The Physician of Traditional Medicine Returns from Murim - Chapter 37

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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 37

“I’ve returned to full condition~!”

Chaerira waved her right arm to her teammates, announcing her complete recovery.

‘I told her to be careful!’

I was watching from the front row of the audience stands just in case, and I was shocked, but she patted her teammates’ shoulders to boost their morale.

“Is it really okay to play right away?”

“Yes. I met a Divine Physician.”

The second half started immediately.

Perhaps because the Coach gave various warnings, the ball didn’t come to Chaerira as often as in the first quarter.

But was it a morale issue? The atmosphere was completely reversed from the second quarter.

“Hey, hey!”

“Pass!”

“Not to the Captain! Behind!”

Until just a moment ago, I thought the other students’ skills were inferior to the opposing team, but seeing it like this was different.

Even if you averaged the combat power excluding Chaerira and Kim Ijin, they didn’t seem to be falling behind much.

Thwack!

When Chaerira, who had been passing mainly with her left arm when possible, caught the ball with her right arm, it was a bit nerve-wracking.

Fortunately, her ligaments held up well.

The third quarter flowed smoothly.

The fourth quarter was Kim Ijin’s skill show as she regained her pace. Her overwhelming ability was surprising, considering she had been pushed back even for a moment.

Bang! Thwang! Bang! Bang!

Kim Ijin shook off all three defenders marking her and charged all the way to under the basket.

And then, swoosh-.

“Waaaah!”

With jumping power that made you wonder if that was even allowed, Kim Ijin pushed the ball into the basket.

5 seconds remaining.

The opposing team’s number 5 grabbed the rebound.

‘Will they steal the buzzer beater? Still, the score is…’

Even in a game where the outcome was already decided, both sides gave their all until the very end.

Chaerira jumped out without hesitation toward a player who was 10cm taller and had been seriously injured just dozens of minutes ago from a collision.

Thwack!

The moment the opposing number 5 flinched with her shoulder, Chaerira stole the ball and shot it toward the basket.

“Waaaah! 3-point shot!”

“Chaerira! Chaerira!”

“Jungwun High School is the best~! Long live Kim Ijin~!”

“I love you, Lee Jin senior! Please marry me!”

Cheers erupted from all directions as the game ended. All of Jungwun High School, including the substitute players from the bench, ran out and hugged each other in joy.

“Ehehe. As expected of Lee Jin senior!”

“…No. It’s thanks to Rira. Sorry for making you overdo it.”

“It’s always an honor to play on the same team as you, senior!”

The losing team members also patted each other’s shoulders and comforted one another.

“Hah… We’re no match at all, are we?”

“Is Kim Ijin even human? She was good last year too, but what’s with that speed and jumping power?”

“You did well. It’s okay. Good job.”

Unlike the other resigned team members, number 5, who had been burning with competitive spirit against Kim Ijin until the very end, patted her chest.

Oh my, that kid did well too. It’s unfortunate since it’s a competitive game~.

Still, whether winning or losing, I was somewhat envious that they decorated the end of their school days with passionate sports.

The high school I graduated from was full of self-study even during regular PE classes.

‘Should I have participated in a martial arts tournament or something? …No, that’s not it either.’

Beep- Beep-!

After both sides finished their greetings.

Kim Ijin, who had played 40 minutes with almost no substitutions, collapsed onto the bench.

“Doctor!”

“Huh?”

Even though Chaerira couldn’t have had any stamina left, she immediately ran toward me.

What’s this? If they were youth drama protagonists, they should be cheering each other on. Why me?

“Thank you so much!”

Her sudden action made not only the players drinking water on the bench, but also the first and second-year students in the cheering section turn to look at me.

“Thanks to you fixing my arm, I played well! It’s all thanks to you, Doctor!”

The cheering squad that had been sending overflowing cheers to Kim Ijin started whispering among themselves.

“Who is that? Fixed her arm?”

“When Rira fell earlier, her elbow was dislocated. During halftime, that Korean medicine doctor over there fixed it…”

“Hieek!”

“Wow, thank you!”

When someone among them suddenly started clapping.

“No, I just….”

