BC | Chapter 3
by n.rekiaLee Yoo-eun stood in front of a rack filled with equipment, seemingly adjusting the sound and lighting. As she reached out and pressed something, a scene of falling snow appeared all around. Then, snow actually began to fall from the ceiling of the auditorium.
“Wow!”
The children, who rarely got to explore the outside during the cold winter, let out gasps of amazement. Though the artificial snow quickly melted upon touching their hands, the kids eagerly stretched their arms into the air, trying to catch and feel the snow.
As the carols built toward their climax, a man dressed as Santa, carrying a sack of gifts, suddenly appeared from somewhere.
“Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!”
Santa, with his classic laugh, handed out gifts to the children one by one. The kids, receiving their presents wrapped in shiny paper, smiled brightly as if they had forgotten their illnesses. Among them was Han Nabi, a child Beom-woo and Seong-heon had operated on together not long ago.
Han Nabi was a child who had been rushed to the hospital shortly after birth due to cyanosis. She was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart disease characterized by four structural defects:
- VSD (Ventricular Septal Defect)
- PS (Pulmonary Stenosis)
- Overriding Aorta
- RVH (Right Ventricular Hypertrophy).
Upon being rushed to the hospital, Han Nabi immediately underwent a shunt procedure to improve oxygen supply by inserting an artificial vessel. At 10 months old, she received a complete corrective surgery and has since undergone regular follow-up examinations.
But this fall, at the age of eight, Han Nabi was rushed to the hospital again due to arrhythmia. As she grew, her right ventricle had enlarged, leading to a ventricular septal defect. Beom-woo had performed that surgery together with Seong-heon. The child had undergone the major operation and was now in the recovery phase.
“Nabi, do you think you’ll be able to go home next month?”
It seemed that Seong-heon’s gaze was also on Nabi, as a subdued voice reached Beom-woo’s ears.
“The CRP levels are stable, too. The prognosis isn’t bad.”
Seong-heon slightly furrowed his brow at Beom-woo’s cautious response. The superstition about not getting ahead of oneself regarding a patient’s recovery was common. Still, it was clear that Seong-heon was hoping for a more optimistic reply from Beom-woo.
Before long, the music shifted to “Silent Night, Holy Night.” The guardians standing by the pediatric patients clasped their hands in prayer, their faces reflecting a solemn reverence.
“Hmm? The person standing over there has changed.”
Seong-heon muttered while pointing to the spot where Lee Yoo-eun had been standing. The bright, cherry blossom-like hairstyle that had stood out in the winter had vanished, replaced by a pale man who now occupied that spot.
“Hey, I was really surprised earlier. I thought someone had put a chunk of Himalayan pink salt on display! You didn’t see the woman who was standing there, did you?”
Beom-woo tried to hide his incredulous expression as he looked at Seong-heon. Comparing her cherry blossom-like hair to a chunk of Himalayan pink salt was quite the leap.
“Oh, speaking of pink salt… I’m craving meat. How about having flower sirloin for dinner?”
As Seong-heon continued to talk, tapping his belly, the screen displayed the name “Artist Song Jun-young.” The Christmas trees that appeared from all sides seemed to grow larger, and beneath them, children were depicted kneeling with their hands clasped in prayer, one by one.
“My prayers have never been answered, but please hear the prayers of the children here.”
Beom-woo glanced up at the ceiling, as if threatening a deity whose existence felt uncertain, and muttered softly.
“Let’s go, enough of this.”
He began to wonder where Lee Yoo-eun, who had left her spot, might be. It had been a while since he last saw her, and he wanted to greet her. If he teased her about running away like that, he was curious how she would react—would she laugh it off like her cherry blossom-like hair, or would she have a different response?
Beom-woo took a confident step toward the entrance first.
“Right! Let’s hurry and change our clothes, then go eat some meat. Okay? Hanwoo two-plus! The bill is on our rich Beom-woo!”
Feeling an unexpected urgency, Beom-woo didn’t have a moment to roll his eyes at the overly excited Shin Seong-heon.
As he hurriedly moved, he swung open the heavy entrance door.
“Whoa!”
Seong-heon, startled by the pink figure standing at the door, let out a loud gasp. Lee Yoo-eun, facing him, looked even more surprised. Her face was pale as she placed a hand on her chest and took a deep breath.
With her double-lidded eyes wide open, Lee Yoo-eun glanced back and forth between Beom-woo and Seong-heon, her dark, sparkling pupils reflecting her surprise.
“I’m sorry.”
