Chapter 95, Section 4: A Satisfying Blow (5)

That early morning, the on-duty room was quiet.

During my shift, Kim Seulgi and I didn’t exchange a single word.

Kim Seulgi silently inputted prescription orders with her lips tightly sealed.

I, too, was focused on studying ECGs while waiting for station calls.

"Tsk tsk tsk, you should have done better in the first place."

I glanced at Kim Seulgi’s profile and felt a sense of satisfaction.

It had been three hours since the chief exposed Kim Seulgi’s misdeeds.

From then until just now, Kim Seulgi had been thoroughly reprimanded by the senior residents.

Swearing and scolding were the norm, and her shins were kicked several times.

Given the enormity and severity of her crimes, and the fact that she couldn’t blame anyone else, Kim Seulgi could only bow her head deeply and repeatedly say, "I’m sorry," like a parrot.

I didn’t feel even a shred of sympathy or pity for Kim Seulgi.

It was only right that she should receive punishment for her sins.

Rehabilitation, which aims to teach and guide someone to a better path, was something I personally didn’t believe in.

Mistakes can be corrected, but character is not something that can be easily changed.

The silence between Kim Seulgi and me grew deeper.

Occasionally, the snoring of the sleeping senior resident could be heard.

Zzz.

The phone in my gown pocket vibrated.

It was a station call.

Most early morning calls were likely related to emergencies or critically ill patients.

I woke up from my relaxed state and stood up.

"I’ll go out for a moment because of the station call."

I left Kim Seulgi, who showed no reaction, and headed to the station through the corridor.

"Doctor, what’s the matter?"

"What’s the matter?"

Yang Soyeon, who was on night duty, smiled and asked.

"Are you a great detective like Kim Jeonil?"

Judging from Yang Soyeon’s expression, it didn’t seem to be an urgent matter, so I made a joke. Yang Soyeon frowned.

"Ugh, Doctor, that’s so cold. I thought we were in Siberia."

"..."

"Appearance, skills, and character. You have everything, but it seems you lack a sense of humor."

Yang Soyeon’s words stung my heart.

In this life, I wanted to be a cheerful surgeon, but my sense of humor didn’t seem to improve much.

Even with a second chance, it seemed I couldn’t excel at everything.

"Go to the treatment room and quickly have a snack. It’s a time when you’re likely to be hungry."

"Are you calling me for a snack?"

"Yes, we work to eat well. It’s hard to eat during your shift, isn’t it, Doctor Kim?"

I thanked Yang Soyeon for her consideration and entered the treatment room.

It’s these small, everyday pleasures that help me endure the tough life of a doctor.

I joined two nurses who had already taken their seats and filled my stomach with cold cuts.

I shared the news that Kim Seulgi had been caught by the seniors like a mouse since midnight.

"Wow, just hearing about it makes me feel so relieved."

"Even a wild child can’t do bad things anymore, right?"

The nurses were delighted to hear about Kim Seulgi’s downfall.

I felt the same way.

Troublesome patients, no matter how much they misbehave, eventually get discharged.

But troublesome seniors, colleagues, and juniors are a different story.

Unless they quit or are transferred to another department, you have to face them every day.

In other words, troublesome colleagues are several times more terrifying than troublesome patients.

Given that Kim Seulgi, the worst of the worst, had been thoroughly punished, how could I not be happy?

"We should be grateful to Jo Heetae’s guardian, shouldn’t we?"

I mentioned the guardian who had caused a disturbance after drinking a few days ago.

"Why him?"

"Because his outburst helped me get closer to the nurses, and I heard from them about the bad things Kim Seulgi did."

Actually, drinking alone wasn’t enough to bring down Kim Seulgi.

The nurses’ revelations were the oil that fueled the fire.

"Come to think of it, that makes sense. It feels a bit like a case of ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend.’"

"You don’t have to worry about him anymore. He’s as obedient as a lamb these days."

After chatting with the nurses for about 15 minutes and enjoying the snack, I left the treatment room.

I crossed the corridor quietly to avoid waking the patients.

But right at that moment.

The door to the on-duty room opened, and Kim Seulgi walked down the opposite corridor.

"Lee Min, let’s talk for a moment."

"I have nothing to talk about with you, senior."

I replied with a cold tone.

"Are you not seeing me as a senior because you’re in bad favor with the seniors?"

"I haven’t seen you as a senior for a long time."

"Huh..."

Kim Seulgi dropped her head, looking bewildered.

But I had no intention of showing any humility to Kim Seulgi.

Her reputation had already hit rock bottom.

She was only a first-year senior in name, but in terms of the hierarchy within the department, she was probably worse than me.

"Then I’ll ask you one thing."

"What is it?"

"Did you have anything to do with making me look like this?"

Kim Seulgi’s eyes burned with a fierce gaze.

You’re quick to catch on, aren’t you?

Well, you must be to be loved by seniors and to manipulate juniors skillfully.

