Chapter 44, Chapter 4: The Knot (4)

When there is a problem to overcome.

When things don't go as planned.

Time either flows slowly or comes to a complete stop.

But after pushing back the obstacle of Sim Byung-soo with suspension and a lawsuit, my time, which had briefly paused, began to flow quickly again.

From school and the gym to home.

The schedule of going from school to home repeated like a hamster wheel.

However, just because yesterday, today, and tomorrow were the same didn't mean it was boring.

There were only two goals I needed to achieve during this period.

One was to do well on the college entrance exam, and the other was to spend as much time as possible with my family.

What more explanation is needed for the first goal?

I had promised my grandfather to enter Shinwon University's medical school, and I myself wanted to enter with excellent grades.

After regressing, preparing for the college entrance exam wasn't really difficult.

Compared to the amount of study required for medical school, the college entrance exam was nothing.

Having already experienced hell, the college entrance exam was no match for me.

So, what was truly important to me was the second goal.

Spending happy times with my family and creating happy memories.

I would have some free time during the two years of pre-med, but once I entered the main program, I would be extremely busy.

As a PK, I would often go out for on-site training.

After obtaining my medical license and getting a job at a hospital, I might only see my family in photos.

I might only hear their voices on the phone.

Internship and thoracic surgery residency are truly hellish.

Especially for residency, the term originates from "residence," meaning accommodation.

During the time I spent with my family, I especially doted on Aejeong.

My adorable little sister, who didn't exist in my previous life.

"Goodness gracious!"

As the college entrance exam approached, Aejeong kept exclaiming "Goodness gracious!"

She was imitating a catchphrase from the sitcom 'Pure Love Obstetrics and Gynecology' that she had started watching late.

Aejeong's cute gesture of opening her mouth and tapping her forehead with her palm was adorable.

Well, no matter what Aejeong did, she looked beautiful.

Watching Aejeong grow made me realize how much my parents must have loved me when I was growing up.

It seemed that to understand someone, you had to put yourself in their shoes.

On the other hand, I didn't neglect my parents.

I tried to get them into the habit of taking supplements and often talked to them, asking if they had any health issues.

Most of all, seeing my father healthy, unlike in my previous life, made me proud.

Time flowed and flowed until the day of the college entrance exam arrived.

That day, as always, the severe cold and the college entrance exam shook the hearts of the examinees.

It also made the hearts of the parents ache and plunged the entire country into a state of tension.

It was the day of the college entrance exam.

* * *

"Man, I'm really nervous. If I fail the college entrance exam, a whole year will be wasted. I really don't want to retake it."

Gwak Do-an, who was walking beside me, chattered nervously.

Each time Gwak Do-an spoke, a puff of white breath came out.

On the day of the college entrance exam, I was moving to a high school in Yeongdeungpo with Gwak Do-an and Park Jung-hoon.

We had to take the exam at a test site in Yeongdeungpo.

"I even brought Wu Huang Qingxin Pills to take before the exam, but my heart is already pounding."

"My stomach has been hurting strangely since earlier."

I just listened to Gwak Do-an and Park Jung-hoon chatting.

Of course, I wasn't completely relaxed either.

The college entrance exam is the first gateway for high school students to enter society.

A lot is at stake depending on whether you pass this gateway or not.

However, the tension from the college entrance exam was only a minor issue for me.

I had dealt with life and death countless times as a former thoracic surgeon.

I had been drenched in blood from a ruptured aorta during an open-chest surgery.

I had manually massaged the hearts of patients who had stopped beating after an open-chest surgery.

These experiences in the operating room had hardened my heart like steel.

Of course, it was foolish of me to have been used by Kang Tae-sub, but that's a different story.

"You two have studied hard. Just do what you usually do."

"Indeed, Eumjin. You're so calm. The top scorer in the national mock exam is different, after all."

"Eumjin, you'll do well even if you just do what you usually do. I'm envious. I'm so jealous."

The two of them envied me.

"You two will definitely do well too. Just don't get nervous."

I encouraged Gwak Do-an and Park Jung-hoon, and it wasn't just empty words.

I had been giving them extra tutoring, helping Gwak Do-an with his weak point in math and Park Jung-hoon with his weak point in English.

Knowing that they had studied diligently, I was confident in their performance.

We arrived at the college entrance exam site, chatting, and dispersed to our respective classrooms.

The atmosphere in the classroom before the exam was extremely tense.

No one spoke, and everyone was silently reviewing their study materials.

I hung my bag on the chair and sat down.

I also looked through the study materials I had prepared, but nothing registered in my mind.

If it didn't register, it couldn't be stored in my head.

