The Physician of Traditional Medicine Returns from Murim - Chapter 26

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 26

“Wow~! It’s been so long!”

Hwangseoyeong rushed over and hugged me tightly as I entered the wedding hall and looked around.

“Haha, it’s only been a few months since we last saw each other~.”

“I know. Technically it hasn’t been that long, but why does the atmosphere feel so different?”

It feels like just yesterday we had our last supper together… So much has happened since then.

“Is this the aura of a clinic owner?”

“Wow~ A head clinic director at 26!”

Other classmates who attended the wedding also approached us.

Except for Hwangseoyeong and me, they were all friends who had been in the orchestra club with today’s bride, Lee Yujin.

‘Well, they said they’d show me what’s what, but not a single one of Cho Haneul’s gang is here?’

The classmates who had been distant during our school days were now making small talk and asking me various questions.

“How is it? Is the clinic doing well? Don’t the staff or patients look down on you for being young?”

“I haven’t really felt that.”

“Oh, was that just an urban legend?”

“Well, it’s because Hanyewon has charisma. If we opened clinics, we’d be crushed immediately.”

“Right. Just standing there, professionalism is oozing out of her.”

For a traditional Korean medicine doctor fresh out of college, the typical course is to do training or work as an associate director at another clinic to save money and gain experience before opening their own practice.

Since I was the first among my classmates to take the plunge and open a clinic, everyone was extremely interested.

“As expected from the valedictorian. You’ve set the standard for our class.”

“Seoyeong, you were the one who tried to talk her out of it the most.”

“Ahaha, how fortunate that I was wrong. How on earth did you succeed in that location?”

“It’s just the beginning, so success is premature. I just started doing it and somehow it worked out.”

“Wow, a famous quote from Clinic Director Hanyewon. ‘Just do it.’ You’ve gained enlightenment.”

Ugh, how embarrassing.

But even when they asked me to tell them the secret, I had nothing else to say. My judgment about that location being bad wasn’t wrong, and would giving them the generic advice to “move patients” earn me anything but jeers?

“Well, meditating in an empty clinic naturally helps you attain enlightenment. It feels like aging 10 years in a day.”

“Ahahahahaha!”

You think it’s a joke, right? Though things have stabilized a bit now, the dizzying feeling of seeing only one patient a day back then was really something.

It can’t be expressed in words without experiencing it firsthand.

“Let’s go see Yujin.”

I covered my face with my hands in embarrassment and stopped by the bride’s waiting room.

“Senior, it’s been so long!”

“Oh my, Hanyewon. Thank you so much for coming all this way~!”

We exchanged typical greetings, congratulating the marriage and congratulating the clinic opening.

I didn’t remember very well, but it was something that happened often anyway when living as a doctor. The other person would greet me as if I were their lifesaver, but for me, countless connections pass by with each journey I take.

Let’s see. I’ve given the most important congratulatory money, and I have the meal ticket in my hand.

Now I’ve done all the essential courses of a K-wedding before the ceremony starts, right? I studied by reading various wedding horror stories. I even bought a new dress that’s definitely not bright green.

The ceremony would probably start soon, and after sitting quietly, taking photos, eating while exchanging more greetings, the wedding would be over.

“The front seats are filling up too, shall we go into the hall and sit down?”

One of the classmates spoke up. So that’s why everyone was loitering outside together. It’s not like we’re students anymore, but they didn’t want to sit in the front seats.

“Let’s do that.”

“Look, that spot we spotted is empty!”

I was about to follow that friend inside too, when Hwangseoyeong looked back toward the elevator.

“Is there someone who hasn’t come yet?”

“Oh, I came with Sanghun oppa in his car. But he said he’d come up after parking and he’s taking too long.”

Sanghun oppa? Hwang Sanghun? Come to think of it, that guy was the orchestra leader, right?

Since Lee Yujin was in her final year as a resident, she was even workplace colleagues with intern Hwang Sanghun.

I had forgotten, but of course he would come. I didn’t expect to see him again.

“Call him.”

Hwangseoyeong had already taken out her phone.

She tried calling several times, but the phone didn’t connect.

“He’s not answering. Is something wrong?”

“Did he go out for a smoke and lose his phone?”

“Sanghun oppa doesn’t smoke though…”

“Let’s go down and check. There’s still a little time before the ceremony starts.”

“Oh, will you come with me?”

When I spoke up, Hwangseoyeong was visibly delighted.

“You should have said something if you were bored about going down alone. Jihun, sorry but could you save our seats!”