Lee Yoo-eun’s voice trembled slightly as she offered her apology first. Impulsively, Beom-woo called out to her as she hurried to leave.
“Ms. Lee Yoo-eun?”
As Beom-woo’s low voice called out, she turned around like a lion fluffing its mane.
Ah, female lions don’t have manes, do they? I’ve heard that due to random mutations, some female lions can have manes too, though.
Feeling a bit awkward after calling her name, Beom-woo found himself distracted by thoughts of the lion, causing his smooth forehead to lightly furrow.
“Yes?”
Though she simply replied with “yes,” it felt as if a ticklish bundle of fur had brushed down her spine, sending shivers through her.
“Have we met somewhere before?”
At Beom-woo’s question, Seong-heon let out a chuckle, like the sound of a frog’s cheeks bursting.
“Well, I’m not sure.”
She tilted her head and smiled awkwardly. Yoo-eun’s eyes trembled slightly as they met Beom-woo’s gaze.
“Lee Yoo-eun, you remember me, don’t you?”
The past that Beom-woo had long forgotten suddenly flooded back to him. It hit him then: Lee Yoo-eun wasn’t even a formal intern. She was a medical student who had come for a sub-internship during the summer break of her second year, training in the thoracic surgery department where Beom-woo was a resident.
Beom-woo’s pulled the corners of his mouth up into a smile and asked politely.
“Lee Yoo-eun, don’t you remember me?”
Seong-heon shook his head and looked up at the ceiling, as if he could no longer bear to listen.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t remember well. Is it someone I really need to remember?”
With her hands clasped tightly in front of her chest, Yoo-eun blinked her eyes innocently and asked. Dressed in a black knit top and black cargo long skirt, with silver-gray sneakers, she looked even smaller, accentuated by her voluminous, light pink hair.
“We’ll be late for our dinner appointment. Let’s go, Professor Jeong Beom-woo.”
Seong-heon babbled as if to engrave Beom-woo’s name in her mind. As if he could no longer stand the obvious flirtation, Seong-heon began to pull Beom-woo away. Taking advantage of the moment, Yoo-eun bowed her head and offered a greeting.
“I’m sorry. I don’t remember. Then please take care, Professor Jeong Beom-woo.”
The woman quickly blurted out her words and disappeared into the main auditorium.
“Hey, that was really cringy. No matter how little dating experience you have, you can’t just throw yourself at someone like that. Don’t we have a history? Do you not remember me?”
“Ugh, Jeong Beom-woo. Despite your looks, you’re so awkward that that’s why you can’t date?”
Seong-heon made a face as if he had witnessed something embarrassing and chuckled. Beom-woo tilted his head slightly and glared at Seong-heon.
“Did that woman just call me ‘Professor Jeong Beom-woo’ instead of ‘Teacher Jeong Beom-woo’?”
At that time, the medical students who participated in the sub-internship referred to Beom-woo as “Teacher.”
“I don’t know.”
Seong-heon’s nonchalant response with a foolish expression only made Beom-woo feel more irritated.
“Let me go. I need to check.”
“Oh, what are you checking for? You’ve already messed it up. The girl ran away.”
Beom-woo was slowly pulled away from the auditorium by Seong-heon’s relentless grip.
Leaning against the inner wall of the auditorium, Yoo-eun pressed her right hand against her heart, struggling to catch her breath.
Why is Teacher Jeong Beom-woo here? Has he transferred to this hospital?
It felt like her blood was rushing up, as if there were some issue with her left atrium or right ventricle.
“This is AF (Atrial Fibrillation), and this one is VT (Ventricular Tachycardia). What’s the difference between the two?”
The cold expression of Jeong Beom-woo, as he used to ask his students, resurfaced in her memory.
“Both are arrhythmias; AF refers to a fast and irregular heartbeat originating in the atria, while VT refers to an abnormal fast heartbeat originating in the ventricles.”
At Yoo-eun’s answer, Beom-woo nodded in satisfaction and posed another question.
“What are the related diseases?”
While someone answered the question, Yoo-eun gazed at Beom-woo as if entranced. Her heart raced just like it was now, but it wasn’t due to AF or VT. It was a thrill filled with fun and interest. His face was captivating, and everything about him intrigued her.
It was clearly the excitement that came from a first love.
[Footnote Collection]
- VSD (Ventricular Septal Defect).
- PS (Pulmonary Stenosis).
- RVH (Right Ventricular Hypertrophy).
- C-Reactive Protein.
- AF (Atrial Fibrillation).
- VT (Ventricular Tachycardia).