A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 90

Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts-Episode 90 (90/540)

Chapter 15: Doppelganger (5)

Jun-hoo briefly introduced himself to the gastrointestinal surgery residents.

Both were in their first year; the man’s name was Kim Dae-jin, and the woman’s name was Joo Mi-ho.

Dae-jin had an impressionable, innocent look in his eyes, like a calf.

Mi-ho was beautiful, but her sharp, slanted eyes gave her a cold and harsh aura.

“You’re from Shinwon University, right? I heard a lot about you when I was in school.”

“Can we just speak casually since we’ll be working together anyway?”

“Yes, please do.”

“Wasn’t today supposed to be busy with orders since it’s Monday? I thought you’d be in later than this.”

“Right? I even heard that one of the interns deserted.”

Mi-ho chimed in, agreeing with Dae-jin.

“Did you handle the procedure properly? You didn’t rush it because you were busy, did you?”

Mi-ho crossed her arms and gave him a disapproving look.

Jun-hoo’s quick handling of the procedure made her doubt its accuracy.

“How could I rush a patient? If I had that kind of mindset, I wouldn’t have even considered becoming a doctor in the first place.”

Jun-hoo shrugged and replied.

The motives for dreaming of becoming a doctor are as diverse as the people who apply.

Some seek honor.

Some seek money.

Some seek aptitude.

Some are influenced by their parents, and so on.

In Jun-hoo’s case, it was the helplessness and resentment he felt from losing his comrades in front of his eyes in the Murim [martial arts world] world.

For Jun-hoo to rush a patient?

That was impossible, even if the sky were to fall.

“You talk a big game. Anyone would think you’re already a famous doctor.”

Mi-ho asked with a prickly voice.

“If you really don’t believe me, you can check. I don’t see why my treatment and sincerity should be doubted.”

“Oh my? You’ve got quite the temper, don’t you? Did you think I’d just let it go because you said that?”

Slam!

Mi-ho stormed out of the on-call room, visibly annoyed.

She grabbed one of the nurses working at the station and asked.

“There’s a new intern named Seo Jun-hoo who came today. Is there a doctor who rounded with Jun-hoo?”

“That would be me?”

Hyo-jeong, who was entering nursing records, answered.

“Nurse, did Jun-hoo handle the procedure properly? I was suspicious because he came back too quickly.”

“Ah… Dr. Jun-hoo? His treatment was amazing. He’s incredibly fast and meticulous.”

Mi-ho’s brow furrowed at the unexpected answer.

Interns should be kept on a tight leash from the first day, but…

Was Jun-hoo’s work really that perfect?

Mi-ho crossed her arms and pondered for a moment. Then, she narrowed her eyes and looked at Hyo-jeong.

“Nurse, by any chance.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“You didn’t fall for Jun-hoo because he’s handsome, did you?”

“Excuse me? Nurse. Where do you get off saying such rude things?”

Hyo-jeong flared up and raised her voice at Mi-ho’s impolite remark.

“I’m very offended. Apologize immediately. I can’t let this one go.”

“Oh, why are you so serious about a joke? Aren’t you tired of being so serious about everything?”

Mi-ho smiled insincerely and quickly left the station.

The nurses gossiped as they watched Mi-ho walk away.

“Ugh, that sly fox. Look at the way she talks. She treats everyone like servants except for her seniors.”

“Hyo-jeong, you have to bear with it, even if it’s unfair. Just think of it as stepping in poop.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. There’s a reason her nickname is Mi-ho.”

The nurses grumbled about Mi-ho.

* * *

Jun-hoo, who had finished his procedures early, was cleaning the on-call room.

It was a task Mi-ho had assigned.

Cleaning was part of an intern’s job, so he didn’t feel any resistance. However, he had to rethink his opinion of Mi-ho.

He felt like she was trying to control him.

Come to think of it, when he was receiving the handover.

Mi-ho was the person his colleagues had warned him to be careful of.

So, Jun-hoo carefully observed Mi-ho while cleaning.

