Dr. Shin Seonhan: The Doctor Who Sees The Future [EN]: Chapter 236

Outro 18. The Snake and the Wildcat (4)

On the day of the entrance ceremony.

The March sky was clear.

In a large space reminiscent of an ancient Greek outdoor theater, the freshmen of the Natural Sciences Campus stood packed together.

“Next, we will have the freshman representative’s oath reading. Song Yuju, a freshman from the Department of Medicine, please come forward!”

Clack, clack—

The sound of heels echoed.

Soon, a low exclamation rippled through the freshmen.

Pink.

A very vivid one at that.

Hair the color of cherry blossoms fluttered beautifully under the cloudless sky.

The freshmen of the notoriously conservative medical school all had black hair, making her stand out even more.

It was as if she were a character from a color film popping out from a black and white movie.

The medical students stirred, looking at each other.

‘Is this for real?’

‘She came to the entrance ceremony like that?’

‘Crazy.’

‘Is that even allowed?’

‘She’s openly rebelling against the seniors. She’s been unusual since the orientation…….’

Amid the silent shock, Song Yuju walked onto the platform with a blank expression and raised her hand.

“Oath.”

A clear voice echoed through the outdoor stage via the microphone.

“The freshmen of Yeon Guk University shall comply with the school rules and regulations during their enrollment, fulfill their duties as students, and diligently devote themselves to their studies…….”

Confident.

There was not a hint of wavering in her gaze.

Despite her unconventional hairstyle, her actions and speech were those of a flawless model student.

The professors sitting in a row next to the platform chuckled and whispered.

“These days, students’ free-spiritedness is their charm. Hehehe.”

“It’s refreshing.”

“I don’t think that style is common in medical school…….”

“It reminds me of when I was young. Hoho.”

Most of the professors looked at her with affectionate eyes.

Of course.

University is inherently a space of freedom.

No matter how much the seniors emphasized all sorts of unreasonable rules, they were not the rules of the university itself.

Moreover, Song Yuju’s appearance, except for her hair color, was neatly arranged, which appealed to the professors.

Meanwhile, among the medical school freshmen, Ma Dongseop and Yeo Bongcheol whispered in admiration.

“Wow, that girl…… she really came with pink hair?”

“We tried to stop her at the salon that day, but she didn’t listen at all, did she? I think her temper is no joke.”

“Awesome.”

“A real woman, a real woman.”

“인정 [Injeong, meaning ‘I acknowledge/agree’].”

The two raised their thumbs.

Regardless of gender, the two liked people with guts.

The moment Song Yuju’s fan number 1 and 2 were born at the same time.

Kim Viper had an incomprehensible expression in the meantime.

‘I don’t like it…… what is she thinking?’

And, meanwhile.

The faces of the medical school student council members who attended the entrance ceremony were rotten.

In particular, Na Dongtak was very angry, and his face, which already looked like a sweet potato, was turning red.

Next to him, the student council president with short hair and glasses smiled and said.

“The freshman’s hair is pretty, isn’t it?”

“I’m sorry.”

“How will our department’s rules work if this happens? Didn’t you teach them properly during orientation? Is this all you can do, Na Dongtak?”

.

She scolded her junior, Dongtak, in a gentle tone.

“I have no excuse, 선배님 [seonbae-nim, term to address a senior]…… I will definitely educate them well.”

Gritting his teeth.

Na Dongtak gritted his teeth.

That day, freshman Song Yuju caused a subtle but definite sensation at the Yonsei University College of Medicine.

* * *

What is the first new thing you encounter when you go to college?

The campus?

A flexible timetable?

Textbooks as thick as shields?

All are correct, but there is something more important than that.

Alcohol.

That’s right. It’s alcohol.

All college students across the country drink alcohol as if they have a grudge. All college students around the world are no exception, but Korea is especially notorious.

“Drink! Drink!”

“Ah, until when! Are you going to make me dance!”

A pension [a type of Korean vacation rental] in Oido, Incheon.

Green soju [Korean distilled rice liquor] bottles were piled up like a mountain in one corner of the room.

Drunk college students were sitting in a circle playing drinking games, and Kim Viper was mixed in with a fed-up expression.

‘What, what is this…… are these medical students so ignorant? Do you want to see your livers get destroyed by drinking like this?!’

……Those words came up to Kim Viper’s chin, but he barely managed not to say them out loud. If he broke the atmosphere, he would be out of favor with the seniors.

“Well done! Well done!”

“One shot!”

Kim Viper forced himself to drink.

Everyone was out of their minds, but Na Dongtak, the vice president of the student council sitting across from him, was especially forcing alcohol like crazy.

