Chapter 77, Part 1: Towards Internship (2)

The morning general education class was on the understanding of psychology.

I enjoyed this class because the professor's speech was lively and the content was substantial.

The reason I chose psychology as a general education course.

Naturally, it was because I wanted to better understand people's minds as a doctor.

Although being a doctor is a socially recognized profession, its essence is a service industry that deals with people, isn't it?

I will become a more mature person, not just in medical skills but also in human relations, and I will reach a higher level of prelude.

Today, various psychological concepts were introduced.

I carefully remembered two theories.

One was the Hedgehog's Dilemma, and the other was workaholism.

The Hedgehog's Dilemma is a theory that two hedgehogs, in cold weather, want to get close to each other to stay warm but cannot approach due to their spines.

The Hedgehog's Dilemma was a theory that described my past self.

I hesitated to get close to others, fearing I would get hurt.

The optimal distance to feel warmth without getting pricked by spines.

Unfortunately, my past self did not know this distance.

Workaholism was a term related to my current self.

It's the feeling of anxiety, restlessness, and a sense of decreased self-worth when not working.

After regressing, I lived a life where I was extremely busy.

I couldn't bear to waste even a moment.

In kindergarten, I did sewing.

In elementary school, I studied English speaking and listening.

In high school, I attended a boxing school and struggled to untangle the tangled relationships from my past life, among other things.

To prevent the tragic events that would come in the future, my current self always had to do something.

The satisfaction and charm of various activities were certainly attractive.

But it was also true that the process was not smooth and was painful.

'Indeed, concepts are important.'

The Hedgehog's Dilemma and workaholism.

Knowing these two concepts, I could easily understand myself based on them.

Based on this information, I could also set the direction I needed to change.

The various concepts I would gain from psychology classes in the future would serve as a foundation for understanding patients and colleagues.

“Surely you’re not going to the library, are you?”

As the class ended, Shin Cheol-woo, who sat next to me, squinted his eyes and looked at me.

In fact, I was planning to go to the library.

I had to read the papers assigned by Yang Sun-jae and submit a summary by the end of this weekend.

But perhaps because I learned the concept of workaholism more clearly in psychology,

I wanted to give myself some breathing room.

I couldn't keep sacrificing my current self for my future self.

“I’m not going today.”

“Oh, what’s up? Is the sun rising from the south today?”

“From the north, I think?”

“Damn, you’re cracking jokes. Since it’s awkward to eat lunch, let’s play a game of basketball before that. Do you know how to play basketball?”

“I can play twice as well as you without exaggerating.”

I showed confidence.

Not only boxing, but I also played soccer and basketball frequently in middle and high school.

“I like your spirit. But you probably didn’t know that my high school nickname was Michael Cheol-woo. Half-court, 10 points, lunch bet?”

“Bet.”

On the way to the school playground, Shin Cheol-woo handed me a chocolate.

Of course, it wasn’t out of affection for me.

Shin Cheol-woo had a habit of eating chocolate or candy during his free time.

“But don’t you like sweet food too much? Your teeth will rot.”

I asked while chewing the chocolate.

“Before using your brain, you need to eat glucose. The brain uses glucose as energy.”

Shin Cheol-woo revealed the reason for the first time, but it was absurd.

Not because chocolate was delicious, but to supply glucose to the brain...

I barely held back from saying, “You’re not four-dimensional but five-dimensional.”

-Why do you keep talking about the brain? It’s actually because I was abused by my stepfather.

I recalled the tragic story of Shin Cheol-woo I heard at a drinking party a few days ago.

Shin Cheol-woo, who had to endure painful days, could only treat everything he experienced as a brain stimulus.

Shin Cheol-woo was not just a four-dimensional personality.

He was a tragic figure who had to choose a four-dimensional life to survive.

If I had regressed and become inseparable from Shin Cheol-woo, could I not comfort his wounds?

“By the way, did you hear the news?”

“What news?”

“A few weeks ago, there was a stabbing incident at a bar when A-reum and Cho-rong were drinking.”

“Oh… I couldn’t forget that. Did you hear anything about it?”

I asked, feeling curious.

The most tragic and cruel event I experienced after regressing was that incident.

On the cold tile floor of the bathroom.

The victim, stabbed with a knife, with the knife still in their chest, still makes my spine shiver when I think about it.

“The victim is a third-year student at our school. I think they are in the journalism and broadcasting department. It seems one of our mountain club seniors knows the victim.”

“Is he okay?”

“Yes. It seems the emergency treatment we, or rather, you and I, provided was effective.”

“Phew, that’s a relief. It was a close call.”

I continued, feeling the tension in my chest ease.

“Do you know why it happened?”

“It seems the perpetrator was stalking the victim’s senior. The senior went to confront him, and that’s when the tragedy happened.”

“What a lunatic. It seems he even brought the knife with him.”

