Chapter 17
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: The Coach's Wife
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Basketball coach Kang Cheolgyu rushed straight home the moment training wrapped up.
It was because seeing Kim Ijin's recovery—the source of his worries over the past few months—had reminded him of someone else.
"Honey, I'm home."
"You're home early?"
The patient's name was Yu Minha. None other than his wife.
The woman Kang Cheolgyu loved more than anyone in the world greeted him with a tousled face, dressed in her pajamas.
"I couldn't wait to see you, so I hurried back right after work!"
"Seyoung's asleep, so shh. Keep it down."
"Oops, sorry, sorry."
"Dinner's not ready yet, so take a quick rest."
Yu Minha subtly avoided his gaze, as if gauging his mood. But there was no need for that at all. He knew full well how tough it was raising a child approaching two years old.
Especially since neither her body nor her mind were in good shape.
She seemed fine now, but just last week, hadn't she been bedridden, groaning in pain? Since getting married, he'd already rushed her to the ER on his back twice in the middle of the night.
"Forget dinner. Let's eat out tonight. Mom said she'd watch Seyoung."
"Really?"
Having spent the whole day cooped up at home, her nerves frayed, Yu Minha's face immediately brightened.
"We've got a bit before dinnertime, so let's stop by the clinic first. Get dressed."
"The clinic? What's this all of a sudden... Did you twist your ankle? Oh, right, your back pain hasn't let up. Sorry, I forgot. Honey, go ahead and get treated. I'll get ready, drop Seyoung off, and meet you there."
"No, no. It's not just me. I found this really skilled place. I was thinking maybe we could get you some herbs."
"Me?"
Yu Minha tilted her head, her face full of confusion.
"I'm not sick anywhere. Why not get some for your mom?"
"What do you mean, nothing? Your face is pale right now. Wouldn't you feel way better if your cramps eased up even a little?"
The moment he uttered "cramps," Yu Minha's face twisted in a scowl. Contrary to his good intentions, just thinking about the pain made her emotions surge, her under-eyes trembling uncontrollably.
"I'm fine."
"Honey, what I meant was..."
"I don't need that much fuss. Like you said, I'll start exercising. I'll take proper care of the baby, and once she's bigger, I'll even get a job. Just drop it!"
He hadn't expected her to snap like that, so Kang Cheolgyu could only panic.
Though his body was sturdy, his heart was softer than anyone's. He gripped her hand tightly, his eyes reddening.
"If it sounded like I was nagging, I'm sorry. I was just worried."
He should have been more careful with his words. It was his mistake.
It was natural for Yu Minha's nerves to be on edge. It had only been six months since she'd taken maternity leave during a critical time at the company she'd managed fine even after childbirth, only to be hit with severe cramps, leading to recommended resignation.
Even if the world didn't understand her pain, as her husband, he should have. It was his failure for not paying enough attention.
"...I know. Sorry for snapping. You always worry about me sincerely."
Yu Minha understood his heart too, so she quickly bowed her head.
Her former colleagues who told her to just deal with it, her parents who suspected malingering, her friends among whom no one had cramps as bad as hers—even her closest friend had called her overly dramatic for normal menstruation. How hurt had she been?
She'd decided to marry Kang Cheolgyu precisely because he was the only one who truly worried about her and believed her 100%.
Even if the hospitals he'd taken her to before, the chocolate, supplements, jade mats, LED lights, and all that hadn't helped at all.
"I absolutely didn't mean you should go back to work. If it's hard for Mom to watch Seyoung, I'll pick up a second job to hire a sitter. Honey, just focus on getting healthy."
"Sorry and thank you. You do so much, and here I am, too ashamed to show my face."
The couple embraced tightly. Kang Cheolgyu patted her back and said,
"You know Ijin, right? The kid with the torn ACL I told you about. She got completely better after treatment at this clinic, so I want us to go together. We can consult about herbs or whatever and decide. Let's just check it out, okay? My one wish."
With him pleading like that, Yu Minha couldn't bring herself to refuse anymore.
Pretending to give in, she nodded.
"Fine. Let's go take a look."
The moment the couple's names appeared on the chart, the exam room door opened.
Kang Cheolgyu, 32. Yu Minha, 30.
After seeing patients for about 20 years, you pick up on their general personality just from their faces, no physiognomy needed.
Kang Cheolgyu strode in proudly with his broad shoulders—clearly the straightforward type at first glance.
Yu Minha... well, her face was just brimming with dissatisfaction.
The vertical lines creased between her brows like the character for "river," the way she scanned me up and down, the arms crossed perfectly— the trifecta.
"Hello, Doctor! I heard you treated Ijin really well."
Sure enough, Kang Cheolgyu bowed at a perfect 90 degrees the instant he entered.
"Ijin's doing great now. No worries with a coach like you looking out for her."
"Haha, you're embarrassing me. Did Ijin mention I'm her coach?"
"Of course. She told me all about it."
While he blushed and laughed heartily, Yu Minha watched us warily with narrowed eyes.
