Chapter 73

Chapter 5, Episode 73: Performance (3)

When I arrived at the university campus in Yang Sun-jae's car, the sun had already set.

The sky was dark, and the moon had risen.

The headlights of the speeding car and the streetlights shone brightly.

In front of the campus crosswalk, students were gathered in groups, heading home.

"You've worked hard today."

"No, Professor, you've worked hard."

"Me? Worked hard?"

Yang Sun-jae laughed hollowly and continued.

"Faith, you've worked hard. You performed the diaphragm rupture surgery and had to listen to my pointless stories, so you must have been very tired."

"Not at all. I was happy to learn more about you, Professor. I'll work hard to make sure you're not disappointed in the future."

"Work hard, but not too much. Others might feel inferior."

With Yang Sun-jae's parting words, which sounded like a joke, I got out of the car.

I watched his car as it gradually disappeared into the distance.

It had been a day full of shocking events.

Yang Sun-jae's motivation was that he was a wealthy man who owned a 200-bed hospital.

Thanks to this, I could gain practical experience in thoracic and esophageal surgery earlier than other pre-med students.

Most importantly, I couldn't forget, and shouldn't forget, the evil deeds of Kang Tae-sub.

'You are truly beyond redemption.'

I clenched my teeth, recalling Kang Tae-sub's shameless face.

In my previous life, I didn't know that Kang Tae-sub was a devil.

Not until he stole my new surgical technique and sent me to a branch hospital.

There was one thing I had overlooked, both in my previous life and now:

Kang Tae-sub's victims weren't just me.

Kang Tae-sub also left indelible scars on Yang Sun-jae, my current mentor.

But the victims weren't limited to Yang Sun-jae.

Those who unknowingly became Kang Tae-sub's prey were likely exploited, exhausted, or destroyed.

'There's nothing I can do about this.'

I tasted a sense of powerlessness and frustration for the first time in a long while.

Even though I had returned, as a first-year pre-med student, I couldn't stop Kang Tae-sub's evil deeds.

I was in medical school, and he was in a fellowship program in Busan.

With different stages of activity, even I couldn't do anything to him.

From now on, I will gradually build my skills and network.

And when I meet Kang Tae-sub in the future,

I will repay him with more than the pain I endured.

For now, this seemed to be the best approach.

* * *

"Is the Black Knight here?"

"Lee Min, is it hard to see your face?"

"Min, hello."

When I entered the nearby bar, Shin Cheol-woo, Kwon Ah-reum, and Nam Chorong, who were already seated, greeted me.

I waved in greeting and sat next to Shin Cheol-woo.

The three of them had called me after finishing their afternoon general education classes.

"Where did you go today, skipping your afternoon classes again?"

"I didn't skip; I left them empty. I didn't register for them like some people."

"It's not ignorance but efficiency. Since you've already paid the tuition, it's better to take more classes, right?"

Shin Cheol-woo started his usual playful banter.

"The brain, you know, craves stimulation. Diverse stimulation. Our thoughts might just be electrical signals."

"Again, you're talking about the brain."

She clicked her tongue and poured me a drink, finishing it.

Mentioning the brain was a signal that Shin Cheol-woo's 4D speech had kicked in.

"Isn't it time to stop talking about the brain?"

"Impossible. Not until my brain stops."

"Min, you've worked hard, taking care of the naive Cheol-woo."

"Naive? Taking care? Do you think I'm a kindergartener?"

Shin Cheol-woo flared up at Kwon Ah-reum's attack.

The introverted and quiet Nam Chorong just covered her mouth and giggled, listening to our conversation.

"Brain, brain. I'm sorry."

"Kwon Ah-reum, you seem to be enjoying teasing me lately?"

"Is this all? You don't know how scary it can get when I really get into it."

While Shin Cheol-woo and Kwon Ah-reum exchanged playful banter, I fell into thought.

The focus of my thoughts was Shin Cheol-woo.

Why did Shin Cheol-woo always mention the brain?

Of course, it could be easily explained by his 4D personality.

But I thought there might be something hidden beneath.

Just as the real reason for Yang Sun-jae's early retirement wasn't perfectionism.

There was a good chance that Shin Cheol-woo had other reasons for mentioning the brain.

And I wanted to know what they were.

To truly understand someone,

knowing their hobbies, favorite foods, height, and weight was not enough.

I needed to understand the shadows hidden in their heart.

For me, those shadows were the regrets and lingering desires from my previous life.

As the drinks flowed, the conversation deepened.

Unlike usual, I asked Shin Cheol-woo more questions, more frequently.

I wanted to understand him better.

About his family relationships,

his school friendships,

whether he had ever been in love, and so on.

Most of my questions were about interpersonal relationships.

After all, people are made by people.

"Are you acting suspicious today? Am I a potato field? Why are you trying to dig so much?"

Shin Cheol-woo didn't readily reveal what I wanted to know.

Infiltrating someone's inner world wasn't easy.

