Chapter 81, Part 2: I Am an Intern (1)

"Sorry, I'm a bit late."

I entered the interview room a few seconds later than the other applicants.

When I entered the interview room, the other applicants were already seated.

The interviewers looked at me with a bewildered expression.

The interviewers fiddled with their glasses or shot me continuous glares.

No matter the reason, I was the black sheep and the odd one out in the interview room.

Kang Min-sik.

A professor of emergency medicine and the son of the elderly person I had just helped.

Kang Min-sik also watched me with a disapproving look, arms crossed.

Perhaps the elderly person hadn't contacted Kang Min-sik yet.

Or maybe they had contacted him, but he hadn't received the call.

I couldn't tell which was true.

But what was certain was that Kang Min-sik hadn't received any call from the elderly person.

If he had, there would be no reason for him to be cold to me.

The situation seemed a bit twisted, but I decided not to care.

The truth would come out, even if it took a bit longer.

"Hmm, take a seat."

Kang Min-sik cleared his throat and pointed to a chair. Only then did I sit down.

As the chaotic atmosphere settled, the formal interview began.

As with all interviews, it started with self-introductions, and mine was the first.

Repeating the well-memorized self-introduction was not difficult.

What was difficult was the hostile atmosphere from the people in the interview room.

"Applicant Lee Min, you're a bit late for the interview, aren't you? If you become an intern, patients' lives will be in your hands..."

"..."

"Is there any reason we should select someone as irresponsible as you, Lee Min?"

Kang Min-sik's question was as cold as the Arctic wind.

Well, in my previous life, interns and residents called Kang Min-sik the 'Ice King.'

When staff made mistakes.

When staff were slow in their response.

Kang Min-sik didn't get angry but instead scolded them rationally.

Being scolded and lectured by Kang Min-sik would naturally make one's hair stand on end and one's back feel cold, hence the nickname 'Ice King.'

I had also suffered at the hands of the Ice King during my internship.

'But I'm different now.'

Despite Kang Min-sik's relentless questioning, I remained calm.

"I was late because I met a patient by chance and provided emergency care."

"You met a patient... quite a coincidence, isn't it?"

"..."

"By the way, applicants like you who are late for interviews because they met patients, do you know what happened to them?"

"From what you're saying, it seems they all failed."

"You know well. So what do you think will happen to you, Lee Min?"

"I think I will pass."

I answered with a smirk.

Now, even though Kang Min-sik is treating me like a mouse, the moment he talks to the elderly person, he'll be bowing to me.

"What makes you so sure?"

"I'm not lying; I really saved a patient. You can check the CCTV in the parking lot and the emergency room."

"Do you think I won't check?"

Kang Min-sik still treated me coldly.

He seemed to think I was lying to get out of the situation.

"No, I think you will check. And after you check the video, you'll feel sorry for me."

"Ha... What a mess."

As I kept talking back, Kang Min-sik muttered to himself, loud enough for me to hear.

As the interview continued, I was completely ignored.

After the self-introduction and the question about why I was late, the interviewers didn't even look at me.

Not only Kang Min-sik but the other interviewers also ignored me.

Perhaps the saying "I feel lonely even when people are around" comes from situations like this.

In a room with ten people, I felt an intense sense of loneliness.

Marked as late, I was just a transparent person.

This stifling situation would soon be resolved, though.

But near the end of the interview.

I noticed Kang Min-sik checking his phone under the table.

It seemed the misunderstanding would finally be cleared up.

* * *

'I was so hopeful, but it turned out to be a mess.'

Kang Min-sik glanced at Lee Min and then scanned his resume again.

Lee Min was one of the applicants he had been most interested in.

His resume was too impressive.

His school grades were always in the top tier, and he scored full marks on the medical licensing exam.

What made his grades even more impressive were the qualities he possessed as a doctor.

Saving a classmate with CPR in elementary school.

Handling a traffic accident during orientation.

Providing emergency care to a stabbing victim at a bar.

Before becoming a doctor, Lee Min had saved patients multiple times, making headlines in the media.

He was a promising candidate, not only for his medical knowledge but also for his practical experience.

But Lee Min was late for the interview.

Of course, he was only a dozen seconds late compared to the other applicants, but Kang Min-sik couldn't let it slide easily.

Anyone who has worked in an emergency room knows that even a dozen seconds can mean the difference between life and death.

'And he even made excuses. In short, it's the worst.'

Not only was Lee Min late for the interview, but he also lied about being late because he was treating a patient.

To verify the truth, one would have to check the CCTV, as Lee Min suggested.

