Level Up Doctor Choi Kiseok Chapter 4

Only chapter for our good doctor this week.

"You look so much better these days. Before the surgery, you really didn't talk to any of your patients. But now you are getting along with them so well. It's like you… changed."

"Of course, I've changed."

"Sorry?"

"I got a change here."

He pointed to his left chest and came back to the room.

After old patients left, there are only two patients left. Yoobin in his thirties and Giseok.

"Is there anything you want to watch?"

Yoobin picked up the remote control.

"No."

"Yeah? Then I'm choosing what I want to watch."

Yoobin scrolled through the channel.

It stopped at Music channel and on screen 4-member girl groups were dancing on the rhythm.

"Now begins our time. You don't know how much I have waited."

Bubbly melodies caught their ears.

Giseok was gazing into the TV without realizing.

Suddenly he lost a word.

The person at the middle of the group looked familiar.

Searching through his memory, he realized how he knew of her.

It was Eunha, whose dream was to be a celebrity.

The patient of him from Jinseong University Hospital became a TV star.

He was amazed by Eunha, dancing in the screen.

"Hey, What's the name of that group?"

"You don't know Super Venus?"

Yoonbin continued explanation, tutting.

Super Venus is the hottest girl group among newer groups. Their debut song, 'Beyond Love' became a hot hit and they shoot many advertis.e.m.e.nts.

"I like Eunha the best. She is the most elegant."

Yoobin cracked with smile.

It is celebratory now that she became the TV star.

But why didn't she look happy?

She sure did say she is the happiest when dancing and singing.

Even it is through the screen, he can notice the odd energy.

Moonjae took over the remote control.

Giseok kept looking at the screen, even after the channel changed.

He still could see Eunha, dancing on the stage.

The room was peaceful.

Patients were laughing at the TV, Giseok was in the pleasant conversation.

Door opened, the girl in school uniform entered.

"h.e.l.lo."

She vowed to other patients and went to Moonjae.

Her name is Dahye Yoon, Moonjae's daughter.

"You came, Dahye?"

"Yeap."

She replied. Very short.

"You haven't met him yet, have you? His name is Giseok and he is my favourite brother in this room."

"h.e.l.lo."

"Nice to meet you."

Giseok exchanged h.e.l.lo with Dahye.

Despite hard impression from Moonjae, Dahye's impression was quiet and elegant.

It seems she is more like her mom.

"How's your study?"

"It's okay."

The conversation between daughter and dad continued.

Moonjae asked her what he's wondering and Dahye answered with one word.

Certainly the conversation didn't last long.

"I am craving orange juice. Dahye, would you go to the convenience store and get a box of orange juice?"

"Why don't you go? I'm grade 12 and I have to go back and study."

"It's only a minute…"

Moonjae handed 10,000 won bill.

Dahye took the money with s.n.a.t.c.h and left the room. Moonjae scratched his head with awkward smile on his face.

"She's usually really kind. I guess she's stressed these days."

Moonjae spoke, as if wanting other patients to hear. But his face couldn't hide his disappointment.

Watching Moonjae, Giseok went outside the room.

Loitering around the convenience store, he spotted Dahye, carrying the orange juice pack.

Physical: 5/10

Chief concern: Acne

Area: Skin

Current status : non-urgent

Progress: Normal

After studying Dahye with status window, Giseok let small smile out.

Ident.i.ty crisis…

"Want to go to ward together?"

"…..sure."

Dahye answered, unapprovingly.

Giseok tried to start conversation, like weather or school. Like everyday topic.

Then he went to the meat of the conversation.

"Wasn't it so harsh to your dad, at the ward?"

"Why do you care?"

Dahye's look became sharp.

"You are right. It is none of my business. But would you like to hear what I have to say?"

Giseok continued, nonchalantly.

"Sometimes, think about your parents before yourself. They are human, too. They can get hurt by your behaviour."

"Do you know how he was hurt when you left like that?"

Dahye stayed silent by Giseok's advice.

As if her mouth was locked up.

They arrived at the ward while talking to each other.

Giseok sat on his bed and Dahye was handing out the juice around the room.

"Here you go."

Dahye opened the juice bottle, handed to Moonjae.

"Wow, what a service. By my daughter!"

"You… You said you wanted it."

"Thank you."

Moonjae smiled brightly and Giseok couldn't help but smiling with them together.

"See? My daughter is kind by nature. She handed out juice around and opened the bottle for me, without me asking."

After Dahye left, Moonjae kept complimenting his daughter, not being able to stop.

Some time has past.

"Giseok. Your mom is here."

Giseok sat upright by Miae's words.

Today is the discharge day.

"Son!"

"You are here."

Giseok bowed to her.

