Chapter 12
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Night Before the Exam
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“What should we start with!”
As soon as we entered the dorm, Hwang Seoyeong slammed her book down and shouted.
“Let’s start with third period. The internal medicine professors give easy questions, but we’ve seen the acupuncture and regulations exams so far.”
The senior unnie flipped open her book and said.
“Yeah, starting already? I ordered pizza. Let’s eat this first……”
“We can cover half before the pizza gets here.”
I sat Hwang Seoyeong back down—she was already trying to veer off track from the get-go—and quickly briefed the key sections.
I’d already gone through the past five years of national exam problems, plus reviewed our school professors’ previous written tests for the graduation exam, so it wasn’t too tough.
“This doesn’t come up much on the national exam, but Professor Jin loves it, so we have to memorize it.”
“Ah, I remember this. I got it wrong on last year’s final too!”
They hadn’t completely skipped studying, but I quickly pinpointed the spots they’d skimmed over.
“How do you explain better than the lectures all semester?”
“Flatter me all you want, you won’t get anything out of it.”
“No, really. I couldn’t memorize this to save my life? But your treatment examples made it click!”
Ahem. Even if it doesn’t look like it, I’ve honed my clinical eye. Unlike professors who could knock out the top students with sleeping pills, I’d taught medicine to kids who couldn’t even read.
I shrugged and pressed on with the lesson.
I’d only meant to help with the toughest one or two subjects, but it got addictive, and even after the pizza arrived, the tutoring kept going.
Exam period flies by faster than any other time.
Studying was the usual string of monotonous days.
I’d planned to hang out just a day or two before holing up alone, but I ended up sticking with my classmates the whole stretch. Scolding them for barely focusing six hours a day, I drilled them through this and that.
‘Gotta push till the very end!’
Less than ten hours left until the graduation exam.
Last day, it was only natural to review the full scope solo.
I sat in the library, methodically going over my compiled notes.
‘Herbology traits all memorized yesterday. Just review the confusing gynecology formulas.’
I could’ve skimmed, but my rivalry with Jo Haneul had me restudying everything in modern terms—which was turning out surprisingly helpful even now.
I cranked my focus to the max and wrapped up the memorization.
‘Grab a chocolate at the convenience store and catch a quick nap.’
I could pull an all-nighter no problem, but for peak condition, a bit of shut-eye was best.
Before heading back to the dorm, I packed up to get some fresh air and stepped out of the library.
I exited campus through the main gate and scanned for a convenience store still open late.
But smack in the middle of the road, two cars that looked familiar were blocking the way.
“Huh?”
One was a blue Porsche—the same model that nearly flattened Jeong Gwangsu last time.
“Same car, huh? Wow…… Drove like a maniac and finally wrecked.”
The blue Porsche had plowed into the white car’s left rear. Both vehicles were deadlocked in the center of the road.
From the positioning, they’d both been turning right when the Porsche from the right lane clipped the white car that had pulled out first from the left.
“But why aren’t they moving them?”
They were obviously obstructing traffic, so it was weird they hadn’t budged. Suddenly worried someone might be hurt, I crept closer, keeping quiet.
“I’m gonna sue!”
A booming voice erupted from behind the Porsche.
A hulking guy had a very familiar face by the collar and was bellowing.
‘Why’s Jo Haneul here?’
I cocked my head and tuned into their conversation.
A little before the crash.
“Argh, it’s just normal review—why bother studying.”
Jo Haneul knocked back whiskey at his usual dive bar.
Studying? He’d already memorized everything Hwang Sanghun had highlighted. But cracking the textbook or notes from page one? No way.
‘Has Han Yeowon finished? No wonder she never tops without brute-forcing from the start like an idiot.’
Kim Mingyu and Lee Cheoljin were the same. Skim the key bits and no failing—why bust a gut?
He’d messaged his buddies to come out, but over an hour passed with no reads.
“These guys seriously pulling an all-nighter?”
Jo Haneul glowered at his phone. Flicked the screen on and off a few times, then irritably shoved back from the table.
“Guess I’ll just crash. Not even buzzed tonight.”
Exam eve nerves, maybe? His mood refused to lift.
He’d win for sure, so why this pointless tightness in his chest?
Still grumpy, he settled the tab and climbed into his car.
“Hmm hmm~.”
Humming along to the tune blasting from the speakers eased his mood a touch as he drove.
‘Skip home and hit the beach? Takes over an hour?’
On a whim, he fired up the nav app and searched Incheon’s Oilwangri Beach.
“Huh? Huhh?”
A car lunged out from the right.
Kwaaaang!
No time to swerve—the impact hit. No seatbelt on, his body whipped forward into the steering wheel.
“Fuck, what the hell?”
Jo Haneul cursed without thinking. His chest throbbed from the hit, head foggy.
‘What just happened?’
But he reined it in fast.
Not his first fender-bender. Stay calm, call insurance…… Ah, shit—drunk.