But the probability that Lee Min's story was true was zero.

Most people think that as long as they avoid immediate trouble, they're fine.

Zing.

The phone in his gown pocket vibrated.

Checking the message under the table, Kang Min-sik's heart sank when he read that his father had collapsed.

His father, who was already elderly, had collapsed due to a seizure?

Instantly, his body temperature dropped, and worry and anxiety flooded him.

...

After reading the entire message, Kang Min-sik looked at Lee Min.

Due to being marked as late, Lee Min had not received any attention or questions from the interviewers.

'So, the person he saved was my father?'

Reconstructing the situation sent shivers down his arms.

It turned out that Kang Min-sik had been accusing Lee Min of lying throughout the interview, even though he had provided emergency care to his father.

Realizing this late, Kang Min-sik's cheeks turned red with embarrassment.

"Everyone, thank you for your hard work."

Professor Choo, sitting next to him, ended the interview.

He informed the personnel department to not bring in the next interviewee for a ten-minute break.

"Lee Min is such a pity. He seemed talented, but his attitude was terrible."

"Exactly. I was willing to give him a chance for being late, but his excuses made me lose all sympathy."

The professors on either side of him were busy criticizing Lee Min.

If he hadn't received the message from his father, Kang Min-sik would have joined them in criticizing Lee Min.

But now that he knew the truth, he couldn't do that.

"Applicant Lee Min's story is true."

"What? How do you know, Professor Kang?"

"I just received a message from my father. Lee Min provided emergency care to him, and he is safe thanks to him."

The two professors were shocked by the unexpected news, just as Kang Min-sik had been when he checked the message.

"Can you two continue the interview? I need to go to the emergency room."

"Of course, you should go to the emergency room if your father is there."

"Go quickly."

"Thank you. Lee Min didn't lie, so please make sure he passes. I'll leave it to you."

Kang Min-sik hurriedly left the interview room.

Crossing the hallway to the elevator, he saw Lee Min and some people who looked like his friends.

Perhaps because of his guilt, he felt apologetic just by seeing Lee Min.

It was clearly his mistake to have accused Lee Min of lying.

"Applicant Lee Min."

"Yes, sir."

"It turns out your story wasn't a lie. The person you saved was my father."

"Really? I didn't know..."

"I sincerely apologize for my earlier accusations."

Kang Min-sik bowed deeply.

An apology for the interview and gratitude for saving his father.

"First, I need to check on my father, so let's meet properly soon."

"..."

"Don't worry about the interview. Relax."

Kang Min-sik took the elevator to the ground floor and ran to the emergency room.

Unaware that he had unknowingly formed a bond with Lee Min.

* * *

"What? What happened? Why did the interviewer bow to you?"

"It's a long story."

In response to Shin Cheol-woo's question, I briefly explained what happened before the interview.

Of course, I left out the part about the regression and said I was wandering around the hospital to practice for the interview.

"Wow, Lee Min, you're really a troublemaker. How could you meet an emergency patient right before the interview?"

After hearing my story, Kwon Ah-reum shook her head.

Shin Cheol-woo and Nam Chorong also looked exasperated.

From their perspective, it was entirely possible.

After all, I was always at the scene of incidents, starting from orientation.

But I also felt a bit wronged.

Most of the time, I wasn't the one causing the incidents.

I was just finding the places where incidents would happen to prevent them, thanks to my regression.

"Still, it's a relief that things worked out. Even though it was a bit messy, you're practically guaranteed to pass the interview."

"True, it's a silver lining. Lee Min, you're lucky."

"Really?"

I smiled ambiguously.

In fact, the truly lucky ones were Kang Min-sik and his father.

After finishing the interview and leaving the auditorium, a cold winter wind blew.

Applicants who had finished their interviews were leaving the hospital in a hurry.

I also left the hospital, chatting with my friends.

Stopping briefly at the entrance, I looked back at the hospital.

The Shinwon University Hospital, where I had dedicated my life in my previous life.

A place filled with memories, regrets, achievements, grudges, and twisted relationships, to which I would soon return.

Although the place would be the same,

The achievements I would display in the hospital from now on would be incomparable to my previous life.

My family and friends probably wouldn't understand how much I had been looking forward to this day.

"Still, the timing is awkward. It's a bit too early to part ways, but it's also too early to drink or have dinner."

"Then let's go to my place. There's no problem if we drink at home."

Nam Chorong readily offered her place.

Come to think of it, Nam Chorong had been living alone throughout her medical school years, and no one had ever been to her place.

Not even her best friend, Kwon Ah-reum.