Chapter 21

Chapter 4, Last Homework (1) of Episode 21

On a spring morning when a cold snap hit,

All the students were lined up on the playground, preparing for the morning assembly.

Despite the cold, the children giggled and chatted with their neighbors or those in front and behind them.

Each time the children's lips moved, white breaths of air were released.

'He looks healthy.'

I watched the back of Kim Yo-han, who was standing in front of me.

Kim Yo-han's pacemaker surgery went smoothly.

His recovery was also good.

The surgery wasn't particularly difficult, and the surgeon was Professor Kang Dong-wook.

Who would become the best cardiologist in Korea in the distant future.

If something had gone wrong with Kim Yo-han, it would have been even stranger and more absurd.

In my previous life, I felt proud that I had continued the life of a child who had passed away, thanks to my efforts.

Because I knew what would happen in the future.

And through Kim Yo-han, I was reminded once again that I had the power to prevent it.

But Kim Yo-han was just the beginning.

The only thing I did to save Kim Yo-han was perform CPR.

And I connected him with Professor Kang Dong-wook.

Strictly speaking, it wasn't a great feat compared to my abilities.

The diseases I had to fight, the despicable people I had to defeat, and the corruption in the medical field were all much bigger obstacles than what I faced with Kim Yo-han.

Could I really overcome all of these alone?

I was genuinely worried.

The world is not easy, and things don't always go as I wish.

But as a doctor, I believed I should defeat diseases,

Save patients, and change the medical environment.

That was my original intention.

The god of medicine must have sent me back to when I was one year old to find and keep that original intention until the day I die.

Only I knew the story I was about to change.

It was my own story, having experienced my previous life and retained all the memories.

Others wouldn't know what had changed, but it didn't matter.

I would only walk my own path.

The path I couldn't take before.

"Now, let's begin the morning assembly. Everyone, be quiet."

The homeroom teacher started to quiet the students.

The morning assembly began with the national anthem, the singing of the national song, and the principal's speech.

In the middle of the boring ceremony, the principal called out my name and Kim Yo-han's.

Just being called made the atmosphere tense.

- Faith, the principal will present the award, so when your name is called, go up to the assembly platform.

Since the homeroom teacher had given us a heads-up,

I wasn't flustered and went up to the platform with Kim Yo-han.

"Many students know that a significant event happened in Class 6-2 a few days before the school anniversary."

The principal summarized what happened in our class and praised my efforts.

He further elaborated on the spirit of caring for friends and the courage to learn about the world.

He also proudly waved the front page of the newspaper that featured the event.

'He really wanted to show off.'

I read the principal's intentions and smiled.

Of course, I could understand his intentions.

There were no known cases of elementary school students saving their friends with chest compressions, at least in the current era.

So, this incident was reported not only in the newspaper but also on the 9 o'clock news.

Thanks to the media, the amount of donations for Kim Yo-han's surgery exceeded ten million won.

'This time, I need to use the media well too.'

In my previous life, I had experienced the power of the media.

My nemesis, Kang Tae-sub, was also a media-made celebrity doctor.

He appeared on health programs, became well-known, and didn't refuse various interview and lecture requests.

- Professor, what is a celebrity doctor?

- It's a very simple question. A celebrity doctor is someone people recognize by face and name. If others don't know me, I'm in trouble.

Back then, I naively thought,

I need to quickly improve my skills and gain recognition from people.

But I later realized that the celebrity doctors Kang Tae-sub talked about were not necessarily skilled doctors.

They were just show doctors.

'... Thinking about that guy makes me angry. I wonder if he's a fellow now.'

While having these thoughts, the principal's speech ended.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

I received a bravery award, not the school's official award, amidst the thunderous applause of all the students and came down from the platform.

Then, I noticed Kim Yo-han's fluffy coat, which he was wearing ahead of me.

It was probably bought with the donations.

Yo-han, now walk only the warm and beautiful path.

* * *

After returning from surgery, Kim Yo-han quickly became the star of the class, exuding a unique presence.

The children were curious about Kim Yo-han's surgery story,

And they admired him for overcoming the surgery.

The most attention was naturally given to Kim Yo-han's drawing skills.

The children were amazed by the cartoon characters he drew effortlessly.

"Yo-han, can you draw a picture for me too?"

"No, I should go first. If you draw mine first, I'll buy you tteokbokki."

Kim Yo-han, surrounded by the children, looked happy.

The attention and affection from his classmates, which he had never experienced before, must have been incredibly delightful for him.

