Chapter 201
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 201
Chapter Title: The Bruised Protector
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Contusion patients were a common sight at the clinic.
The elderly could end up with massive bruises all over their bodies from just a single fall, and plenty of people accidentally bumped into things here and there against their will.
But Han Hyun-su's bruises were severe, confined to a narrow area, and nowhere near the ligaments that typically got sprained.
He'd almost certainly been struck.
From my experience treating countless patients hit by wooden swords and the like, it wasn't easy to end up like this from a bare fist.
There had probably been some kind of blunt weapon involved.
Of course, accidents could happen at construction sites and such... but what business would a high schooler have there?
Domestic violence or school bullying were the first things that came to mind.
"Did this happen at home?"
When I beat around the bush, victims hesitated even more and usually couldn't bring themselves to answer.
I met Han Hyun-su's eyes and asked firmly.
"Pardon?"
But Han Hyun-su blinked back at me with a face that suggested he had no clue what I was asking.
Not domestic violence, then.
"Was it at school, then?"
"Yes?"
"If you need help, just say the word. Even if it feels hopeless and inescapable, once the authorities get involved, you can break free from the situation. Of course, if you don't want that, I won't do a thing—just getting it off your chest is enough..."
"Ah, it's not like that!"
Han Hyun-su's face twisted.
He shook his head vigorously, as if denying it outright.
"I didn't get beaten up that badly. I'm good in a fight."
He seemed displeased, his pride clearly wounded.
'Huh? Where have I seen this before?'
A young master from a martial family, brimming with confidence in his skills?
Like the type who slays a demon in a one-on-one duel, only to get embarrassed when his parents fuss over whether he took any hits...
"You got into a fight?"
Han Hyun-su worked his lips a few times before grunting a curt reply.
"Does that matter?"
"You don't need any help, right?"
"Absolutely not. No one at my school can lay a hand on me. Same anywhere else."
He smirked, clearly proud of his fighting prowess.
...So maybe he just took a hit while throwing down?
It was ambiguous whether I should get involved or not.
He might not even be the victim—could be a case of landing ten punches and eating one back.
"Understood. I won't pry anymore and just focus on treatment. For the sake of proper care, though, tell me how many days ago it happened and what hit you."
I backed off a step.
For now, treating him while keeping a close eye seemed best.
"A week ago, and... uh, got smacked by a cellphone."
"I see."
A cellphone had metal parts, so it was possible if someone swung hard enough.
Though claiming it was a steel pipe would have been more convincing.
I had my doubts, but I jotted down his words without pressing.
"With contusions on your chest too, treating just the back won't cut it. We need to check for fractures in the sternum or ribs. Have you gotten an X-ray?"
"No, I came straight here."
"How so?"
"I was just rubbing my back a bit, and Mom told me to come see you."
His mother must have noticed.
Judging by his attitude, he hadn't told his parents about the fight—she probably figured it was just some minor qi stagnation.
Hmm, asking who his mom was wouldn't get me anywhere.
"X-rays are standard for fracture diagnosis, but for precision, you'd want a CT scan. Let's at least check with an ultrasound for now."
"Okay."
He complied readily with the diagnosis and treatment.
I scanned the bruised areas, sternum, and ribs meticulously, but there were no major bone issues.
"Nothing showing up right now. But a hairline fracture might not register on the machine, so if there's no improvement during treatment, tell your parents and get a CT."
"Got it."
In truth, even hairline rib fractures didn't have much specific treatment.
Still, confirmation was necessary.
Bone injuries dragged recovery out several times longer, after all.
"How's the chest pain?"
"Just sore like I bumped it hard. The back hurts more."
While the ultrasound was on, I scanned his back muscles and ligaments too.
Clear muscle tears and ligament damage stood out here.
I captured the obvious tear on screen, then pulled up a rib cage model on the computer.
"The rib cage protects the chest like this—the front has the sternum, and the back connects to the thoracic vertebrae transverse processes, forming joints. The direct impact was around here on the front of the rib, but the shock transmitted to the thoracic spine."
"Ah, okay."
"Slight tear in the erector spinae, too. I'll treat the ligaments connecting the thoracic vertebrae and ribs. If chest pain lingers after the back improves, we'll handle that separately."
"Understood."
No issues tied to breathing, so intercostals were fine.
With the pressure pain points confirmed earlier and visible on ultrasound, focusing on the erector spinae should bring quick recovery.
"Let's head to the treatment room."
Hot packs and physical therapy first.
Then acupuncture positioning.
"Ugh."
"Hard to lie prone?"
"Yeah... it kinda hurts when it touches."
"Just the herbal injection, then side-lying."
Prone was safest for precise access to the transverse processes.
I injected into the target ligament, then repositioned him.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
From back to shoulders to waist.
I needled all the problem muscles and pressure-pain spots, of course.
When shock transmitted like this, even undamaged muscles nearby would stiffen up.
"First time with acupuncture?"