"Why do you think I attacked you?"

"I have no evidence. It’s just my gut feeling. My gut tells me you’re the mastermind behind all this."

"..."

"It all started when you came to the cardiology department."

"I don’t know what you’re talking about."

I shrugged, trying to act nonchalant.

I wanted Kim Seulgi to suffer even more.

"I knew you’d try to deny it. You’re a fox in sheep’s clothing. If it was a mistake, it was my fault for not seeing through your true nature."

"Your words are strange. Your mistake wasn’t in not seeing through my true nature."

"Then what?"

"It’s because your character is as bad as a miser’s. You’re getting what you deserve for your bad deeds."

"But this brat has been acting so cocky since just now?"

Kim Seulgi lunged to grab my collar, but I easily pushed her hand away.

Surprised by my quick reflexes, Kim Seulgi’s mouth dropped open.

"The only bad thing about me is my temper. I learned boxing during high school."

"..."

"It might come out unconsciously."

I shot Kim Seulgi a fierce look, warning her.

"I’m going to the bathroom."

Kim Seulgi left the room like a dog with its tail between its legs.

I watched her leave and then returned to the on-duty room.

After studying ECGs for about 30 minutes, I felt a strange and unpleasant feeling.

Kim Seulgi, who said she was going to the bathroom, had disappeared. I didn’t expect her to return to the on-duty room.

Out of curiosity, I entered the bathroom and felt a sense of disappointment.

On the sink, her doctor’s gown and call phone were left.

"Doctor Yang, did you see Doctor Kim pass by?"

I went to the station and asked Yang Soyeon.

"Yes, she took off her gown and went somewhere, as if she had an urgent matter. Didn’t you know?"

"I knew half of it and didn’t know the other half. Thank you for your hard work."

I retrieved Kim Seulgi’s gown and call phone from the bathroom and returned to the on-duty room.

I tried calling Kim Seulgi’s personal phone using the emergency contact network, but it was turned off and the call didn’t connect.

That’s right.

Kim Seulgi had run away.

* * *

A new morning dawned.

Since Kim Seulgi, who had been thoroughly discredited by the seniors, had run away, I took over her duties for the night.

It wasn’t difficult at all.

Considering what I had achieved in my previous life.

I completed the tasks that Kim Seulgi would have struggled with all night in just two hours, such as writing surgical records, admission and discharge records, and inputting prescription orders.

I even had time to study ECGs.

‘It’s for the best.’

I actually felt relieved that Kim Seulgi had run away.

If she had stayed in the cardiology ward, who knew when she would do something bad again.

After a period of lying low, she would likely reveal her true colors again.

Even if it was tough for now, it was much better to have a new person fill Kim Seulgi’s position.

Whoever came wouldn’t be worse than Kim Seulgi, right?

"Yawn. Where’s Seulgi? In the bathroom."

Oh Hyunjun, a first-year resident and Kim Seulgi’s classmate, yawned and approached me.

It was around 4:30 AM, just before the start of the shift.

"She threw her gown and call phone and ran away. I tried calling her on her phone, but it was turned off."

"Ah, damn... I had a restless night. I had a dream that I was being chased by something."

Oh Hyunjun scratched the back of his head, looking disappointed.

It seemed he had somewhat expected Kim Seulgi to run away, being her classmate.

Oh Hyunjun tried calling Kim Seulgi again, but her phone still seemed to be turned off.

He couldn’t reach Kim Seulgi either.

"Min, let me ask you one thing."

"Yes, senior."

"Does Seulgi... not seem like she’ll come back?"

"It seems unlikely. She’s already been thoroughly discredited by the seniors. She might think it’s better to work at another hospital."

I answered with conviction.

Kim Seulgi was a weak person.

She knew how to win the favor of seniors and manipulate juniors.

There was no longer any reason for her to stay at Shinwon University Hospital’s cardiology department.

"I think the same. She’s been unstable since her internship, and now she’s finally run away."

"..."

"Anyway, we’re in trouble. There are a lot of orders that are backed up..."

"I’ve already taken care of them."

"Huh? You did, Min?"

"Seulgi senior kept pushing her work onto me, so I inadvertently improved my skills."

"Really? Let me check."

Oh Hyunjun sat in the computer chair and started reviewing Kim Seulgi’s patients.

He soon opened his mouth in amazement.

"Really? You must have worked hard all night. There were many new patients and emergency patients yesterday."

"I did work hard."

I pretended to have worked hard, even though I hadn’t.

"Indeed, no one is destined to fail. It seems the heavens sent you to replace Seulgi."

"..."

"Get some sleep for a while before starting your routine. I’ll prepare the conference."

"Thank you, senior."

I thanked Oh Hyunjun for his consideration.

If Kim Seulgi was trash, Oh Hyunjun was the epitome of a good senior.

He recognized the hard work of his juniors and tried to create time for them