I Became the Oriental Doctor for Divine Beasts - Chapter 120

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I became a doctor of Eastern medicine for Divine Beasts.
#120
In the end, I failed to read Yu Chae-young’s pulse.
And soon after, Lunaur’s charity concert began.
The venue was the Central Lobby on the first floor of Baek Ho Hospital.
Murmur, murmur—
The space that normally bustled with patients and guardians hurrying back and forth had transformed into a concert hall for the day.
Patients and guardians packed the area in front of the stage, and even medical staff who happened to pass by stopped in their tracks to wait for the performance.
Click, click!
Entertainment reporters with cameras set up their positions, and the atmosphere was electric.
I too had some time before Lee Ja-in’s treatment appointment, so I mingled with the crowd.
To be exact, I’d come to the hospital a bit early precisely for this reason.
A moment later.
With upbeat music, Lunaur took the stage.
“Hello everyone! We’re Lunaur!”
Cheers filled the lobby.
“Kyaaaa! It’s Lunaur!”
“Ra-bit! You look so beautiful!”
“Chae-young! Look over here!”
Today the members wore stage outfits that emanated autumn vibes.
Short jackets emphasizing the waistline. Slim pants that showed off leg lines. And high-heeled shoes to match.
They looked truly beautiful on stage.
‘The clothes fit so snugly they look uncomfortable.’
Dancing in such fitted outfits—being an idol must be exhausting.
With that thought, I watched the performance unfold.
– “I’ll always be by your side. I’ll become a small light for you ♪”
The five of them moved in perfect harmony.
Jeong Ra-bit in particular darted across the stage with rabbit-like agility, smiling brightly.
‘That’s right, our Ra-bit is doing so well!’
Watching her made me feel so proud, as if I’d become her mother.
As the song passed the midpoint and approached its highlight, Yu Chae-young, the main vocalist, stepped forward.
She had just drawn in a deep breath, about to belt out a powerful high note, when it happened.
“Ungh!”
In an instant, Chae-young’s right foot slipped. The high heel lost its footing, and her ankle twisted inward at a sickening angle.
Watching it happen, I nearly cried out.
‘That’s…!’
To my trained eye as a physician of Eastern medicine, it was immediately clear.
‘A severe sprain. At least Grade 2 ligament damage.’
The pain must have been excruciating.
Chae-young couldn’t suppress the sharp pain either, and let out a brief cry before collapsing where she stood.
“Chae-young!”
“Are you okay?!”
The faces of the members dancing beside her went pale in an instant.
But in the next moment.
Chae-young gritted her teeth and brought the microphone back to her lips.
She smiled as if nothing had happened.
– “♪──”
And then, still sitting, she continued singing.
The other members, led by Ra-bit, exchanged one determined glance and, as if nothing were amiss, adjusted their movements and continued the performance.
‘No way…’
I stared at the stage in stunned silence.
‘That’s incredible professionalism, but… is that even safe?’
Her ankle had twisted at a truly impossible angle just moments ago.
I wasn’t the only one thinking this, for murmurs rippled through the audience.
“Shouldn’t they stop the performance?”
“She looks like she’s in terrible pain.”
The reporters didn’t miss a moment of it, continuously snapping away. Flashes erupted in quick succession.
Fortunately, the current song was nearly over, and the members managed to complete the performance after all.
The moment the song ended, staff members rushed onto the stage in a panic.
“We apologize! The performance will resume after a brief rest!”
Chae-young was hurriedly escorted backstage by several staff members.
The audience began to grow restless.
“Is Chae-young really okay?”
“It looks like she got badly hurt…”
I couldn’t stay put anymore.
Without hesitation, I made my way backstage.
* * *

The backstage area had become a makeshift emergency room.
Yu Chae-young sat in a chair, her right ankle already noticeably swollen.
She was biting her lip hard from the pain, and tears glistened at the corners of her eyes.
“Yeon-hee!”
The moment Jeong Ra-bit spotted me, she rushed over, nearly sobbing.
“Please look at Chae-young’s ankle!”
“Of course. I will.”
I immediately knelt down in front of Chae-young. Carefully removing her shoe, I examined her ankle.
