A competent doctor can cure everything

After work, the intern chief’s snack shop became a gathering place for the interns.

It had been a long time since everyone—me, Wonil, Min-hwa, and even the twin sisters—had all come together.

As Min-hwa poked at a steaming piece of tteokbokki with his fork, he spoke up.

“It would’ve been nice if Mika could join us too…!”

“Right? I still can’t believe we’re friends with a celebrity,” Wonil chimed in, laughing in agreement.

The intern chief smiled as she placed a can of cola in front of each of us.

“How’s everyone doing? The rotation change must be overwhelming, right?”

“Totally~. Now that it’s September, the minor ward calls are all on us interns. It’s not like they’re emergencies, but why do they feel so difficult? Whenever a call comes from the ward, my mind just blanks out.”

Starting in September, interns gradually begin taking over some of the residents’ responsibilities.

Handling ward calls for admitted patients was one of those new tasks. While serious cases were still passed on to the residents, interns were now responsible for managing minor issues.

The intern chief laughed in agreement at Wonil’s grumbling.

“In that sense, I’m starting to appreciate how amazing Lee Joon oppa really is. He’s not just handling ward calls—he’s already been serving as an attending physician for a while now. I always knew it was impressive, but I keep getting more amazed. On top of that, he’s still consistently working as a team doctor!”

“And tomorrow, I hear a child is getting admitted to pediatrics? Looks like hyung will be the attending physician again.”

“Joon hyung is always studying or working on his research papers even at home!”

At the mention of research papers, Dal-nim tilted her head in curiosity.

“An intern is already writing research papers? Isn’t that something you start doing during your residency to meet specialist qualification requirements?”

“It’s actually quite helpful for organizing my thoughts as I work.”

You could say I’ve developed a taste for it after trying it once.

After finishing the case report on Ms. Kim Jin-ah, I’m now working on another paper about Ms. Jo Na-kyung. I’m also planning a paper on “Common Conditions in Volleyball Players” based on my team doctor experience.

Once the IRB approval comes through, I’ll begin work on a study about ‘sambok-cheob’ treatments too.

“That’s crazy. You write papers because you ‘enjoy’ it? What kind of person are you? Are you even human, or just a robot?”

“Honestly, that could be true. After all, there’s a high probability that this world is just a virtual reality.”

“…Huh?”

Everyone’s eyes widened as Dal-nim responded seriously to Wonil’s exasperated comment. The intern chief remained unaffected, but the rest of us stared at her in disbelief.

Dal-nim shrugged.

“Haven’t you ever thought about the possibility that this world is a simulation created by someone? There’s only a one-in-a-billion chance that humanity is living in a base reality.”

“Oh? Uh… right. Got it…”

This girl hasn’t changed at all.

While the rest of us were left speechless, the intern chief clapped her hands in genuine admiration.

“Dal-nim knows so many interesting things. She’s amazing. Oh, and she’s really good at palm reading too!”

At that, Wonil grinned and pushed my hand toward Dal-nim.

“Then take a look at this robot’s palm for us.”

“Sure, why not?”

Dal-nim examined my hand closely, then let out a dry exclamation.

“Oh, dear.”

“What? What is it?”

Everyone’s attention turned to her as she began her interpretation.

“Your fate line is a mess. Forget about living a smooth life—it’s going to be like one of those drama protagonists who suffers endlessly. And your life line nearly breaks in two places: once in childhood and once in adulthood.”

Wait, ‘another’ time?

I had been listening casually, but my ears suddenly perked up.

“Still, after the hardship, joy will come. When you’re young, even if you struggle, later on, you’ll find fortune and things will turn out well. Your brain line is well-developed, but your emotion line is weak. This person might really be a robot.”

“Can you see my brother’s love life too?”

“Love? He won’t have any for a while.”

“Oh, dear~.”

It’s not that I can’t do it, it’s that I don’t.

Anyway, I was surprised about the life line part.

After finishing the meal, I immediately interrogated Ye Wonil as we left the restaurant.

“Ye Wonil, did you tell the intern chief about the car accident I had when I was young?”

“Bro! That’s so unfair. I’m not the type of person who goes around telling those kinds of stories.”

“I-I didn’t either, bro.”

So, what does that mean? Does Dal-nim really know how to read palms…?

For a moment, I had all kinds of thoughts, but I quickly shook my head to dismiss them.

Well, it was probably just a coincidence. I won’t worry about it.

Ding-ding!

Just then, my phone rang.

It was a notification that the latest chapter of the web novel I was following had been uploaded.

When I opened it and accessed the site, Ye Wonil, who had glanced at the screen, was surprised.

“Huh? Do you read web novels too? What’s going on?”

“My friend’s younger sibling is serializing it…!”

I muttered as I scrolled through the screen with my thumb.

“But the plot’s getting a little strange lately.”

“Why?”

“The protagonist looks like they’re going to lose.”

I said it with a serious expression, and Ye Wonil chuckled.

“Why are you so overly invested? Not very robot-like.”

But I was serious.

As I read the story, I got the feeling that Myung Gyu-Beom, the protagonist, was projecting himself into the character.

He probably doesn’t realize it himself, though.

But… the flow of the novel had been feeling off for the past few days.

‘Myung Gyu-Beom. What on earth is he thinking?’

It seems like tonight, I’ll have to go visit the author.

* * *

The apartment complex, shrouded in darkness, was eerily quiet.

Myung Gyu-Beom left his house and headed toward a nearby playground.

Since the tics started, he avoided going out during the day as much as possible.

“Huh?”

However, one of the two swings in the playground was already occupied by a man.

The man’s long legs stretched out beneath the swing.

Myung Gyu-Beom hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether to move away, when their eyes met.

