The Physician of Traditional Medicine Returns from Murim - Chapter 358

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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 358

You want to make a dart bet with me?

Do you want to be thoroughly defeated and then apologize and compensate?

“…Instead, if I win, you pay for today’s drinks and snacks, Clinic Director.”

What she put on the other side of the betting scale was ridiculously light too.

I had ordered 3 snacks and the most expensive whiskey, but for Choi Eunhee, that wasn’t really big money, was it?

…Surely she didn’t propose this bet because she was really worried about the drink bill.

Seeing her continue to waver, she had clearly recognized the problem with the current situation herself.

It seemed she needed a trigger, but her pride made her reluctant to admit it honestly, so maybe that’s why she was saying this.

‘While even thinking she wants to treat the patients she couldn’t cure again.’

I hadn’t come to find Choi Eunhee with that in mind.

In our network too, there would be cases where patients who could have healed quickly if I had treated them took a long time to treat or couldn’t be treated at all.

But I can’t see every patient in the world anyway.

Conversely, there definitely exist cases where patients I couldn’t cure would match much better with other clinic directors.

I had done my best to transfer know-how, and since the connection between doctor and patient is like fate, I don’t feel guilt about that.

However, righteousness and chivalry don’t have clauses like laws or medical texts.

If that’s how Choi Eunhee’s heart feels, she should follow the voice of her heart.

“Well, fine. I accept, and if you win, Clinic Director, I won’t raise any more issues about this matter either. Even if it takes time, I’ll trust that you’ll resolve things well in your own way.”

I readily accepted Choi Eunhee’s proposal.

I wouldn’t have minded betting various other things either.

With the competition being this unfair, I should at least balance out the stakes.

Choi Eunhee showed a surprised expression for a moment but soon raised the corners of her mouth.

“…Then I won’t hold back.”

Whether in the martial arts world or after returning to modern times, I had unintentionally engaged in various bets.

But there hadn’t been many times when my winning rate was this high.

Whatever she put on this side of the scale, Choi Eunhee would end up keeping the words she had said initially.

“Then let’s start right away.”

I immediately operated the dart machine.

I had thrown a few times at drinking parties when I was a freshman, but it had been a long time since I’d touched a machine, so I fumbled a bit.

Fortunately, the rules were kindly written next to the machine.

I quickly skimmed through them and selected a game mode, explaining to Choi Eunhee as well.

“You start with 501 points, subtract the points you hit, and whoever reaches 0 first wins. If you hit the wide area here, you score according to the number, the narrow space in the outer ring is double, and the inner ring is triple. Hitting the triple area in the 20-point section for 60 points is the highest score.”

“What about the center?”

“The red center is 50 points, and the green area outside it is 25 points.”

I was surprised when I first learned this too.

The structure was such that aiming for triple 20, which is 60 points, scored more than the 50 points in the center.

“I understand.”

Since the rules weren’t particularly difficult, Choi Eunhee nodded, saying she understood.

When I pressed the start button, the number 501 appeared on the machine.

“You take 3 throws per set, then turns alternate. Please go first, Clinic Director.”

I yielded the first move.

“Are you sure that’s okay? I was pretty good at darts back in the day.”

I just shrugged my shoulders.

Choi Eunhee could throw from this position, but I could hit 60 points even throwing from outside the pub as long as I got the angle right.

“I won’t hold back.”

Choi Eunhee gripped the dart in a somewhat tense posture and aimed at the target.

If a beginner grips it with two fingers, it would shake… but I had no obligation to give advice on such things, so I quietly watched her performance.

Choi Eunhee boldly threw the dart.

Shaaaak-.

The dart flew in a smooth parabola.

Thwack!

It stuck in the 5-point section.

She probably aimed for the 20-point section right next to it or its triple, but it veered slightly to the side.

The number that had been 501 decreased to 496.

“….”

Since this was only the first attempt,

Choi Eunhee didn’t show much disappointment and threw her second dart.

“Oh!”

18-point double.

She seemed to have aimed for 60 points the same way, but it veered way off to the right outside.

460 points.

“You have one throw left in this set.”

“Good. I’ve got the feel for it now too.”

A gleam appeared in Choi Eunhee’s eyes, and the corners of her mouth rose slightly.

Regardless of what was at stake in the bet, now that competition had begun, she seemed to want to win.

Whether she had really gotten the feel for it, this time the dart stuck in the 20-point section, landing very close to the triple 20.

440 points.

“Oh! You’re doing well! You might be able to score 60 points next time!”

The bartender who had been glancing our way struck up a conversation.

At first glance, neither Choi Eunhee nor I looked like we frequently threw darts at pubs.

If someone was completely new to this, they wouldn’t even be able to hit the dartboard, but Choi Eunhee was doing quite well, which seemed to intrigue him.

“Thanks for the encouragement.”

Choi Eunhee nodded with a polite smile.

“Alright, now it’s time to switch players.”

“Yes. I’ll throw it.”

The bartender looked at me with interest, but.

I didn’t bother to practice framing shots with my left hand or practicing swings like Choi Eun-hee.

Clack-. Clack-. Clack-.

He gripped three darts in his left hand and threw them one by one with his right hand, landing them rapid-fire in the space worth 60 points.

Actually, I could hit the target in one throw easily enough… but I wanted no part in appearing on NewTube again.

‘I’m glad I sobered up beforehand.’

If he had been drunk, he might have impulsively shown off with an excessive performance.

I was listening to Choi Eun-hee’s drunken confessions and was about to slam the table, so I used my inner energy to dispel the alcohol in order to maintain my composure.

Thanks to that, I was able to calmly listen to the entire story and avoid drawing too much attention.

“Haha. That’s basic.”

But the bartender seemed strangely flustered.