Mi-ho was a villain (?) who actively used her beauty and outgoing personality.

She shared everyday stories with her colleagues, showing friendliness.

She monopolized the love of her seniors by acting cute and charming.

However, her attitude towards juniors and nurses was completely different.

She didn’t hesitate to say things that would stab you in the heart, and condescension and coldness were the norm.

Strong against the weak.

Weak against the strong. You could say she was a typical petty person.

“Dae-jin, are you busy?”

“I am busy, but why?”

“The emergency room called and asked for a paracentesis [a procedure to remove fluid from the abdomen]. Can you go for me?”

“Then I’ll go.”

“You’re the best, Dae-jin. Thank you. Thank you.”

“Dae-jin, can you do the ICU rounds for me? I feel strangely unwell today.”

“Dae-jin.”

“Dae-jin.”

…

Mi-ho especially exploited her colleague Dae-jin like a slave.

Even if she was loved by her seniors.

It was difficult to directly ask seniors for work, so she often turned to her colleague Dae-jin.

This was an extremely clever move.

Jun-hoo saw that Dae-jin was innocent and couldn’t refuse.

Even though Mi-ho’s requests were excessive, he would quickly let go of his anger if Mi-ho apologized or thanked him.

So, Mi-ho had calculated Dae-jin’s personality and exploited him to the bone.

There was a reason why Mi-ho’s nickname was Gumiho (nine-tailed fox) [a mythical creature known for seduction and trickery].

Was that why?

Sung-min in the emergency department.

Dong-seok in orthopedics.

Mi-ho in gastrointestinal surgery.

Jun-hoo could easily organize the lineage of villains he had encountered and was encountering.

If he had to pick the most difficult person to deal with among the three, it would definitely be Mi-ho.

Because Mi-ho’s actions and words.

Rudeness and coldness.

She was walking a tightrope between education and exploitation.

“Seo Jun-hoo. Are you done cleaning? You’re not just wasting time cleaning, are you?”

“I wasn’t wasting time. I just finished.”

Jun-hoo put down the rag and replied.

“There are some pending orders in the meantime, so go take care of them.”

“Yes.”

After answering, Jun-hoo grabbed a pocketbook containing gastrointestinal surgery knowledge from the bookshelf and put it in his gown.

He planned to read the pocketbook in his spare time to build up his knowledge.

1) Increase the proficiency of the Yangsu Pumpkin Technique [likely a martial arts technique] to further enhance the efficiency of his left hand.

2) Absorb knowledge of gastrointestinal surgery.

3) Enter the gastrointestinal surgery scrub to gain surgical experience.

These were the three goals Jun-hoo had set for himself in gastrointestinal surgery.

“I’ll be back.”

Jun-hoo left the on-call room and walked down the hospital hallway with the pocketbook open.

His destination was the electrocardiogram room.

He needed to grab a portable electrocardiogram device and check the electrocardiograms of patients in the ward.

However, Jun-hoo was using even the spare time while moving as study time with the pocketbook open.

Even though he never took his eyes off the pocketbook.

Jun-hoo easily avoided the people coming towards him.

It was simple.

Through his hearing amplified by internal energy.

He could know the distance to the other person just by the sound of their footsteps.

He could know the direction the other person was approaching from just by the sound of their footsteps.

Not only that.

Jun-hoo could even tell from the sound of their footsteps.

Whether the other person was a patient, a guardian, a nurse, or a doctor.

He could clearly distinguish the sound of a doctor’s shoes.

The sound of a nurse’s sandals.

The sound of patients dragging their slippers.

While moving to the electrocardiogram room.

Jun-hoo read as many as 20 pages of the pocketbook.

The knowledge he had studied separately under the anatomy professor during medical school became a great foundation.

It was thanks to his study method of trying to understand various knowledge rather than simply memorizing it.

Not only that.

On the way back, Jun-hoo also used the Yangsu Pumpkin Technique.

He was playing rock-paper-scissors with both hands while pushing the cart.

Because he had a talent that no one could match.

Through efforts that no one could match.

He would become a surgeon that no one could match.

