Chapter 127
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: Busan BUK's Captain, Lee Sora
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Busan BUK's captain, Lee Sora.
She had been the resident veteran of BUK for over ten years, beloved by countless fans.
These days, she was the players' favorite among Busan fans and had gained widespread fame from competing in the last Olympics.
But early in her pro career, Lee Sora spent quite a long stretch just training, without stepping into a single official game.
She didn't see it as a problem back then—or even now.
Thanks to the guidance from her coaches and seniors during those training sessions, she built up her skills. From there, she gained experience in pro leagues and world competitions to reach her current level.
BUK was a powerhouse team, packed with star starters.
So it was only natural that a new player wouldn't jump straight into the lineup.
That's what she thought, right up until a year ago, when the rookie arrived.
"This kid is insane. We have to put her in the starting lineup. No question!"
But Kim Ijin was different.
High school basketball MVP? There was one every year.
But Kim Ijin's brilliance was impossible to believe for a twenty-year-old.
At 183 cm, she was just a bit taller than average for Korean women's pro basketball—not much difference from Lee Sora.
Yet her vertical leap was so explosive that rim battles felt like going up against a 2-meter foreigner.
Her speed and power were top-tier. Her stamina was downright miraculous.
Sure, there were critics who watched her high school footage and griped that she relied solely on her physical gifts, lacking in game management. But as captain trying to lead team play, Kim Ijin was still a good ten years away from that.
"It doesn't have to be this year, right?"
"Even for our team, benching Ijin would be a waste."
Lee Sora pushed hard for Kim Ijin to start.
The coach slotted her in as the sixth man.
- A total monster rookie? Kim Ijin! It's BUK's Kim Ijin!
Once again, Lee Sora confirmed that her instincts were spot-on.
This was the prelude to the birth of the next-generation superstar.
"Off to the clinic again? You're really not hurt? You need to report your condition accurately to the team."
Kim Ijin had one peculiar quirk: she bolted out the door at every opportunity.
At first, Lee Sora figured she was just using the clinic as an excuse to sneak off. Who wouldn't hesitate to admit as a newbie that they wanted to go play?
"No injury. My ankle ligament is just barely swollen."
"What? You twisted it? Let me see."
Lee Sora was startled and checked Kim Ijin's ankle.
"...?"
"No visible swelling."
It was perfectly fine.
"Sorry, Captain... She's just like that. She says she can feel every single change in her body."
Myeong Seonju, Kim Ijin's classmate on the team, apologized profusely on her behalf.
Myeong Seonju had the edge in height and build. Despite her looks, she seemed a bit mentally fragile, which worried people, but she always pulled herself together and worked hard.
"What does that even mean?"
"It's probably not malingering. I tailed her once, and she really went to that Korean medicine clinic. After the treatment, her condition felt peak. They do great work."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I got treated there too, and now even when I'm nervous, it doesn't show up in my body."
Hm? Not just mental fortitude, but actual treatment at the same clinic?
Athletes dealt with injuries constantly, so everyone had their go-to clinic. But Kim Ijin's obsession with this one was next-level.
Lee Sora had chalked it up to superstition, but apparently, they really delivered.
"Mind if I tag along sometime?"
Curiosity suddenly struck her.
"Captain, are you hurt somewhere?"
For some reason, Kim Ijin shot her a wary glance.
"My neck and shoulders are always stiff, back too. Could really use some chuna."
"I'll ask."
Why ask permission to just go to a clinic?
As promised, Kim Ijin showed up at the clinic with Lee Sora in tow.
"Whoa! Lee Sora! Can I get your autograph?"
These days, my NewTube subscriptions included ten sports channels.
I'd studied Korean women's pro basketball history and her Olympic runs, so of course I recognized the face of Ijin's team captain.
"Sure thing~ Wow, even celebrities come here? Is my autograph up there too?"
"If you give permission!"
"What an honor."
"A national team player's getting treated here—the honor's mine."
Lee Sora signed with practiced ease.
But behind her, Kim Ijin's face looked downright sour.
"Ijin's autograph too! Pretty please!"
"No need to drag me into it..."
"Ijin's the superstar~!"
Hm. Not exactly besties?
Not refusing chuna out of spite, but... jealous of the captain? Yeah, that vibe.
Last time with Myeong Seonju, she'd gotten all pouty after I taught her that breathing trick. Subtle team rivalries, it seemed.
"How do you want to handle the exam? See Sora separately?"
I asked Lee Sora.
Were they making the junior uncomfortable?
Guardians usually stayed in the exam room, but anyone with tact sent them out.
"Huh? Doesn't matter to me!"
