Chapter 13
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Leave Him Be? Or Help?
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I debated whether to just let it be or step in to help.
I did want to watch Jo Haneul squirm a bit longer, but I didn't agonize over it for long.
'If I leave him like that, it'll only hurt more. The patient's not at fault here.'
I stepped out into view and approached the two of them.
"Hm? Who's this?"
The Porsche driver turned at the sound of my voice.
But as I got closer, a wave of alcohol stench hit me so hard I nearly had to pinch my nose.
'Whoa, both of them were drunk driving? How do idiots like that even crash into each other?'
In that instant, any sympathy I had for the Porsche driver vanished, and I realized Jo Haneul was an even bigger piece of trash than I'd thought.
"Let me take a look."
Still, since I'd stepped in, I might as well treat him.
I gripped the Porsche driver's neck and jaw.
"Ah...?"
Without waiting for permission, I pressed along his neck and shoulder to check the muscle condition. Jo Haneul's diagnosis hadn't been far off.
"What's your name? Age?"
"Lee Jongwoo, thirty-eight."
"No dizziness, headaches, nausea, or numbness?"
"No. I'm fine. Just my neck..."
Overpowered by my momentum, Lee Jongwoo answered my checks on orientation and emergency signs without resistance.
Just as Jo Haneul had found initially, right-side range of motion was about 20 degrees, and flexing brought complaints of neck pain.
"Gonna poke me again? What was that last time..."
Lee Jongwoo eyed me with full distrust. After Jo Haneul's failure, it was natural he'd lost faith in acupuncture.
"One needle, and you'll be good to turn your head right away."
I said it with full confidence.
I'd treated over a thousand patients with locked necks—no exaggeration.
Jo Haneul fidgeted restlessly, unable to stop me or beg for help.
He looked deeply uneasy but also a little hopeful.
"Alright."
Lee Jongwoo squeezed his eyes shut.
I snatched the needle from Jo Haneul's hand and probed the spot I'd eyed earlier.
A bit above Shoulder Outer Shu, the upper trigger point where the rhomboid muscle knotted up. I confirmed it by feel and the taut contraction.
I pressed both sides of the target with my fingers and flicked the needle in.
It pierced the epidermis swiftly, and I pushed it in about 3 cm.
I distinctly felt it pass the trapezius and hit the rhomboid knot.
"Doesn't hurt, right?"
"Huh? Did you even insert it?"
Lee Jongwoo's eyes flew wide.
The sensation was worlds apart from Jo Haneul's attempt moments ago.
"Try turning now."
I pulled the needle right out and had him move his neck.
Uneasy it'd seize up again, he turned his head slowly.
Jo Haneul's eyes darted every which way.
He'd clearly felt the muscle release at his fingertips too, but now he worried if he'd failed to treat it fully.
"Wha—huh! Whoa!?"
The neck that wouldn't budge past 30 degrees whipped around nearly 80.
"And it doesn't hurt! Crazy. What are you, Hua Tuo reincarnated?"
Lee Jongwoo freaked out in shock.
"Just your average clinic doc... no, Korean medicine practitioner... actually, med student."
"Thank you!"
He grabbed my right hand and shook it wildly. A total one-eighty from his suspicion seconds ago—now pure goodwill.
"...What did you do?"
Jo Haneul gaped, asking.
No wonder he was flustered; the neck hadn't budged for him, but I'd fixed it instantly.
"You picked the right point, but too shallow. Didn't even reach the target."
I generously offered Jo Haneul some wisdom.
"Memorizing books leaves you grabbing surface landmarks without knowing depth. And poking timidly like that? Pierce the skin fast so it doesn't hurt."
"Ahh!"
Jo Haneul stayed silent, but Lee Jongwoo—who couldn't have understood—nodded in awe.
"Want me to loosen the rest of those muscles? A few days' rest and you'll be good."
"If it's painless like before, yes!"
His tone had turned polite in no time.
I needled along the Small Intestine Meridian: Shoulder Outer Shu, Crooked Wall, Arm Five Li, Heavenly Lattice, Upper Arm Shu, Shoulder Commandment.
Crooked Wall at the scapular upper angle was another rhomboid trigger point, so I confirmed the needle hit Scapular Tip and lifted-thrusted it repeatedly.
Finally, I placed needles at Wind Pool behind the mastoid process and Complete Bone.
"Whoa! Feels better than before the crash!"
"Glad to hear it."
"Thought I'd be stuck like this forever. Thank you."
"No trouble."
Lee Jongwoo kneaded his now-supple neck and shoulders, delighted.
I nodded as he thanked me.
"Well, neck's fixed, so time to..."
But Jo Haneul side-eyed Lee Jongwoo and nodded at the car.
"Ah, it's late. We can talk repairs later. For now..."
Lee Jongwoo chimed in agreement. After all the threats of lawsuits, his neck felt better and his mood had flipped.
"Hm? You leaving?"
"Gotta. Exam tomorrow."
Jo Haneul replied.
"Ah, should I pay you? Here's my card..."
Lee Jongwoo spouted nonsense too.
What? Did they think I'd treated him just to collect a fee?
Where did these clowns get off?
Alcohol stench still wafted around them.
"I never said you could go home."
I smiled coolly and gripped Lee Jongwoo's shoulder.
"Pardon...?"
Behind him, flashing lights approached. Lee Jongwoo followed my gaze and turned.
"Wha—what?"
"Hey, Han Yeowon!"
Jo Haneul exploded in rage. Lee Jongwoo flinched, finally getting it.
"Mmph."