I naturally decided to go with her. We left our bags with a classmate and took the elevator.

“Why does this parking garage go down to the 6th basement floor?”

“It was so scary coming up earlier. I feel reassured going with you.”

Hwangseoyeong protested with a tearful expression that she hadn’t been bored. They went down to the 1st basement floor together, but there were no parking spots so she got off first. The parking garage was indeed a bit dark for a modern building.

Since we didn’t know where Hwang Sanghun had parked his car, we had to go down floor by floor starting from basement 2nd floor and look around the parking garage.

The lighting didn’t seem that different, but for some reason the ominous energy grew thicker as we went deeper.

Unlike the luxurious wedding hall above ground, this was a gloomy basement that felt like something was bound to happen.

“Don’t tell me something happened…”

Hwangseoyeong’s words became fewer, and the atmosphere gradually grew tense. She shrugged her shoulders and clung to my arm. But there’s no need to specifically mention ‘did you take care of him’, right?

There were a few empty spots on basement 5th floor too, but Hwang Sanghun’s car wasn’t there.

This feels really strange?

An assassin who had a grudge against Hwangje Korean Medicine Hospital? Or a robber targeting luxury hotel guests?

With all sorts of imaginations running through our minds, we finally came down to the last floor.

Basement 6th floor was pitch black. Unlike the upper floors, the lights were completely turned off.

The automatic door opened in that darkness.

Instantly the lights flashed on, and we discovered Hwang Sanghun.

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

There were only 3 cars parked on the lowest floor.

Hwang Sanghun was collapsed next to one of them.

“Wh-wh-wh-what do we do.”

Looking as if he had been attacked, Hwangseoyeong was startled and covered her mouth with both hands.

I was different from her. How many times had I seen people collapsed and bleeding in the martial arts world? I couldn’t even count. I rushed over and checked Hwang Sanghun’s condition.

Visually there were no external injuries, and his heartbeat and breathing were fine. His hands were slightly cold, but still within the range of human body temperature.

“Calm down. It’s beating.”

I called over the panicking Hwangseoyeong and had her feel his carotid artery.

“Oh, you’re right? Then…”

“He seems to have fainted.”

His life wasn’t in danger. Though I pretended to be calm, I too was greatly relieved by that fact.

“His pulse feels like someone who’s just sleeping, but since we don’t know when he lost consciousness… Hey!”

“Uwah!”

“Oppa! Hwang Sanghun! Wake up!”

I tapped his shoulder and shouted loudly into Hwang Sanghun’s ear.

“Is it okay to wake him up like that?”

What wouldn’t be okay about it.

Since I knew his life wasn’t in danger, the next step was to check whether this was a serious situation with brain damage, or if he had just temporarily lost consciousness.

While shouting, I grabbed Hwang Sanghun’s hand and sent a burst of energy into him.

“…Huh?”

Fortunately, Hwang Sanghun’s cheek twitched, and he soon opened his eyes.

“…Yewon…?”

“Yes, it’s Hanyewon. Now, can you see this finger? How many?”

“Two. What on earth… why am I here?”

Though he spoke like a memory loss patient, he correctly counted the number of fingers.

He looked around bewildered and tried to sit up.

“Ah, I came to the wedding hall. Did I fall asleep in the car?”

“Just in case, stay lying down. Don’t lift your head!”

He asked Hwangseoyeong in a gentle voice, but before she could answer, I grabbed Hwang Sanghun’s forehead and made him lie back down.

Though bewildered, he followed my instructions.

“Nobody hit you from behind, right?”

“There’s no way that happened. Seoyeong saw me off and… I definitely remember parking. I was so tired I think I fell asleep right in the car. Did you come looking for me because I didn’t come up?”

“You weren’t in the car, you were lying on the ground! I thought you were dead!”

Hwangseoyeong, accepting the fact that Hwang Sanghun was completely fine, smacked her cousin’s arm. Even while being hit, he still couldn’t figure out what was going on.

“You’re saying you didn’t lay me down?”

“What strength would we have to lay you down!”

“Is there anywhere that hurts right now? Even if it was just fainting, there’s a possibility you hit your head while falling.”

Hwang Sanghun felt around his head and body while remaining lying down.

“I don’t think so.”

“Do you happen to have claustrophobia or panic attacks?”

“No, not at all.”

“Then it might be hypoglycemic shock or vasovagal syncope.”

Hwangseoyeong gasped and covered her mouth at the word panic, but Hwang Sanghun flatly denied it.