Moreover, Ju Bongseon, the president of the student council, was next to him…….

She was also a heavy drinker at the drinking party, leading an atmosphere that was impossible to refuse.

He was realizing why the saying ‘Beware of drinking parties with Dongtak and Bongseon’ came about from the seniors.

“Hey, cute freshman with the slit eyes. I like you because you drink well. What was your name again? Do you want to do FM once?”

FM.

It means ‘self-introduction’ rooted in the college culture of the 80s.

Schools with a long history, penetrating modern and contemporary history, usually had such ‘slogans.’

Of course, Yonsei University, which has a long history, also had such customs.

At Bongseon’s words, Kim Viper jumped up and cleared his throat.

“Hello!”

“Hey!”

“Freedom~ Yeon Guk!”

“Hey!”

“Vanguard~ Medical School! Kim! Beom! Su!”

The last slogan must be taken with special care. If the ending does not please the seniors, you have to drink a penalty drink.

“Tonight! With the determination to run until the end! I greet you in a hot and sexy way!”

He closed his eyes tightly and took a sexy pose.

It was so embarrassing that he wanted to die, but his classmates responded with cheers. At this point, it seemed like he could get through it in one go.

But…….

Na Dongtak and Ju Bongseon shook their heads with mischievous expressions.

……What is this feeling?

It feels like seeing a bully who picks a fight with a pointless excuse from middle school. Unpleasant memories swirled in Kim Viper’s head.

“Wrong.”

“?”

“You didn’t mention your student number.”

“…….”

At Bongseon’s nagging, Dongtak quickly intervened.

“Hey! And your butt wiggling wasn’t hot and sexy at all! You should have shaken it with the mindset of seducing the senior next to you!”

“꺄하하 [Kkyahahha, Korean laughter sound]!”

Na Dongtak did not hesitate to make sexually harassing remarks to his juniors, regardless of the gender of the target.

Ju Bongseon, who was laughing, also fueled this atmosphere.

Some were happy, some were uncomfortable.

“Should I drink it?”

Pour, pour, pour—

All sorts of things go into the bowl.

Soju, beer, makgeolli [Korean rice wine].

Shrimp chips. Peanuts.

Coffee mix. Ramen soup.

His classmates, who couldn’t stand to see him add kimchi to everything he could grab, stopped him.

In the end, Na Dongtak only added a moderate amount of kimchi juice and shouted.

“Hey, I was going to eat this with cup ramen tomorrow, but I’m giving it to you specially!”

You crazy bastard, you try drinking it, you sweet potato-looking bastard…….

He almost said that.

Dongtak’s expression turned fierce as Kim Viper hesitated with a disgusted expression.

“Why? Can’t you drink it? Should I make it with traditional liquor?”

Of course, the traditional liquor mentioned here was by no means ordinary.

“Should I spit in it? Soak my socks in it? How about adding cigarette ash topping? Seniors used to drink like that in the old days…… should I make it thick in the old-fashioned style?”

“……!”

“Drink.”

Na Dongtak grinned and held the bowl in front of Kim Viper’s nose.

* * *

“웨애액 [Weaeaek, Korean vomiting sound].”

In front of the pension.

Kim Viper threw up his insides.

Elite group?

Bullshit.

He thought he had finally escaped from the exhausting bully den, but this time he came to a place where young 꼰대 [kkondae, a Korean slang term referring to an older person who is condescending or patronizing] were trying to establish military discipline.

‘People live…… is it all the same? There are no normal guys.’

Whoooo.

Kim Viper sighed, looking at the night sky.

Middle school days.

He remembered the hard times he had because he couldn’t adapt within the group.

He never wanted to experience that again.

Like he overcame the situation by blending in with the bullies in high school—

Now he was standing at a new gateway called university.

‘I have to blend into this culture.’

He couldn’t ruin his life here, how he got into medical school.

He had to adapt.

He also thought that it was a group that was too far behind the times, but student council president Ju Bongseon forced alcohol while adding a plausible explanation.

―The reason why we feed you alcohol is because it has a deep meaning. It means that you should vomit out the stale knowledge you have learned and prepare to acquire new knowledge! You have to pour out all the poison that has accumulated in your body since high school today! This is the tradition of the Medical School of Yonsei University that has been passed down from the seniors.

Bullshit.

But what can he do?

If the seniors say so, then that’s it.

‘I have no choice but to 맞춰야겠지 [matchwooyagetji, meaning ‘match the beat’]…… When in Rome, do as the Romans do.’

Kim Viper trudged along.