The red space that counted as 60 points wasn’t that narrow, and it looked like you could easily embed three darts there.

Was this really something to be so surprised about?

“Wait, being this good… were you some kind of player?”

Choi Eunhee finally grasped the situation.

“No way. I just threw a little during university. Oh, but I never lost when betting with my classmates.”

Actually, university was the last time I had played darts.

Even then I had quite a talent for it, so it wasn’t a lie.

“No, what is this… I can’t believe it even seeing it… it’s really 180 points, you can hit like this?”

The bartender blinked several times.

“Come on, don’t exaggerate. It’s right in front of us.”

No matter how much he rubbed his eyes, all three darts were embedded in the T20 section, and the machine had recognized the score as well.

I confirmed the number had changed from 501 to 321, pulled out all the darts, and passed the turn to Choi Eunhee.

This would be enough to lose motivation and give up, but Choi Eunhee glared determinedly in her own way.

“Do your best!”

Perhaps because of her age and relatively weak appearance, the bartender cheered for Choi Eunhee.

Geez, what kind of trouble did that person cause to make this bet?

Thwack!

Surprisingly, the dart Choi Eunhee threw embedded in T19.

Wasn’t she aiming for 20 points?

She clenched her left fist tightly, seeming quite satisfied.

“Ah…”

Thinking it would be easier to aim lower, Choi Eunhee changed direction and aimed for T19.

But even so, embedding three darts in the triple section was impossible.

One went into the 3-point area, and the other landed in the 19-point region.

361 points.

We had played two sets, but she still hadn’t caught up to my score.

“Look at those darts over there. That woman is incredibly good.”

“Where are you aiming this time?”

The bartender showed excitement, tapping the counter slightly.

At his words, another customer sitting at the counter looked my way.

“Triple 20, of course.”

Where else would I aim but the highest?

When I spoke confidently, he fidgeted with his phone.

“Could I possibly film this?”

“Ah…”

Before his disappointed sigh could even finish, I threw three darts in succession.

Very naturally, my darts embedded in a line right below the three darts that were already there.

The number dropped to 141 in one go.

“What did I, what did I just see?”

“Is that even possible? Can darts embed like that?”

The bartender lifted his chin triumphantly.

The customers sitting at the counter couldn’t contain their excitement either.

“This is my first time seeing it in person too. Players might occasionally pull this off…”

The customers sitting at the counter couldn’t contain their excitement either.

“This is my first time seeing it in person too. The players must occasionally come out like that…”

Leaving the onlookers’ chatter behind, I leisurely pulled out my darts.

The next would be the final set.

“Ha, haha.”

Not just one or three, but hitting all six darts on T20 left Choi Eunhee unable to harbor any hope of winning.

Seeing that she didn’t completely miss the board, she had thrown earnestly in her own way.

Her darts landed haphazardly on 4 points, 12 points, and 17 points.

They weren’t even doubles or triples.

Now 328 points.

“Will he hit T20 with the last three darts too?”

“Hmm, even when players go for a perfect nine, they usually aim for different triple scores in the final set to finish. He only needs 141 more points now.”

“Wow…”

The bartender and customer whispered.

Originally I was just going to aim for T20, but hearing that conversation made me change my mind.

Since 141 points would finish it anyway, should I aim for the center?

Thwack. Thwack. Thwaack.

I threw three darts toward the Bull’s Eye in the very center.

I scored 150 points and ended the game.

Clap clap clap clap clap.

The onlookers with their mouths agape applauded.

“…Ha, this was a bet that was never fair from the start.”

Choi Eunhee looked utterly deflated.

But I wasn’t the one who proposed the bet or chose darts as the game.

“I don’t make bets I’ll lose.”

Choi Eunhee frowned.

But slightly, just very slightly, her tension eased.

Perhaps she even seemed a bit relieved.

“Do your best. I’ll give you two weeks.”

I placed my hand on Choi Eunhee’s shoulder.

“Two weeks…?”

“I don’t mean finish everything in two weeks. Just start something and make a gesture that even I in Busan would notice.”

“Got it. Since I lost so cleanly, I should do as you want. …Actually, urgent might be better. I’ll try proceeding with the investigation and franchise contract termination simultaneously.”

That should generate a few news articles at least.

I nodded, hoping Choi Eunhee would do well.

After putting away the darts, I headed to the counter with her.

“Aren’t you playing another round?”

“You’re leaving already?”

The bartender and the customer who’d been watching seemed disappointed, but our purpose for coming to the pub wasn’t darts in the first place!

“Yes, the drinks were excellent. The whiskey you recommended was delicious too.”

I stared directly at Choi Eunhee.

Since I won, it was natural for Choi Eunhee to pay as originally agreed, but for some reason she looked incredibly incredulous as she pulled out her card.

“Come again! If you visit and show us more darts, I’ll give you a free beer!”

“I live in Busan so… no wait, maybe there’ll be a chance someday.”

I was about to say it would probably be difficult to come back, but stopped myself.

Even in my childhood days of dreaming to be a Korean Medicine Doctor, even when clashing with Choi Eunhee at every turn, I never knew I’d end up throwing darts with her like today.

Once Choi Eunhee fulfills her responsibilities.

Perhaps someday there might be a chance to play games with a much lighter heart.

“I’ll gladly accept a revenge match anytime, so practice up once you’re done with work.”

Choi Eunhee looked at me with utter bewilderment.

“I don’t like losing bets either.”

“Is that so?”

Since she kept losing at everything, I thought she liked it.

“But today was… than…you.”

“Pardon?”

“Than…I said.”

“What did you say?”

“I said thank you!”

Choi Eunhee’s face turned bright red as she shouted.

Hey, I have really good hearing, but you were pronouncing it unclearly.

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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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