Chapter 239
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 239
Chapter Title: From the Clinic's Opening to the Present
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From the early days of opening the clinic until recently.
How much had she contributed to our clinic from behind the scenes?
I'd gone out of my way, even making up excuses, to compensate her as generously as possible with money.
At the same time, I knew she had far greater abilities she could bring to bear.
Especially now, as our operation expanded beyond a simple neighborhood clinic.
From a business owner's standpoint, I was willing to pay even more salary if it meant drawing out her full potential.
But in the end, isn't a person's energy finite?
She ran her own side business, and this was the comfortable lifelong job(?) she wanted to keep—no sense overburdening her and risking her resignation. That's why I'd held back as much as I could.
"Director, what does that mean?"
Seo Ina turned to me in surprise.
"We're here."
It was past closing time in the evening, so traffic wasn't bad. We arrived at her place in no time.
True to her word, it was an apartment complex with an elementary school right in it—spacious and nice.
I parked the car and gave her a warm smile.
"Come up for a bit. Let me at least treat you to some tea."
She tried to hold me back.
"No, just rest today. Sleep well, and once you're fully recovered, take your time thinking it over."
"How can I sleep after you say something like that!"
I pointed to the car door, urging her to rest.
We'd bantered back and forth at the clinic about whether she was okay or not, but her condition was clearly poor.
Even if the illness wasn't progressing, just keeping her eyes open and sitting up seemed incredibly taxing right now.
Wasn't it too much to press someone weakened by illness into making a major decision?
I wasn't confident I could steer the conversation in my favor without influencing her unduly.
With Gong Nari, I'd had a firm direction I believed was right.
But for Seo Ina's future, I wanted her to decide entirely on her own.
"I need rest too. I drove down from Seoul today, and I've got to be at work tomorrow."
"Oh...!"
In the end, she got out of the car with obvious regret.
She'd done well so far and had the skills to succeed either way.
She could follow her heart and be just fine.
Seo Ina dragged her shaky legs and barely made it home.
She changed clothes and collapsed into bed. Her strength drained away all at once, exhaustion crashing over her.
It was a wonder how she'd held out until just now.
How long had it been since she'd felt this sick? Probably before Director Han Yeowon had taken over the clinic.
Back then, with just the two of them, if one stepped away, there was no one to cover.
Of course, they probably wouldn't have taken breaks anyway.
Things weren't as frantically busy as now; there was more leeway.
'I need to make as much money as possible while I can...'
As she closed her eyes to sleep, her parents' faces suddenly floated up.
That time after the clinic closed, when she'd worked convenience store shifts and studied smart stores.
Every day, she'd vowed to become rich—no way she'd live like Mom and Dad.
'Are those people still at it? Now that my sister cut off living expenses, she'll have to work, at least.'
Her family's finances had been decent in her early childhood.
Dad imported cheap electronics like MP3 players and electronic dictionaries from China and sold them.
She'd never heard exact figures, but it surely wasn't paltry.
In her hazy memories, the family lived in a big, nice house.
"Honey, it's our anniversary today... Want some wine?"
"What? I told you I have a meeting with an important client."
"When? You only mentioned last week and next week. Today should've been free, obviously..."
"Shut up! I have to go!"
Dad's schedule was always packed with golf outings for "important clients."
"You're on business trips all next week? Should we go on a trip, just us?"
"Yeah!"
Mom coped with fights by splurging—her clothes, the kids', always from department stores. They took overseas trips at least once a year.
Then the business collapsed.
Looking back now, it was inevitable with the shifting times. They should've wrapped it up sooner.
"Live in a place like this?"
"Just two months. It'll sort itself out soon."
Dad optimistically endured, thinking it'd improve once cash flow stabilized.
Once payments started delaying, everything snowballed into ruin.
After losing their house, they bounced between rentals.
"It's so cramped, nowhere to put clothes...!"
"Stop the extravagance! If you'd just saved what you brought in, we wouldn't be like this!"
"Weren't you the one saying not to make us wear grandma's market rags like paupers?"
"That's ancient history! We're barely scraping by on rice and kimchi as it is!"
Her parents fought constantly, every other day.
The topics were always the same.
No money. Where'd it go when we had plenty? Stop spending. Go earn some.
Money, money, money, and more money.
"This next one will succeed."
At first, she might've believed it.
They all suffered together, holding out just a bit longer until Dad bounced back.
"Please, just quit all this and work construction! We can't even afford side dishes!"
"You know I can't work under someone with my personality. This next item will definitely hit."
But from around age ten, when memories sharpened, it was always the same.
Dad was a terminal case of business fever.
Mom would work briefly or borrow money, only for him to blow it in under a month.
Eventually, even Mom stopped working.
"Doesn't your company pay overtime? Switch somewhere that pays 4 million won!"
"Mom, please, face reality..."
"How old are you, Ina? When do you graduate? Double that and we'd be fine."
"Ina, apply anywhere for college. The government loans living expenses now. With 2 or 3 million, Dad's business could recover quick."
Her older sister shouldered the family alone.
It all felt so suffocating.
She hated Dad, hated Mom.
Every moment requiring money was horrific.
The fear of eviction from their tiny place onto the cold streets was unbearable.
Graduate high school, start earning.
Leave this house, be free.
