Chapter 247
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 247
Chapter Title: Stress and the Cycle
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Was her cycle always irregular? At the director's question, Park Siha recalled her first period.
Of course, it hadn't been this messed up since her very first one in fourth grade.
'It fluctuated between 24 and 28 days, I think.'
She remembered once reading that a normal menstrual cycle ranged from 21 to 35 days and thinking she was fine.
It wasn't perfectly regular, but when she asked her friends, they all had a few days' variation too.
Yeah, the real problems started in high school.
Right after hearing about her father's cancer diagnosis and hospitalization, she bled heavily.
Idiopathic uterine bleeding.
Thinking that, Park Siha rushed straight to the gynecologist.
Was she seriously ill too? Uterine or ovarian cancer?
"The ultrasound shows ovulation. It's menstrual blood."
"You mean my period? But it's only been two weeks since the last one..."
"That can happen. Severe stress or even without any trigger—it can occur once. We could do birth control pills or hormone therapy, but since you're still a student and this is the first time, let's observe for now. Come back if it repeats next cycle."
Park Siha was relieved for the moment.
She figured it was no big deal, especially since they didn't prescribe anything.
After that, she didn't go back to the hospital.
Occasionally after that, she'd get her period again within about two weeks of the previous one, making it twice a month.
Her baseline cycle shortened to nearly 21 days, though with some variation.
Even then, Park Siha didn't worry much. 21 days was still normal, right?
Just bad luck.
She graduated high school like that.
And went to university.
Once she became an adult—specifically, starting from summer break after her freshman year—she threw herself into all sorts of part-time jobs.
Their family finances weren't great.
Her mother had covered tuition and living expenses for the first semester, so she hadn't realized how bad things were.
- Card short-term loan? What's this? Mom! Using this will ruin your credit!
Soon, she regretted carefree days spent hanging out with friends and going to school without a thought.
- I have to pay your tuition.
- If you're borrowing, do it from a proper bank. Card companies are second-tier lenders.
- I know, Mom. The banks won't give us any more.
'No more'?
- Then I'll get a scholarship from a foundation!
- Forget it. How tough would it be for you after graduation with debt in your name? Mom will figure something out. This much I can pay back quick.
Her father had battled illness for three full years, exhausting their modest savings and leaving debts behind when he passed.
Realizing the gravity too late, Park Siha immediately started job hunting.
Common gigs like restaurant serving, convenience stores, PC bangs, and short-term odd jobs—she applied to whatever was posted.
She wanted an easy, cushy part-time for pocket money, but luck wasn't on her side.
She'd quit due to schedule changes or the employer's business woes, only to hunt for new work repeatedly.
About three months ago, she started a call center job.
Contract work there on weekdays during break, logistics center on weekends.
'Next semester has a lot of group projects... Better earn as much as I can now.'
She expected high mental drain, but it was more manageable than thought.
The first few days were training, then dealing with decent customers built her confidence.
Then one day, she encountered a truly nasty customer.
- What do you mean no refund on clothes? It says unconditional! And you're making me pay shipping?
- Hello, customer. Per policy, unconditional refunds within 7 days if no damage. Order A123084 is over a month old, with torn tag and neck stain—refund denied.
She responded diligently per the manual, of course.
- What kind of 'unconditional' is that!
- I'm sorry, customer. There's nothing more we can do.
- If you said unconditional, do it!
- I'm sorry, customer.
- I'll report you to the Consumer Protection Agency. Think I'll let this slide? I'll post everywhere online!
- Yes, please do. I'm sorry, customer.
That's exactly what training taught.
Accommodate reasonable requests, but for unreasonable threats like posting online, be firm.
- Are you insane? What did you just say!
- Customer service can't assist further. For disputes, please...
- What's your name! Say it clearly!
- Consultant Park Siha.
But this jerk didn't hang up despite the firm response.
Yelled at her for another 30 minutes.
- Get me Park Siha.
Every day—truly every day she worked—he called the center without fail.
"Can't you block this number or something?"
"I'll ask upstairs~."
Even the team lead couldn't help.
The consumer agency or whoever surely dismissed his claims.
Still, he vented on her for a full month.
'Do I really have to live like this?'
Quitting was the answer. Only way.
She knew, but the call center paid relatively well.
She endured, and eventually even he tired out.
Instead, her body started acting up.
Just like before under stress, her cycle sped up.
"Siha~ Good work today. We're grabbing drinks—wanna join?"
"Ah, sorry. It's my period, feeling rough."
"Aw, go rest then."