But even a well-prepared spy

had a weapon to make them open up.

What was it?

Of course, it was alcohol.

"I'm not digging; I'm just curious. Don't worry, I don't want to date you even if the sky falls."

I responded playfully and proposed a toast.

Perhaps because we were all a bit tipsy,

or because the intimacy we had built over time had grown stronger,

Kwon Ah-reum was the first to reveal her complex.

"I was thinking about getting plastic surgery before entering medical school."

"Why? Where?"

"My nose is too flat. In school, I was called 'pig nose.' Some kids even called me 'outlet.'"

Kwon Ah-reum, who was always energetic and lively, looked downcast.

I was surprised by her confession because I had never thought her nose was flat.

"Why? To me, you look beautiful. Maybe the boys were just teasing you to get your attention?"

"Really?"

"To me, it looks fine. Don't let others sway you too much."

"I agree with you two."

With my support, Shin Cheol-woo and Nam Chorong joined in.

Kwon Ah-reum's expression finally relaxed.

Perhaps complexes are not something we create but something others subtly plant in us.

In any case, since the topic had shifted to appearance, I naturally turned the conversation to Shin Cheol-woo.

"What's this scar? Did you get hurt when you were young?"

I had never noticed before, but there was a scar near Shin Cheol-woo's shoulder.

"Ah... this?"

Shin Cheol-woo's face darkened as he touched the scar.

I instinctively knew that the reason for this scar was important.

If I wanted to understand Shin Cheol-woo, I needed to delve into this scar.

"Did you get hurt playing when you were young?"

"Ha... It's a long and dark story... Are you ready to hear it?"

"Of course. I know you have a heart as broad as the sea."

"Damn."

With a flushed face, Shin Cheol-woo began to reveal the story hidden in the scar.

"I must be drunk. I've never told this story before. I'm sorry for making the atmosphere heavy, but let me talk for a bit."

"Take your time."

"It would be even more appreciated."

Kwon Ah-reum's revelation about her nose complex was surprising, but the story behind Shin Cheol-woo's scar was even more shocking.

Shin Cheol-woo said he had been abused by his stepfather since he was young.

His stepfather would turn into a tyrant when he drank and beat Shin Cheol-woo.

The scar on Shin Cheol-woo's shoulder was from when his stepfather, in a drunken rage, slashed him with a broken bottle.

I was deeply shocked to learn that such a dark past was hidden behind Shin Cheol-woo's usually cheerful personality.

"Lee Min, why did you ask me earlier why I always talk about the brain?"

"...I did."

"It's because of the abuse from my stepfather. In high school, I accidentally read a book about brain science."

"..."

"Surprisingly, I found hope in that book. Why? Because if I thought of the physical pain I felt, and the anger and hatred, as mere signals in the brain, it didn't seem so bad."

After hearing his explanation, I understood why Shin Cheol-woo talked about the brain.

To endure the pain he faced, Shin Cheol-woo clung desperately to the brain as an organ.

If everything he felt was just electrical signals,

he could feel less real pain.

He could feel less pain.

The abuse from his family.

Hearing this story directly from Shin Cheol-woo, which I had only seen and heard in the news, made me feel even more strange.

What was just a rumor to some

was a stark reality for others.

'I still have a long way to go.'

Even though I had returned, I was not yet complete as a surgeon or as a person.

I had dismissed Shin Cheol-woo as just 4D.

I had been too late in trying to understand why he was 4D.

To become more mature, I needed to work harder.

"This has made the atmosphere really heavy. I didn't want to talk about it."

"..."

"It's not like you should feel too sorry for me. That person is dead and gone. I've also made a show of success."

Shin Cheol-woo said it casually, but it was clear he wasn't fine.

Having performed countless surgeries, I knew that big wounds leave big scars.

And big scars sometimes hurt.

"Why is my name Lee Min? When you're in trouble, just follow me. I'll take care of everything."

I said this playfully to lighten the mood.

Shin Cheol-woo laughed at my joke, and the atmosphere became lighter.

"Let's get up. I've talked a lot tonight, so I'll pay."

Despite the others' objections, Shin Cheol-woo paid the bill.

Coincidentally, the way home split us into pairs.

Nam Chorong and I had to take the subway, while Shin Cheol-woo and Kwon Ah-reum had to take the bus.

After parting ways with the others, Nam Chorong and I crossed the bar district.

It took about 10 minutes to walk to the subway station.

Perhaps because of the unexpected and unfortunate story I had heard from Shin Cheol-woo,

my mind was complex with various thoughts on the way home.

I couldn't remember what Nam Chorong was saying or what I was saying.

The incident happened when we reached a sparsely populated residential area after leaving the bar.

A person was lying on the ground in a spread-eagle position.

They were unconscious, not moving at all.

A creeping sense of unease.

Since my return, I had been like a detective in a mystery novel, always involved in incidents.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't tense.

Come on, surely not...

No matter what, it couldn't be this time, right?