Chapter 83: Proof of Genius (3)

"Hmm."

Suhyeok, undaunted by Baruda's mental attacks, harbored a glimmer of hope.

And when he saw Hayun, she indeed looked like someone who could become famous not only in school but throughout the hospital.

'Graduated first... and works well too...'

Even if someone graduated first, it was usually very difficult to stand out from March onwards.

Especially if the rotation in March was in the emergency room, it was even more challenging.

No matter how smart a person was, they often stumbled around like a fool.

'The rumors are already good.'

However, Hayun was known for being quite strict with her notes.

Sometimes, she even managed to capture the right impression and take notes, which seemed to be quite accurate.

The fact that such a talented person was applying to the internal medicine department already brought smiles to the faces of many professors.

"Well, it's nothing. It was something I happened to study."

Suhyeok, feeling anew that Hayun was looking at him with admiring eyes, blushed and spoke.

[Please... maintain your dignity...]

Baruda kept giving him endless advice and scolding, but it didn't really help.

Suhyeok's mind was already focused on Hayun, not Baruda.

"Ah... I really haven't heard of it before."

Fortunately, Hayun quite liked Suhyeok.

It was more accurate to say she liked him as a person rather than as a romantic interest.

In any case, this allowed the conversation to proceed smoothly.

"It's a bit similar to Marfan syndrome, but Loeyz-Dietz syndrome is much more severe."

Moreover, since the content was medical, the conversation flowed naturally.

"Why is that?"

"That's... "

Suhyeok, who had been continuing the conversation, suddenly turned to look at the emergency room station.

One of the emergency room residents, the most terrifying one, was looking in their direction.

Although he was senior to Suhyeok, he wouldn't dare look at him so openly.

After all, internal medicine was a department that often needed to be notified by the emergency department.

Even if Suhyeok wasn't the director's son, there was no reason to deliberately antagonize him.

This also meant that if the conversation dragged on, Hayun might get into trouble.

"But don't you need to go? Isn't the emergency room scary?"

"Ah... I'm off now."

"Huh? Oh, now that you mention it..."

Suhyeok finally noticed that Hayun was dressed a bit differently from before.

Her clothes and hair were the same, but she had changed from Crocs to sneakers.

This meant she could leave immediately if she took off her gown.

"Isn't it your off time too, senior?"

Hayun also pointed at Suhyeok's shoes.

Usually, he would wear Crocs, but today he was in sneakers.

"You're like a ghost."

"I just realized. I called you right before my off time. I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's fine. Anyway..."

Suhyeok shook his head, insisting it wasn't her fault.

His reaction was a bit too forceful.

[Don't you feel dizzy?]

So Baruda snickered again, but it was no use, as usual.

Suhyeok was already fully engaged in the conversation with Hayun.

Moreover, he was looking at his watch.

It was already 20 minutes past the scheduled off time of 8 PM.

This meant he had diagnosed and transferred a complex patient in less than 30 minutes.

"It's not that late."

Suhyeok, surprised by his own skills, replied.

They naturally walked out of the emergency room, with Hayun walking alongside him.

Even though Suhyeok, who needed a cane, usually walked much slower than most people, especially the impatient doctors, it was still the case.

'She's really kind.'

[You are kind. Kind, okay? Don't misunderstand.]

'No, who said that?'

[Who wouldn't say that? Your face is all red...]

'It's fine, it's dark, so no one can see.'

[Dark? It's as bright as daylight!]

Baruda grumbled at Suhyeok, who had briefly turned to face him and then quickly turned away.

In the past, Suhyeok couldn't have ignored Baruda even at this point.

'Now, be quiet.'

[Quiet? What?]

[Are you kidding? What? You are?]

[Isuhyeok!]

Suhyeok's inner strength had grown to the point where he could ignore Baruda to some extent.

Even if Baruda kept talking, it didn't really affect him.

"Do you have any plans?"

Hayun, unaware that Suhyeok was constantly fighting with Baruda in his mind, asked a question that was quite tempting for Suhyeok.

'Plans? Does she really like me?'

Even if this thought seemed unrealistic, it wasn't something that deserved only criticism, right?

[No, she doesn't.]

Of course, Baruda had a different opinion.

But this kind of information wasn't important to Suhyeok.

Even Baruda could be wrong about things that weren't medical.

[He's usually quite accurate, though. And Suhyeok... look in the mirror. Suhyeok is not Park Bo-gum...]

The truth hurt a bit.

But Suhyeok wasn't so foolish as to be swayed by a known fact.

[If we're going out together... at least listen to me. I'll give you advice, Suhyeok.]

Moreover, Baruda now knew very well that he and Suhyeok were a shared fate.

He had come to realize that if Suhyeok was treated well somewhere, he would also be treated well.

Having lived through Suhyeok's residency, it would be strange if he didn't know this.

Conversely, if Suhyeok became a fool, Baruda would also become a fool.

"No, I don't. I just wanted to get some fresh air. Why?"

