Chapter 164
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: Club Owner's Sciatica
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"President, why ask something like that here?"
Kang Jaekyung looked a little flustered.
It wasn't the kind of question you'd typically hear in a live club.
...Though I'm not sure if your song lyrics are the kind that belong in a live club either!
"It's fine. Your legs are burning, right? Where exactly—from where to where—feels uncomfortable?"
I've always been lenient about things like this, so I asked the president casually.
"Mainly from my thighs down to my calves, and some days it even goes all the way to my heels."
"More on the back of the legs than the front?"
The president nodded and pointed to the back of his thigh and his calf.
"That's sciatica. The symptoms follow the sciatic nerve right down to the calves, and even the branches like the sural nerve below that. It's being compressed in your lower back."
I sketched out the path of the sciatic nerve from his lower back down through his calves and legs.
"Ah, so leg pain caused by the back?"
"Yes. Burning, tingling—that's all nerve-related. If it were the muscles or ligaments in the leg itself, people usually describe it as aching or throbbing."
"...Yeah, definitely different from muscle soreness."
"How long has it been going on?"
The president thought for a moment at my question.
"No need to be exact. Just roughly—like within a week, within a month, about a year, or over ten years."
"It'd flare up occasionally, so starting about four or five years ago. Then three weeks ago, I tripped here, and it's been bad all day every day since."
He slapped the stage emphatically.
It wasn't that high, but still about four or five steps up.
"Pardon?"
"You fell? From the stage down?"
"President! How could you not mention that until now?"
Kang Jaekyung had scolded once at the start, saying health consultations weren't appropriate here, but otherwise the whole band had stayed quiet.
But they all jumped in surprise at the mention of the fall.
"I just misstepped off the stage. Sigh, guess it's my time to go."
"You're complaining it hurts like hell—what kind of talk is that!"
There it was. Old folks' number one routine.
Park Haru pointed it out in my place.
"Did you get an X-ray?"
"It's not that bad, they said. No bone issues. I got some meds, but they haven't helped."
"If it hasn't improved naturally after three weeks, it's probably not just a mild sprain..."
"The bruising and soreness in my hip mostly healed. It's just the burning in my legs that's driving me crazy."
So the pain is mild? Or it's tough?
Contradicting himself in the same breath—a common habit with the elderly.
I let it slide and examined the meds he'd brought.
"Muscle relaxants and painkillers. Good thing there was no fracture, but the impact from the fall was big enough to knock you out, and you probably tweaked your back too."
Fortunately, he didn't insist otherwise.
"Like I said earlier, sciatica—just means it's originating from the sciatic nerve. Causes vary. Chronic cases could be disc herniation, spinal stenosis, lumbar lordosis, etc. Acute ones showing up days to weeks after? Like you, injury or muscle spasm."
"Ah, herniated disc too."
"Your occasional flares before were probably disc-related, and the fall damaged ligaments, swelled the muscles, and compressed the nerve hard."
"Ah... so that's why it's all day long."
The band members nodded, understanding.
"Come to the clinic—we'll check with ultrasound, then herbal injections and acupuncture. Didn't bring it today."
"Ah, I wasn't asking for treatment here. Just curious if it could be fixed."
"Let's go tomorrow. I'll drive you! President, how can you go three weeks like this!"
Kang Jaekyung fretted anxiously.
"You don't have to come to us—any clinic near your home..."
"Say that, and he won't go. I'll pick you up tomorrow!"
Kang Jaekyung was dead serious.
"Uh, Jaekyung."
As the sciatica consultation wrapped up, the fans who'd been chatting with the other members filed out of the live club.
Gong Nari had snapped photos with everyone and left satisfied.
I cautiously asked Kang Jaekyung—the most normal one in the band.
"That new song—is it the final version?"
She'd seemed pleased earlier, but I held out faint hope.
"Yes. It turned out great, right? Kim Taeyoon nailed it again."
"I love it too! It perfectly captures the feeling of being healed by the director's transcendent skills and agape love."
No such luck.
Kang Jaekyung beamed proudly once more, and Park Haru nodded, happy with her rewritten lyrics.
Kim Taeyoon grinned.
...What'd you do right!
"If semifinals or finals want originals, I'd love to try, but not sure if we'll get the chance."
"Yeah? It's catchy and popular."
Excuse me? Unnamed guitarist?
Hymns aren't called popular even if sung every Sunday?
Am I the only one hearing it that way? It's too trance-like?
"We'll be looking forward to it! It was really good!"
If Gong Nari agreed too, maybe I misunderstood "popular."
Yeah, whatever—if they all like it.
Still... they dropped "Director," no clinic name mentioned. Should be fine.
As promised, Kang Jaekyung brought the president the next day.
71 years old, Yoo Jaedong.
I'd pegged him as late 50s dressing like his 30s, but he was older than expected.
At that age, you can tweak something just getting dressed—yet he downplayed falling off a stage.
"As you see, the nerve root is compressed with inflammation, causing burning in its distribution. Injections in the back, acupuncture down the legs."
