The human heart is like a multi-layered pie.
Even in fantasy, you wish your regrets could be a relief.

With a mysterious stethoscope, a dedicated female doctor protagonist, and the way people facing terminal illness live, I felt a profound question thrown into life: How can one live without regrets?

Rumiko Hayasaka is a 33-year-old doctor who treats terminally ill cancer patients. She has trouble understanding their feelings and often says insensitive things to them, a problem that gives her constant worry. One day, Rumiko picks up a stethoscope in the hospital’s courtyard. It is a mysterious contraption that, when placed on a patient’s chest, allows Rumiko to hear their thoughts. The stethoscope also opens a door to the past, through which the patient can experience another life that would have been possible had they made different decisions.

When Rumiko’s patients revisit their most regretful moments for a do-over, the results can be unexpected. The Regret Ward is an endearing drama that has touched the heart of many a reader.