Jun-hoo’s goal was grand.

He dreamed of becoming the best surgeon in the world, beyond Korea.

For Jun-hoo, who had experienced the Murim world, it was by no means impossible.

Meanwhile, as the bizarre behavior of reading a pocketbook while walking was repeated, Jun-hoo later earned the nickname “Hwanmak.”

Hwanmak was an abbreviation for “going through patients” [a play on words, also implying ‘walking while reading’].

* * *

“Effective.”

Jun-hoo smiled and put the pocketbook he was holding in his gown.

The current time was 2 PM.

Despite taking the time in between, he had achieved the feat of reading 100 pages of the pocketbook.

At this rate on the first day.

It seemed like he could go through the book about three times by the time he finished his gastrointestinal surgery training.

At that time, Jun-hoo’s knowledge would be more outstanding than that of an average resident.

Creak.

Jun-hoo returned to the on-call room after a long time.

Mi-ho was nowhere to be seen, probably in scrub. Only Dae-jin was lonely writing charts.

“Jun-hoo, you’re here?”

Dae-jin greeted him warmly first.

“Yes, senior. Are you busy? Can I help you with some work?”

“No, it’s okay. You must be tired from going around the ward, the treatment room, and the examination room, so you should rest when you have time.”

Dae-jin was rather considerate of Jun-hoo.

His attitude was completely different from Mi-ho’s.

“I’m not really tired.”

“You don’t have to act tough in front of me. Who hasn’t been through intern life?”

“What would I gain from acting tough in front of my senior?”

Jun-hoo said as he approached Dae-jin.

20 minutes ago.

Jun-hoo consumed a vitamin B complex.

Vitamin C, taurine, and arginine supplements and performed meditative breathing in the bathroom.

Thanks to that, even the slight fatigue and drowsiness disappeared.

Even his heavy head became lighter.

In a word, his condition was at its best.

As he always felt, the combination of meditative breathing and supplements was a cheat.

Thanks to that, Jun-hoo was able to maintain sharp concentration and strong stamina throughout his shift.

“Huh? That’s not your ID, senior?”

Jun-hoo tilted his head, checking the monitor Dae-jin was working on.

“Mi-ho asked me to enter some orders before she went to scrub. I’m writing it under Mi-ho’s ID.”

“Senior. Do you perhaps like Mi-ho senior?”

“No? It’s not like that?”

“Then you’re not being blackmailed by Mi-ho senior either, right?”

“That’s not it either? You’re being a bit harsh?”

Dae-jin chuckled and nudged Jun-hoo’s side with his elbow.

“I’m saying it because you’re doing too much of Mi-ho senior’s work. You must be busy with your own work, senior.”

“We’re colleagues, so we help each other and receive help. Is there anything wrong with looking at it that way?”

Jun-hoo held back from saying, ‘I’m saying it because you only give help and don’t receive any.’

It reminds me of the old days.

I used to be like that too.

Jun-hoo was reminded of his memories in the Murim world as he watched Dae-jin.

For a year after entering the Murim Alliance as a warrior.

Jun-hoo lived like Dae-jin.

If there were people around him who were having a hard time, he helped them without hesitation.

He helped even though he knew it would make things harder for himself.

Because he believed that the righteousness of the orthodox sect meant not only righteousness but also affection.

But that was a naive delusion.

Some people began to take advantage of Jun-hoo.

Instead of genuinely needing help, they simply passed on the work they didn’t want to do to Jun-hoo.

Just like Mi-ho did to Dae-jin.

To put it in modern terms.

It was like being kind and turning into a pushover.

After that, Jun-hoo changed.

He developed an eye for distinguishing between fake help and real help and only gave real help.

But Dae-jin seemed to resemble Jun-hoo from that time.

It was questionable whether his inner thoughts were the same as Jun-hoo’s.

He seemed to be an even worse type.

A psychological term flashed through Jun-hoo’s mind.

It was the Nice Guy Syndrome [a pattern of behavior where individuals seek approval by being overly accommodating, often masking underlying resentment].