A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 143

Martial Arts Surgeon- Chapter 143

Chapter 26: Frontal Breakthrough (3)

“Huh? It’s nothing.”

“Nothing? You looked like you were crying.”

Jun-hoo sat next to Ah-young, trying to read her expression.

But Ah-young avoided Jun-hoo’s gaze and turned her head.

Ah-young was the type whose emotions were clearly visible on her face.

Ah-young knew it.

Jun-hoo knew it too.

“It’s just that work is too hard. I was overwhelmed for a moment and cried.”

Jun-hoo didn’t take Ah-young’s flimsy explanation at face value.

Ah-young wasn’t the type to cry just because things were tough.

Not since her younger sibling passed away from a heart condition.

In other words, Ah-young had been determined to major in thoracic surgery for a very long time.

So, Ah-young cried because it was hard?

If it was the Ah-young that Jun-hoo knew.

She was the type to overcome anything with a sense of responsibility, no matter how difficult.

“You wouldn’t have cried simply because work is hard. I wish you’d tell me honestly what happened.”

“…….”

“That’s what friends are for. Right?”

“Jun-hoo.”

Ah-young’s eyes, looking at Jun-hoo, trembled greatly.

Ah-young hesitated for a long time before revealing the truth.

The culprit was Ha Jun-shik.

Ha Jun-shik, a second-year resident in thoracic surgery, had a bad history with Jun-hoo in the past.

Conspiring with Seung-beom.

He had a history of provoking Jun-hoo into performing a chest tube insertion.

“The senior started hitting on me from the first day of work. At first, I just ignored it.”

“…….”

“It got worse and worse. He kept following me around under the pretext of teaching me things.”

“So, you said something.”

“Yeah.”

According to Ah-young’s explanation.

When Ah-young told Jun-shik that his behavior was uncomfortable, Jun-shik’s attitude changed 180 degrees.

Like a high school bully.

He started harassing Ah-young.

Putting her on call for five consecutive days.

Making unreasonable demands, telling her to try procedures she hadn’t even learned.

Nitpicking at her work ethic, and so on.

In the meantime, Ah-young said she was exhausted, both physically and mentally.

“This guy is worse than I thought.”

Jun-hoo’s forehead furrowed.

“Didn’t the other seniors say anything? Five consecutive days on call is ridiculous. The 100-day call system disappeared a long time ago.”

“Let’s toughen her up for just one month. Senior Jun-shik said something like that, and I guess it worked.”

“I’ve never seen such a ridiculous logic. When a new person comes in, you should be thinking about taking care of them.”

“I don’t know. What the other seniors are thinking.”

Ah-young lowered her head with a dejected expression.

Jun-hoo watched her, feeling sorry for her.

He desperately wanted to help Ah-young.

But there wasn’t a good way.

Jun-hoo, a neurosurgery resident, had no justification to interfere in the thoracic surgery department.

Besides, he didn’t have any close seniors in thoracic surgery.

He hadn’t trained in thoracic surgery during his internship.

He hadn’t made any connections with seniors when he was in medical school either.

Is all he can do is offer comfort?

Jun-hoo felt frustrated that he couldn’t directly intervene.

It felt like a stone was weighing on his chest.

With Sung-ho gone.

Ah-young was the only precious person left by his side.

Of course, excluding his family.

Bang!

Speak of the devil.

The break room door opened.

Jun-shik, whose face was triangular like a praying mantis, appeared.

Jun-shik glanced at Jun-hoo for a moment before fixing his gaze on Ah-young.

“Hey, Lee Ah-young, slacking off?”

“No. I was just taking a break.”

“That’s slacking off. There’s a mountain of work in the ward, and you’re hanging out with your classmate?”

“…….”

“Are you crazy? You’re already slacking off when you’re only a first-year. You should be going back to the ward as soon as your assist is over.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I can’t have that. You’ll have to be on call for another day today. That’ll wake you up.”

“……Yes.”

Ah-young answered in a barely audible voice.

While listening to their conversation.

Jun-hoo’s insides were burning with anger.

Jun-shik’s harassment had crossed the line.

Just because he entered thoracic surgery a year earlier, did that give him the right to do this?

Did he think Ah-young was his slave?

