Chapter 185
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 185
Chapter Title: Finding Her Strength
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Walking down the straight, orderly streets typical of a new development town, I started thinking as soon as I stepped into the clinic.
"In a bustling urban spot like this, it's better to prioritize treatments that get patients better fast, even if the per-visit fees run a bit higher."
The neighborhood had government offices, companies, and several apartment complexes.
With so many working patients, they tended to be well-off financially but short on time.
That's why they wanted precise diagnoses and quick fixes—and truthfully, younger patients did heal up pretty fast.
Whether the bill came to 8,000 won or 20,000 won, the difference mattered somewhat, but it wasn't the top priority.
This was the opposite of clinics in traditional markets, where you kept treatment fees as low as possible to draw in and retain as many patients as you could.
In areas dominated by elderly customers, you saw a lot of folks who just wanted needles in the sore spot and immediate relief. Chronic pain doesn't have miracle cures anyway, so a management approach made sense.
But if you jacked up fees to 2,400 won on a whim, patients would complain that the clinic next door only charged 1,900 won.
"Doing the reverse here would be tough."
In a new town business district, stabbing fifty needles into the aching area and blindly telling them to come back tomorrow wouldn't fly.
Try explaining ligament sprains to market elders in detail—they'd tune you out. And if you pushed ten sessions of injections and manipulations totaling 400,000 won upfront, claiming it'd heal them, they'd bolt.
"What's your treatment style like?"
I had my guesses, but I asked Seon Nayeon first.
She didn't look like she had major issues at a glance, but she might have some unexpected traits like Kim Chunsik.
"Treatment style? Nothing special. I'd just greet patients kindly, diagnose them, and place the needles."
She answered in a gentle, measured tone.
She had that trustworthy look and manner of speech that immediately came to mind for a middle-aged female doctor.
"Besides acupuncture, what other treatments do you offer?"
"Moxibustion and cupping, sure. We have physical therapy machines too."
"What about manipulations?"
When I brought up manipulations, Seon Nayeon looked troubled.
"I'm working hard at it, but I don't think I'm very good. Patients kept saying the director at the clinic across the street was better."
"Oh? Even objectively?"
"He is skilled, and I suspect my small build puts me at a disadvantage physically. I attend seminars religiously, but maybe because of my age, my wrist joints are acting up."
Ah.
You can apply body weight to techniques without straining joints if done right, but until you adapt, you end up relying on your wrists.
And you can't completely ignore physicality.
Even Chu Miyoung struggled with burly male patients, and Seon Nayeon looked barely over 150 cm tall, so it had to be even harder for her.
"Got it on that front. I'll teach you techniques that use less force while boosting satisfaction and success rates. What about injections?"
Unlike manipulations, injections weren't heavily influenced by physical build.
In my view, they were the fastest way to speed up healing and increase revenue.
I could infuse qi into regular needles, but most couldn't, so needle stimulation might feel weak.
The options were repeating sessions or hitting hard once—and injections aimed for the latter.
Just injecting fluid released compressed nerves and delivered herbal effects to boot.
"Director Yu Kyung-hoon on Jeju Island got pretty famous for injection therapy."
Our deputy directors, along with Kim Chunsik and Chu Miyoung, recommended them naturally when needed.
"Well..."
But Seon Nayeon's expression soured again.
"When I first opened, I just did acupuncture—hardly any clinics offered injections back then. Now every clinic has them, and the previous owner here was known for his injection work, apparently."
"Ah, so you don't know how at all?"
"A few early patients who'd seen the previous director came once, didn't return, so I looked into seminars. I even asked colleagues to teach me... but it's hard to apply right away."
She'd clearly tried various ways to learn on her own.
"Oh, first opening? How many times have you done this?"
Something felt off as I mulled over her words.
Her inquiry had only mentioned this opening struggling—no word of prior experience.
"Second time. Right after graduation, I was deputy for a year and opened immediately."
"That was over a decade ago, right?"
"Yes. Back then, plain acupuncture was fine, and the clinic did well. But my kid was too hyper, ignored the grandma and housekeeper completely... I couldn't leave him with anyone, so I closed up. Been away from the field over ten years, and so much has changed—more than I expected."
"Ah, that explains it."
"At my age, job hunting's no option, and with prior experience, I took over this spot near home. But... ha... competition's fierce, and I don't know what to do."
Medicine has trends too, and Korean medicine keeps developing and refining treatments.
Competition's heated in every field—why would ours be exempt?
Sticking to ten-year-old methods won't cut it anymore.
"Sorry if this is rude, but the key money over 100 million won—where'd that come from?"
