Sense Novel - Chapter 33

When the interview he thought would end without a hitch suddenly took a turn for the worse, Dowook felt his head hurting.

 

Comparison to Hansung Hospital.

 

The reason was likely the reporter at the back who kept asking unreasonable questions.

 

At that moment, many thoughts passed through his mind.

 

From Seong Chang Soo, who burst out in anger at the cafeteria, to the vice dean, who told him to do his best.

 

One thing Dowook was sure about and agreed with was the single-minded focus he got from Chief Ji’s sense to save the patient.

 

‘I know what I want to say, so I guess it should be fine to just go with it.’

 

Dowook looked at Reporter Yoon, who had muddied the atmosphere of the interview.

 

“The problem of the students being able to take the CSAT is irrelevant to the injuries they have suffered. So I have nothing more to say on the subject.”

 

“Are you saying Myeong Sae Hospital is unable to allow the students to take their test?”

 

“A doctor is a person who does their best to save their patients’ lives. We don’t get involved in their lives more than that. What the reporter is asking about is the role of the family.”

 

“You seem to be saying that Myeong Sae Hospital has no affection for its patients.”

 

“I don’t know about Myeong Sae Hospital; however, I do not.”

 

At those words, the other reporters also started to talk noisily.

 

Reporter Yoon, who kept twisting the question to cause a misunderstanding, smiled in triumph, thinking he had finally forced the young doctor to make a mistake.

 

“Those words, can I quote you on that? I’ll give you a chance to make a correction.”

 

Dowook calmly looked at the reporter, who acted as if he was asking kind-heartedly.

 

“I am a surgeon. The moment I consider my patient a friend, I will have to put down my scalpel. A surgeon must be more cold-hearted than anyone else until the moment he leaves the OR and washes his hands. Then, if a dying patient survives, that’s it. Make a correction? I will be cold toward all the patients I will operate on.”

 

Even after Dowook finished speaking, Reporter Yoon couldn’t make a sarcastic remark. Because Dowook’s words contained a young doctor’s rationale and sincerity for saving lives. If he made a mistake here, he would be the one in trouble.

 

“If there are no more questions, I have other things to do.”

 

Dowook stood up neatly and walked out of the room, and a camera flashed behind him.

 

After the interview, Reporter Yoon’s phone rang as he sat in the room. The name on the screen was ‘Hansung Hospital Dean.’

 

As soon as he put it to his ear, a harsh sound could be heard.

 

-What are you saying? How could our image take a hit?

 

“This doctor, Park Dowook. He wasn’t an easy guy. He turned a question about whether the students can take the CSAT or not into a discussion of the values and professionalism of a doctor. It was seen positively by the other reporters.”

 

-You should have stopped it! Isn’t that why I take you to play golf and eat expensive sashimi!

 

“Didn’t the dean say to shake things up?”

 

-Ugh, really. Write the article properly! Chase the CSAT issue correctly!

 

After ending the call, Reporter Yoon looked at the reporters around him.

 

“The second hero who rescued the heroic bus driver. Sounds good, doesn’t it?”

 

“That doctor’s words are pretty clear cut. He looks neat, too. Do you think they sent him out on purpose? To raise him into one of the hospital’s representative doctors.”

 

“That’s quite a logical guess, Reporter Song.”

 

Even if he was the only one to write a negative article about Myeong Sae Hospital, most of the people here looked like they would write an amicable one.

 

“D*mn….”

 

It looked like he was scr*wed.

 

* * *

 

The next day.

 

Dowook encountered Chief Ha Sang Joong the moment he got to work. Dowook was surprised by his swollen face and uncomfortable expression, so he asked.

 

“What’s wrong? It’s not because of me, is it?”

 

“Do you think my life revolves around one Park Dowook, you punk? My daughter ordered too much food last night. I still feel pretty bloated.”

 

Chief Ha rubbed his stomach and glared at Dowook, who was about to go inside Prof. Choi’s office.

 

“Where are you going? You have to report the progress of the trouble you caused, so I can also get ready.”

 

“What do you mean trouble? There’s not much to it. The vice-dean told me to continue being the attending physician for the bus driver who ranked 1st in the search list, so I planned to do so. As a result, I had to give an interview. Jeong Woo-seok’s surgery will be confirmed today.”

 

“What? I was asking about the pianist, so why does the vice dean come out of that?”

 

“…..have a nice day!”

 

Dowook quickly opened the door and went in. Then, he closed the door right away.

 

-What did you do, you b*stard! Hey, Park Dowook!

 

Bang bang.

 

“It’s not something you have to be concerned about. I did the interview like a surgeon. That’s it.”

 

-You better keep that promise. And when Jeong Woo-seok’s surgery is confirmed, come right away. I plan to report it in the conference.

