Chapter 217
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 217
Chapter Title: Volunteer Acupuncture Service
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Of course, since I hadn't met the director of the nearby Taichi dojo in person, I remained cautious.
But considering the movements Kim Jaegyu had shown me once before,
and the gradual changes appearing in his energy flow, it felt like a decent place.
"Moving slowly felt frustrating at first, but now it comes naturally."
Fortunately, Kim Jinsang had adapted well.
His wildly erratic pulse and ragged breathing had noticeably stabilized.
'What kind of person is he? Is it a feature of Taichi itself?'
Suddenly, I grew curious about the director.
It could be the inherent benefits of the forms... but even when I watched videos and mimicked the movements myself, I hadn't seen such immediate effects.
"Thank you for the other day."
After the three-way meeting, Park Seoyun had stopped by once more, bringing chocolate in person, no less.
Since it wasn't a formal consultation that day, I'd sent her away without charging a fee, but it seemed that had weighed on her mind.
It wasn't her usual Swiss chocolate, but something called Dubai chocolate? My staff loved it.
"Thanks to you, Director, the reporter is gradually becoming more gentle."
Park Seoyun's update on Kim Jinsang matched my own observations.
It might be because there were no external stressors yet, but so far, he hadn't raised his voice once and was getting along fine.
All in all, it was a relief.
And just like that, my lingering frustrations completely faded.
On a day when I was fully immersed in work...
"Director! Do you have a moment?"
Yang Jimin and Seol Yuhee came by requesting a meeting.
What could it be? Quitting? Was An Juhee being too much of a hassle?
...Honestly, aside from a tiny few, all my staff were long-term employees, so I had no idea why quitting was my first thought.
"Of course. Come on in."
I ushered the two of them into the consultation room first.
Both were employees who balanced their studies excellently while delivering outstanding performance.
"How's the work treating you?"
"They're learning so well. The herbalist is incredibly knowledgeable—there's nothing she doesn't know, and she even explains things in detail that aren't in the textbooks!"
An Juhee was a bit unique, in a surprisingly impressive way.
"I'm always learning a ton from you too, Director."
Seol Yuhee smiled as well.
"How about school? No weird professors?"
"Haha..."
Maybe it was unique to Korean medicine schools, or perhaps all universities, but every year, there was at least one odd professor's class.
Sure enough, someone at their school came to mind, and they both gave awkward laughs.
"Still, it's fun. The classes, friends, clubs—everything."
"Oh, you joined a club? What kind?"
"I'm learning gayageum, and I joined a volunteer group too."
"I ended up taking over the department club, so with part-time work, I thought I'd be too busy and skipped it... but Yuhee unnie recommended it, so now we're just doing volunteer activities together!"
Volunteering was great. It barely took any time except for the event days.
Still, it was unexpected. I'd figured Yang Jimin would join all sorts of clubs.
"I see. But Yuhee, gayageum is a traditional instrument, right? Like this?"
I mimicked playing a cello with my arms.
It looked similar to the erhu, I thought? Though the tone was quite different.
"Yes. I joined the traditional music club, but I didn't know any instruments... so I asked the seniors if I could learn one while participating, and they recommended gayageum."
Hmm... it suited her well, but.
Didn't they give her the hardest one? It wouldn't be easy.
"I actually wanted to do orchestra and band too, but they said practice time would be short because performances are all during festival season. Gayageum seemed the coolest, so that's where I went!"
"Got it."
"And, um."
"Yes."
"The traditional music aside... the real reason I asked for your time is about the volunteer club."
Ah, so that's why she brought up clubs.
My social awareness was lacking; the preamble had been too long.
Yang Jimin jumped straight to the point, as if she'd been waiting.
"We're doing a group volunteer event soon? But the seniors say tons of patients show up. Acupuncture is handled by professors, alumni, and fourth-years..."
"Short-staffed, huh?"
Having been in a medical volunteer club during my school days, I caught on immediately.
Our school had begged professors and called around to seniors just to get one more doctor per event.
Heading to areas without clinics or hospitals meant elders flocked in endlessly.
Most came for a single needle in their back pain, but plenty arrived wanting to consult every ache while they had the chance.
Having visited such places as a patient myself, I understood the sentiment.
"Yes. We have some coverage, but our president is a huge fan of you, just like me. When we said we work at Seongsu Clinic, she was like, 'Ooh, could you ask just once?' Alumni bring in directors from other schools sometimes!"
I nodded.
"When is it?"
"The Sunday after next!"
So, they were asking me to join the volunteer acupuncture service.
My alma mater called occasionally too... but theirs were always on my working Saturdays, and too far away.
Joining a local one sounded fine.
"It's my day off—perfect. I'll go."
"Wow! Thank you!"