"My husband's a dentist. He insisted on a premium spot despite the cost, but now I feel ashamed."
I got the picture now.
If she planned to stick to acupuncture, a senior-heavy district might've been better, even with a longer commute.
Her husband's profession and childcare reluctance probably kept her close to home.
With such a huge investment, moving wasn't feasible.
"Things will change soon. You've put in real effort to adapt and reached out to me—that's huge. I'll get you handling injections as well as the previous director."
"Thank you."
"Let's find other signature strengths too. There must be something you excel at over nearby clinics."
Seon Nayeon looked doubtful, but I was good at this.
I advised our staff to build experience in these areas and could spot strengths and weaknesses in martial artists too.
Can't find one? Make it.
Kim Chunsik learned kind consultations—piece of cake.
Master injections, and she'd thrive.
"Well then, let's have a great day."
"I should be saying that to you."
And so the day of observation began.
Fortunately, the location drew plenty of new patients.
"Hello, what brings you in today?"
"My back hurts."
"How long, and what's it like?"
"It's been a while. A dull ache around my whole waist."
Seon Nayeon ran standard orthopedic tests, then meticulously checked the pulse despite it being musculoskeletal.
"Your erector spinae are tight, plus some kidney deficiency. I'll loosen the pained muscles there and tonify qi and blood to the waist via distant points."
Overall, the consultation was solid.
A 30-something might prefer muscle talk, but he was wiry and deficient—kidney signs showed, and the pulse confirmed it.
"Commencing acupuncture."
Her needling was spot-on.
A blend of anatomy-based muscle therapy and Saam acupuncture points.
"Not bad."
For a deficiency patient, more reassuring talk to ensure follow-ups would've been ideal, but improvement was certain.
"Young patients like that often think they're cured and don't return..."
Which explained why her return rate lagged behind our deputies.
"Oh my, herbal consult today."
Luckily, a patient needing a prescription showed up.
That'd give me more to advise on.
"My energy's draining fast, so I want some tonic herbs."
Consults with clear goals like this were a breeze.
Seon Nayeon heard out the symptoms.
"Spleen qi deficiency first—I'll restore digestion and boost vitality."
Appropriate diagnosis per Korean medicine.
"Please do."
The son accompanying the elderly woman left satisfied.
"Hmm."
Not bad at all, really.
But short by 2%... no, 10%.
"It won't improve after a month!"
The patient would feel good about nourishing her body, the son about doing his filial duty.
But for a long-term case, one month wouldn't yield noticeable change, even with progress.
I'd demonstrate clear improvement and lock in three-plus months.
"How's the ankle? Any difference from yesterday?"
"Ah, yes. Walking's easier now."
"Try jogging lightly. If no pain, we can wrap up."
Sprained ankles or qi stagnation cases responded well to her routine care.
She was confident, and incremental gains satisfied patients.
"Her acupuncture skills are solid."
I saw a disc patient on regular injections—technique was decent.
"Ah, better to support with the left hand..."
Couldn't backseat from across the room, so I watched silently.
Insertion sites were fine, but it wasn't second nature yet.
"No fatal flaws, but too vanilla, a tad lacking. One standout strength would perfect it."
Fine for a residential clinic.
But high foot traffic meant fierce competition and steep overhead—needed an edge.
"Something irreplaceable..."
And right then—
"Waaah!"
A young child, practically dragged by his mom, burst into the room.
Three? Four?
"Waaah! Wah!"
He started bawling the moment he entered, for no reason.
"Sorry, Director. He's a bit scared of needles."
"Waaah! I wanna go home!"
"Hey! No crying at the doctor!"
"Waaah!"
"If you're good today, we'll get tanghulu on the way home! Minho, you took the shot fine last time!"
"Waaah!"
Aigoo...
"He fell playing at kindergarten yesterday—huge bruise. Wrist might be sprained too, so I thought acupuncture could help."
"No! I'm fine!"
The guardian gave up soothing and explained symptoms first.
"He's dramatic, but he'll be okay once it's done. I'll come to the treatment room to calm him. Sorry for the trouble."
The guardian was apologetic but dead set on treatment.
A wrist sprain definitely benefited from acupuncture over waiting it out.
"It's fine. Scary at that age."
Even Hwang Sanghun or Lee Areum were stumped initially—help the parent or calm the kid?
But Seon Nayeon didn't flinch at the crying child.
She even smiled, utterly at ease.
"There, there. No scary stuff."
No silver tongue or killer joke.
She just gently took the child's hand and met his eyes.
"..."
Yet, amazingly, the sobs tapered off.
The kid who'd been weeping buckets blinked up at Seon Nayeon.
This is it.