Choi Hoo stood facing Nam-goong Seok.
"What do you think?"
"Most of the clumsiness has disappeared. It was impressive."
"I've never been clumsy. Not back when I was a student nor now."
"I guess you don't remember. What I pointed out in the lecture when I commented on you being clumsy was not a matter of skills, but a matter of communication.”
Nam-goong Seok looked at Choi Hoo as if he could see right through him. Choi Hoo calmly gazed back at him.
"I think it's an unreasonable evaluation system to distribute tasks to others when you can do them alone."
"You say the same thing without a word of difference.”
"That's it for the debate on values. What do you think about that knot?”
"Is there any reason to ask me after finishing it this perfectly? You changed the clip according to the knot. As if someone had already verified your skills. I don't think you even need our Dowook."
Choi Hoo nodded as if he acknowledged it.
"There is a quite competent helper among Dr. Park Do-wook's acquaintances."
"I guess they're not ordinary for you to compliment them. Are they from the academic association?”
"I don't know about that. Whether there is such a conference in that field."
Chief Ha walked toward the two who were talking.
"Senior Nam-goong. Do you think it'll pass the certification?”
"Of course. Definitely."
"Ha. Eventually."
"How come you don't look so happy when the name of the hospital will last forever?"
Chief Ha replied with a mixed but somewhat joyful face.
"The procedure wasn't there before. I don't know how to convince the public that it was led by my student who is a 4th year resident. This type of procedure is enough to report to the International Society. Choi Hoo, let's put your name in the description report. You've been a specialist for 10 years, it'll be easier to explain."
"I've already finished writing my thesis with the title ‘Park Do-wook's knot.’"
"What? You're already done with your thesis? Why are you so fast at work? This isn't your style.”
Chief Ha was shouting. Choi Hoo didn't even snort at his roar. Nam-goong Seok, who was watching the two, laughed.
"Chief Ha. What does external perspective matter? We need to look at the synergy that the two genius surgeons will create."
"I'm afraid something I can't handle will emerge."
"It's annoying because you’re complaining out of satisfaction. I'll keep in touch with the academic audit personnel. If we guarantee it, we will be able to replace the certification process by visiting the surgery in person.”
Chief Ha looked back at Choi Hoo.
"Did you hear that? Did you like it?"
"Dr. Park. Visit patient Kim Suhan and schedule a surgery."
Dowook, who heard this from afar, immediately left the conference room.
"Are you ignoring me?"
"I just took care of the priority first. Senior Nam-goong. If it's not rude, can I contact you when something similar happens in the future? There are so many formal procedures that there is a risk of deteriorating a patient’s condition in the meantime."
Nam-goong Seok nodded with a welcoming expression.
"Again, again…"
"And."
Finally, he faced Chief Ha.
"Good. Very good. I've never had surgery like this before."
Choi Hoo, who had never expressed his feelings, nodded pleasantly and walked to the place where the residents gathered. Chief Ha was surprised and watched Choi Hoo instructing them to clean up.
"Se-senior Nam-goong."
"Huh?"
"Didn't you give him an F just because he's out of his mind?"
"That's right."
"Does he still look like that? It looks like that to me.”
"Once a maverick, always a maverick."
Nam-goong Seok sympathized and added meaningfully.
"But the maverick general, who meets an outstanding staff, always wins the war."
"Well, I had a hard time controlling Choi Hoo…….”
Chief Ha paused and looked at Nam-goong Seok.
"That staff. It's not me?"
"Hmm. No comment."
* * *
Early December morning.
A large van with dark tinted windows parked in the underground parking lot of Myeong Sae Hospital.
"We're almost there, boss."
The driver turned to the passenger seat. Lim So-hee, who was looking at the tablet, raised her head at these words.
"Thank you, Director Shim. Your morning schedule must be tight."
"You could have just paid a fine for the two-part vehicle system.”
"How could the CEO of the entertainment industry who makes a living out of the company’s image do so? It's better for me to bear the inconvenience than for shareholders to feel uncomfortable. It's not like there's no car in the company."
Lim So-hee turned to the man in the back seat.
"It was nice to see you, too, Ryu Chul."
