Golden Time

Suhyuk smiled awkwardly, scratching his head.

He knew there were sometimes those who recognized his face on the streets, but he always found himself feeling awkward in situations like that.

“What motivated you to apply to our medical school among many others?” asked a professor.

Suhyuk replied, “To be honest, I applied to two other schools.”

The professors present at the interview test smiled dumbfoundedly.

Is it not normal for an applicant to say ‘No’, even if he applied to other schools?

In interview tests, applicants say the same thing: ‘I really want to be admitted to this school. If I fail, I want to come back to this same school on the second try.’ Though in actuality they applied to many other schools.

“If that’s the case, it doesn’t matter even if you fail this time, right? With your score, you could be admitted to other schools easily,” said a woman professor.

Suhyuk smiled bitterly, answering “Yes…”

Out of many medical schools in Korea, Daehan Medical School is recognized as the best.

Given the choice, it would be better for him to be admitted to Daehan MS.

“Lee Suhyuk,” A professor at the end of the line asked blankly,

“If you have another emergency patient, will you take action without hesitation like before? Without any medical license?”

His eyes shone sharply as he gazed at Suhyuk.

“Yes,” said Suhyuk before he knew it.

The professor who asked the question opened his mouth, nodding his head, “Cheer up!”

What does that mean?

“Next student!”

Suhyuk’s interview test ended just like that.

When Suhyuk came out, he gave a short sigh.

A too business-like tone of the professors, and a relatively short interview time, compared with other students. ‘Cheer up…’ He really felt uneasy.

…………………………….…

On a particular Sunday a few days since the interview test.

Kim Myunghee was busy preparing lunch. She wore a constant smile on her face. Her son was admitted to two medical schools out of three, and those were first-rate schools recognized by everybody.

“Where is Suhyuk?” his father asked, who came out of his room, sat on the sofa and turned on the TV.

“I gave him some errands.”

“Why didn’t you do the errands by yourself?”

“Honey, don’t you know his character? He just insisted he should do the errands. How can I stop him? You know how obstinate he is!”

He nodded at his wife’s words.

His son is the type of person who massages his shoulders for more than one hour when he asks him to stop. He also buys gifts for their parents when they give him pocket money for his food or clothes. He was such a thick head.

With a slight smile, he quietly muttered, “Whose son could he be…haha.”

At that moment he turned his head to the side after hearing a beeping sound.

It was from Suhyuk’s cell phone.

He was so absent-minded to leave his cell phone behind when he went out on the errands.

“This is my son’s cell phone…”

“Hello, this is Daehan Medical School…”

His eyes were glaring.

“What, he was admitted?”

“Yes, he was. Normally, we don’t call you to inform of someone’s admittance at our school, but we’re doing it now to implore him to come to our school by all means.”

His eyes became much wider. Surprise after surprise.

“Full scholarship!”

“Yes, because he was admitted as the top student…”

At that moment, Suhyuk came into the front porch.

He made a curious expression because they were standing blankly while gazing at him.

“Why are you…”

His mom suddenly spoke, “Son, tell me what you want to eat.”

And his father also said, “Let’s eat out.”

…………………………….…

The beer house was clamorous with a welcome reception for new students.

They were none other than the freshmen in Daehan Medical School.

“Now, fill the cups!”

At the shouting of seniors, all the freshmen got up and raised their cups.

“All of you have gone to so much trouble for coming here. I don’t want to say much. Welcome to hell. Cheers!”

Six long years’ study to finish medical classes. It’s far from easy.

The transition period from the second year in medical school to the third; that’s the only time when you can enjoy romance on campus. After that, you are embarking on the road as a genuine medical student when you can hardly find enough time for studying even if you work through the nights. It was as if you stepped into the door of hell.

“Cheers!”

Everyone drank alcohol at once.

Among them was Suhyuk.

Putting down the cup, he was scratching his head with an awkward smile.

For those seated at the same table were focused on him.

He was highlighted on TV and the internet for some time, and his name Lee Suhyuk.

They saw him as if they were looking at entertainers.

“How many people did you save?”

“Did you open the cricothyroid membrane?”

“Even the perforation?”

That is a skill that must be precisely cut between the cricoid cartilage and the cricothyroid cartilage beneath it without any error. If the blade of the scalpel is 1cm off the surgery section, the artery and vein are injured instantly. It seemed as if his surgery, which involved cutting of the throat, were seen in a movie, and the aid he gave happened in a classroom. It would be more appropriate to describe his action as performing a surgery.

Suhyuk nodded his head shyly.

And his freshman friends shook their heads as if it were a great accomplishment.

But they felt wary of him. It made them tremble even to think of participating in anatomy class.

Yet the dude in front of them made a perfect outcome by putting a knife on a living person’s throat. He’s like a monster. This opponent will be a competitor in the future. Their eyes turned dark. They just felt hopeless when they thought of having him as a rival later.

