The Black-Haired British Doctor

"Juhyeok."

"Just say it already. It's... it's bad, isn't it?"

Even as I said that, there was a faint glimmer of hope in me.

How could this be happening?

I'm only thirty-eight. Am I really going to die now?

I just became a specialist, finished my military service, and finally completed my fellowship. I thought I could finally start living a little.

"This... this is your CT scan."

Instead of answering, my friend turned the monitor toward me.

What appeared on the screen was the inside of my head.

To be precise, it was my brain—more specifically, a cross-section of the middle part of my brain.

No matter how much I wanted to look away, my training as a doctor forced me to focus on the nearly 4 cm tumor visible on the screen.

The contrast enhancement, the shape of it...

"It's malignant. We'll need a biopsy to be sure, but... surgery isn't an option in this state."

"..."

Yeah, I could tell just by looking at it. Surgery was out of the question.

It looked like a damn nightmare. Why the hell did something like this grow in my head?

I closed my eyes without realizing it.

"..."

Just a moment ago, I was in the examination room.

When I opened my eyes, I saw a familiar ceiling.

I was lying in a hospital room.

"Has he already had a seizure?"

"Yes."

"Have you contacted his parents?"

"Well, Juhyeok is an orphan. He's not married either."

"Ah... I see."

Unaware that I was awake, the senior neurosurgeon and my friend were talking beside me.

"How much... time does he have left?"

My friend asked with a dark expression.

The professor didn't answer immediately and instead let out a sigh.

'Oh, shit...'

I knew that look all too well.

I had been in the same position, struggling to find the right words when facing patients with pancreatic or bile duct cancer.

In other words, there was no hope.

"A month at most? It's worse because he's young."

"Ha."

"At least he's alone... Tell him to make the most of it. Let him hold onto some happy memories."

"Should we transfer him to the hospice ward?"

"If the pain becomes unbearable, we'll have no choice. We'll need to provide palliative care."

Palliative care.

Not to extend life, but to make the journey toward death a little more comfortable.

'Damn it...'

I had just worked so hard.

I had finally become a professor.

And now, before I could even print my professor's business cards, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

What kind of life is this?

What kind of cruel joke is this?

After that, my memories became hazy.

"Alright, take care."

"Thank you."

As soon as I was discharged, I took a train to the East Sea.

I wanted to see the ocean before I died.

But as I was walking toward the shore, something came flying at me.

"Uh, what the..."

At first, I thought it was a hallucination caused by the brain tumor.

There was no way a truck the size of a house would suddenly appear here.

I already had cancer, and now a truck?

Isn't this too much?

"Ugh, ahhh!"

Those were my thoughts as I was sent flying.

I caught a glimpse of the black asphalt before everything went dark.

"Huh? The baby's crying!"

When I opened my eyes, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling swaying.

Someone was holding me and shaking me.

No, they were literally shaking me.

"Ah, thank God."

Then they handed me over to a woman I had never seen before.

The woman looked at me, smiled, and then fainted.

I also felt too weak and closed my eyes.

When I opened them again, I was tied up and couldn't move.

My neck wouldn't turn well, but I could somewhat grasp the situation.

'Am I... a baby now?'