Chapter 28, Part 1: Racing Through Time (3)

I found myself back at my grandparents' house after just one week.

As I got out of the car and gazed at the grand single-family home, the past week felt incredibly long.

If I had to list the events that occurred, I had performed emergency treatment for Kim Ji-won's pneumothorax, became the class president, and learned that I was going to have a younger sibling.

It felt like I had experienced all the storms a primary school student could face.

Was fate chasing me?

Or was I the one bringing these events to myself?

Now, I couldn't distinguish between the two.

"Faith, let's go."

"Yes, Mom."

As I walked beside my mother, I looked at her belly.

It was still the same as usual, probably because she was in the early stages of pregnancy.

I had always wanted a younger sibling, and now I was finally going to have one...

But strangely, I wasn't entirely happy.

Before the regression, I had no siblings, so I didn't know what it was like to have one.

I was worried if I could protect a younger sibling without the advantages of regression, whether as an older brother or an older sister.

But I couldn't rely solely on regression.

Ultimately, overcoming adversity and hardships would depend on my willpower, perseverance, and focus.

Regression was just a second chance.

It would be a mistake to think of regression as a magic key.

With that mindset, I shook off the lingering worries.

"Come in, quickly."

As we entered the front door, my grandmother warmly welcomed our family.

My grandfather stood behind her, smiling contentedly.

The precariousness I felt last week, like walking on thin ice, was completely gone today.

"Hello, Grandpa, Grandma."

"Yes. Faith, how have you been? Your mother told me you became class president again?"

"I didn't want to, but my friends kept recommending me."

"Others would be happy to do what you do so effortlessly."

Grandma stroked my hair with a proud expression.

Our family of three moved to the kitchen and had lunch with my grandparents.

Laughter filled the air.

It seemed that the accumulated grudges and misunderstandings between my maternal relatives and our family had been resolved, leaving only happiness.

"Grandpa, are you still smoking?"

I asked my grandfather bluntly.

"Not anymore. I promised Faith I would quit."

"Grandpa, you're the best!"

"Since Grandpa has quit smoking, Faith, you must become an excellent doctor, right?"

"Yes, I'll definitely keep my promise."

I nodded firmly.

"Oh, by the way, Faith, did you know that your father went to the hospital for bronchiectasis because of you?"

Grandma clapped her hands, as if remembering something, and changed the topic.

"Right, we talked about it last time."

"Who would have thought that a simple visit to quit smoking would lead to the discovery of a disease? I still get chills thinking about it."

Grandma recounted the story of how she and Grandpa visited the hospital.

Coughing, phlegm, and wheezing.

These three symptoms had led me to diagnose Grandpa's bronchiectasis accurately.

If he quit smoking and managed his lifestyle from now on,

Grandpa could live a longer and healthier life.

'The real challenge starts now...'

I stroked my chin thoughtfully.

I had only one task left on the maternal side: ensuring that the family's business survived the upcoming IMF crisis.

"Grandpa."

"What is it, my little puppy?"

"The school gave us a homework assignment to learn about our parents' jobs. I want to know more about what you do."

"Then why don't we go to the living room and have a private chat?"

"Sure!"

I entered the living room with Grandpa.

The living room looked like a battlefield, but it was probably not just a simple illusion.

In the living room, I had to engage in a fierce battle with Grandpa over the impending decline of his business.

Scritch, scritch.

I took notes in a notebook I had prepared and listened intently to Grandpa's story.

Donggeun IT.

It was a company named after Grandpa, which he had inherited from his father but had grown significantly through his own efforts.

"How many people work at your company, Grandpa?"

"About eighty."

"Wow, that's a lot!"

"Would you like to join Grandpa's company when you grow up, Faith?"

"I'd like to, but I have to become a doctor."

"Oh, right, I forgot about that."

Grandpa laughed.

In the warm atmosphere, I extracted detailed information about Grandpa's company.

Donggeun IT provided server hosting and management services to banks and also handled website creation and management, programming development, and server management. It was a fairly large mid-sized company.

But why did such a solid company go bankrupt during the IMF crisis?

As I continued the conversation with Grandpa, I found the vague clue.

Grandpa was a natural businessman.

He enjoyed challenges and took pride in expanding the company's scope of activities.

It was highly likely that he took out a loan and made a large investment around the time of the IMF crisis, leading to the company's collapse.

Unfortunately, he was hit directly by the economic downturn.

"So, what kind of business do you want to do in the future, Grandpa?"

I asked innocently, pretending to know nothing.

The real battle was about to begin.

I hoped Grandpa would shift his business focus to hospital system development, specifically to manage the electronic medical records (EMR) for the Shinwon University Hospital, where I would work in the future.