Suddenly, he checked Ah-young’s complexion.

Ah-young’s face was pale blue.

He absolutely couldn’t let this go.

What method should he use?

He couldn’t let Ah-young’s dream of becoming a great thoracic surgeon be trampled on.

The moment he decided to help Ah-young.

A brilliant idea flashed through Jun-hoo’s mind.

The advantage of being from a Murim orthodox sect [a martial arts clan adhering to traditional values and practices].

It wasn’t just the fact that he had learned martial arts.

It was also in his verbal skills.

In orthodox sects, words made up 70% of the fight, and martial arts made up 30%.

Justification and schemes.

Surprisingly, these were indispensable elements in orthodox sects.

So, Jun-hoo decided to use the Sword of Tongue (舌劍) [a metaphor for using words as weapons] now.

The tongue could be as sharp as a sword.

“Senior. Please be reasonable.”

“What? Seo Jun-hoo, who are you to interfere in thoracic surgery matters? Do you even know the situation?”

“I know everything. Ah-young is having a hard time because of you, senior.”

“Jun-hoo. If you say that…….”

Ah-young made surprised owl eyes at Jun-hoo’s bold answer.

The answer just now…….

It was something she should never have said in front of Jun-shik.

No, it was something she shouldn’t have said.

“What, Lee Ah-young. Were you badmouthing the thoracic surgery department to Jun-hoo? You’re really something, aren’t you?”

Jun-shik frowned and crossed his arms. He openly exuded an unpleasant aura.

In the break room atmosphere, which was as precarious as the eve of a storm.

The one word Jun-hoo blurted out brought about a huge ripple.

“Senior. Ah-young is quitting her thoracic surgery residency.”

* * *

“…….”

“…….”

The break room became silent in an instant.

Jun-shik was surprised, and Ah-young was surprised too.

The only calm person was Jun-hoo.

“You must be very happy if Ah-young quits. You’ll go back to being the youngest again and take on all the chores.”

“D-Don’t talk nonsense. Why would Ah-young suddenly quit?”

“I told you. Because the senior is harassing her.”

“Stop talking nonsense. Where is she going to go if she quits? What, is she going to repeat a year? Is she going to sit around twiddling her thumbs for a year?”

Jun-shik scoffed.

It was an atmosphere that said, ‘Don’t say ridiculous things.’

“Why would she repeat a year? She’s going to come to our neurosurgery department.”

Jun-hoo lied on the spot.

Bluffing with the bravado unique to orthodox sects.

Jun-shik was harassing Ah-young because he thought Ah-young couldn’t quit her residency.

She has to keep working to make a living.

That was his position.

So, Jun-hoo deliberately left another possibility open.

“Ah-young. We were just talking about you coming to the neurosurgery department, right?”

Jun-hoo looked at Ah-young and winked.

“Huh? Oh.”

Ah-young had an expression that said she didn’t know what was going on.

But Ah-young barely nodded.

She didn’t know the exact details.

But she realized that Jun-hoo had a plan.

The two people’s minds connected in an instant.

“She’s going to the neurosurgery department? Now? Does that make sense?”

“The neurosurgery department also has a shortage of residency applicants. The T.O [Table of Organization, referring to available positions] has been overflowing for years.”

“The residency application deadline was a long time ago. You can’t just change your application department now.”

“That’s what the senior thinks.”

Jun-hoo continued, wearing a sneer.

“There are rare cases of rolling admissions. And for reference, we’ve only been working as residents for less than two weeks.”

“…….”

“There’s plenty of room for extenuating circumstances.”

Jun-hoo’s counterattack continued.

Ah-young is an excellent talent.

She won 2nd place in the intern suturing competition and received an A-turn evaluation after her intern training.

If such a talent came to the neurosurgery department, the neurosurgery department would welcome her with open arms, and so on.

Once Jun-hoo’s eloquence started, it was like a rushing stream.

Damn it.

Why is the situation turning out like this?

Why am I getting beaten up!

Jun-shik was greatly embarrassed by Jun-hoo’s bombardment.

What if Ah-young really goes to the neurosurgery department?

The thought alone made him dizzy.

He hated going back to being the youngest more than death.

And that’s not all.

If he loses Ah-young to another department.

