It was time for the medical tents to begin operating in earnest.
Naturally, everyone had to prioritize the work they needed to do.
“I’ll see you later.”
“Let’s do that. There aren’t even any emergencies. Aren’t the patients a little too healthy?”
As Kim Hyeokgwon walked away, he glanced idly around and grumbled for no real reason.
It wasn’t that he wanted the patients to be in pain.
He was clearly dissatisfied that Taesu and Jeong Minsu seemed to have some breathing room.
“Honestly. Nurse Casey, Jose. We’ll continue seeing patients.”
“Nurse Ellen, let’s get started too.”
Medical Tent 3 soon began normal consultations.
A short while later.
It seemed Kim Hyeokgwon had not been rushing for nothing.
A group of people approached the medical tents.
They headed toward Medical Tent 1, which was staffed by the most skilled medical personnel.
As for Medical Tent 3?
They didn’t even pay attention to it.
Taesu and Jeong Minsu, in particular, were busy talking with the patients before them.
“When did the pain in your chest begin…”
“$#@$%…”
“According to the patient…”
Standing between them, Jose was sweating as he interpreted both sides at once.
It wasn’t long after that.
Guided by Doctor Oliver, the newly arrived medical staff approached.
“This is Medical Tent 3.”
Doctor Oliver’s explanation was short and concise.
Taesu and Jeong Minsu glanced at him.
‘It’s not discrimination or anything.’
‘He’s telling us to handle the introductions ourselves?’
Unlike with the other medical tents, there was no additional explanation whatsoever.
Just then, someone stepped forward.
He was a man in his mid-forties with all his hair swept back.
It was the doctor Kim Hyeokgwon had mentioned earlier, Doctor Kuramoto.
Kim Hyeokgwon’s eye for people was impressive as ever.
Thud.
Doctor Kuramoto abruptly extended his hand first and formally introduced himself.
“I’m Doctor Kuramoto from Japan.”
It was a neat greeting.
Jeong Minsu, toward whom the hand was extended, shook it first and replied.
“I’m Doctor Jeong Minsu from Korea.”
“Oh, we have neighbors here. How wonderful to meet you.”
“Ah, yes. I look forward to working with you.”
He bowed.
Jeong Minsu quickly ended the greeting out of awkwardness.
He was still terribly shy around strangers.
Even so, he had reached the point where he could greet the Japanese medical staff.
Now it was Taesu’s turn.
Doctor Kuramoto extended his hand to Taesu in the same way and repeated his introduction.
“You must also be from Korea. I’m Doctor Kuramoto.”
“I’m Doctor Choi Taesu.”
“I heard you’re a highly capable resident. Seeing that you’ve been assigned to a medical tent like this makes it clear.”
Doctor Kuramoto spoke while slowly looking around.
Taesu didn’t think much of it.
“I’m just a resident.”
“Oh. Then is your specialty emergency medicine?”
“No. Thoracic surgery.”
Taesu answered briefly.
If he introduced himself properly, he and Jeong Minsu each had different specialties.
Then the other party would ask again, and the conversation would inevitably grow longer.
Taesu found that bothersome.
The patient had just left, so there was no one before him at the moment.
Even so, he didn’t want to waste the limited consultation time exchanging greetings with them.
A brief rest was also the best thing for both them and the patients.
That, apparently, was only Taesu’s thought.
At the mention that his specialty was thoracic surgery, Doctor Kuramoto’s smile grew even brighter.
“Thoracic surgery, is it? Then I’m even more pleased to meet you.”
“Yes? Ah, yes.”
“By the way, which hospital in Korea…”
Just as Doctor Kuramoto was about to naturally continue with his next question,
Taesu immediately cut in and asked for his understanding.
“I’m sorry, but may we greet each other properly again this evening?”
“Yes?”
“It’s consultation hours, and there are many patients, so I don’t think we can speak for long.”
Taesu explained his reason as politely as possible.
However.
“…”
For a moment, Doctor Kuramoto was left speechless.
At the same time, the gazes of the other Japanese medical staff toward Taesu turned cold.
The atmosphere rapidly grew chilly.
In contrast, neither Taesu nor Jeong Minsu’s expression changed in the slightest.
It was a matter of common sense and basic principle.
Just as the subtle current in the air began to shift,
Doctor Oliver stepped forward and volunteered to mediate.
“I believe Doctor Choi is right on that point.”
He sided with Taesu.
One of Taesu’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
‘What’s this?’
He had even been ready for a clash, so he was a little surprised that Oliver had chosen to take his side.
But that wasn’t all.
Swoosh.
Nurse Casey appeared beside Taesu and added a word.
“Among the patients over there, some have been waiting for several days with only painkillers.”
“Nurse Casey, I don’t think it’s advisable for you to step in.”
“Doctor Oliver, what exactly are you doing? Does Doctor Schmidt know this is happening?”
Nurse Casey glared at Doctor Oliver.
At that moment, Doctor Oliver forced out a dry cough.
“Ahem. I thought introductions should be made.”
“They don’t have to be made during consultation hours.”
“I was short-sighted on that point.”
“Then please wrap this up quickly.”
Nurse Casey stated her opinion clearly.
And she remained standing there.
It felt as if she intended to see whether her opinion would be reflected in action.
Taesu was quite surprised by Nurse Casey’s boldness.
As his first impression had suggested, she did indeed have a cold personality.
And it was also the first time he had seen Doctor Oliver flustered.
Many sides of them were showing, but that wasn’t what mattered.
Taesu once again brought the slightly disorderly situation under control.
“Doctor Oliver, I’m sorry, but could you please guide them?”
“Ahem. Of course.”
“Nurse Casey, please prepare to resume consultations.”
“Understood.”
Nurse Casey stepped back first.
