Episode 8
A person who embarrasses me.
(Namjoo's point of view)
The day I made my first mistake.
I couldn't sleep that night because I couldn't understand why my abilities weren't working for the first time.
There were no problems with my abilities before or after the surgery.
However, it is still not understood why such a thing happened in that situation.
After thinking about it all night, I concluded that my condition was not good that day.
And I thought I would never see Mr. Jeong again.
Since I met Mr. Jeong, my life has become so annoying...
So I performed more surgeries. So I focused more on patients.
"Where does it hurt?"
"I will schedule the surgery for you next week."
"I'll schedule the surgery for you next month."
"Come back in two months."
I wanted to forget the things I had been worrying about for a long time.
Because that worry was the most painful worry among worries.
So I had a lot of surgeries.
And I was on duty in the emergency room.
I didn't let go of my work. I tried to forget it by any means necessary.
After spending a few weeks like that, those agonizing worries seemed to come to me without any problems.
It didn't even come to mind anymore. Right now, I've been using my abilities well, and I haven't even met that specialist.
Another few months passed. After months of nonstop surgery and emergency room visits, I guess I was quite exhausted.
Why did it have to be that day? I made another mistake.
No, I'd be hesitant to call it my mistake. It was just an undesirable situation that arose, and I couldn't avoid it.
The life I lived. Operating room, emergency room, operating room, and occasionally, a brief stint in the lab.
Living this repetitive life, I took a short break in the lab during my spare time due to accumulated fatigue.
I didn't expect anyone to come to my lab.
I hadn't even imagined it. So I must have fallen asleep for a moment, thinking it was my own space.
When I woke up, there was someone in front of me.
That specialist. Professor Jeong...
"Oh, are you awake?"
Did you come into my lab without permission?
What kind of person are you, Mr. Jeong? And you're waking up like that?
"When did you come in?"
"A little while ago.."
"I guess it doesn't matter to Professor Jeong that I can just barge into someone else's lab without permission?"
"The door...was open...so I thought I could come in..."
Huh? Ha.... That's why I don't sleep anywhere.
Because I can't control my abilities while I'm sleeping...
I definitely locked it, I always lock it... I must have opened the locked door because of a knock while I was sleeping. Now that I think about it, I remember hearing a knock.
"Go out. You won't meet anyone."
He said this without even making eye contact and turning on the computer.
But that specialist... sat in front of me... What kind of person do you do?
"Excuse me, Mr. Jeong. I think I told you to leave..?"
"I have a question. I've been looking for you for a while, but you're not here... That kid back then, the one who tried to commit suicide. No matter how much I think about it, I can't figure out how you did it. The method..."
"Mr. Jeong?"
I interrupted the resident who was talking so intently, barely breathing, as if asking me to listen.
"yes?"
"I won't teach you anything anymore, Mr. Jeong. Whatever it is. Get out."
"No, Mr. Kang. I just wonder what you did..."
"I can't tell you. Please leave."
".......Teacher...why don't you meet people...?"
Seriously, Mr. Jeong. What do you do?
He only does things that are completely incomprehensible, and he does them so conspicuously.
I wish it would just disappear from my sight.
"Mr. Jeong, let's go out."
I couldn't figure out why he was curious about me.
Everyone thinks it's my personality that I don't meet people, but why does Mr. Jeong ask me why? I was just a little, just a little curious.
Even when I tell him to leave, he doesn't even think about leaving and looks at me with eyes that look like lasers are going to shoot out.
It's a form that won't go back without finding out something.
For a moment, I tried to read the resident's mind.
I wondered what on earth the resident was thinking when he did something like this. I wondered why he did it.
'uh?....'
It's that feeling again. That feeling. The feeling that my abilities aren't working.
I felt this way during that surgery too. Ha... why?
I looked into the resident's eyes, staring intently at me, dumbfounded. It had been a long time since I'd seen him truly meet my gaze.
And then I tried again.
Resident, reading your thoughts. Now I'm curious about what you're thinking.
Some time passed. It was a quiet moment, and the resident's thoughts were still unreadable.
"Who the hell are you?"
The resident, who had been flustered by my words that broke the silence first, looked at me blankly before answering.
"My name is Jeong Bo-ram, a first-year resident."
That answer made my mind go blank.
Oh, right. That's right, first-year residents...
"Can I ask you something now..?"
A few seconds of silence passed again, and this time the resident broke the silence.
Those words also meant that he was going to ask me something.
I clearly said I wouldn't take questions.
"No, you can't. Find someone else besides me. I won't be able to answer your questions or help you with your work."
"But.."
"Now, please leave. I have nothing more to say. If you don't leave, I'll call the security. But still... wouldn't that be a bit unsightly?"
"....all right.."
Only then did the resident leave my lab.
Ha... This is really tiring.
But, I also gained something from today.
Because I found out one thing.
That I can't use my abilities in front of that major.
Since that day, my mind has become more complicated.
It's been almost 30 years since I was born with superpowers.
And, until now, no one has been able to stop my abilities.
Then a woman appeared in front of me.
A person who doesn't have my skills.
Mr. Jeong.
What on earth is the identity?
That guy kept making me feel embarrassed.
That person was different from others. Certainly, different.
A person I didn't want to know, talk to, or be with.
Now I'm curious.
Why does this make me so confused?
A day when there were surgeries from morning to night.
Today was my second surgery.
After a long time, that specialist, Dr. Jeong, came to my surgery.
This time, my abilities probably won't work either.
I vowed not to make any mistakes today. I vowed not to panic. I also vowed not to get in trouble with Mr. Jeong.
"Let's begin the surgery."
The surgery went well, without any problems.
There was no situation where I could use my abilities. It ended well.
'Phew... I worried for nothing...'
I was actually a little worried. I was afraid something like last time would happen again. I got lucky that time, but I don't know what will happen this time.
"Thank you for your effort."
I came out of the operating room. My neck was sore, so I rubbed it with my hand.
"under..."
"Are you having a hard time?"
At that moment, someone's voice came from behind.
A familiar voice.
"Mr. Jeong?"
He turned around and handed me a drink.
"Let's drink together, you must be tired."
It comes to me again.
"Still, are you curious? Is there something?"
"Huh? Oh, um... I'm curious, but I won't ask right now."
"Why?"
"Of course, because it looks like the teacher is having a hard time."
"I'm having a hard time, so why does Mr. Jeong care?"
"Um...because we had surgery together?"
"If that's what you mean, then fine. I won't make any colleagues. Then I'll go now."
"Ah! Just a moment. Then have this drink."
"No, it's okay."
Mr. Jeong was curious.
Mr. Jeong wanted to know.
But I am also human, so if I know a little, I might want to know more.
I'm afraid that meeting Mr. Jeong might make me want to form relationships.
So I don't think it will work.
I am a human, but I am a being who can only watch from outside the fence of humanity.
I will come out again from the fence I entered for a moment.
Don't be so captivated by that warmth that you want to live inside a fence, because that would be going beyond my scope.
I will do my best to avoid it.
I'll live alone, just like I've been doing until now.
I will just quietly do what needs to be done. I will focus solely on the task at hand.
Mr. Jeong, I have a fleeting curiosity. I think I should let it go.
Because I'm scared.
I've crossed the line. I have to step back again.
I hope that I can move forward with my topic and make it better.
I'm afraid of that.
I won't know, because once I know, I'll want to know. I won't even try to find out.
Now, let's not talk or make eye contact outside of the surgery. We should draw the line and part ways.
So, Mr. Jeong, don't be curious about me.
Don't even ask me anything.
I can't give you any answer.