It was clear that he would be severely scolded by his seniors.

It was clear that he would be marked for life for disgracing the thoracic surgery department by trying to enforce outdated military culture.

Assuming the worst-case scenario, goosebumps appeared on his forearms.

His hair stood on end.

Jun-shik began to feel it.

That at some point, the knife he had been holding had been passed to Jun-hoo.

Seo Jun-hoo, that bastard.

He’s interfering in our department’s affairs again and sabotaging us…….

Jun-shik resented Jun-hoo, but there was nothing he could say right now.

That made him even more annoyed.

“Ah-young.”

Calming his mind, Jun-shik called Ah-young in a low voice.

“Yes. Senior.”

“You said you wanted to become a thoracic surgeon because of your sibling’s situation. Are you going to abandon that decision so easily?”

“…….”

“Are you really going to go to the neurosurgery department?”

Jun-shik spoke in a softer voice than before.

It was to hold onto Ah-young.

“I think I have to. I can’t take it anymore because it’s too hard now.”

“Ha…… I’m going crazy. It seems like you have a lot of resentment towards me, so let’s work it out. Huh?”

“What do you mean, work it out? It’ll all be solved at once if I come to the neurosurgery department.”

Jun-hoo nagged from the side.

“The third party should stay out of this. Ah-young is still affiliated with the thoracic surgery department.”

“…….”

“I had no idea you were having such a hard time. It’s my fault, so let’s go to the on-call room and talk it out. Please.”

A servile smile appeared on Jun-shik’s lips.

It was as if Ah-young was the senior.

And Jun-shik was the junior.

The relationship between the two had been reversed 180 degrees.

“Go now. Ah-young.”

“Is it okay?”

“First, listen to what Senior Jun-shik has to say, and if you don’t think it’s right, tell me. It’s not too late to come to the neurosurgery department then.”

“Thank you for the consultation.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Let’s go, Ah-young. This way.”

Jun-shik opened the break room door and stepped aside to let Ah-young pass first.

In order to survive.

He had to keep Ah-young in the thoracic surgery department no matter what.

* * *

Jun-hoo was staring at the break room door that the two had just left.

The hastily made plan was fortunately a great success.

The arrogant and haughty Jun-shik had become desperate to please Ah-young.

Ah-young’s dream is to become an excellent thoracic surgeon.

Therefore, giving up on being a thoracic surgeon was impossible.

But that point had instead become Jun-shik’s prey.

He was confident that no matter how much he harassed Ah-young.

Ah-young couldn’t escape from his grasp.

So, Jun-hoo shattered that confidence.

He hinted that Ah-young might transfer to the neurosurgery department.

Since it wasn’t actually impossible to transfer, Jun-shik must have been on edge.

Ah-young’s acting and quick wit were also quite good.

If we hadn’t been in sync.

Only I could have become a fool.

Jun-hoo saw Ah-young in a new light because of what had happened a little while ago.

Ah-young may be kind and not ruthless.

But her judgment and crisis management skills were excellent.

If 50% of defeating Jun-shik was Jun-hoo’s plan, the other 50% was Ah-young’s understanding of the situation.

If you’ve had a hard life.

Shouldn’t you want your juniors to suffer less?

But why on earth!

Why are they so eager to devour their juniors?

Jun-hoo hated people like Jun-shik.

And he was dissatisfied with the reality that was overflowing with people like Jun-shik.

Even now, there must be second and third Ah-youngs suffering in the world.

Beeep.

Beeep.

The pager vibrated, and Jun-hoo connected the call.

-Are you still keeping the patient in the ICU?

Kyung-soo asked.

“I just finished. Why?”

-If you’re on your way to the ward, can you go to the emergency room? There’s a T.A (Traffic Accident) patient with a head injury. You’re crazy about patients, aren’t you.”

“Now you’re finally on the same page as me.”

-Only at times like this? Anyway, I’m assuming you’re going?

After finishing the call.

Jun-hoo pulled out a canned coffee from the vending machine and drank it all at once.

Crush.

After crushing the coffee can, he nonchalantly threw it behind his back.

As if he had eyes in the back of his head.

Like a basketball being sucked into a basketball hoop.

The can drew a smooth parabola and landed in the trash can.