The old woman's expression softened. She took a seat beside the bed and reached out to hold the old man's hand, their eyes meeting.
Kallen felt there was no need for him to stay any longer and said quietly:
"Get some rest, and take care of yourself."
They barely knew each other anyway. Observing the formalities was enough.
Kallen opened the ward door and walked out.
"Your soul was already very fragile. If you keep smoking these, it could fall apart at any moment."
"I think that if I'm unhappy and my soul finds life pointless, it's quite likely to fall apart too."
"If you want to smoke, there'll be a daily limit from now on. I'll light them for you myself."
"All right, it's settled. Oh, that young fellow just now..."
"Where did you get him from?"
"He works under a fellow patient next door."
"A man or a woman?"
"A man."
"You really are something. I stabbed you badly enough to put you in the hospital, and even that hasn't stopped you from making friends."
"It can't be helped. Some people are born with that ability. It also proves you didn't have bad taste back then, doesn't it?"
"You really are shameless. Next time, I might as well stab you down below. It's not as though I use it anymore."
"I don't mind whether you cut it off or not. It won't stop me from having my fun on a spiritual level."
"Then I'll just set your soul alight. I want your body and soul to belong to me alone for your entire life."
"Hey, hey, hey! Cutting it off is a domestic dispute between husband and wife. Destroying my soul would mean deliberately provoking a conflict between our churches."
"Stop making yourself sound important. With your standing