First, he wanted to get some fresh air and come to his senses. It’s the beach if you walk for 10 minutes.

And, after a while.

He met her.

It was hard to see in the middle of the night, but he could recognize the pink hair sticking out above the horizon with just the moonlight.

‘……Song Yuju.’

The beach where darkness had settled.

A silhouette wearing a black hoodie, plugging earphones into her ears, and sitting looking at the sea.

He wondered where she had been hiding all along during the drinking party, but it seemed she was there.

How long has she been sitting alone?

Being isolated from the group looked a little mysterious, and it also looked pitiful.

He would have passed by without knowing it, but…….

Maybe it’s because of the alcohol.

Before he knew it, Kim Viper approached her with staggering steps.

“Hey.”

“…….”

“What are you listening to?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“I’m just curious.”

Song Yuju stared up at Kim Viper with a wary, cat-like expression.

And, after a while.

Without a word, she handed Kim Viper one side of the earphone cord.

Kim Viper sat down next to her, plugged the earphones into his ears, and listened to music with her for a while.

Drums, guitar, bass…….

He couldn’t help but think that there are still people who listen to outdated rock music these days.

“What band is it?”

“Don’t you know The Strokes?”

“What’s that?”

“You know Radiohead, right?”

“Ah, that…… I don’t listen to rock music much, uuup.”

When Kim Viper retched, Song Yuju flinched and shrugged. She was tense in case Kim Viper would spew out a volcano.

“If you throw up on my clothes, I’ll kill you.”

“Don’t worry. I already threw up everything…… so there’s nothing more to throw up, hic.”

“How much did you drink?”

“When I did FM…… I made a mistake, so they fed it to me.”

“FM? Why are you doing such childish things?”

“Because they told me to.”

“Do you have to do it if they tell you to? We’re not idiots.”

Ugh.

Kim Viper glared at Song Yuju with sharp eyes.

Looking at Song Yuju, who was resting her chin on her small hand and looking at him with a pathetic expression, an unbearable emotion surged up.

How can she have such a cold expression on her tiny face?

Kim Viper’s mouth opened.

“You…… hic. If you’re not going to hang out with people…… why did you come to MT [Membership Training, a common term for college retreats]? The 선배님 [seonbae-nim, term to address a senior] didn’t even give you the meeting notice to ostracize you, and you knew it was a 꼽 [kkop, giving someone a hard time] atmosphere…….”

“Because I was curious.”

“What?”

“I came to college, so I had to come to MT at least once. But after coming, it’s nothing special. So I’m not going to come next time.”

“Ha…….”

Kim Viper’s stomach was twisted.

Who likes to follow the rules?

I’m getting angry.

The devil’s mouth with venomous words, which had been sealed for a while, was itching. He originally couldn’t speak nicely.

“Yeah, there were always kids like you when I was in high school…… kids who studied well and were immersed in rock music all day long, living in their own world.”

“Why are you picking a fight all of a sudden?”

“You’re not that special. You’re just a common type, so don’t act like you’re the only one who’s great.”

“What?”

“Just dye your hair back and live according to the medical school culture now, don’t act like a social misfit.”

“Ha.”

Song Yuju snorted annoyingly.

It was the first time that emotion was revealed on her face, which had been expressionless all along.

She pulled the earphone cord roughly and said.

“Even if I’m a social misfit, I’m not as annoying as you.”

“What?”

“I shouldn’t have bothered with someone who hasn’t even heard of Radiohead in the first place.”

“……Rock otaku [a derogatory term for someone obsessed with a particular hobby].”

“Get lost.”

Song Yuju raised her middle finger and left.

Kim Viper threw the sand he could grab on the floor where she disappeared, as if sprinkling salt.

The feeling was that the intoxication was not fading, but getting worse.

Ma Dongseop and Yeo Bongcheol, who were walking towards the beach, approached quickly.

“Hey Kim Viper, were you here?”

“Was that Song Yuju just now? What were you two talking about?”

“That’s the first time I’ve seen emotion on her face.”

“What did you say to make her so angry? Did you fight?”

“Fight? Why would I fight with that social misfit, 웨에에에엑 [weaeaek, Korean vomiting sound].”

“Hey hey hey, Kim Viper!”

“Oops!”

The two big guys quickly ran over and patted Kim Viper on the back.

It’s called patting, but it felt like he was being beaten because the two of them started hitting him.

Kim Viper thought as he lost consciousness.

‘I can’t accept it.’

My way is right.

Song Yuju’s way is wrong.

Just you wait.

Because it will prove itself in the society called medical school……!