Chapter 36: I Told You So? (3)

“You… What manners is this?” Director Lee Hyunjong grumbled after his well-struck driver shot had been sent straight into the water hazard. He remained quite agitated, still gripping the driver tightly.

“Hey, hey. If you keep swinging like that, you’ll hit someone.”

“I wanted to try it today. How did it go?”

“Eh-hei. Just playing with a ball, huh?”

“Just playing with a ball? This brat! It was my first time ever seeing a chance for 72 strokes!”

Originally, the director was a mature single player who usually ranged between 78 to 79 strokes, showcasing considerable skill among amateurs.

On the other hand, Shin Hyun-tae was one of the top players who had been stuck at the cursed wall of eighty strokes for several years now. Whenever they played together, Lee Hyunjong usually conceded three to four penalty shots per game, but today, he gave ten—and yet it was still neck and neck between them.

Lee Hyunjong couldn’t help his frustration as defeat loomed large.

“A seventy-two-stroke score? That’s impossible…! It means I’ll have to break my monitor screen… This shows how discipline has broken down within Internal Medicine.”

However, Shin Hyun-tae remained unfazed since he’d already decided to flip the table on this whole situation.

“L-L-Let me…” Lee Hyunjong abruptly grabbed his lower back instead of swinging his driver.

He had strained his back trying to swing too hard without properly warming up.

“If you keep this up, we’ll be heading straight back from the golf course. The president will give Dr. Sukjae hell for letting you off easy.”

“You…you son of a bitch!”

“In any case, I told you it’s urgent! Discipline within our department is crumbling! It’s falling apart!”

“Hey, hey! Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m gonna restore some discipline!”

“S-start with me then! Hey! Hey! You fucking bastard!”

“This is payback, boss!”

“Y-you…!”

Laughing mischievously, Shin Hyun-tae took off running and hopped onto a spare golf cart typically used for carrying clubs only. He sped toward the lounge. Lee Hyunjong’s shouts could still be heard behind him, but they grew fainter as he drove away.

Although golf carts were slow, they still moved faster than human legs could carry them.

Wait, but…that bastard Kim Jinyoung didn’t even bother to see his patient…and said he’d check on him tomorrow? Is this for real?

Shin Hyun-tae’s laughter suddenly stopped, and his face hardened.

Doctors at university hospitals varied widely in their work ethics, but most believed it was imperative to properly attend to patients when they came in. Shin Hyun-tae himself held this belief strongly, thinking it especially crucial for those working in Internal Medicine. Naturally, he felt infuriated by Kim Jinyoung’s behavior.

Yes, this isn’t just some petty revenge. I’m doing what needs to be done.

Of course, this didn’t justify breaking his golf date with the director, but Shin Hyun-tae drove away from the golf course with mixed feelings. He even skipped the usual sauna session after playing eighteen holes.

That bastard ruined my day.

Feeling disgruntled, he pressed hard on the accelerator and blamed Kim Jinyoung for ruining his plans. The car, which had started near Gapyeong County, was now heading straight to the hospital.

“What do you mean Professor Shin wants to see me at the hospital? And it’s not about endocrinology; Manager An called.”

At that moment, Kim Jinyoung arrived at the hospital shortly after receiving a phone call from Shin Hyun-tae just as he was leaving home. His face looked quite uneasy, understandably so given what he’d done.

“What do you mean, ‘I don’t know’? Huh? Are you kidding me?” Kim Jinyoung yelled at Suhyuk, his face flushed red with anger.

Suhyuk silently bowed his head while holding onto his cane.

“Hey, aren’t you going to say anything? Do you think what the chief said is bullshit?”

“N-no, sir.”

“I asked if you’re awake or not, you disrespectful bastard!”

“B-but…”

Suhyuk raised his head, still gripping his cane tightly. He saw the furious faces of both Kim Jinyoung and Hwang Sunwoo, who looked similarly displeased.

