbae into a mature version of Lee Joon Gi? Because, although he played sympathetically back there, he was heartbroken."

"In the case he didn't have a coagulopathy? I think not. But I wouldn't try, anyway. He has been refused by a colleague before. Duk Mi is a risky case because of several factors. As I advised, minor surgeries are okay, but I wouldn't risk his life to make him look like someone else. But let's not talk about it now," he started, after knowing where Ye Rim was going. 

"Was your unnie okay?"

"Yes. She's happy as she's gotten a brief conversation with stylist Zhang, as I told you. But she admits nothing about dating her French Teacher!" she laughed.

"Is she also adept at being a 'good friend' of guys?" he teased with a smirk. 

"Oppa, what are we going to do about Dae Won Oppa and Na Ra unnie?" although she preferred to talk about frivolities, it was better to deal with the thorny subject at once.

Jun Hyeon sighed and said, in an ironic tone,

"Can we ignore them? Pretend they don't exist?"

"You could?!" it shocked Ye Rim. She didn't like to account for her actions to anyone, but in that case, she felt ashamed.

"I'm going to speak to Dae Won. It was my fault, after all," he maneuvered into the parking lot of the building where Ye Rim's agency was located. Unfortunately, it had been a short ride.

"Are we going to have coffee or dinner later?" he suggested. But Ye Rim was watching someone next to the valet. She didn't know if it was luck or bad luck, but the person they were talking about was right there, a few meters away from them.

"Oppa, perhaps right now it's the right time. Dae Won Oppa is right there."

She couldn't help but notice the doctor's slight frown at her side.