“That’s what I’m saying. He should be caught quickly and rot in jail.”

We arrived at the basketball court while talking.

Shin Cheol-woo started dribbling the ball he took from the locker.

His alternating dribble with both hands was impressive.

“Surprised? By this Michael Cheol-woo’s dribbling skills?”

Shin Cheol-woo became even more arrogant when I showed admiration.

He then passed the ball between his legs.

The basketball passing through his legs in a V-shape.

It was a leg-through dribble.

After a brief warm-up, we started a 10-point game.

To put it bluntly, the game ended in my miserable defeat.

My skills were far from enough to handle Michael Cheol-woo, who might be a distant Korean relative of Michael Jordan.

I had no way to stop Shin Cheol-woo’s quick breakthroughs.

Even if he only excelled at dribbling, there might have been a chance, but Shin Cheol-woo was also good at shooting.

Swish.

Every time he shot, the net swayed enthusiastically. It was rare for the ball to hit the backboard.

“Ha… Ha… Did you only play basketball after eating?”

I looked at Shin Cheol-woo, breathing heavily.

Even Michael Cheol-woo, who was known for his skills, looked quite exhausted now.

“Well, not to that extent, but I really like it. I like it so much that I want to get better.”

I felt a pang of sadness again from Shin Cheol-woo’s words.

I wondered if basketball was another escape for Shin Cheol-woo to endure the abuse from his stepfather.

“Anyway, considering the skill gap between you and me, this game was too unfair.”

“...”

“Let’s make it so that if I score even one point on this attack, I win. And I get the ball.”

“This is completely highway robbery. Why don’t you just say I won?”

“That would be too much of a cheat.”

After a brief agreement, the final attack began.

I had the ball, and if I scored even once, I would win.

I dribbled the ball, facing away from Shin Cheol-woo.

It was a play called a post-up, often done by big men.

“Hmm, trying to use some tricks?”

“I’m pretty good at tricks.”

I pushed Shin Cheol-woo back with my back, moving towards the basket.

When I closed the distance to the basket as I wanted, I turned my body halfway and got into a shooting stance.

Shin Cheol-woo, like a fish on a hook, jumped up.

My fake shot worked.

This was my only chance!

I avoided Shin Cheol-woo’s block and jumped towards the basket.

I gently threw the ball with both hands over the rim.

My left hand just assisted.

Swish!

The layup shot was clean and successful.

I smiled at Shin Cheol-woo, who looked dejected, and delivered a line from a famous slam dunk scene with a smug expression.

“I have this belief. I am a man who doesn’t know how to give up.”

“Hey, you got lucky at the end. Let’s go wash up and eat at the cafeteria.”

“Cafeteria? I’m going out to eat something delicious.”

“You’re so talkative for someone who’s getting a free meal. Hurry up and follow me.”

I moved to the showers with the sarcastic Shin Cheol-woo.

Although it was a short time, I felt a surge of energy after playing a game of basketball.

It felt like not going to the library was a stroke of genius.

After a quick shower, Shin Cheol-woo and I moved to the student cafeteria.

The sky, which I suddenly looked up at, was blue, and the spring sunlight was brilliant.

I wasn’t sick, but I was young.

And the page of youth I spent on the campus was beautiful.

* * *

Looking back now, time passed so quickly.

To the point where I doubt if I really experienced those times.

As a first-year medical student, I became a medical student in the blink of an eye.

I started taking quizzes five times a week.

General education classes like psychology disappeared, and various practical subjects such as pathology, anatomy, and pharmacology took their place.

I performed cadaver dissections.

I studied various patient cases.

I interned at my alma mater’s hospital as a PK (medical intern).

As time passed, my network grew thicker.

I became almost a soul partner with Shin Cheol-woo and got along well with Nam Cho-rong and Kwon A-reum.

An Tae-hwan, who would become a prominent politician in the future, became a senior who cherished me greatly.

However, my relationship with the Im Min-ho gang deteriorated.

There were significant conflicts during group projects, case studies, and cadaver dissections.

But compared to the disputes I would face in the hospital later, these were mere skirmishes.

They were just a prelude to the bigger battles I would have to fight with them.

Even amidst the hectic medical school curriculum, I consistently received training in esophageal surgery from Yang Sun-jae.

I tackled various papers and went to the operating rooms of Yangwon Hospital for practical training that felt like real-life experience.

These were harsh times that ordinary people couldn’t keep up with.

But I navigated them without difficulty.

The miracle of regression gave me the strength to overcome trials.

The year 2004 arrived like the wind.

I was now a fourth-year medical student and took the medical licensing exam in late September.

I scored a perfect score on the medical licensing exam, which had a pass rate of nearly 90% (the score is reflected in internship applications, so it’s best to do well).

But a perfect score on the medical licensing exam wasn’t a significant achievement for me, who was a former associate professor of thoracic surgery.

I was indifferent even with a perfect score.

And a