By the time Seo Ina reached adulthood.
"Now I can relax. You'll ease the load off your sister too."
Her sister's words sent chills down her spine.
Stay here, and it'd be over.
Trapped forever, pouring water into a bottomless jar until death.
So Seo Ina fled.
Abandoning her mother, father—even her sister.
She lived in a goshiwon, worked at a factory, saved money.
Nearly a year in, she'd built a decent nest egg.
But after shifts, she was too drained for anything. Factories were full of injuries and illnesses.
Could she do this forever? What if she ended up like Dad, unable to work?
Seo Ina got her nursing assistant certification while working convenience store shifts.
Pay was low and slow to rise, but jobs were plentiful. As long as she never starved, wasn't that enough?
Save at a low-cost place, maybe side gigs.
Rent took a quarter of her salary.
Even with store shifts, savings grew glacially—barely spending beyond survival needs.
What more could she do? Temp jobs? Smart stores? Stocks? Real estate? NewTube? Blogs?
Anything that made money, she tried.
Maybe she'd picked up something from her loathsome dad. She fearlessly sourced and sold goods.
She bid on a high school canteen, installed vending machines.
Her blog slowly gained neighbors.
Auctions flopped, but the learning stuck.
When the clinic's director changed, she worried about being fired for a new hire.
But Director Han Yeowon arrived, and things boomed.
Busier than ever, but incentives soared beyond compare.
The clinic kept growing.
'Colleagues' worth the name appeared.
No more layoff fears.
Lately, she could even afford a house.
So now, where to?
- Are you really that anxious?
- Huh?
- I thought you wanted huge success with your business and investments, but something else seems bigger.
Anxious?
Of course.
How many years bouncing between moves for lack of money?
A while ago, but layoff trauma lingered.
The director paid her well—not peanuts.
She had to earn it.
Fail, and cheaper replacements abounded.
Hadn't Dad once brought home big bucks?
- I want to use you on a bigger scale.
First time she'd ever heard that.
Factory: "Can't you do this one thing right?"
First clinic director: Always stress extra kindness.
Real estate agents: Side-eyeing if she could afford.
"Bigger... use me, bigger..."
Seo Ina clutched her blanket tight.
Never dreamed of mega-wealth.
Just a secure home to rest in.
Even in old age, unable to work, without burdening others—that sufficed.
A modest dream to some.
No, everyday normalcy.
To her, enormous—impossible without ditching family.
Seo Ina took one day off and returned right away.
Thankfully, meds kicked in quick; flu symptoms faded fast.
She'd thought over my proposal during the extra rest, she said.
"I think saving three times my current house loan principal and interest will be enough. Then, when I can't work, national and housing pensions will cover me."
...I'd told her to reflect on her desires.
But housing pension? How'd that come up?
"For assets beyond that, I'll mull U.S. stocks or more property... But like you said, Director, I was very anxious, and I feel I've come far enough to ease that."
Full retirement and asset plans.
She'd done some serious thinking.
"So scaling back business is fine?"
"Yes. If I can avoid it, I want to. I cut risks, but smart stores still bred anxiety. Now I see no need. I'll grow my skills right here instead."
She'd drop all but her top two stable smart store items—clear inventory and done.
Vending contract ends, wrap it; blog and NewTube become pure hobbies, no upload pressure.
"Looking back now, I'm really not cut out for business. It's for people like you, Director—truly... no."
"Pardon? Go on."
"No, nothing."
What?
What was she about to say?
Like me, what?
"Suits people with no fear, like me?"
"No, not that. My dad feared nothing either, but he lived like there was no tomorrow... You're completely different, Director."
"Your dad was in business?"
She nodded, shuddering at the thought.
How'd she manage smart stores then? Fair, it was a salaried side gig— not full business.
I didn't know what made someone business-suited, but mismatches came to mind.
Like Jang Jungjae from the other day—better off staying deputy director?
Some doctors opened practices with zeal; others reluctantly.
'Gotta stop nudging Sanghun about opening his own.'
Early on with Hwang Sanghun—not now, but I'd subtly pushed that he'd earn more independently.
Did it burden him?
A twinge of regret; I welcomed her decision.
"Anyway, you thought it through brilliantly. Lots I'd love to hand off, but let's start with the urgent priorities."
"Yes."
Whew, ideally dump all admin on her.
Petty clinic tasks to overseas ventures.
Too many decisions needing my call, few to consult.
But piling it on might scare her off.
"Daegu branch staff keep quitting, complaints rolling in. Head there as acting manager to assess?"
Yesterday with Jang Jungjae, Chu Miyoung and Seon Nayeon vented management woes immediately.
Especially Miyoung—grave.
Last time I visited Daegu, fine; but oldest staff quit, and courtesy tanked.
I and Im Sucheol brainstormed fixes, but she hadn't even pinpointed issues.
"Overseeing other branches too? Expenses covered, right?"
"For now, yes. Full support, lodging and meals included."
"Sounds good then."
Asking her to review Park Seonyun's sudden business plan would've overwhelmed.
I picked something familiar yet her forte.
"Here's the salary I'm thinking."
I slid over a new contract too.
Thankfully, that prince's funds left us flush.
"Let me read it."
Her eyes locked straight on the salary line.
Then widened—more than I'd ever seen.
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