So Suhyeok responded to Hayun's question with a rather appropriate line.

[Good. You know, I analyzed all the dramas and movies in your head.]

'Weren't you beaten up for doing that before?'

[Back then, I did it to fit you as the main character. I don't do that anymore.]

'Who are you fitting now?'

Suhyeok asked Baruda while waiting for Hayun's next words.

He knew it wouldn't lead to a good conversation anyway.

[Yoo Hae-jin?]

'Well... that's not too bad.'

[He looks like him.]

'Looks like... '

Suhyeok wanted to say they didn't look alike, but at that moment, Hayun spoke.

"Would you like to have dinner? I haven't eaten either. I'll probably just eat ramen alone in the dorm anyway."

"Oh... you're staying in the dorm too."

"Yes. I didn't have the energy to go home even when I had time."

Hayun unconsciously looked in the direction of her home.

Like Taehwa Medical Center, it was in Gangnam, but she never dared to go home during her off time.

Her shifts were long, and she was too exhausted, so it was more beneficial to sleep a bit more in a closer place.

Suhyeok, who had no home, knew the dorm life very well.

"Of course. Then..."

Suhyeok was about to continue when he listened to Baruda.

Although the guy had been talking nonsense until now, he was now saying something quite useful.

[There's a modern Korean restaurant right across from the hospital. It's unique because they serve wine, so the atmosphere should be good.]

'How do you know that?'

[A few days ago, I stored the conversation between Lee Hyun-jeong and Shin Hyun-tae.]

'Why did you store that? It's not medical knowledge.'

[It's a good restaurant, remember? Those two are quite famous foodies in the hospital.]

Baruda spoke as if he were licking his non-existent tongue.

'You... why is an AI so interested in food?'

[It's data analysis of taste.]

'Don't joke... No, never mind.'

Whatever it was, it was helpful this time.

The only good restaurants Suhyeok knew near the hospital were the shabby snack shops, nameless chicken places, or PC rooms he used to visit with friends when he was a student.

Hayun, also a student here, wouldn't have a negative reaction if they went to such places, but Suhyeok didn't want to do that.

"Hayun, there's a Korean restaurant called 'Jag' right in front. Do you want to go there? The food is fusion, so it's not spicy or salty, but rather... mild."

"I've never heard of it, but it sounds delicious. The name is short, so it sounds quite sophisticated."

"Right? It's right across, so we can get there quickly."

The problem was that once the restaurant was decided, he couldn't think of anything else to say.

Baruda couldn't easily provide a solution to this either.

[Usually, at this point, it starts raining, and the male lead carries the female lead.]

He had learned about love from videos.

Moreover, he was a guy who didn't even know about sweet emotions.

Suhyeok sighed, wondering why he had even tried to listen to this guy's advice, and then brought up a topic he was confident about.

"Ah, we were talking about Loeyz-Dietz syndrome, right?"

It was a medical topic.

If he brought this up with anyone else, he would probably be rejected without a second thought.

Medicine was already boring, and Loeyz-Dietz was an unfamiliar name.

"Ah, right."

But fortunately or unfortunately, Hayun was not an ordinary person.

She was a graduate who had ranked first in medical school and a passionate medical student interested in internal medicine.

"Can you tell me more about it?"

Moreover, it was related to the patient she had seen as a first visit.

Her eyes started to sparkle.

[In dramas, this is when the female lead gets rejected...]

Baruda shook his head, finding Hayun's reaction strange.

In contrast, Suhyeok, with a very shameless face, continued the conversation as if it were the right reaction.

"It's caused by a genetic mutation related to the development of blood vessels and the craniofacial area. The gene names are... ah, right, TGFBR 1, TGFBR 2. These two."

"Ah..."

If someone started talking about gene names on a first date, what would happen?

Baruda thought they might get slapped with a kimchi.

It was an unimaginable scenario until it was actually broadcast, but now it was a possible imagination.

But Hayun showed extraordinary interest.

"Is it related to TGF signaling?"

"Uh, uh, yes. Yes. You know about it?"

"So the connective tissue is weak... What are the main symptoms?"

"First, there's ocular hypertelorism, and the uvula can be bifid or, in severe cases, the palate can be cleft."

"Ah... I see."

"Also, the aorta can be twisted, and aortic dissection is very common. The aorta doesn't form properly, so it can't be helped."

"Uh... So the prognosis isn't good, right?"

Of course.

If the aorta is weak, it means it can rupture at any time.

Suhyeok, impressed by Hayun's deductions, glanced at the hospital.

He couldn't see the patient, but he thought about them.

"Not good. But... if the right medication is used appropriately, they can live longer."

"What kind of medication?"

"Let's go inside and talk more. I'm hungry."

"Ah, yes, senior. Time flies when I'm with you."

Suhyeok's happiness circuit was activated again at Hayun's words.

'Really, does she like me?'

The problem was that even Baruda couldn't come up with a different response this time.

[She seems a bit strange...]