I was finally convinced that what I had done was complete.

I felt relieved, but also a bit wistful.

It felt like watching a patient I had operated on being discharged.

Now, all I could do was watch Kim Yo-han live his life courageously without losing his bravery.

'Sigh... Is it time to start again?'

When the afternoon classes began, I immersed myself in my world as usual.

I was the busiest elementary school student in the world.

The knots from my previous life were still piled up like a mountain.

Solving the Kim Yo-han knot wouldn't make my life smooth.

From today, I planned to untangle the final knot that was oppressing my family.

It was the maternal side of the family.

My mother had turned her back on her maternal family by insisting on a marriage that her family opposed.

After my father passed away from a table death, the connection with her maternal family was even more severed.

My mother must have been afraid of the criticism.

So, she couldn't easily contact her maternal family.

If my memory serves me right, my mother and her maternal family reconciled when I finished my thoracic surgery residency.

By then, her maternal family had lost everything.

Their company, which had been struggling since the IMF crisis, had finally gone bankrupt.

So, my mother and her maternal family only reached out to each other after losing everything.

'If we're going to reconcile, it's better to do it when both sides are happy.'

I planned to eliminate the misunderstandings that had distanced my maternal family from us.

And I wanted to create a win-win situation.

Once I resolved the family issues, I could focus more on my goal of becoming an excellent thoracic surgeon.

After finishing my thoughts, I looked down at the bookend Kim Yo-han had drawn for me.

A short but sturdy robot was pointing a sword at me.

I had become a robot for Kim Yo-han,

And Kim Yo-han had given me a robot.

Life, I thought, might ultimately be about becoming someone's robot.

* * *

That evening,

After finishing my English studies, I came out to the living room.

My father and mother were already sitting at the table, waiting for me.

Lately, I had become more comfortable seeing my mother's face.

Day, evening, night.

Nurses work in three shifts without a break, but as a head nurse, my mother worked more day and evening shifts.

"Faith, do you want to see this?"

My mother smiled and handed me a newspaper she had cut out.

It seemed she had clipped the part the principal had waved during the assembly.

"How is it? Isn't it cool? The doctors at the hospital praised you so much. They called it a 'gene transmission.'"

"Did I do well?"

I asked, pretending to be clueless.

"Of course. You saved a person, so it's natural. Our Faith is already a celebrity."

"I just followed what I saw in a drama..."

"Still, it's impressive. Our little treasure."

Even my father, who had been silent, praised me with a proud tone.

When others praised me, it didn't bother me, but when my parents praised me, I didn't know what to do with myself.

I might have wanted to be recognized by my parents more than anyone else for a long time.

With the newspaper article as a side dish, our family started eating.

Laughter never stopped during the meal.

Our family was walking only the beautiful path.

Although I didn't know what difficulties would come in the future, I believed I could overcome them.

"But, Mom and Dad."

Near the end of the meal, I cautiously started.

I had to touch a sensitive nerve with my parents. I needed to be careful with my words and actions.

"Why? Faith?"

"I... I want to see my maternal grandparents. When I went to a friend's house, I was envious of them having grandparents."

My words instantly made the atmosphere quiet.

My parents were busy looking at each other.

The chopsticks, which had been moving busily, now rested on the table without moving.

But my request wasn't particularly unusual on the surface.

I had never visited my maternal family in the 12 years since I regressed.

"Other kids go to their hometowns during holidays..."

I easily acted out a sad voice, and my parents were helpless against my acting skills, which I had honed since I was one year old.

"Faith, do you really want to see your maternal grandparents?"

My mother, who had been silent, asked with a serious look.

"Yes, I want to greet them and receive New Year's money from them."

"Understood. I'll talk to your father."

After the meal, my parents went into the bedroom.

I sat on the living room sofa, straining my ears to eavesdrop on their conversation.

If my parents were willing to meet my maternal family,

The conflict might be resolved more easily than expected.

The truth I later learned from my mother was this.

My mother had wanted to mend the relationship with her maternal family for a long time, and the same was true for her maternal family.

They just couldn't lower their pride to reach out to each other.

So, if I could play the role of a bridge,

It was entirely possible to resolve the family issue early.

Creak.

With the sound of the door hinge, my parents came out of the bedroom.

The shadows on their faces, which had been cheerful just a moment ago, were now visible.

"Sigh... Faith, there's something I haven't told you. Your mother and father don't have a good relationship with your maternal grandparents. You're smart, so you probably had a sense of it."

My mother started calmly.

"So, let me explain..."