Kim Jinyoung had dragged along Hwang Sunwoo because he didn’t want to spend the weekend alone at the hospital. Naturally, neither was happy about this situation.

“So, uh…”

“It’s…”

“Did this idiot suddenly become mute? Why…” Kim Jinyoung approached Suhyuk aggressively, ready to give him a knock on the head.

However, he couldn’t approach Suhyuk further as his phone, placed in his jacket pocket, loudly rang. It was set to a distinct ringtone for this particular number.

“Oh, yes. Manager Shin, it’s Kim Jinyoung, third year resident. I’m currently at the hospital.” He hastily answered and spoke with utmost professionalism.

His demeanor and tone were completely different from how he interacted with those below him.

“Come to my office.”

“Ah…yes, Professor Shin.”

Judging by the icy tone, Department Head Shin seemed quite upset. Blaming Suhyuk entirely for this situation, Kim Jinyoung glared at him.

“I’ll deal with you later.”

Not only did he glare but also left a warning before departing.

He rushed straight to Department Head Shin’s office. Unusually, the door was open.

Knock, knock.

Despite this, he knocked on the wall first as it wasn’t proper etiquette to just enter unannounced.

“Come in.”

“Yes, Professor. It’s Kim…”

Kim Jinyoung couldn’t finish his sentence. For some reason, Professor Kim Jinsil was present in Manager Shin Hyun-tae’s office.

‘Did…did she hear about it through Professor Kim?’

Kim Jinsil from the abdominal radiology team had been well-known since her days as a clinical instructor. She was both the disciple of the notoriously strict Lee Hahyeon and known for being equally fearsome. What made her even more terrifying was that instead of losing her temper indiscriminately, she meticulously cited references during confrontations.

Kim Jinyoung vividly remembered receiving severe criticism from her during his first year as an intern. Naturally, he felt intimidated and slouched slightly.

“Sit down for now.” Department Head Shin Hyun-tae didn’t offer a handshake but gestured with his chin towards a chair in the corner.

With no choice but to comply, Kim Jinyoung bowed respectfully before taking a seat. As he did so, Shin finally turned the monitor he had been viewing towards him.

“Take a good look at this. The patient came in earlier today. There was a notification sent to Endocrinology due to hypoglycemia. Have you heard about this patient?”

The name of the patient seemed to be Yang Jae-won. This was the very same patient whom Suhyuk had given the absurd diagnosis of insulinoma. Not only had Jinyoung heard about it, but he had also received an official notification regarding the case. However, knowing he needed to feign ignorance, he shook his head.

“Ah, no.”

“Really? I’ll check later on that matter.” Department Head Shin was already confident about the situation. Before arriving here, he had not only spoken with Kim Jinyoung but also received screenshots of Suhyuk’s recent call log from his phone. With a meaningful smile, he pointed at the monitor.

“If you look closely here, what do you think about the patient’s low blood sugar levels?”

“It’s 48 mg/dL.”

“Yes, this is around their average level in the morning. It should be considered an emergency, right? Yet, you didn’t receive any notification for on-call duty?”

“Um…”

No matter how he thought about it, the situation seemed unusual. Currently, there were no second-year residents overseeing; instead, only first-year residents were handling the duties. As a precaution for emergencies, third- and second-year residents alternated being on-call. The standard protocol required them to arrive within 30 minutes of receiving the call.

“In any case, you couldn’t reach them, right? Keep trying.”

This time, a CT scan appeared on the monitor - specifically, an abdominal CT.

“I’ve read it. There is a well-defined mass of approximately three centimeters near the pancreas. Considering its arterial enhancement and other clinical findings, it appears to be consistent with insulinoma.”

Professor Kim Jinsil smoothly recited her diagnostic impression.

As he listened, Kim Jinyoung felt uneasy.

‘That bastard… How did this son of a bitch directly contact Professor Kim Jinsil?’

