Chapter 8

Chapter 8

After Tyler, one person from the engineering team and one from the mining team came to visit. Excluding patients who visited purely for cavities and fallen dental prosthetics, the statistics for the three days showed that a handful of people were visiting the dental clinic all because of one person.

If only I could win over the leader of the engineering A-team, I feel like I could get by doing nothing. Or perhaps, I would need even more patience, working non-stop.

I searched for Shin Hae-ryang in the employee search bar using the pad connected to the underwater base’s program.

[Engineering A-Team Chief Shin Hae-ryang *Resting]

I considered chatting with him but hesitated, wondering if it was really appropriate to contact someone who was resting after work hours. And as I thought about what to talk about, I lost the courage to start a chat.

What should I ask if I do contact him?

“Hello, Mr. Shin Hae-ryang. My name is Park Mu-hyun, a dentist who has been at the underwater base for three days. I heard that you’ve been breaking the engineers and mining team’s defenses. Is that true?” What? You say you’ve never done such a thing? That I must be mistaken? I apologize. By the way, can we meet in the back alley, if there is one in the underwater base? Since I’m the only dentist within a 30 km radius, could you at least hit me somewhere I can hide my face?”

I shook my head while imagining the conversation, smiling to myself. We’ll meet someday.

I then searched for all the names I had heard over the past three days in the employee search bar.

[Engineering A-Team Employee Kang Su-jeong *Resting]

After hesitating for a while, I tried the chat program for the first time.

[Hello, Ms. Kang Soo-jung. Thank you for carrying my luggage. My bag found its way to my room thanks to you. I’ll treat you to something delicious later. Have a great day today.]

Then, I looked at the underwater base’s bulletin board and the restaurant’s menu before checking the reservation time and calling in the next patient.

Overall, women’s oral health is much better than men’s. Teenagers, regardless of gender, have similarly disastrous dental conditions, but from their twenties, the difference becomes clear. This is because the ratio of males indulging in alcohol, smoking, and neglecting oral hygiene is overwhelmingly higher. Surprisingly, the people in the underwater base made an effort to take care of their teeth regardless of gender.

That makes sense. If I were in space, I would diligently brush my teeth. I wouldn’t want to suffer from the headache of cavities on top of the already overwhelming experience of being on a spaceship. Since it’s not easy to receive hospital services promptly in an isolated situation, many people made an effort to take care of themselves. Of course, there were still plenty who didn’t.

The man named Sato in front of me was one of them. Sato Ryosuke, a member of M team and an engineer, was one of the few people at this underwater base who properly flossed their teeth when visiting the dentist. The reason was simple: he had two extra teeth, and there were many areas that could not be cleaned with a toothbrush alone, so if he didn’t floss, debris would accumulate.

“Can you do orthodontics here as well?”

“Are you looking to correct your extra teeth?”

“Yes, is it possible?”

He must’ve thought I’m Chinese.

After all, most of my appearance resembled that of an East Asian. Except for one part: my eyes.

“I am of Korean descent.”

Sato’s smile vanished in an instant.

“But the color of your pupils.”

“Yes. One eye is sky blue, while the other is pitch black.”

I acquired heterochromia after a traffic accident when I was young, but luckily, I did not go blind. I don’t quite remember, but I was told that I had undergone several surgeries. It doesn’t make much of a difference in daily life, but depending on the angle of the light, my iris looks blue.

At my response, Sato slightly lifted the corner of his mouth and spoke softly, “I will send our new team leader to keep you from getting bored, doctor.”

Wow...

I got chills down my spine. It was slightly similar to the fear I felt when I rode the central elevator of the underwater base down 3000 meters.

According to Elliot, everyone working at this underwater base is required to undergo a mental evaluation. Only those who pass can work underwater. So, most of the people I meet have been proven by experts to be mentally sound. The hint of madness that Sato briefly revealed was skillfully hidden and disappeared.

I responded as if his words were not a big deal. “······That’s fine. I just want to get paid without working.”

I felt my damaged iris itch. After praising my relatively good dental care a few times, I handed Sato handed some dental floss. We exchanged words about seeing each other again next time.

When I returned from the restroom, I saw neatly placed dental floss on the waiting table. Sato must have had his own as he didn’t take mine. Or maybe he didn’t like the one I gave him. I decided to think positively that I still had a new piece of dental floss in my hand.

Perhaps the engineering team leaders are not close enough to drink or hang out together. Or maybe it’s just Sato and the new team leader, Shin Hae Ryang.Come to think of it, that other team leader named Yi Ban didn’t seem very sociable either.

After tossing the dental floss into the air several times and catching it, I threw it into a box filled with dental floss. Was that remark a recommendation to get a dental checkup? Or was it a warning of assault, as I thought? I sighed and called the next patient.

A condition when upper teeth overlap lower teeth excessively.[↩]