The cramps weren't bad, but the sticky discomfort made her want to lie down.
So Park Siha turned down the drinks invite.
A couple extroverts organized outings with coworkers, but the call center was pretty individualistic.
She didn't think twice about rejecting.
"What? No way—that's bullshit. Didn't you borrow pads from me last week?"
But someone called her out on her cycle.
"Huh?"
"Here's what happened..."
"Siha, I'm disappointed. Just say you don't wanna go instead of lying."
They assumed she lied.
The two who invited her were dead certain.
She explained sometimes it came twice a month, but they didn't buy it.
From then on, Park Siha felt subtle exclusion.
Really, it did happen twice some months. Even she felt insane.
Couldn't prove it.
Were they routing psycho calls to her on purpose?
Probably not. Just lucky first week.
Daily, at least one nutty customer spewed madness, and coworker vibes were unbearable.
She tried quitting for something else, but jobs were scarce.
"Gasp, unnie. You okay? Cramps?"
"Yeah."
Even mild cramps worsened, making everything resentful.
When she shrugged it off, fine—but now it felt like a major illness.
"Ah... I see how it is."
Should she go to the hospital? Debating.
Her one caring part-time friend recommended a Korean medicine clinic.
* * *
Introduced by Min Juyeon?
Jeong Inseong's girlfriend, another part-timer who'd had skin issues as a patient.
Works at a call center too. Still dating Inseong well?
"If you suspect something, that's likely the trigger. Must've been a lot of stress."
"Yes. Not outright harassment like that psycho, but just going to work is stressful."
She understood not wanting expensive meds.
In that situation, who'd keep a job to buy 400-500k non-covered treatments?
I meticulously noted her history and asked about symptoms.
"Three months of cycles every 14-20 days. Besides frequency, any other symptoms? Cramps okay?"
Park Siha thought carefully before answering.
"Worse than before, but just a dull ache in lower belly and pelvis. Lying down, it's fine—watching drama, I forget it. Standing or sitting at work, it bugs me. So on workdays, I pop a painkiller preventively. Oh, pain's only day one. None after."
"How's the flow?"
"Kinda... heavy. Leaks often."
Dizzying just imagining.
Frequent periods often come with heavy flow, and Park Siha fit that.
Naturally prone to anemia.
"Eating and sleeping okay?"
"Yes, no real issues. Healthy otherwise."
Checked general symptoms as always when prescribing, but nothing notable besides main complaint.
"Stay put a sec. I'll palpate lightly."
"Okay."
"Shoulders first."
To check muscle tension, I lightly pressed Jianjing point.
Great for overall tension as TP in trapezius, the biggest shoulder/back muscle.
"Eek!"
As expected.
Park Siha flinched, tensing her shoulder.
"Lie on the bed."
"Yep."
"From between breasts down abdomen."
"Yep."
Danzhong for diagnosing heart fire.
"Kinda stuffy...?"
Below, Gegu at xiphoid process.
"This hurts more."
"Left and right now."
Broader, under diaphragm.
Left fine, right...
"Wh-what's here? Hurts so much!"
Not fine.
Park Siha grimaced, asking.
"Your liver."
"Problem with my liver?"
"No. Bloodwork should be fine. But stress and overwork burden it, causing this swollen pain. In Korean medicine, ganqi depression."
Korean medicine sees stress as stagnant, suppressed liver qi.
Often pain from liver area—ribs to flank.
Heart relates too, but more to mental effects: insomnia, depression, emotional instability as heart issues.
Given clear stressor and palpation, organ pattern showed liver over heart.
"Abdomen feels distended too."
Diagnosis halfway, but continued to abdominal exam.
Some tension like indigestion, not stagnant but taut.
"Ugh, looks like lots of issues..."
Pulse same lying down.
Taut wiry pulse, like tight string.
"Gan depression causing early menses. Hard to pinpoint cause in Western terms. Stress altering hormones, maybe."
"Yeah... Can acupuncture fix it?"
Park Siha nodded.
Quitting impossible, big spending too.
Curious if treatable anyway.
"Need acupuncture. Whole body tense from shoulders to belly—must release. But needles alone won't cut it."
Root treatment for ganqi needs meds over needles.
"Ah..."
Her eyes wavered hugely.
I continued quick before disappointment set.
"Not all hanbang expensive. Cheaper than most Western meds, difference in duration and insurance. Use insurable formulation closest to your symptoms."
Thinking of modified Xiaoyao powder prep—copay ~800won/pack.
Twice daily full month, under 50k.
Showed her the prep, explained treatment.