Clap clap clap clap clap!

Other students who didn’t know what had happened got swept up in the atmosphere and started clapping along.

Why are they doing this!

Only Chaerira and Kang Chulkyu had seen the treatment, but they must have just wanted to cheer, intoxicated by the heat of victory.

“Stop, please stop…!”

I waved my hands, but the cheering only grew louder.

No, radial head subluxation is the easiest among all joint reductions!

When I first heard the title Divine Physician, I had at least saved a patient who was fatally injured and even poisoned with deadly toxins. This praise was too excessive for just setting an arm once.

“As I said earlier, come on Monday, and, I only did this because Lee Jini asked me to. Please tell the captain thank you too. And that student over there seems to have something to say.”

I was so flustered that I spoke awkwardly, unlike myself.

Fortunately, Chaerira bowed her head slightly and turned around, and the children’s attention disappeared. People began leaving the audience stands.

“Thank you for letting me play in the second half. Coach, Director, Captain.”

“Don’t even dream about it next time.”

“Good work.”

The coach and director went straight into the waiting room, and Kim Ijin turned to Chaerira.

“This victory is entirely thanks to you.”

Right, right. This is how it should be.

I let them finish filming their youth drama and hid myself among the spectators.

“Chaeri.”

While most of the opposing school’s team members had already gone in, Opposing Team Player 5, who had been standing there blankly as if he had something left to say, spoke up.

Actually, he had tried to speak right after the greetings ended, but Chaerira had suddenly approached me, so it turned out this way.

“What?”

Hmm, are those two somewhat close?

“That… sorry. I’m glad you seem to be better.”

Or not?

Unable to contain my curiosity, I turned my head, and unlike how she had been smiling brightly at me, Chaerira’s expression was ice-cold.

“Too bad, isn’t it? That I made an immediate comeback.”

Chaerira stuck out her tongue and taunted Player 5.

Are they close or…not?

“I was worried about you. I’m apologizing, and you!”

“Ha, if senior hadn’t fouled, we would have won by triple score, you know? Though you still got beaten by Lee Jin senior.”

She clenched her fists, but since it wasn’t exactly wrong, she couldn’t argue back and just fumed.

Woohoo~ This brings back old memories.

Even though I didn’t participate myself, I received many invitations to various martial arts tournaments to treat those injured by real swords.

When major sects with intense rivalries like Huashan or Zhongnan fought, the psychological warfare was no joke.

“It was a good game. As a captain, you seemed more excellent than me.”

Unlike Chaerira who spoke lightly, Kim Ijin seriously praised Player 5.

“Ugh.”

Isn’t that even more irritating?

* * *

Meanwhile.

Jeong Inseong and Min Juyeon, who had separated from the group of third-years to sit with Hanyewon, were left alone to watch the second half.

This was because she had moved seats alone, saying she felt like she should sit in front just in case.

“…They won.”

Min Juyeon said.

During the game, she had frantically shouted cheering slogans, but now that it was over, it felt slightly awkward.

“Right. Lee Jin was cool.”

“Hmm.”

Min Juyeon stared intently at Jeong Inseong’s face.

“Huh? Why are you looking at me like that. Is there something on me?”

Jeong Inseong was startled and brushed his bangs, but nothing was there.

The acne that used to hurt when touched had decreased significantly, leaving only a smooth forehead to touch.

“Push your hair back. And take off your glasses after graduation.”

“Huh, what?”

Min Juyeon directly pushed back and arranged Jeong Inseong’s hair.

Looking closely, while there were still some on his cheeks and chin, his forehead had become unbelievably clean.

At this level, it wouldn’t show if he wore a mask. Anyway, even those would disappear after another month or two of treatment, right?

After applying the ointment for a few days, Min Juyeon’s folliculitis had disappeared without a trace.

Looking at him like this, he’s quite decent.

No, he might be the most handsome in our class?

“You’d look really cool with just a little styling.”

“Huh?”

“Want to go shopping together after the college entrance exam? I’ll help you pick out clothes.”

“…!”

He was a studious class president who wore glasses and covered his eyes with messy hair, but if dressed up nicely, he would look quite attractive.