"I'll see you one at a time. Mr. Kang, have a seat first. Ms. Yu, please wait on the sofa in the back."
"Yes!"
"Got it."
They both nodded.
"Back pain, right? When did it start bothering you?"
Kang Cheolgyu frowned briefly, as if recalling the past, then answered.
"Eight days ago."
"Any idea what caused it? Work or training?"
"Training's always the same. Probably slept wrong."
"Does this happen often?"
"Hmm, lately I've been getting stiff more frequently. Usually stretching and light exercise fixes it quick, but this time it's lingering. Oh, it's not that bad... Truth is, I came for my wife, but since I'm here, thought I'd get treated too."
He scratched his head as he spoke.
Was it overkill to think of the men from the Hebei Peng Clan, who considered even admitting pain unmanly?
"I put on patches, did hot packs, even massaged it myself, but no dice."
Yu Minha, sitting nearby, chimed in.
The symptoms seemed a tad worse than his description.
"Let me check."
I stood from my chair and examined the painful area.
"Around here... Urgh!"
When I pressed lightly, he let out a scream that shook the room.
It was off from the top three muscles that usually get stiff.
Typically, it's rhomboid tightness preventing neck turns or infraspinatus tension causing inner scapula pain. Trapezius is always a regular, of course.
But this time, it was the infraspinatus.
One of the four rotator cuff muscles involved in lifting the shoulder, a triangular one attaching to the infraspinous fossa below the scapular spine.
"No injuries around when the pain started? Like a twinge during basketball?"
"Haha, embarrassing, but I mostly just coach—demo rarely. No chance of injury."
I performed rotator cuff tests and checked other muscles, but nothing unusual.
From the history, it didn't seem acute.
"Looks like chronic buildup over time. Ever lifted anything heavy for long?"
"Not at work..."
Then Yu Minha spoke up casually.
"Honey, isn't it from carrying Seyoung all day?"
"Ah?"
"Your daughter?"
"Ah, yes."
"Must be the strain from childcare."
I was thrilled to have found the clue, but Kang Cheolgyu's expression soured.
"Seyoung's light as a feather... And I was an athlete. Even now, my three-rep max is over 400..."
"Our girl's 10kg already. She's 20 months old. I can barely carry her anymore, but you hold her all evening after work. Duh."
"Ahaha, no matter how sturdy you are, holding a kid for hours daily is bound to strain you. Good thing it stopped at tension—thanks to all that muscle."
"I see..."
"I'll treat you right, so starting tomorrow, rest before it hurts and play with her gently."
Whatever his pride, I'd nailed the cause.
"Tomorrow?"
"Even if the pain's gone today, rest a day."
"It'll be gone right away?"
Of course.
I unwrapped an acupuncture needle from the desk.
"I'll fix it now."
"Right here?"
He widened his eyes as I brandished the needle.
He'd already half-removed his shirt anyway. Muscles anyone would envy on display.
'Normally in the treatment room, but special exception today.'
Kang Cheolgyu wouldn't care where, but this was to show off for the less receptive Yu Minha.
"This the sore spot?"
"Ack!"
I relocated the tender point I'd lightly probed earlier.
"Oh...?"
Pierced through.
Skin and fascia. Felt both layers precisely as I went in.
Shuk. Shuk. Shuk.
With crisp sounds, I aggressively untangled the knotted fibers.
Of course, I didn't forget to channel qi with each insertion.
Replenishing what's missing or healing tears takes a lot of inner power, but loosening cramped muscles? Piece of cake.
Paat!
The subtle qi I'd infused spread along the muscle fibers.
"Oh!"
"All done."
The knotted sensation vanished from my fingertips.
At my words, Kang Cheolgyu tilted his head and lifted his arm experimentally.
"Already?"
Not deep muscle, mostly fascia stimulation—shouldn't hurt much.
Plus, no lying there waiting like typical acupuncture. No wonder he was shocked.
"No pain at all!"
He swung his shoulder around and exclaimed.
"Patches everywhere, tried everything—no relief!"
"Most patches just numb locally; pain fades while it self-resolves. Nothing beats direct muscle stimulation."
"Got it!"
Not sure if he followed, but he was thrilled anyway.
Good thing.
"No major pain elsewhere, but palpation shows minor tightness all over. I'll loosen it all—get some needles in the treatment room too."
"Yes!"
Stage 1 clear.
PERFECT!
Nothing to it. The knotted qi spots were obvious; missing them would make me the fool.
"Alright, you two switch places."
If this were a game, Kang Cheolgyu was the mob giving skill-ups and ultimate stacks before the boss fight.
Hmm... Calling a patient a mob? Item vendor?
Anyway, the real deal was Yu Minha.
"...Okay."
Debuff applied successfully. The three vertical lines of distrust between her brows had reduced to one.
Now the shield's down, damage landing... meaning, conversation possible.
"When did the cramps start?"
I asked as brightly as possible.
If Yu Minha was a tricky LV 99 patient, I was at least LV 99999.