“Shall we play games?”

Everyone positively responded to the proposal of a woman student who wore rimmed glasses. There is nothing like a game to get close to each other.

“How about a market game?”

“Okay!!”

“Let’s tackle questions about the cerebrum like medical students,” said one.

Everyone cast a confident look at that.

As all of them were dreaming of becoming a doctor, they had most of the medical terms at their fingertips.

“Okay, let me start. As for the cerebrum, it has a central sulcus, callosal sulcus…” Now it was Suhyuk’s turn. He opened his mouth instantly, picking up where the other one left off.

“If you look at the cerebrum, there are the central sulcus, callosal sulcus, pontine bridge, hypoplasia, hypothalamus, navel…”

Those watching Suhyuk showed blank expressions. It looked as if he were pouring out all the medical terms on the cerebrum. Did he get them all correct? He mentioned many medical terms that were unfamiliar to them.

“Don’t you want to resume?”

Suhyuk, with an innocent expression, said to a female student sitting next to him.

She closed her open lips instantly because he had already mentioned all that she could think of.

“Hey, this is not a game where you say all the medical terms you know. All you have to do is just mention the next one right after someone is done…”

Only then could Suhyuk make sense of what she meant by that.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ve never played a game like this before.”

The students around him shook their heads.

“You’re a monster, monster.”

The atmosphere of the welcome reception was heightening.

While they were drinking like that, Suhyuk went to the bathroom.

“Huh …” Suhyuk looked in the mirror, and said to himself, “Now it is the beginning. Now.”

How many things are there that he has to learn? Or has he already mastered them all?

A strange sense of excitement made his heart pound.

‘I won’t miss even a little piece of medical knowledge. In order to cure the legs of Hana’s father, I’ll get whatever medical information I can into my head. Go Lee Suhyuk!’

After pushing himself to reconfirm his determination, he went out of the bathroom.

“Ah!” A woman groaned a small moan.

Staggering to find a bathroom, she ran into him.

“Are you okay?” asked Suhyuk.

Putting her hands on the wall, she swept up her long straight hair. A beauty with a kitty face.

“Uh?” She lifted her finger and pointed at Suhyuk.

Then she slurred, “Lee Suhyuk!”

Suhyuk instantly held her who was about to fall down.

“Hello, I guess you’ve had a lot of drinks, madame.”

“No honorifics, please. Like you, I’m a freshman. Just use casual words with me. I thought I could meet you if I came here to Daehan MS. I was right! I thought I could see you when I came to the medical school here.”

Recalling the news about him, she giggled, but Suhyuk did not notice it.

“You stay here. Let me use the bathroom. You should stay here, okay?”

She lifted her fingers and pointed at him.

When Suhyuk nodded, she went inside the bathroom.

Did ten minutes pass by?

‘Was she asleep?’

She could be, because she was very drunk.

Suhyuk gave up waiting and turned back to inform other female students.

“I told you to wait. Were you leaving …” said she who just came out of the bathroom, leering at him with half-closed eyes.

“I have not left yet,” said Suhyuk bitterly.

She laughed. Her cheeks, which became reddish with intoxication, made her beauty more striking.

“Let’s go get a drink!” said she, dragging him along.

“Where is your seat?” a male voice stopped her.

He was a sophomore student, her immediate senior.

“I just wanted to exchange greetings with my friends here…” said she with utmost courtesy, controlling her slurring tongue.

“You can do it later, you’ve got plenty of time. Just continue the game you’ve been playing.”

She hesitated for a moment. She wanted to talk and make acquaintances with other freshman friends, but he would not let her do so. Choi Suryon’s agony did not last long. He was a senior she had to respect absolutely.

“Yes, sir!” With a bright smile, she went back to her seat.

However, she was forcibly asked to keep drinking.

“This time, let’s do the nervous system word game,” said a freshman.

Suhyuk wore a confident look at that suggestion.

“Hey, you shouldn’t mention all the terms like before, okay?”

“Hahaha, how does he not know the word relay game like this?”

After that, Suhyuk did not even touch a drink, because he never lost in the game.

“Suhyuk, just drink a cup like us. It’s no fun if you alone stay sober like that.”

Like he said, all the freshmen’s faces became reddish with intoxication, except for Suhyuk.

Their intense eyes were focused on Suhyuk.

“Okay.”

Suhyuk felt he would have no fun if he alone stayed sober.

No sooner did he say that than his cup was filled with soju to the brim.

“This is too much…” Suhyuk said, taking the cup to his lips.

At that moment. “Hey! Choi Suryon! Come to your senses!”

A raucous noise was heard from behind.

“What? I thought you were sleeping.”

“Wake up!”

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Choi and the table where the seniors were seated.

Suhyuk, who put the cup down, looked at her.

“Hey ! Choi Suryun! ”

One senior kept shaking her slim shoulders.

Suhyuk, who fixed his gaze on her, knitted his brows.