I'd sketched it roughly at the club, but now showed the full sciatic distribution diagram for details.
"Got it. Do what you need—fix me up good!"
"Give him every treatment possible. Best injections too."
Apparently, billing was handled separately—Kang Jaekyung chimed in.
"H-He's like a benefactor. First to recognize us, offered weekly slots."
She turned away, embarrassed, but her concern was clear.
"We'll fix you right—no worries. Pain's intense, but this case responds well to injections. Prepping a case study even."
I mentioned papers to imply experience.
"Paper? Am I in it?"
"Consent? I'd be grateful."
"Sure!"
Lucky—another case secured.
Consult done, he moved to treatment.
I prepped injections as physio wrapped.
"Injections first. Needle might sting—it's long."
6cm needle straight to the sprain site.
"Whoa, hey now~"
Releasing swollen, tight muscles pressing the nerve.
Liquid creates space; herbal components reduce inflammation.
"Done. Now acupuncture. You've had it before?"
"Yep."
Targeted sprain site, spine-adjacent, sciatic capture points first.
With chronic disc, needled full lumbar routine too.
Legs not forgotten.
Root in back, but leg needling significantly eases burning.
I instructed staff on cupping spots, then left.
Injection went smooth; his vitality bodes well despite age.
And soon after.
20 minutes?
Finishing charts, heard Yoo Jaedong from the hall.
"Treatment's done~."
Calling Kang Jaekyung in waiting.
I half-ignored, kept typing.
Footsteps faded; back to charts...
"Gasp!"
Yoo Jaedong's voice shattered focus again.
"Everything okay?"
Plenty vitality, but age means possible needling side effects.
Dizziness? Need to check.
I rushed to open the door.
"The burning's gone!"
...What'd I expect.
"That's why we treated you."
Hand on thigh, not head—I relaxed.
"Didn't think it'd vanish this fast!"
"Told you—our director's Hua Tuo."
"You kids were right. Miracle, huh?"
"Aw, what talk!"
"No, really—unbelievable. That ecstatic healing moment..."
The president was awestruck.
Fine up to there.
But!
"This treatment's a miracle..."
Did you have to mutter the song?
"Awesome, right? Haru's lyrics weren't random. Took me and Taeyoon longer, but you and president? Instant."
"Difference in the condition."
Come to think, Kang Jaekyung couldn't nag Yoo Jaedong for delaying.
He ignored the fall three weeks but got an X-ray.
She let wrist chronicize first.
Nor could she judge Kim Taeyoon or Park Haru's madness.
No normals in this band.
"Haha, I'm pretty good at treatments."
I just shrugged it off.
"Still, full recovery needs a few more visits. Age limits recovery power."
"Ooh, thank you."
Whatever—he bowed gratefully.
Wait, since when polite speech?
"I'll spread the word. Lots of folks like me."
Standard patient line, but sounded like a new convert vowing to proselytize.
Yeah, yeah, do you.
Seemed every Melon Soda Horizon visit stirred the clinic.
Do they attract crowds like celebrities?
I relaxed watching them leave, back to my office.
After the bustle, charts done, catching breath.
"Director, how've you been?"
Jeong Inseong greeted politely with his girlfriend.
"Oh? Was just gonna talk to you—how'd you know?"
"Me?"
Meant to ask via Grandma Heo Sun-nam for tutoring, but she skipped today; he showed unexpectedly.
This guy—young and healthy—barely visits yearly.
"Gasp!"
He reacted twice as shocked as Yoo Jaedong.
"Perfect timing today. Never go through Grandma—tell me direct for stuff like that!"
"Eh? That big a deal?"
"She'd read your intent, scold me an hour for making her relay instead of coming myself."
"She'd really know and come...? That stubborn?"
"Don't underestimate Director's #1 devotee."
Fair—Grandma Heo Sun-nam is unanimously #1 fan.
I can't use patient info privately, but he insisted—no issue, call him direct always.
"Math I'll teach great. Gwangsu's better lecturer, but academy ties him up... Your scenario? One-on-one tailored beats groups for her."
Luckily, he accepted tutoring on spot.
Quite confident.
"Got it—I'll pass that along. And today? For your girlfriend?"
Records showed Min Juyeon.
Last saw her once in high school with Ijin—trio visit.
'Long time together? Still going strong.'
She grimaced childishly at my call, face scrunched.
"Directooor!"
Touching her face.
"What about my face? It's wrecked—driving me nuts!"
Records: folliculitis last time too.
Small pimples then; cleared fast with coptis ointment.
"It's spread a lot."
Now way worse.
Dozens of folliculitis across face.
Red hives from jaw to neck.
"How'd it get this bad?"
"So, vacation night shift at convenience store—few months gig?"
"Yeah."
"But day-night flip? Or late-night ice cream, ramen, tteokbokki? Or..."
"Ah."
"Thought night shifts easy, but drunk guys stressing me out! Anyway, hives itch nonstop, scratched... boom."