Chapter 48
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: A Doctor in the Making
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It was a more luxurious restaurant than I'd imagined. How long had it been since I'd eaten at a place with private rooms? It felt like the first time since returning to the modern world.
Jeong Inseong and his mother, who were already seated, spotted me entering and waved.
"Thank you so much for making time in your busy schedule. I should start with my thanks. Thanks to you, my son's skin has cleared up beautifully, and the medicine you so carefully prescribed helped him ace his college entrance exam."
"It was all Inseong's hard work."
The skin improvement was thanks to me, but the exam results were entirely due to Jeong Inseong's own efforts.
His mother had asked me to prescribe something that would help with studying right before the exam, but just boosting concentration a bit wouldn't magically raise scores.
I'd tried making formulas like Tongmyeong-tang or variations back in school myself... but in the end, without sitting down at the desk on your own, all it did was let you focus better on gaming.
"Actually, his exam scores were way higher than his mock tests. To the point where he skipped all the interviews for the early admissions he'd applied to based on upper, appropriate, and lower estimate categories."
"Oh... congratulations."
The legendary regular admission brag I'd only heard about? I thought it was an urban myth, but it turns out it exists. In my circle, just matching mock test scores was considered lucky.
"So now he has to apply for regular admissions, and suddenly he says he wants to go to Korean medicine school. And he's got the scores to actually get in."
"Ah."
"He'd never even considered it before, so it was so sudden for me... I know it's presumptuous, but I wanted to ask for your advice."
It was exactly what I'd expected.
Unless he wanted to become a Korean medicine doctor, why would they come to me instead of the admissions experts?
"You had no interest before, but it sparked during the treatment?"
I asked Jeong Inseong carefully.
This was a consultation that could shape a young man's future, so I had to be extremely cautious.
I'd never done career counseling in the modern world, but back in the Tang family estate in Sichuan, I'd occasionally heard out branch family kids who wanted to quit martial arts training and devote themselves to the medical hall.
I was 100% satisfied with my own profession back then, so I'd strongly recommended it... but within months, many changed their minds.
'Not sure if it was the medical hall or Master's strictness that was the issue.'
In the Tang family, they could just beg to return to their original training spots, but realizing after university that it wasn't a fit could be quite troublesome.
"Yes. I thought getting into Seosung University would be a huge success. But then suddenly my scores were good enough for Korea University too..."
Out of nowhere, Korean medicine school popped up.
Jeong Inseong interrupted his mother to voice his own thoughts.
"It was Mom's goal, and I didn't really have any strong feelings either way. I wasn't particularly into engineering, but I didn't hate it, so I just filled out the early admission forms as told."
That's how most high school seniors are. More than half my classmates were probably the same.
"Finding something you're passionate about is a good thing in itself."
"Inseong's dad and grandma said the same. They congratulated him on finding what he loves and hoped he'd get in. But what does he really know? A few consultations with you are all he's got."
"That's why we arranged this meeting."
"Yes. I don't know much about other careers, so I can't give expert advice, but feel free to ask anything. And maybe talk to someone working in engineering too."
"Yes, yes. We should! Thank you so much."
No sooner had I offered to answer any questions than a barrage of them came from both.
"What do you learn in university?"
"What are the tough parts of being a Korean medicine doctor? Have you ever regretted it?"
Those were the student's questions.
"How much do you make on your first job?"
"What percentage of your classmates have parents who are Korean medicine doctors?"
"What's the median income for private practitioners? Mind if I ask about the investment costs for opening your own clinic?"
The parent was predictably focused on money.
I told them everything straight.
"You graduated less than a year ago?!"
His mother gaped when my short career came up.
If she'd heard this before deciding on treatment, she'd have been pretty suspicious. But now that he was fully healed, it didn't matter.
"Can you treat patients this well just by studying hard in school? Did you learn any secret remedies elsewhere?"
She gulped down her wine as she asked.
She startled and covered her mouth a moment later—she'd apparently mistaken it for water in her shock.
'Secret remedies.'
I'd been hearing that term a lot lately. Just a few days ago, Park Seonyoon had insisted she wasn't prying for secret formulas.
'Most people think Korean herbal medicine has secret recipes.'
My prescriptions weren't like that at all. I just combined over 300 herbs as needed, tweaking slightly each time for the patient and symptoms, so there were no fixed secret remedies for specific diseases.
Even martial arts manuals require applying techniques situationally—how could a single formula do much?
There might be the Tang family's formless poison for killing, but no immortality grass for saving lives.