‘Gotta settle somehow. Busted now means license gone.’
Gripping his pounding head, he replayed it.
Prepping a right turn, blue car parked in the rightmost lane. So he gunned it from the next lane over to go first.
But that blue car rammed him even after seeing him pull out.
‘Wasn’t fully stopped, then.’
He’d been glued to the nav, hadn’t checked right.
‘Whose fault? 50-50? I went first, they hit me—not watching the road?’
Tried seeing the bright side, but his fault looked heavy.
‘Settle. Only option.’
Decision made, he rolled down the window.
Other guy flung his door and stomped over.
Built like a tank, tattoos snaking both arms—straight-up gangster vibe.
“You blind or what?”
Sure enough, the loudmouth barked.
‘Riding a souped-up sportscar like a punk-ass ricer.’
Cold sweat trickled, but Jo Haneul held firm, seizing initiative.
“S-sorry.”
Argue fault and he’d lose big.
‘Thug or not, sportscar ain’t cheap. Another wreck…… Mom’ll kill me.’
He stepped out and bowed deep.
Then snuck a peek at the badge.
‘Fuck, real Porsche? Or fake badge?’
From that moment, his lips quivered.
‘No friggin’ way. Right?’
Parents cared zilch about cars, so he didn’t know what a real one looked like.
Seemed different from Hwang Sanghun’s ride, but models differed.
Wanted to Google it, but the guy closed in aggressive.
“C’mon, don’t do this. Looks like my bad, so I’ll cover repairs clean……”
Jo Haneul groveled, but the Porsche owner marched right up.
“Eeeek!”
Not about to swing.
The owner suddenly clutched his own neck and screamed.
Full-on method acting kicked in.
“What’re you gonna do? My neck won’t turn!”
Jo Haneul gulped hard.
‘Stay cool. Just wants cash.’
Calculated his off-books budget—no mom eyes—then spoke politely.
“Probably shock. Mind if I check?”
Guy didn’t block. Jo Haneul gripped the neck and tried turning.
“It’s not moving at all!”
For real. Barely 30 degrees range.
The man freaked harder; Jo Haneul’s brow soaked.
“N-not broken, right? Gonna sue!”
No act—this was legit. The grip on his collar shook. Owner was genuinely terrified.
“No chance. Just a sprain. Whiplash—ligaments, soft tissue…… Shit, stiff muscles do this.”
Spitting exam cram fodder, he trailed off. Lowlife get it?
“This muscle’s locked up. Few needles and you’re good.”
Never had a stiff neck in his life? Jo Haneul got them constantly after boozing.
Come to think, Lee Minseok’s first class—his own neck frozen, Han Yeowon nailed it as rhomboid.
“Yeah? Can you fix it?”
Owner eased up a hair.
The acupuncture points you mentioned: around the rhomboid’s origin and insertion, including Wind Pool, Crooked Wall, plus Shoulder Outer Shu and Shoulder Middle Shu to loosen the rhomboid. Check tenderness, then treat the trapezius, sternocleidomastoid, supraspinatus, and infraspinatus too.
He vividly recalled the points Han Yeowon had rattled off. That class, Hwang Sanghun needled a few and it loosened right up.
‘She yapped on the plane, what can’t I do?’
Confidence welled.
Treat him, settle clean.
“Yep. I’ll fix you up! Top dog at Korea University Korean Medicine, y’know?”
“Oh?”
Eyes bugged at “Korea University.”
Whew—surely a needle rattling in his bag?
Dug around: pack from prepping Lee Minseok’s practical exam.
“Here, loosen a few spots, you’ll be fine quick. Make it painless. Sit in the driver’s seat a sec.”
Owner started to nod…… couldn’t, clutched neck.
Visibly dreaded a permanent freeze; meekly sat where pointed.
Jo Haneul probed muscles, hunting landmarks.
‘Wind Pool—that’s the dip under the occipital bone, behind the mastoid process, between the outer trapezius.’
He’d needled it on a classmate’s headache once.
Slow insertion.
“Argh!”
“Q-quick done.”
Guy’s yelps shook his hands, but he nailed the four points he remembered.
“Give it a turn.”
Praying for any movement.
“……”
“Ah……”
“Not budging!”
But the neck stayed rigid. Even Jo Haneul’s manual twist—nada.
‘Only four points? Too weak? Lifting and thrusting—he’d flip over pain. Check other tender spots…… What if fail again?’
Jo Haneul spiraled too.
Mess up more here, no fixing it.
Minor issue really. Any clinic’d sort it fast! Thick self-loathing hit for failing.
‘Should’ve practiced on friends when they whined about pain.’
Eyes squeezed shut.
One way out.
“Tomorrow at Haneul Clinic Gangnam branch—my mom’s place……”
“Aigoo~ Whaddya know, mommy card after all?”
Someone cut him off.
Tsk. Tongue clicked; an infuriating face strolled into view.