 

“Understood!”

 

After Chief Ha left, Dowook took off his jacket, put it over the back of his chair, and put on his white coat right away.

 

There were three surgeries scheduled for today.

 

It seemed like today would be a busy day.

 

“It seems you only gave benefits to Ilmoon Pharmaceuticals while reorganizing the pain clinic.”

 

The expression of Yoon Bok-man, head of the anesthesia department, turned dark at the criticism from the pale woman wearing a neck brace.

 

“The bidding process was transparent. The professors in charge wrote the selection scores after proper evaluation.”

 

“The operating expenses at Ilmoon Pharmaceuticals say something different. ₩ 7.35 million for entertainment. ₩ 10.53 million for personal support. These aren’t things that should be reflected in the evaluation.”

 

“What. You can’t just write that down on the budget, can you?”

 

“Of course not. That’s why you have to watch out for this kind of investigation.”

 

Lim So Yool put down a document on the section chief’s desk.

 

“This information comes from an internal audit conducted by the Chinese pharmaceutical company Byron to invest in Ilmoon Pharmaceuticals.”

 

Yoon Bok-man hesitated and lowered his eyes to the paper filled with numbers.

 

“The third line on page 17. Look at the flow of funds related to corporate cards. It seems ₩ 7.35 million was spent on Chief Yoon’s hotel room. This hotel’s most expensive suite costs less than ₩ 2 million per night. What services did you receive?”

 

Wondering how on earth she found all this, nervousness could be seen in Yoon Bok-Man’s eyes. However, he did his best to hide his fluster and replied.

 

“Is that so? Ilmoon Pharmaceuticals is at the top of this industry. I’m sure it would have been chosen anyway. While you’re at it, try to find a section chief who doesn’t get entertained even this much and bring him out for me to see.”

 

“I didn’t bring this up for the entertainment cost. Since the expenses for that is the loss of Ilmoon and not Myeong Sae Hospital.”

 

“Then why are you interrogating me?”

 

“Because we have to stop future losses from happening. The ₩ 240 million business reserves given by the hospital to reorganize the pain clinic. I need you to return all of it.”

 

“Wh-what about the clinic?”

 

“You should talk to Ilmoon Pharmaceuticals. You’re close, after all. If the clinic closes, their loss will increase so that they won’t sit still. I’m sure they have enough funds since Byron Pharmaceuticals have just invested.”

 

Yoon Bok-man became speechless at Lim So Yool’s suggestion to have the company that gave him preferential treatment pay more. Her financial adjustment plan was ruthlessly logical based only on numbers.

 

The hall of the anesthesia department was filled with doctors.

 

“Wow, can you hear the chief’s voice shaking?”

 

“This is my first time seeing that old man so flustered. That Director Lim really isn’t joking around.”

 

Click.

 

When Lim So Yool, who had finished talking about the financial cooperation, came outside, the doctors all turned their backs in surprise. As they acted as if they had seen something they shouldn’t have and tried to put some distance between them, the atmosphere in the corridor turned cold in an instant.

 

She passed by them without a change in her expression.

 

“You’re moving around on your own.”

 

However, there was one person who approached her side when everyone else was trying their best not to make eye contact with her. It was a young doctor wearing a nametag stating he was from the neurosurgery department and not the anesthesia department.

 

“Dr. Park?”

 

Lim So Yool looked at Dowook in surprise.

 

“Why are you here…..”

 

“To meet you, director.”

 

Greeting her with a gesture of his head, Dowook stood beside her.

 

“Where’s your secretary? She wasn’t in your hospital ward.”

 

“She went to the office for a while. There were some documents she needed to collect.”

 

“Aha.”

 

When Lim So Yool passed them, the doctors flinched. Seeing this, Dowook asked.

 

“I’ve heard rumors you were getting hate from everywhere. What were you doing?”

 

“Talk about numbers.”

 

“If you did it as you do it with me…. Well. Even though we’re from the natural sciences, we aren’t that close to math.”

 

Lim So Yool furrowed her eyebrows gently.

 

“It wasn’t that much, ok? Did you come to find me to stop me from earning hatred from others?”

 

“How could I. What the director is doing is also a kind of financial therapy. When you’re giving consulting in the outpatient office, there are times when you’re blamed by the legal guardian because you suggested the need to open the patient’s head. Even though the doctor isn’t the one who created the disease. Those people are probably doing something similar to that.”

 

It had been a while since they saw each other, but Dowook came to sympathize with her situation. Lim So Yool’s furrowed brows soon returned to normal.

 

“Then why were you looking for me?”

 

“About the surgery prediction model that the director completed last time, the examination results have added some details over the past few days and need to be revised. The patient has an important choice ahead of him.”