“I think I just fell asleep. I’ve been really tired from work lately. …Sorry for causing a commotion. You both must have been really scared.”

Feeling quite sorry, Hwang Sanghun turned his face to the opposite side from where I was crouching. Seeing the healthy red color returning to his face, he seemed fine for now anyway.

“What on earth is the school hospital making you do and how much of it.”

“Haha. That’s what being an intern is like.”

“I’m an intern too!”

It had been about 5 minutes since he regained consciousness. I checked my watch and spoke to both of them.

“I think we should head back up soon. Oppa, why don’t you rest in the car? We’ll explain the situation.”

“No way. I’m completely fine now. I need to properly congratulate my senior.”

Since there were no serious signs, it should be okay.

As soon as I nodded, Hwang Sanghun sprang up.

“Oh my.”

Stumbling and missing his footing while getting up was just a bonus.

I immediately grabbed Hwang Sanghun’s arm.

“Thanks.”

After showing such a pitiful state like a crime victim, Hwang Sanghun turned his head away again, seemingly embarrassed about something.

His guilty expression was somehow… right, like a patient who had secretly been drinking after I had barely saved him from a pierced abdomen.

But Hwang Sanghun hadn’t been stabbed.

I had only woken him up with a shout and wasn’t Hwang Sanghun’s attending physician.

So I had neither the duty nor the right to knock him unconscious again to force him into absolute rest.

If he says he’s fine, I should believe him.

Hwang Sanghun walked up to the wedding venue just fine.

* * *

Since someone who had just collapsed was sitting next to me, I couldn’t help but keep worrying about him. Throughout the entire ceremony, I was so conscious of Hwang Sanghun that I couldn’t focus on the wedding at all.

Before I knew it, the ceremony had ended and I was at the buffet.

The table was spacious enough for all our classmates to sit together, so I took the seat next to Hwang Sanghun.

“Oppa, you have insomnia, don’t you?”

“Huh?”

I asked directly about what I’d been curious about all along.

He had been staring at his plate with sunken eyes, and like lifting a thousand-pound weight, he barely managed to lift his heavy eyelids to open his eyes and gave what could hardly be called an answer.

“I was told by these guys that I looked old after opening my practice, but oppa, you’re much worse.”

“Hey, they said I had presence! Who said I looked old!”

Hwangseoyeong protested, but I waited for Hwang Sanghun’s answer.

“…Well, I can’t sleep properly due to my schedule.”

“Seoyeong and today’s bride both did their internship at the same hospital, but your dark circles have come down all the way here alone.”

“Ah?”

He hurriedly covered under his eyes, but it was already too late. I lowered my voice and asked seriously.

“It’s at a pathological level, isn’t it?”

“Actually… yeah.”

The half-dead corpse scratched his head.

This really bothers my conscience to just leave alone. At this rate, he’ll quickly exhaust the energy I gave him when I woke him up earlier and become a zombie again.

‘I want to prescribe something for him, but would it be awkward between fellow Korean medicine doctors?’

But Hwang Sanghun and I weren’t in a master-disciple relationship. Originally, it’s taboo for doctors to touch each other’s pride in unsolicited situations.

But fainting from insomnia and sleep deprivation? I feel like I should treat him if only to prevent accidents that might happen from drowsy driving. I was at a loss for how to bring it up.

Ugh, if he refuses, it’s his loss!

“How can a Korean medicine doctor neglect his body like this? We all do this work to make a living, but you need to eat properly and sleep properly!”

I slightly overacted while flicking Hwang Sanghun’s forehead. I planned to ride this flow and advise him to take various medicines.

“Haha”

Thinking it was ordinary nagging, Hwang Sanghun smiled gently and laughed.

But suddenly, lightning flashed before his eyes.

“…?”

It was similar to what happened when he got up in the parking lot earlier.

Hwang Sanghun swayed while sitting.

Then collapsed sideways with a thud.

Huh?

“…Sanghun oppa?”

I urgently supported his head.

Hwangseoyeong shook Hwang Sanghun’s shoulder.

Excuse me? Mr. Hwang Sanghun?

Come on, get it together and live properly. I did put in a little force. Just a tiny bit.

I had absolutely no intention of knocking him unconscious again, you know?

“I, I didn’t hit him that hard?! Stop joking around and get up.”

What kind of situation is this?

Hwang Sanghun of all people wouldn’t have been researching physical comedy.

But surely he didn’t faint from my forehead flick in front of all these people, right?

No, that can’t be it, right?

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