Lee Sora seemed totally fine with it.
"What brings you in today?"
Her chief complaints were utterly routine.
"Nothing major, but my back and shoulders are always stiff. Probably from all the training volume? Thought chuna might loosen it up, so we came together."
"Ah, of course we can."
Push (chu) and pull (na).
That was the essence of chuna, wasn't it?
Chiropractors called it rolfing or myofascial release—fancy names.
"But if it's just muscle relaxation you're after, acupuncture can do that too. Let me check if you need any corrections."
Plenty of Korean docs did chuna purely for relaxation.
This was personal preference, though.
When I could treat with needles, injections, or chuna, my order went acupuncture > herbal injections > chuna.
Unless spinal alignment was essential.
I rarely pushed it on patients otherwise.
Easier to insert needles into acupoints to boost or regulate qi.
Takes less time.
Cheaper too. Insurance covered it, but still pricier than needles.
I told Hwang Sanghun the same: don't overdo it unless necessary. Stamina wasn't an issue for me, but it wore the practitioner out three times as much.
"Stand comfortably for me."
I had Lee Sora stand and began the exam.
"You've got a bit of forward head posture. Ideally, from the side, your earlobe lines up with the midpoint of your clavicle."
"Yeah, that's right. X-rays for a shoulder injury way back showed it. Probably been like that since I was a kid."
"Bend at the waist for me."
Checking how her pelvis shifted on lumbar flexion.
"Prone now."
I laid her on the table and inspected further.
"Twisted?"
"No scoliosis, but pelvis is a little rotated. See how the left leg looks shorter?"
Kim Ijin, standing beside me, confirmed the leg length discrepancy.
"Oh, yeah."
"Not severe—the elevated left pelvis creates the illusion. Bend your knees, relax. I'll do a forward bend test."
"Okay."
"Right side goes way further, right? Think of it as forward rotation."
"Ahh."
Prone on the table, Lee Sora nodded into the face cradle.
"This level of rotation is common—not severe. But the forward head and flattened lumbar curve could use correction. Without proper spinal curves, gravity doesn't distribute well, overloading your weight onto neck and back. You're tall with high training volume, so extra stress there."
"Oh, really?"
Lee Sora sat up from the table and touched her back.
She'd known about her neck from X-rays but not the lumbar issue.
"Afterward, your balance should feel even better. The corrected alignment might feel awkward at first, potentially dipping performance... Mid-season, so I'm a little worried."
"It won't be like that. Definitely better than before."
"Then let's do the correction!"
She'd come for chuna anyway, so she agreed to the adjustments.
"Relaxation will happen fast, and corrections are immediate—but daily habits will shift it back. Repeat sessions to maintain."
"Got it."
Kim Ijin, perched on a chair, watched us with faintly envious eyes.
Hm. Should've sent her to treatment first?
Having nothing to fix was a good problem, though!
I started by loosening her neck and shoulders with hands, gua sha tools, and a slap gun.
To ease soreness and prevent injury risk from overtightness during correction.
Next, pelvic adjustment via the chuna table's drop mechanism.
Using the rebound from the separated lower bed section's thump! drop to lower the elevated side.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
Manual would've taken way more effort. Machines were a godsend.
Rotated the co-twisted Heavenly Pivot back into place.
Contacted lumbar sides, dropped to create flexion.
For the neck... drop would hurt, so thrust technique instead.
Crack! Crack!
Thrusts from lumbar to thoracic to cervical. Released adhesions in soft tissues while realigning the twists.
"Sit up."
"Whoa, so refreshing. Turning my head is a breeze now!"
The tension relief she'd wanted left her thrilled.
"Straightening my back and squaring my shoulders feels way easier too. How did I even live like this? Feels like evolving from ape to human!"
Correction effects usually weren't immediately noticeable, but as an athlete tuned to her body, she picked up even the subtle realignments.
"You'll feel it even more during workouts. Thanks for the chuna—off to acupuncture now."
"Yes!"
I sent Lee Sora for physical therapy first.
"How's Ijin doing? Condition good lately?"
I eyed the subtly sulky Kim Ijin.
She pouted easily, didn't she?
Normally bright-eyed on visits, but with company, those lips pursed.
"My ankle's killing me with stiffness. Feels like the ligament's swollen? Training was a bit much the day before yesterday."
"Got it. Treatment room next."
...Sensing the stagnant qi right away. No ordinary talent.
"Been a while—let me check your pulse. Close your eyes, breathe easy."
How much internal energy had she built?
Even with proper guidance, accumulation efficiency didn't seem that high.
I took her pulse and carefully infused a thread of my qi.
"Oh?"