While mom waved her hands to him and welcomed him.

"How are you feeling? Good?"

"Yes."

"There you go again, being formal. What's wrong? Are you uncomfortable with me?"

"No."

His mouth wanted to say yes, but he couldn't say but no.

Haejin spent his childhood in the orphanage, without his parents.

But being Giseok, he also gained new parents.

It is no question that the concept of parents is so foreign to him.

The most memorable thing with his new parents.

It was a first meeting, a week ago.

After waking up in the sterile room, their parents cried out of their eyes and said to him.

Thank you for waking up.

Thank you for coming back to us.

Their deep and sincere love confused Giseok.

It was the first time when someone else cried for him.

Except the one person, the princ.i.p.al of the orphanage who raised him.

"I brought your clothes so change with this."

"Okay."

Giseok grabbed a paper bag from his mother and went to the washroom to change.

Then he finished packing in the room.

"You are really leaving now."

"Be healthy, dude."

"You are going?"

Moonjae said, apathetically.

"Yeah. My stay at the hospital was great thanks to you. Get healthy so you can get discharged sooner than later."

"Of course. Hey, give me your cell number."

After having Giseok's cell number, he made a smile.

"When I debut and am famous, I will introduce actress to you. You just wait."

"Yes. I'm looking forward to."

Giseok said goodbyes to his roommates and went back to the station.

"Don't push yourself so hard now that you feel healthy. If you feel fatigues, decreased appet.i.te or getting nauseous come back to the hospital immediately. Your discharge meds are for a week. Don't' forget to take them."

Miae's discharge advice was finished.

After saying goodbyes to the nurses, Giseok came out the hospital.

Whhing

Chilly winds were blowing, outside the hospital.

He doesn't know when he would come back to this place.

But that time he would be a doctor, not a patient.

Giseok and his mom went to the Chinese restaurant nearby.

He said it is too early to eat lunch, but his mom insisted.

To celebrate his discharge, she insisted that they should go to Chinese restaurant, his favourite.

"Jjajang myeon and Tang su-yok, right?"

She asked him, while seated. Giseok nodded.

"Here, please get us Jjajang myeon and Tang su-yok."

After placing the order, both continued the conversation.

Mom was asking questions and Giseok was answering them.

She visited Giseok every day after work and with family on weekends during his stay at the hospital. But she still had so many questions and it seemed endless.

Is this what's like, being a real parent?

He could feel her care and love through his skin.

"By the way, Giseok, you seemed really different these days."

She changed the topic.

"Like what?"

"Well, you are still being using formal with me. You weren't like that before."

"oh, that?"

He tried to come up with an answer while drinking water.

"Well, I guess I grew up after the surgery.?"

"Using formal is a sign of growing up?"

"Well, I suppose we can consider in that way?"

"I just don't like it because it feels distant from you. But if you like it, I guess we will leave it there."

She released a deep sigh.

Brief silence past, and she started speaking again.

"By the way, the nurse, Miae Lee, seems to like you. Does she not?"

"I don't think so?"

"Well, who am I kidding, asking you. You won't be able to sense that given your insensitivity around that."

"I caught her stealing glance of you every time I came to visit you."

"You misunderstood it."

"Oh my goodness. I am afraid I would hit the ground before seeing my grandchild.

He scratched his head while his mom groaning.

The previous owner of this body, Giseok and Haejin was the last people on earth to do with any romance.

Haejin never had any girlfriend in his life and Giseok only had one romance.

"You won't be able to have any girlfriend until you get settled. This is disaster."

"I'm a doctor. Patients are my girlfriends."

"Well, then try with your patients at least. That's my wish."

The order came out while them talking and Giseok finished his meal with satisfaction.

No wonder this restaurant was featured on TV.

"What are you doing? Come in."

Mom stared at Giseok, entering the living room.

"It just feels weird to come after such a long time."

Giseok took his shoes out, went inside.

This is the apartment where he will live from now on. It was five-minute away from subway station. Standing on the balcony, you can view the neighbourhood scenery.

s.p.a.cious living room has couch and wall-hanging TV. Every electronics and furniture were sparkling.

Giseok's memory absorbed, he already knew that his family was wealthy. But it feels more real now that he saw himself.

"Bark! Bark! Bark!"

Janggun was chasing mom, wriggling his tail.

Janggun is a mixed breed and they have had him for 3 years now.

"I will have to go out for meeting. You can stay by yourself, can't you?"

"For sure. Don't worry about it."

"Call me if you feel unwell."

After she left, he began to canva.s.s the house.

The family picture hanged on the living wall caught his sight.

Happy family of four. Then he noticed a young boy in the picture.

"Little brother……"

He murmured himself.

(Continued)