This was the dawn of the EMR era, a time when hospitals were just beginning to develop their own systems, albeit at a very slow pace.

Even current doctors preferred manual charting over typing on a keyboard.

But the tide would soon change.

Paper would disappear, but systems and servers would remain.

Prescriptions would become more convenient and concise with the OCS (Order Communication System).

Interns would no longer have to run around with X-rays and CT scans thanks to PACS (Picture Archiving Communication System).

It was not too late.

The company's size, Grandpa's drive, and his connections to Shinwon University provided ample conditions to take over the hospital system.

If he changed the business direction, Grandpa would be unstoppable, even if he wanted to fail.

"Hmm, I'm still thinking about it."

"Grandpa, I once visited a hospital."

"You did?"

"The doctors were running around like deer, carrying X-rays and other images."

I maintained my innocent child persona.

No matter how much I had been a professor of thoracic surgery in my previous life, I was now a primary school student.

It was difficult to persuade Grandpa through logical arguments.

I needed to move him with childlike imagination and innocence.

I realized my storytelling was reaching its climax and prepared to deliver the final touch.

"It would be great if everything could be handled by computers so that doctors don't have to suffer. Using paper is inconvenient and time-consuming."

"..."

"Even for records and images."

"..."

"The doctors looked so pitiful and tired. They should be seeing more patients instead of carrying paper..."

"..."

"I'll have to do the same when I become a doctor, right?"

I put on my most dejected and pitiful expression.

It was the final punctuation mark in my storytelling.

Grandpa remained silent for a long time, his hand on his forehead.

He seemed to be deeply affected by my words.

Since he had recently visited a hospital, he might be evaluating the business potential of my suggestion with his businessman's mindset.

I was on edge, waiting to see how his silence would break.

* * *

"Hospital system computerization... It's a good idea, but..."

"..."

"Grandpa isn't interested in hospital IT systems. It might be too late to enter that market now. I heard that university hospitals are already developing their own systems..."

Grandpa broke the long silence, stroking his chin.

I believed my storytelling was perfect, but Grandpa was not easily swayed.

It's not too late.

In fact, this is the only opportunity.

University hospitals are just starting to recognize the importance of EMR. They are still in the early stages of development.

I barely held back from saying these words.

Again, persuasion was not my strong suit.

"I don't understand what you're saying. It's too difficult."

"Yes, it's a bit complicated for you, Faith."

"If carrying paper is part of a doctor's job, I can do it. I have strong legs."

I tried to sway Grandpa's heart again.

This time, it seemed to work. Grandpa frowned.

My strategy to evoke his sympathy was showing some success.

The image of his grandson, a doctor, running around with X-ray records must have been painful for him.

"Ah... It hurts my heart to hear you say that, my little puppy."

"But there's nothing I can do about it."

"Nothing you can do... Then let me look into it. Since I'm a Shinwon University alumnus, I might be able to influence the Shinwon University Hospital system."

"..."

"Expanding the business scope might not be a bad idea."

After a long hesitation, Grandpa finally gave in.

Although the deal wasn't finalized, with a company like Grandpa's,

it was worth exploring the potential for support from Shinwon University Hospital.

I finally felt a decade's worth of pent-up frustration dissipate.

Persuading someone was as challenging as saving a life.

"Then, when I become a doctor, I won't have to run around, right?"

"You little rascal. Your expression is much brighter now."

Grandpa laughed and patted my head.

A month later, I learned from my mother that Grandpa's company had partnered with Shinwon University Hospital to jointly develop EMR and the next-generation hospital system.

Everything was proceeding according to plan.

* * *

"Yawn."

I yawned widely and got out of bed.

My body felt heavy from studying English until the early hours of the morning.

The consistent practice of speaking and listening in English, which I had started in the first grade of primary school, was finally paying off.

Lately, I often found myself conversing in English with foreigners in my dreams.

While my pronunciation wasn't perfect, it was more than sufficient for communication.

Although it would be a long time in the future, the two-year training program at James Hopkins Thoracic Surgery would be mine.

After a full-body stretch, I went to the living room.

It was 6 a.m.

The house was quiet and peaceful with the family still asleep.

I quietly entered the bathroom, washed my hair, and splashed water on my face.

Drying off with a towel, I saw a tall, 180 cm, well-built, and good-looking young man in the mirror.

It's embarrassing to say, but I had grown taller and more handsome than in my previous life.

I hadn't realized how much family environment could influence one's appearance.

Oh, I forgot to shave.

I lathered up with soap and gently shaved with a razor.

Looking at my now cleaner appearance, I smiled at myself in the mirror.

It was the height of summer, and I was now a high school senior, just two months away from the college entrance exam.