He wasn’t even an engineering student yet, so where did he get that strange checkered shirt from.

“Then, after the college entrance exam….”

“Let’s hang out together.”

Min Juyeon gently took Jeong Inseong’s hand.

Jeong Inseong felt heat rising to his face for the first time in a very long while since starting treatment.

* * *

And meanwhile.

At the same time, at the Haneul Korean Medicine Clinic Busan Branch, which was busy operating even on weekends, they were making phone calls to patients.

This was due to advice from Kwon Wujin, the head director of the Haneul Korean Medicine Clinic Cheonan Branch where Chu Miyoung had previously worked as associate director.

– No patients, you say? Initial consultations are sufficient. The reason they don’t come back is because there was something uncomfortable about Director Chu’s treatment.

– But I was really kind….

– If you don’t know, call them and ask directly.

– You want me to make follow-up calls to patients?

– If you’re on the verge of bankruptcy, can’t you even do that?

A follow-up call generally refers to phone calls made by businesses for customer management.

However, it’s not common for medical clinics, which aren’t insurance companies, to make follow-up calls, and even when they occasionally do, it’s almost unheard of for the Korean medicine doctor to call directly rather than having staff do it.

The Cheonan branch had so many diet patients that they even had staff dedicated to dietary management, so they would call patients who hadn’t been in contact… but if she gave her staff new work, they would obviously quit again.

Chu Miyoung had no choice but to make the call herself.

“Hello, this is Haneul Clinic. Are you the guardian of patient Jeong Inseong?”

– Yes, that’s right.

“The thing is, your appointment time has passed but you haven’t come in….”

– We’re not coming.

She flinched.

Having never directly experienced such a cold response, Chu Miyoung shrank back and gritted her teeth.

Until now, other patients had given vague responses like ‘We’re all better now’ or ‘We’ve been busy,’ but none had spoken so directly.

“If you don’t mind me asking, may I know the reason?”

Chu Miyoung asked while taking a deep breath. She wanted to hang up and escape immediately, but Director Kwon Wujin must have told her to make follow-up calls to get answers from people like this.

– After taking your medicine, there was no improvement at all, but after taking medicine from Seongsoo Oriental Medicine Clinic for a month, it’s almost completely cured. We don’t need refunds or anything, we’re not coming.

Come to think of it, this was the patient who had requested a refund.

They were the troublemaker who had made a fuss about not getting better after a month and a half, but they got better right away at another clinic?

“Ah… I’m sorry. Have a good day.”

After hearing the response, Chu Miyoung hung up as if fleeing.

At that time, they had spoken as if they would continue taking the medicine. Despite not getting their money back, they went to another clinic?

Moreover, their words were much sharper than when the staff had handled their complaint before.

“What did they say about us?”

They must have spread bad words at the other clinic they moved to.

Chu Miyoung tried to calm her pounding heart as she opened a search window.

Seongsoo Oriental Medicine Clinic? She had vaguely heard of it when she was opening her practice and asking around the area.

It was a place where an elderly old man operated with an attitude of ‘come if you want, don’t come if you don’t want,’ so she hadn’t paid any attention to it.

Ah, did the director change perhaps?

“Did they do more flashy interior design than me and start aggressive marketing?”

Is this why patients have been decreasing even more lately?

Are they giving out umbrellas or frying pans as opening gifts? Chu Miyoung bit her nails as she searched for Seongsoo Oriental Medicine Clinic.

“Huh? It was this far up the mountain?”

But the location was much farther from the station than Haneul Clinic.

When she searched the clinic’s name in the portal search, the results were just an official blog and a few comments on mom cafes.

Moreover, all that was written on the official blog was treatment hours and a short profile.

[Head Director Han Yeo Won

Graduated summa cum laude from Korean Medicine Department at Korean University.]

The director had changed, but… a rookie who just graduated this year? It was completely different from what she had imagined.

Chu Miyoung’s face contorted.

“Ha! She’s so much younger? How well could a young kid with no experience whatsoever treat patients!”

What exactly did she say to bewitch the patient? She needed to hear it with her own two ears.

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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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