Instead, millennia of best-effort treatments were compiled in medical texts. Acne treatments were in Donguibogam and dermatology textbooks alike, so it was fortunate.
"I studied really hard. Graduated top of my class. And while in school, I visited various clinics for observations."
"Did you have many connections?"
"No. I just boldly asked strangers to teach me, and some kind-hearted folks obliged."
In fact, even before dropping into the wuxia world, I'd frequented clinics. There, without connections, you couldn't even order herbs online with a click, so I had to hustle.
"Ah... that's a problem. Our Inseong is shy and wouldn't do that well."
"You don't need to go to strangers for that—there are plenty of excellent professors. I was just unusually persistent. Sure, inheriting 50 years of parental experience would be great, but don't idolize it. Once you pass the exams and graduate, you'll have the basics down."
"Yes."
She nodded, but didn't seem convinced.
If they'd come to me first, she might have, but Chu Miyoung's failed treatment right before probably lingered.
"Don't worry too much. I impulsively opened my own clinic, but most do residencies or assistant roles first. Worst case, after graduating, work with me for a bit? By then, I'll have expanded a lot."
"Oh! Could we really ask that?"
His mother clasped her hands in delight.
That was what she wanted to hear.
"Mom, he hasn't even gotten in yet..."
It was a bit— no, very— premature job offer.
Jeong Inseong blushed and reined her in, but if he kept growing steadily, it wouldn't be bad for me.
Hiring even a nurse assistant was tough—how much more a doctor assistant? Once vetted, he'd be welcome.
'Another prospective assistant director and branch manager.'
I grinned and patted his shoulder.
Come back well-trained from school.
"Worry thoroughly about fit before committing, but don't stress jobs or studies. Get the license, and I'll make sure you thrive anywhere in the country."
"...!"
Was he holding back not because of his mom's fussing, but worry about burdening me?
He was deeply moved by my bold assurance.
Good. Even with six long years ahead, as long as school didn't enslave him, he'd come under me.
"We just wanted light advice, but you've said so much—thank you truly. This will help us make a great decision."
His mother, fully satisfied, downed her wine.
No mistake this time. She one-shotted the rest and called for the bill.
'How much?'
I glimpsed the amount and flinched, but she was already pulling out her card.
"Of course, it's on us."
Makes sense—Madam Heo Sun-nam was quite wealthy, right? Earning a meal for the consultation was fine.
"Haha, thanks for the meal."
* * *
After the luxurious dinner, I headed home.
Eating out at a nice place after months of one-room home cooking felt great.
It seemed too pricey, though. Was it okay?
'No, I could splurge a bit too?'
After months of loans, I'd avoided unnecessary spending, but by now, the minus sign on my overdraft account probably vanished.
I opened my banking app for the first time in ages.
"Ugh...!"
Pre-opening, I'd checked daily as game charges and deliveries dwindled my balance. Post-opening, seeing the minus just soured my mood, so I barely opened it.
Games were mostly quit, meals home-cooked.
Does that save money? Hardly—it costs more.
Just when claims built up a bit, something broke, clinic expenses popping up constantly.
But spending where needed and skimping elsewhere meant checking changed nothing.
"Wow!"
I expected debts cleared, but an eight-digit balance stared back.
"Hehe."
What a warm feeling in my chest.
I hadn't sunk big money like Chu Miyoung on key deposits or interiors. Seeing the minus flip to plus felt immensely satisfying.
'Should I move to an apartment like Director Chu? Got my license, so maybe a car...'
Endless spending temptations. My thoughts naturally drifted to the biggest two.
But I snapped out of it.
No way.
With patients and revenue trending up, now's for reinvesting and expanding.
Hiring an assistant means salaries—profits dip until settled.
No desire to debt up on housing or cars amid uncertainty.
'Even after Director Chu reopens and branch two stabilizes, it won't be too late!'
Weekend tutoring fees, paid post-session, would pile up to nine, ten digits.
Just like my clinic thriving, Chu Miyoung's skills and revenue needed to soar.
One trusted me to relocate her clinic, another chose a path.
Excited for the future, yet feeling responsibility.
"Ah~ I hope everyone succeeds!"
One has far to go; start by fast-tracking Chu Miyoung for branch duty.
And the very next day.
Heading to Chu Miyoung's for weekend tutoring, I heard great news.
"Director! It worked out. We can transfer right away!"
Clinic transfer? Progress was lightning-fast.
Just days ago, she was talking lawyer and exiting the Haneul Clinic network?