 

“You’re talking about the pianist, right?”

 

“Yes, him. Could you help me?”

 

Lim So Yool suddenly stopped walking.

 

“You’re requesting I calculate something with you right now, aren’t you?”

 

Seeing her excitement, as if she had been asked out on a date, he immediately shook his head as he recalled what had happened before.

 

“It’s just for the hospital. It’s not the regular number talk. Think of it as donating your talent.”

 

“Tsk.”

 

When he drew the line, Lim So Yool looked disappointed.

 

The two people continued to walk down the corridor.

 

-What was that just now. That was neurosurgery Park Dowook. Was he that close to Director Lim So Yool?

 

-I know, right? I heard he was her attending physician. I guess that’s why they can talk without a pause in the conversation.

 

It was a strange sight for the doctors here to see him communicating comfortably with the woman who drove the chief of anesthesia to hell and terrorized the entire department.

 

Entering the neural clinic, Dowook found his friend within the chaotic atmosphere of the broadcasting team.

 

“Jae-geol.”

 

Turning his head at the call, Son Jae-geol saw Dowook and Lim So Yool, who was standing beside him and flinched.

 

“Why…..”

 

“She’s not here for financial cooperation, so shut up. When is Jeong Woo-seok coming?”

 

“Around 10?”

 

Even as he answered the question, Son Jae-geol’s eyes were fixed on Lim So Yool. The doctors who came in also seemed surprised to see her.

 

“Got it. Do what you have to.”

 

Sending Son Jae-geol away, Dowook turned to Lim So Yool’s direction. He managed to ask her here to help, but this was how the doctors were reacting.

 

Dowook forced a cough and tried to fix the situation.

 

“People fear what they don’t understand. It’s because Director Lim’s math is quite a novel thing.”

 

“You don’t have to care that much. Being hated is a familiar experience.”

 

It was a calm answer, but Dowook couldn’t look away from her.

 

“Huh? It’s the doctor from the news.”

 

Hearing the lively voice, Dowook turned to look. He saw a girl sitting on a wheelchair who had a protector around her neck like Lim So Yool.

 

He tried to remember where he had seen her as she seemed familiar, but the girl identified herself first.

 

“Doctor. The driver of the bus we were riding. Did he wake up? Can I see him?”

 

“He’s not well enough for visits yet. But you got a lot better, huh?”

 

“They said I am recovering the fastest among my friends. Right?”

 

The female student turned her head and asked, and the attending physician from orthopedics who brought her nodded their head.

 

Dowook looked closely at the female student’s condition. Her vital signs certainly seemed pretty good.

 

“The one who made a small hole in your back to lower your brain pressure was our department’s Nam Hana.”

 

“I know. The doctor came by yesterday.”

 

“Are you here for a nerve exam?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Hope it goes well. It’s just a small hole in the spine with a needle or something, so there won’t be a lot of aftereffects.”

 

“Thank you, doctor.”

 

The bright face of a recovering patient always made him happy. You could say it allowed him to feel the worth of a surgeon.

 

Seeing the pleased smile on Dowook’s face, Lim So Yool asked.

 

“Didn’t you say in the interview that you would be cold towards your patients?”

 

“Ah. I guess the director also saw the news?”

 

“My sister is very close to the media, so she tells me this and that.”

 

“I just mean that before the surgery, we can’t help but be cold. Afterwards, well. You can be friends. Forming rapo is important in the long-term care phase as well.”

 

“Rapo?”

 

“It’s a term for mutual trust. It’s often used by doctors.”

 

Lim So Yool looked as if she was deep in thought as she asked.

 

“Dr. Park and I seem to fully satisfy the terms of mutual trust as well. So are we friends now?”

 

At the unexpected question, Dowook hesitated and wasn’t able to answer immediately.

 

“Um….. if it’s alright with the director.”

 

“It’s fine.”

 

The other’s answer came right away. What kind of certainly did she have to be so sure?

 

‘Friends, huh.’

 

Dowook looked straight at Lim So Yool.

 

The high status of someone from a large investment company. The unique value that made communicating at ordinary times difficult.

 

Above all, in the life he had lived up to this point, they did not have a single thing that overlapped. She was someone he had nothing in common with.

 

But was it still possible for them to be friends?

 

-Being hated is a familiar experience.

 

Lim So Yool’s expression as she was saying such a thing as if it was insignificant seemed somewhat lonely.

 

‘There’s nothing saying it can’t happen.’

 

Dowook stretched out his hand.

 

“Let’s do that, be friends. Let’s get along well, Ms. Semdeok.”

 

“How did you…. Lim So-hee, really. Phew. Let’s get along, Mr. Normal.”