I couldn't concentrate, which was unlike me.

'Ah... I'm nervous.'

Since entering the classroom, I couldn't hide my anxiety and restlessness.

Some might think my emotions were contradictory.

Before entering the classroom, I hadn't felt any tension.

But my emotions were not contradictory at all.

To be precise, I wasn't afraid of the college entrance exam but of the disaster that was about to happen.

Today was one of the days I couldn't forget from my previous life.

50 minutes before the start of the college entrance exam.

One of the students in our classroom suddenly collapsed.

The student didn't regain consciousness easily and was eventually taken away by 119.

I didn't know why the student collapsed or what life they led afterward.

But there was one thing I was certain of.

The student didn't take the college entrance exam.

The sweat and effort they had put into preparing for the exam were in vain, and they would have to wait another year.

Unable to focus on reviewing, I stood up from my seat.

I stood at the back of the classroom and quietly observed the students studying.

Who among them would lose consciousness and collapse?

My eyes, scrutinizing the students, were as sharp as a hawk's.

This was a matter of a student's life, and I was the only one who knew about it.

So, I felt a heavy responsibility to prevent this incident.

Was there really a difference between saving a patient in the operating room and what I had to do today?

I didn't think so.

Broadly speaking, being a doctor was possible outside the hospital as well.

Perhaps every human on Earth was both a patient and a doctor.

'The memory... is fading.'

My brows furrowed as I scanned the students.

23 years in my previous life.

18 years after regressing.

Combined, the event that was about to happen was roughly 41 years ago.

That's why it was difficult to remember the student's appearance, let alone whether they were male or female.

Perhaps hoping to recall this incident clearly was wishful thinking.

As I scanned the classroom with my arms crossed, a female student caught my eye.

She was wearing a typical "tteokbokki coat" and glasses.

She was petite with porcelain-white skin.

She was just entering the classroom, and her gait seemed unsteady.

It felt like she couldn't keep her balance and was swaying.

The person I was looking for was most likely her.

So, I approached her cautiously.

In case she collapsed, I wanted to catch her.

But she soon sat down and started reading her textbook as if nothing was wrong.

I felt a bit deflated.

Had I misidentified her?

Or was the timing of her collapse not now?

I needed to observe more, but with one suspect in mind, I continued my observation.

Just then, a large male student entered the classroom, wiping his wet hands on his jacket.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

His bulky frame made the classroom floor vibrate.

Surprisingly, the male student, who looked very healthy, seemed off.

His hand was on his forehead, and he stopped walking.

Soon, his legs gave out, and he fell backward.

I couldn't believe this bulky student was the tragic figure from my previous life.

I rushed to him and caught him from behind, almost falling over due to his weight.

"Ughhh."

The male student started shaking as if he had been electrocuted.

His reaction was severe.

I carefully laid him down on the classroom floor.

"Ughhh."

The male student, with his eyes rolled back, was shaking his heavy body from side to side.

White foam was coming out of his slightly open mouth.

The moment the male student collapsed, the peace in the classroom was shattered.

Everyone started looking at him with anxious and tense eyes.

I was the only one who remained calm.

Looking at the male student, who seemed possessed, I nodded.

As a doctor, I knew why he had collapsed.

It was probably a seizure due to epilepsy.

The male student's symptoms were typical of an epileptic seizure.

While an epileptic seizure can look very serious, it often resolves naturally.

I was relieved that it wasn't an emergency that required immediate transfer to a hospital.

"Excuse me. Could you please move the desks forward a bit?"

After getting the students' cooperation, I calmly started clearing the area around the male student.

This was to prevent secondary injuries from collisions with objects during the seizure.

Next, I took off my jacket, placed it under the male student's head, and made him lie on his side.

This is commonly known as the recovery position.

It ensures an open airway and prevents vomit from blocking the airway.

Finally, I took off the male student's jacket and loosened his tight belt to help him breathe more easily.

The entire process was as natural as water flowing.

"..."

"..."

As time passed, the male student's seizure gradually subsided.

The frequency of his tremors and convulsions decreased, and the amount of foam coming from his mouth also reduced significantly.

However, I still couldn't fully relax.

I still had an opponent to face.

Tap, tap, tap.

While the male student was not regaining consciousness, the college entrance exam supervisor and 119 paramedics quickly entered the classroom.

Surprisingly, they were the opponents I had to face next.

"Student, don't just stand there. Come out quickly. We need to take the patient to the hospital!"

The 119 paramedic said in an irritated voice as I blocked the male student.

But I stood my ground, showing that I wouldn't budge.

And I declared firmly.

"No. This friend should not be taken to the hospital!"