After sorting out the surroundings, there was no hesitation on Taesu’s face.
Just because he was a resident didn’t mean he couldn’t say what needed to be said.
No matter who the other person was, they could not take precedence over the patients.
As Taesu watched heavily,
Doctor Oliver calmly suggested to Doctor Kuramoto.
“Let’s go to your quarters first.”
“It seems I’ve put you in an awkward position unintentionally.”
“Not at all. This way.”
Doctor Oliver continued guiding them without showing anything in particular.
Doctor Kuramoto and the Japanese medical staff turned away without saying much.
As they were moving off,
Swoosh.
Doctor Kuramoto subtly turned his head and took Taesu into his eyes once more.
Taesu felt that gaze from where he stood.
Jeong Minsu approached with a slightly worried face and said,
“Doctor Kuramoto is glaring at you.”
“Did I say anything wrong?”
“No. Of course not, but…”
Even so, he seemed worried.
Taesu didn’t care in the slightest.
“Nurse Casey, shall we begin again?”
“Yes. I’m ready.”
“Then… Hey, Jose. Please bring that patient over.”
Whoosh, whoosh.
Taesu beckoned and called out to Jose, who was watching from a distance.
Perhaps having seen it, Jose immediately began bringing the patient over.
The moment the patient approached and sat down,
Taesu had already put on a bright smile and spoke the first words of the consultation.
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting so long. Where are you…”
And with that, the consultations that had stopped began again.
The people in the other medical tents who had been watching sent faint smiles his way.
Doctor Hassan quietly said a word.
“Doctor Choi really does have a temper.”
“We were the ones being complacent.”
“There’s still so much to watch and learn.”
No one seemed uncomfortable or tried to make him feel self-conscious.
To anyone’s eyes, it had been a situation where a resident had embarrassed a specialist.
And yet no one cared about that.
Taesu was a member of the NGO, and Doctor Kuramoto was not yet one.
That single difference was what brought about this reaction.
A long time later.
The sun set, and the day’s consultations came to an end.
However, Doctor Kuramoto and the Japanese medical staff were nowhere to be seen.
Because of what had happened during the day, Taesu went around looking for them to greet them properly.
But he never managed to see them.
He was able to hear one brief piece of news.
“They’re very fatigued from the flight, so they’ll begin surgeries tomorrow.”
It was information passed on by the nurse in charge of thoracic surgery.
If he couldn’t meet them today?
There was always tomorrow.
There was no need to go wake them up just to greet them.
Soon, Taesu, Jeong Minsu, and Brad Kim sat around the courtyard table as they always did.
Their medical notes had increased in number and were now quite weighty.
Thud.
That heavy sound.
“Krr.”
Every time they heard it, it felt incredibly good.
To Taesu, Jeong Minsu, and Brad Kim, they were assets and treasures.
“Now then, let’s begin today as well.”
“Let’s go.”
They took them out and immediately fell into deep review.
The next morning.
It was time to prepare for a new day.
Taesu carried his bathing bag with Jeong Minsu and headed for the communal shower room.
His hair looked like a magpie had started building a nest in it and then stopped halfway.
“Haahm. Good morning.”
“Huaaahm.”
Even as they yawned, they did not forget to greet the medical staff they passed.
Because they went to sleep late every day, they were always half-asleep in the mornings.
As they walked down the corridor like that,
they saw people gathered by the second-floor railing.
“What is it?”
“No idea.”
“Let’s go see.”
Since it was on their way, they headed over without hesitation.
As they drew closer, they heard a small voice calling out counts.
“…ni, san, shi, go…”
It was Japanese pronunciation.
But it was not a sound one would expect to hear from the second-floor railing.
Just then, Taesu spotted Doctor Quentin and went over to ask.
“Kkuti, what’s that sound?”
“Doctor Choi. Look down there.”
Swoosh.
He readily gave up his place.
Only then could Taesu and Jeong Minsu look down below.
In one corner of the lodging courtyard, the Japanese medical staff were stretching.
They were lined up neatly in rows and columns, moving according to Doctor Kuramoto’s commands.
Taesu showed a bit of curiosity.
“Wow, that looks pretty good.”
“It’d definitely wake you up.”
“It looks like it’d get your energy going and make you feel refreshed.”
“Then the patients probably won’t ask us if we’re the ones who are sick.”
Jeong Minsu awkwardly smiled as he rubbed his own cheeks, where his dark circles had sunk low.
Meanwhile, Taesu watched the stretching seriously.
Just then, various voices came from behind them.
“They said they’re from Japan, right?”
“I heard people over there are incredibly diligent. I guess it’s true.”
“It’s not military drill, but they’re perfectly in sync.”
Praise rang out from here and there.
That wasn’t all.
“That Doctor Kuramoto over there. It’s been a really long time since he came.”
“It’s my first time seeing him, but I heard he’s quite skilled in Japan.”
“Yeah. He was famous for successfully performing the Batista operation in his first year as a specialist.”
“That man is him?”
At the passing voices, Taesu’s ears naturally focused.
‘A Batista in his first year?’
It was the name of an operation referring to left ventricular volume reduction surgery, or left ventricular reconstruction surgery.
If he had been at a level where he could operate in his first year as a specialist, then he was indeed skilled.
Soon, the following conversation reached his ears.
“They say he’s rising fast at a famous university hospital in Japan.”
“I heard he’s already secured his position in their thoracic surgery department. There are even widespread rumors that he’ll challenge for the youngest chief of surgery.”
“Coming here to do medical volunteer work with a career like that is impressive.”
“Let’s acknowledge what should be acknowledged. He chose people in pain over money and honor.”
Many more comments continued after that.
Most of them were about the accomplishments and results Doctor Kuramoto had built up.
Overall, they were favorable evaluations.