He clapped a hand over his mouth.
Too late—way too late. I'd called the cops before offering treatment.
'Said there was an incident nearby, but they're later than expected.'
I'd worried about a fight breaking out, but them getting hauled off together was perfect.
"You drank, right?"
"Uh, uh..."
"Lucky you only hit each other. A pedestrian, and you'd be murderers."
"No, I barely drank—the other guy..."
"Ah, shit!"
Jo Haneul kicked the ground in fury.
Lee Jongwoo shoved at me to get back in his car.
"Come on, the cops came all this way. Least do a breathalyzer before you go."
"Urk...!"
I grabbed his wrist; he couldn't budge.
I stared straight into their eyes—like the Heavenly Demon herself.
"Stay put. Best thing is to take your punishment and reflect."
"Gulp."
Lee Jongwoo sucked in a breath; Jo Haneul startled badly.
Totally cowed.
'Ha, even with my inner power drained, scaring trash like this is a breeze.'
No point anyway—futile to the end, scrambling to flee like rats.
I crossed my arms and smirked.
Right on cue, cops got out and approached.
"We got the call!"
Yeah, time to get these idiots' licenses yanked for society's sake.
The next day.
Jo Haneul showed up at school in a squad car.
"What happened?"
"Street fight?"
"No way... drunk driving, they say."
Right when everyone should've been cramming, the rare gossip had the exam hall buzzing.
"Looked it up—went home first, prosecution in a few days? Did he cause a scene?"
"Whoa..."
I hadn't known; cops had hauled him off quick. Had he flipped out sober?
Hwang Seoyeong poked my side, eavesdropping on the classmates.
"Repeat offender. License gone, fines or jail incoming."
"From Sanghun oppa?"
"Yup."
Wow. Amid the chaos, he'd had time to text his buddy.
Clunk.
The door opened; the man of the hour appeared.
"..."
The buzz died to silence.
Jo Haneul crossed the room, face slightly flushed.
"Pulled an all-nighter? How's your condition?"
I called out softly as he passed.
"...Good."
His voice barely squeaked out.
Nothing like his prior smug overlooks—totally deflated.
Still scared, maybe.
"Everyone seated. Distributing exams now."
The proctor prof and TA clucked their tongues and started the test.
"Uwaaaah! Finally over!"
A classmate let out a victory yell. Graduation exams done.
Results? Perfect, naturally.
Thanks to memorizing every obscure bit of the textbooks, only a handful of tricky questions in periods 3 and 4.
"Wanna hit up the profs tomorrow for scores?"
I bolted to Jo Haneul's seat the second the last exam ended.
He flinched back a step.
"Gah, no."
"Hm? Surrendering without results?"
I closed in two steps, staring him down just like yesterday.
"Y-yeah. You probably aced it."
He glanced back pointlessly—no escape.
His lips quivered as he answered.
"Hmm."
Not as satisfying as I'd hoped. Him cowering this much felt like bullying the weak.
"Gonna apologize? For that 'roots' crap last time."
"My bad."
Jo Haneul bowed his head instantly.
"Ugh! If you're gonna tuck tail like this!"
"...Sorry."
Hwang Seoyeong piled on a few words for me, but his fight was gone.
"Haneul? You here? Not done yet?"
I pondered how to make him reflect and improve a bit.
Then Professor Lee Minseok opened the door.
Most students gone; just me, Hwang Seoyeong, Jo Haneul, and Hwang Sanghun watching from afar.
We all turned to the prof.
"Done... Can I go?"
"No need to ask that."
I waved him off lightly.
Check scores later, sure—but I'd won the exam. And got the apology.
Mission accomplished.
"Let's go."
Everyone filed out after the prof.
Hwang Seoyeong and I planned drinks, but same route out meant heading to the lot together.
"Huh? Who's that?"
Then I spotted a woman on the way.
"Why's Director Choi Eunhui here?"
I tilted my head.
"Who's that?"
"CEO of the Haneul Clinic Network."
Jo Haneul's mom leaned against her Benz.
"Gasp!"
I wasn't the only shocked one. Jo Haneul—clearly not expecting her—clapped a hand over his mouth.
Frozen stiffer than when I'd unleashed killing intent yesterday.
"Hoo..."
She stubbed out her cigarette, lit another.
"How do you know her? Friends?"
"Nah. Hmm... Admired her a lot back then. Kinda why I came to Korean med school."
In hindsight, Director Choi Eunhui had done medical outreach in my childhood village. Impressed me enough to chase her lectures.
Ancient history now.
"For real? Must've been disappointed in Jo Haneul."
"Not really. Respect as a doctor and failing at parenting? Separate."
A tiny pang of envy once, but over it now.
'Must get a lot of love.'
Here for the DUI with a fancy legal team?
But things didn't go as I figured.
Choi Eunhui stayed silent the whole time she and Professor Lee Minseok murmured apart from us.
"Brought him."
Professor Lee spoke first.
No reaction from her.
"Thanks. You can go now."
Instead, a middle-aged man emerged from her car.
"Yes, Professor. I'll call soon."
So polite—he had to be Jo Haneul's dad, Professor Jo Hoyeong, Lee Minseok's mentor.
"How'd Mom...?"
"Tch."
Choi Eunhui irritably chucked her lit cigarette at Jo Haneul.
"Dear, enough."
Professor Jo Hoyeong picked up the butts she'd smoked nonstop during the exam. Not just one or two.
"Fine."
Choi Eunhui nodded.
She approached Jo Haneul calmly.
Slap!
Then backhanded her son's cheek.