Ryu Chul, the star actor of KG Entertainment, famous for being a Hallyu star, waved at her.
"Have a good time with your younger sister."
"Oh, by the way. I'm going to hold an event here for the actor to visit Korea that I mentioned last time."
"Volunteering in a pediatric ward?”
"Yes, that's because they're so famous that it's hard for the cast to be positively mentioned in the article. Familiarize yourself with it so that we can appeal to the audience somehow.”
"What could there be?"
Ryu Chul smiled and asked Lim So-hee, who was preparing to unload her luggage.
"When will you accept my date request? I followed you on purpose to walk you home."
A 27-year-old man, who was in full swing with his handsome appearance and trained body, flirted with her.
Lim So-hee opened the door with a smirk.
"People younger than me are not my taste. I'm sorry."
Lim So-hee coolly disappeared into the hospital as Ryu Chul watched her back with regret.
"Manager Shim, what's your preference for men? You're so pretty, but there's never been a scandal."
"How should I know? But I don't think it's you."
"Oh, my".
Lim So-hee, who got on the elevator in the parking lot, held up her cell phone after covering her mouth with her hand as she yawned.
"She's not checking her texts again."
Lim So Yool didn't seem to be interested at all, although her sister came to eat breakfast after staying up all night at work. The 1 beside the message hadn’t disappeared since yesterday.
[T/N: In Korea, SNS or text messages show a ‘1’ beside it when sent to one person. It disappears when the person who receives the message reads it.]
She got off the lobby floor and pressed the call button.
-Unni?
"You’re awake? Did you decide to chew the text with my name on it?"
-It's because I'm busy. What's up?
"Let's eat. I'm in the lobby of Myeong Sae Hospital."
-I don't have time right now…….
A vague tone. This was the nuance of rejection. Because she refused to be rejected when she was already at the hospital, Lim So-hee mentioned the one thing that her younger sister had no choice but to react to.
"Last time, you said overcoming the hospital image was a problem, right? Hollywood actors who appeared in the work ‘Heroes League’ are volunteering in hospital wards in Korea. I decided to have it at this hospital. What do you think? Are you attracted?"
-Are they famous people?
"Huh? Jet America, don't you know Tom Brand? In terms of mathematics, it's like Fermat with a Pascal-level awareness."
-Really? But I like Gaussian.
"Oh. Let's not talk. Well? Should I just send them to another hospital?”
A voice sounded that seemed as if she was contemplating. And the answer came back soon.
-There's no time to eat a lot. I'm in front of the operating room.
"Why there? Are you having a surgery again? Are you sick?"
-No. I need to observe the variables. At the convenience store, bread and… What was it.… There's milk called Lucky Choco. Buy those when you come.
"Dear little sister. Do you have to do this to me? I'm the one who brought Tom Brand to your hospital."
-If you don't want to, then don’t.
Love was a game in which the person who liked more lost every time. Lim So-hee sighed and asked back.
"Lucky Choco? Is that super sweet milk enough?"
-It's not that sweet, ok?
Lim So-hee, who got off her cell phone, walked to a convenience store located at the end of the lobby.
She went inside and picked up the food her sister ordered first. And she wandered around the store looking for convenience store food to eat for breakfast.
Lim So-hee's gaze stopped in front of a packaged lunch box that looked delicious.
"At least this…"
Slip.
There was a hand that picked up the lunch box before Lim So-hee. When she turned her head, it was a man who was tall and had a firm body.
"Excuse me. That's the lunch box I had planned to buy first".
"What?"
The man who turned back was wearing a doctor's gown. Attention was drawn to the unusual name "Choi Hoo" displayed on the name tag roughly pinned to the chest.
The man pushed out the lunch box in his hand towards Lim So-hee.
"This is the worst tasting one here. Are you really going to eat this?"
"Oh, my. Why did you choose this then?"
"I revealed the reason while asking. Do you really want it?”
"Give it to me."
The lunch box was placed on Lim So-hee's hand. The man, who quickly picked out another lunch box, finished paying and disappeared at a fast pace.
"You're a weird person."
Lim So-hee, who even brought a coffee, also walked towards the cashier.