Previously, when Suhyuk alerted them about actinomycosis, Professor Kim Jinsil happened to be nearby. Due to the exceptional nature of his notification, she remembered Suhyuk’s name. However, Jinyoung never considered that there could be such hidden connections behind the scenes.

He was now sweating profusely.

“You informed the attending physician about insulinoma, correct?”

“Well, initially, they suspected it based on the CT scan and diagnosis before consulting with me. I just confirmed their findings.”

“But…you didn’t notify anyone even after diagnosing insulinoma?” Shin Hyun-tae glared at Kim Jinyoung once again.

It was clear enough for anyone to catch onto the situation, but Kim Jinyoung chose to ignore reality.

Anyway…I’ll be leaving soon…

As soon as he obtained his specialist certification, he planned to bid farewell to hospitals forever. He had no intention of staying at this university hospital either.

“Yes.” With a resigned attitude, he nodded, which irked Shin Hyun-tae further.

Not only did he not examine the patient but also lied…? In front of the manager, no less! And three times at that?

It wasn’t as if they were in bed together. Why would anyone need to lie thrice about seeing a patient?

Seething with anger, Shin Hyun-tae threw his phone towards Kim Jinyoung.

“Hey, call whoever is on duty today.”

“H-here?”

“Yes. I want to see who this irresponsible bastard is.”

“B-but…”

“What’re you waiting for? Hurry up and call them. Or should I do it myself?”

“N-no, sir. I’ll make the call.” Reluctantly, Kim Jinyoung picked up Shin Hyun-tae’s phone.

He noticed the recent call record showing that Shin Hyun-tae had initiated contact with Lee Suhyuk.

Well, damn…

If Lee Suhyuk had called first, there might have been some room for leniency despite Hyun-tae’s rage. But now, it seemed hopeless.

It seemed hopeless as Shin Hyun-tae had called Lee Suhyuk after hearing from Professor Kim Jinsil.

‘No…why would he show such interest in some loser?’

If possible, he wanted to run away right now, but unfortunately, it was not an option.

“Hey, aren’t you going to answer?”

“I-I will.”

Thus, despite his reluctance, Jinyoung made the call that soon rang on Suhyuk’s phone.

“What the fuck did you do for us all to be summoned here? Hmm? You’ve never been my favorite since pretending to be the director’s hidden son. Oh? Your phone is ringing? Hey, who’s calling… Ah, Manager Shin. Yes, please take it.”

Lee Suhyuk gladly answered the phone call as he was being harassed by Hwang Sunwoo at that moment. He then headed towards Manager Shin Hyun-tae’s office.

As soon as Manager Shin saw Lee Suhyuk, he almost burst out laughing but managed to suppress it.

“You were on-call? Is it true that you didn’t notify anyone about this patient’s diagnosis?”

Suhyuk also tried hard not to laugh. Despite already knowing everything, Manager Shin was putting on quite a performance. However, courtesy dictated that Suhyuk should play along with the professor’s act.

“Oh, no, Professor. I did inform them.”

“Do you have proof?”

“Here…”

Suhyuk promptly handed over his recent call log showing Kim Jinyoung’s name. Not only had a signal been sent, but there was clear evidence of a two-minute conversation.

“You hung up on me?”

“That, uh…”

Kim Jinyoung wanted to say something, but Shin Hyun-tae didn’t give him a chance.

“You don’t deserve to be chief. Hand over pharmacy duties to someone else and start taking care of patients directly from tomorrow.”

“Huh? Th-that’s too…”

“Unfair? Then do you want to leave? You received the notice yet failed to check on your patient or even discharge them. Should we convene the disciplinary committee?”

“N-no…”

“Then become their primary physician. I’ll personally speak with Professor Seo Hyoseok about this. Now get out.”

“Oh… Yes, professor.”

Kim Jinyoung exited the room, his shoulders slumped.

As Lee Suhyuk was about to follow, Shin Hyun-tae called out to him.

“Ah, Suhyuk. Stay for a moment. I have something to discuss with you.”