He reflexively turned his head, but the man spoke first.

“Hey.”

The man greeted him casually, as if they were familiar with each other.

He furrowed his brows for a second, trying to recall who the man was.

Then it came to him. It was the guy he had met at this playground a while ago.

He had heard from his mother that he was an intern at Hanbit University Hospital’s Department of Oriental Medicine.

“Come sit.”

It was in front of this guy that Myung Gyu-Beom had shown his tic symptoms last time.

Remembering that moment, he hesitated, but the man pointed to the empty swing beside him.

His demeanor was so natural that, without realizing it, Myung Gyu-Beom approached and sat down awkwardly on the swing.

“Hello…”

Even though he had been called over, the man didn’t pay much attention to him.

He just tilted his head slightly and stared at his phone.

In the dark night, the light from the phone illuminated the man’s side profile, casting a bluish hue.

Myung Gyu-Beom’s gaze naturally shifted toward the man’s phone screen.

“Huh?”

He couldn’t help but make an exclamation.

He had only glanced at it for a second, but he immediately recognized it.

There would be no author who wouldn’t recognize the cover of their own novel.

The man glanced at Myung Gyu-Beom, who was staring in surprise, and then asked.

“Why? Do you read this too?”

“Ah, no, it’s just that…”

Should I admit to writing it?

Suddenly, his heart started to race.

Oh my gosh. To think I’d meet one of my readers like this.

Feeling that it was a fateful encounter, Gyu-Beom gathered his courage.

“Actually, I… I’m the one who writes it.”

“What? You’re the author?”

The man’s eyes widened, then he smiled faintly.

“That’s interesting. It’s a really enjoyable piece.”

“Really? You like it?”

“Yeah. How did you come up with such a story?”

It was the first time. Being praised for his writing by someone.

No one around him, not even his parents, knew that Gyu-Beom wrote novels.

“Well, originally, I liked reading fantasy novels…”

He started speaking with pure joy, but then, a heavy stone seemed to drop in his chest, and Gyu-Beom quickly closed his mouth again.

The reason he started writing web novels.

It was because, after dropping out of high school, he had too much free time on his hands.

‘…No.’

In that moment, ‘that feeling’ took over Gyu-Beom’s mind.

It felt as though disgusting bugs were clinging to his face, and he had the impulse to shake them off with his muscles.

He could probably hold it in for a few seconds, but continuing to do so was impossible.

“Ugh, ugh.”

At the same time, an uncomfortable, uneasy sensation began in his throat.

It felt like something was stuck in his throat, causing distress, but no matter how hard he tried to clear his throat, he couldn’t get it out.

‘I don’t want to do it in front of him again.’

Gyu-Beom clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his skin, resisting the impulse.

But he couldn’t just keep running away from it.

“Chiiiing, chiiing.”

Finally, he let out a strained, groaning sound, his face scrunched in discomfort.

Afterwards, shame turned Gyu-Beom’s face bright red.

‘Now he’s probably going to look at me strangely too.’

Just like everyone else who had stared at him strangely.

Just like his father, who was ashamed and disappointed in him.

After all, this wasn’t the first time, it had happened twice.

“….”

But his brother’s expression showed no sign of concern.

He even continued the conversation naturally, as if nothing had happened.

“About the novel’s ending, have you decided on it?”

“U-um, I’ve roughly thought about it. It might change though.”

Answering that, it felt like nothing had happened at all.

He even started to doubt whether he had actually done the tic.

“Can I ask if it’s a happy ending or a sad one?”

“It’s a realistic ending.”

“A realistic ending? What does that mean?”

“The protagonist loses to Zeus and gets locked up in an underground prison.”

His brother adjusted his glasses and frowned.

“Why is that realistic?”

“Well, Zeus is just too strong…”

“But the protagonist has gotten stronger too. He’s been through a long, boring, and tough journey. I think he’d be strong enough by now.”

Gyu-Beom could only open his mouth in protest, unable to speak, like a reader complaining to the author.

What’s up with him? It’s just a novel, why is he so serious about it?

But… he didn’t mind. It meant that his story was being taken seriously.

So, without thinking, he blurted out this question.

“But don’t you think I’m strange?”

“What’s strange about it?”

“As you know, I have a tic disorder.”

After he did the tic, his mom would hug him excessively and comfort him, making it awkward for him.

His father would try to suppress his anger, which made Gyu-Beom feel awkward.

But his brother didn’t care at all.

That was actually more comforting, so Gyu-Beom ended up opening up.

“At first, I went to the pediatric and adolescent department. Then I went to the neurology department. Now, I’m seeing a psychiatrist, but the medication just keeps increasing, and the symptoms keep getting worse. But they say there’s nothing wrong with my brain or nerves. So, what’s wrong with me?”

Unexpectedly, his brother said something.

“Have you ever heard of the term ‘maehakgi’?”

“No.”

“It’s a term from traditional Korean medicine. It refers to a feeling like something, like a plum pit, is stuck in your throat. The characteristic is that it’s not a physical thing, just a sensation, so it doesn’t go away even if you try to spit it out or swallow it. In traditional medicine, stress is considered the main cause.”

Gyu-Beom widened his eyes.

It felt similar to the discomfort and unsettling sensation that came right before his vocal tic.

“Have you tried traditional treatment?”

“No… Can tics be treated?”

“Lots of tic patients come to the pediatric and adolescent department where I’m interning.”

“Then, if I go to your department, will it help?”

“We won’t know unless you try. It’ll be a long, boring, and tough journey, but.”

“…!”

Gyu-Beom froze in slight shock.

The man turned away after leaving those words.

“Come find me when you’re ready.”

For a while, Gyu-Beom stood there, rooted to the spot.