"I tried it a few times as a kid."
Odd for a high schooler to say.
Han Hyun-su twitched but stayed quiet.
Finished acupuncture, then cupping to draw out blood from the bruises and thoracic area.
He winced during the bloodletting but bore it maturely.
"Good job."
"Thank you."
Even from how he stood, it was clear he felt much better.
Sensing it himself, Han Hyun-su's eyes widened as he twisted experimentally.
"Whoa."
After a brief exclamation, he bowed his head politely, his face bright.
Hmm, surprisingly well-mannered.
"Come back a few more times until the pain's fully gone. It's not just stiffness—partial tears and ligament damage mean it'll take days."
"Yes, got it."
Great response, too.
During that first visit, I'd asked a bunch of questions just in case.
I worried he wouldn't return after getting annoyed, but fortunately, he did.
He came steadily every two or three days for treatment.
"How's it feeling today?"
"I can run and twist my waist now. Still hurts if I press, but it feels like it's getting better."
The bruises had faded a lot during treatment, and back pain had improved dramatically.
Sprains and muscle tears were healing smoothly.
"Doing okay at school?"
"Yes."
But we didn't get close.
He clammed up at any personal talk.
Hmm, I thought I was pretty good at bonding with patients.
'Did he really just get clocked by a phone fighting friends?'
Possible, of course.
Maybe just embarrassed to admit it.
But thinking back to my high school days...
Too long ago, memories fuzzy, but we didn't brawl like little kids.
I'd heard about gang fights at rival schools, though.
The mystery cleared up a few days later.
Han Hyun-su showed up with another boy.
"Dude, just tell her everything."
"Uh, um."
"Should I step out?"
"Uh... yeah, I'd appreciate that. Thanks."
The intake name was Yoon Jung-min, same age as Han Hyun-su.
They entered the exam room together, but Han Hyun-su just bowed to me, asked leave, and left.
"Um... hello, Director. I heard you took good care of Hyun-su."
Unlike Han Hyun-su's cocky vibe, Yoon Jung-min spoke very politely.
Soft voice.
Fidgeting hands.
Eyes darting nonstop.
He hadn't said much yet, but instinct kicked in.
'This kid's the one being bullied.'
Different uniform.
Not Jungun High, but vaguely familiar—probably a nearby school.
I kept a straight face.
"Yes, Hyun-su's injuries are almost fully healed. Did you get hurt around the same time, Jung-min?"
"Uh... something like that."
Yoon Jung-min looked away, scratching his head.
"Not as bad as Hyun-su's."
"What's most uncomfortable?"
"Um, shoulder. No, arm. Elbow."
"Let me take a look. Remove your jacket and roll up your shirt?"
He did as told.
'...!'
As he'd said, not as severe as Han Hyun-su's.
But the number was way higher.
Over ten spots if you counted both arms.
"Grabbed hard? Yanked?"
Yoon Jung-min nodded slightly.
"Yes. Nothing like Hyun-su getting hit with a metal rod."
His voice trembled.
"Metal rod?"
"Ah, yeah. Lead pipe or something? This thick... Hyun-su's okay, right?"
He gauged the size with his hands, on the verge of tears.
I was dying to ask!
The contusions were improving, but how the hell did that even happen?
"...Hyun-su's recovering well. Full treatment like this, and no aftereffects."
"Ah, that's a relief."
Yoon Jung-min let out a sigh.
"I was scared—worried, I mean—that it'd be a big deal because of me. Thank you for treating him."
"Why do you say it's because of you?"
Han Hyun-su shut down every time, but Yoon Jung-min seemed like he'd talk.
"I... well, after starting high school, I couldn't adjust. No friends... kids I hang with started bossing me around... if I didn't do it right, they'd hit me... ah, not with pipes or anything, just hands and feet..."
As expected, Yoon Jung-min opened up.
Downplaying his own victimization, but definite group bullying.
To make him comfortable, I nodded quietly.
"Hyun-su and I were close in middle school, but high schools split us up, so we barely saw each other. Then we bumped into each other at a PC bang, saw him with those other kids... spotted the arm bruises... grilled him... and he went straight to my school."
"He went to your school and fought the bullies?"
Yoon Jung-min continued with an indescribable expression.
"Yeah, Hyun-su's really good at fighting. Took on four and was winning... but..."
Proud of his friend, yet...
"There were rusty metal rods lying around the school, and one guy swung it."
Heavy guilt.
Not some light cellphone smack.
A full-on serious blunt weapon.
"He got hit..."
"Yes. Went down, but got back up, snatched the pipe. The guy swung it wildly once in the air, and the others all bolted."
Damn good fighter, for real.
Even disarmed the guy.
Come to think of it, no other contusions besides the back, not even abrasions.
"After that, have any students come to Hyun-su's school looking for payback, or continued harassing you?"
Still, I couldn't fully relax.
This wasn't the murim—fights rarely wrapped things up neatly on their own.
Adults needed to step in somewhere.