"Thank you for granting our tough request!"
A day of volunteering, meeting young folks, and supporting my staff!
Nothing bad about it.
I gladly accepted their proposal.
The moment Director Han Yeowon accepted, Seol Yuhee and Yang Jimin spread the news.
"Whoa, she really said yes?"
"You two are lifesavers! I was debating whether to visit her myself...!"
"Senior, can we watch you treat patients up close?"
"Nah, it won't be that leisurely. It's insanely busy."
The next day at the club room, they were heroes.
The volunteer medical club's president and seniors were thrilled, and even peers showed interest.
The president fretted whether to visit personally for greetings or if it'd impose on her time.
"Our director needles super fast, so it might ease the rush a bit this time."
"Haha, thanks for bringing her."
Seol Yuhee spoke up, but the president and seniors didn't seem too hopeful.
Volunteers always drew massive crowds. One faster needle wouldn't create much breathing room.
The president lavishly praised Seol Yuhee before starting the briefing.
"Only alumni and fourth-years handle treatments, so you all focus on hygiene, assist professors and directors smoothly."
"Yes!"
It wasn't a purely social club, so there were unfamiliar faces.
The president said to find her for issues and explained the day's flow for newbie freshmen.
Registration, guiding patients, foot baths.
Not much different from Seol Yuhee's clinic duties.
"Memorize terms if you want to learn anything there."
To better understand professors' consultations, she handed out medical terminology lists and common acupoint summaries.
"That's why you wanted me in the volunteer club!"
Yang Jimin happily took the booklet.
"But doesn't Yuhee unnie know all this already?"
"Review's good, and volunteering feels great."
Seol Yuhee was purely delighted.
She vaguely recalled volunteer performances at the hospital during her long hospitalization.
Sharing food and shows... gratitude, wonder, envy mixed.
Now able to help herself, how could she not be happy?
"Yuhee, a sec."
After students left, the president called Seol Yuhee aside.
"What's up?"
"Uh, well..."
The president scratched her head, choosing words.
"What food does Director Han like?"
"..."
Other seniors had asked too, but the president admired her as much as Yang Jimin.
"We're all eating box lunches together anyway, right?"
"Still, if there's a favorite, we could order from there..."
Tailoring group lunches to our director's tastes? Really!
"She eats everything fine."
As Seol Yuhee stared in disbelief, the president nodded embarrassedly.
"Phew, thanks. Hey."
"No biggie. She accepted readily."
"Even so, without you, I wouldn't have dared ask. Gotta prepare well—no weird mishaps when she's gracious enough to come."
The president clenched her fists, fired up.
"While we're at it, mind if I suggest a few things?"
Seol Yuhee helped refine the workflow.
Many seniors made speaking up hard, but she wanted to advise inwardly.
"Oh, please do!"
A few days later. Volunteer day.
The president prepared extensively against surprises.
Yet, as expected, the unforeseen happened anyway.
"Why are there so many people?"
"Double last year's crowd?"
Treatments started at 9 a.m. Professors and seniors planned accordingly, but students arrived before 8 for setup—tables, beds, linens.
But the waiting area was packed with patients from 6 a.m.
"Aigoo, no time for observing—you'll be running around."
This was manageable.
They could sort it and start registering.
"No way that's happening?!"
But soon, a shout rang out.
An elderly woman was causing a scene.
"Calm down, ma'am!"
A welfare center staffer tried persuading her desperately, but couldn't control her.
"What's going on? Issue at registration?"
The president hurried over to assess.
"Well..."
"I got all the key ingredients myself, right? Just add some deer antler velvet and decoct it! Not hard at all!"
Spotting students, grandma shoved the staff aside and addressed the president directly.
"You want custom decoction?"
"It's what you kids do every day anyway!"
Doctors rarely decoct personally anyway.
Let alone students.
"Ma'am, we can only provide herbal insurance meds from the hospital. Using personal ingredients isn't feasible."
Plus, who takes responsibility if unknown herbs cause issues?
Especially deer antler!
"It's not hard!"
"Ma'am...!"
The president tried convincing her earnestly.
But logic failed utterly; she floundered helplessly.
Senior or not, she was Seol Yuhee's age—still a student, unskilled at handling unreasonable folks.
"Hold on..."
Seol Yuhee stepped up to help.
"I'm the Korean medicine doctor. Talk to me."
Director Han Yeowon, shoulder on Seol Yuhee's—arrived unnoticed.
"Ah!"
She'd said she'd come early to help, but this soon?
As Director Han intervened, grandma switched targets, pleading vehemently.
"Yes, listen here. I bought precious soybean yellow rolls and boiled them myself, see? But plain pot-boiling must be why—no effect, no herbal taste. Just add deer antler or such and decoct it for me."
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