The outer side of her right ankle was swelling rapidly, and a reddish flush was rising around the malleolus.
‘This is quite a severe sprain.’
Meanwhile, a flood of worried voices erupted around me.
“Could the ankle bone be broken?”
“Shouldn’t we get an X-ray right away?”
“But then we’d have to perform without Chae-young… Who’ll handle the main vocal part?”
“Oh no, we have such a packed schedule ahead. This is bad.”
Anxiety snowballed exponentially.
I raised my hand to calm everyone down.
“Wait. Let me first confirm whether it’s a fracture or not.”
“Pardon?”
The Manager looked at me in confusion.
“You can check for a fracture right here?”
Everyone’s puzzled gaze turned toward me.
I gently supported Chae-young’s ankle as I explained.
“Just because the ankle is sprained doesn’t mean we always need an X-ray. We can predict fracture likelihood quite accurately with just our hands. This method is called the Ottawa Ankle Rules.”
The Ottawa Ankle Rules.
It’s a diagnostic method that can predict the presence of a fracture with considerable accuracy by checking whether there’s severe tenderness when pressing specific parts of the malleolus, and whether the patient can walk at least four steps while bearing weight.
“Oh, I see…”
People watched my every move with fascinated interest.
I first pressed firmly on the back edge of the outer malleolus.
“How does this feel?”
Chae-young inhaled once and shook her head.
“It’s fine.”
Next, I checked the back of the inner malleolus, the navicular area on the inner side of the foot, and finally the protruding bone near the little toe.
“And here?”
“That’s… also fine.”
None of the four points showed the characteristic tenderness of a fracture.
“Finally, could you stand up and walk about four steps?”
With Ra-bit and the Manager supporting her from both sides.
Chae-young carefully put weight on her foot and took a step.
“Ugh…”
She grimaced briefly, but managed to walk about four steps slowly.
I had her sit back down and checked her ankle’s range of motion.
“Tell me immediately if it hurts.”
Moving her ankle inward, outward, and up and down revealed that fortunately, the movement wasn’t completely restricted.
After completing my examination, I drew my conclusion.
“The likelihood of a fracture appears low.”
At those words, everyone sighed in relief at once.
“Thank goodness… The bones are fine.”
“That was really scary.”
Ra-bit clutched her chest and asked.
“So what exactly is wrong with Chae-young’s ankle?”
“When you sprain an ankle, the ligaments can stretch or tear.”
I gestured to the patient’s ankle as I explained.
“It looks like the Anterior Talofibular Ligament and Calcaneofibular Ligament on the outer side of her ankle are damaged. Based on the current state, I’d say it’s a Grade 2 Sprain.”
“Grade 2 Sprain?”
“Ligament damage is typically divided into three stages.”
Grade 1 is when the ligament is stretched slightly, so it recovers relatively quickly.
Grade 2 is when the ligament is partially torn, causing significant pain and swelling, but recovery is possible without surgery.
Grade 3 is when the ligament is completely ruptured, sometimes requiring surgery.
The Manager, after hearing my full explanation, asked with an anxious expression.
“How long will treatment take for a Grade 2?”
“It varies from person to person, but roughly 4 to 8 weeks. Fortunately, it doesn’t look like Chae-young’s case will require surgery.”
The Manager and the members all relaxed slightly at that.
Then Chae-young carefully spoke up.
“Could I… continue with the performance today?”
She bit her lip and looked toward the stage.
“Even if it’s while sitting, I want to sing. I really need to sing.”
The Waiting Room fell silent, and everyone waited for my answer.
I opened my Spirit Eyes and examined her ankle once more.
‘Let’s see. If I channel some of my Spiritual Energy to help restore the flow of Qi where it’s blocked…’
After giving it serious thought, I slowly opened my mouth.
“Standing would be better than sitting, wouldn’t you agree?”
Chae-young’s head jerked up.
“Of course that would be better… but is it possible?”
“I think it’s possible.”
At my words, Chae-young’s eyes lit up.
“Really?”
“There is one condition, though.”
I pulled out a hair tie.
Then, gathering her long, loose hair into a high ponytail, I said.
“Before the performance, we’ll do emergency acupuncture treatment first.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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