[Operating room 2: Patient in waiting: Kim Suhan]
Lim So Yool was sitting in a simple chair in front of the D-Rosette.
From diagnosis of cerebral aneurysm to surgery. The process that started with one calculation was completed and the result was almost right before her eyes.
This was a very dynamic function with a life on the line, completely different from the boring numbers representing the company's financial status.
"Oh, the smell of disinfectant".
Lim So-hee appeared following the rustling sound of a bag.
"You’re here, unni."
Sitting next to Lim So Yool, Lim So-hee stuck out the chocolate milk and bread.
"Does Secretary Ok know you're doing this here?"
"She doesn't know."
"Even if she knows, she’s probably pretending not to know. Please don't make talented people suffer."
"Don't make Secretary Ok do spy work."
Lim So-hee, who had nothing to say, turned away from her younger sister’s gaze and changed the subject.
"What are you going to observe? What are you into today?”
Lim So Yool, who opened the seal of the milk pack and gulped it down, pointed to the entrance of the operating room.
"That patient is a little late for surgery."
"Do you know this patient?"
"Yes. I calculated the probabilities related to diagnosis and prognosis. I also helped with the patient’s business a little. That was fun, too."
Lim So-hee was surprised.
"Diagnosis? Can you calculate that?"
"Sure. There's someone who transforms variables amazingly in the middle."
"Is there another Semdeok who is participating in your crazy math concept?"
Lim So Yool, who was opening the bag of bread, glared at her sister.
"I'm not a Semdeok."
"I don't think it’s an imaginary friend. Who could it be?”
Lim So-hee, who confirmed the name of the surgeon Park Dowook written under the monitor waiting for surgery, smiled. It was the doctor from last time. She had a feeling that it would be like this for some reason.
"It wasn't a Semdeok, but a Sem-dol. Park Dowook. It’s him, right?
"Don't ask if you already know".
"You keep making me ask. Oh, such a cute thing. Can I kiss you on the cheek?”
"Go away. It’s the end of our relationship if you do such thing."
Lim So-hee, who was opening the lunch box with a smile, picked up a side dish with a chopstick and chewed, then she frowned immediately. She put rice in and munched on, put another side dish in her mouth, and frowned again.
"What's wrong?"
"Salty. Too salty. This is too bland.”
"Convenience store lunch boxes are like that."
"I think it's made by someone who doesn't know what liver balance is.”
Lim So-hee said something and scoffed.
"It really wasn't good. What's with him?"
"Who?"
"There is someone. He’s big and has a thick line…"
Lim So-hee raised her hand when she saw someone disappearing into the operating room glass door.
"That guy."
"Professor Choi?"
"Do you know him?"
"He's one of the people who helped me calculate variables. He's a talented doctor who came in when I had surgery."
Lim So-hee's gaze turned to Choi Hoo who was disinfecting his hands.
"That doctor. Why did he want to eat the least delicious lunch box at the convenience store before the surgery?"
"You can ask him. He’s on the same team as Dr. Park."
"The same team?”
"Cooperation between a surgeon and assistant. They just call it a team here."
Lim So-hee, who was carefully looking at Choi Hoo, asked.
"I don't think he’s an ordinary doctor. At all."
"How do you know that?”
"I know just by looking at his face. Such a character has a unique position that comes out as the final boss in a drama."
"How can you judge a person based on an acting role?"
"The same reason you judge a person only by numbers. If you refute, your logic is out, too."
Lim So-hee, who tapped her younger sister’s nose, as Lim So Yool couldn't respond for a moment and rolled only her eyes, put the lunch box in a bag.
"This hospital is fun. Semdeok, Semdol, and Mystery Pyeondol are one team. Are there any patients in the pediatric ward under their care?”
[T/N: The ‘dol’ suffix usually just refers to a guy. So Semdol just means a guy who like to calculate. Pyeondol means a guy from the convenience store.]
"I don't know about that."
"There has to be. That's how the sparks will fly in front of the camera."
"What are you talking about? If you're done, go."
"So Yool. I worked all night and came here hungry. If you rip off half of the bread…….”
"No!"
