Chapter 55
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Weight Loss Milestone and Cousin's Motives
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"No, it's weird, right? I can't tell if she likes getting acupuncture or hates it. She flinches at the slightest touch on her trapezius, so how does she keep coming back?"
"Tell me about it. Even if we tell her not to come, she keeps following us?"
Park Sesun finally managed to speak after laughing for a good while.
Was the hypothesis that her cousin was a masochist that hilarious? She was still covering her mouth, chuckling away.
"Have you ever gotten acupuncture before, Ms. Park Sesun?"
"Probably not. And while Sunyun might not know it, I definitely don't have that kind of taste, so please make it painless."
"Of course. I'll start light."
I made sure the curtain was securely closed and rolled up Park Sesun's sleeves and pants legs.
She mentioned constipation, right?
In that case, I should start with the Four Gates acupoints—Hegu, the Source Point of the Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian.
To keep it painless and minimal, I only needled two spots on her arms.
Hegu and Quchi.
Quchi was especially effective for promoting digestion and relieving constipation among the Large Intestine Meridian points.
"Ugh...... Oh!"
The moment I inserted the needles in just those two spots, she let out a burp.
Park Sesun covered her mouth with her palm and turned her head toward the wall.
If she's reacting this quickly, I won't need to needle her lower back or abdomen much.
I swiftly superficially needled Zusanli—the core of digestive treatment—along with Upper Epigastrium, Middle Epigastrium, and Lower Epigastrium.
"Doesn't hurt at all, does it?"
Park Sesun couldn't respond.
Instead, clear evidence of her digestive system moving came from elsewhere.
Prrrrrt.
Her face, which had only been a little embarrassed from the burp, turned bright red.
"Um, uh......"
"Don't worry about it. It's proof the treatment's working. Happens all the time."
"Okay......"
I told her it was fine, but she closed her eyes and fanned herself with her free hand—the one without needles.
"I'll put some moxa on your lower abdomen. Just a moment......"
"No, mmph."
"Hm?"
"I don't think it'll be necessary."
"Moxa doesn't hurt at all, and it isn't that hot."
"No, not that! The signal's here."
"Ah."
I pulled out all the needles right then. It had basically been a superficial needling session anyway.
The moment the needles achieving their goal were removed, Park Sesun shot up and dashed to the bathroom.
"Impressive as always."
Chu Miyoung, who had been observing from a few steps away during the treatment, as usual, spoke up.
"Aw, just a coincidence."
I scratched my head. Even I couldn't control bowel movements completely.
She didn't seem likely to ask for more needles, so I headed back to the exam room with just Chu Miyoung.
"The actress really seems to like you, Director."
Chu Miyoung said it with a strange look in her eyes, like it was tinged with jealousy.
"Yeah. At first, it felt like she was just relying on me, but lately, she gets all fidgety wanting to chat about everyday stuff."
"Right?"
"Since she's an actress, maybe she's pretending to get close on purpose."
"You're too much! She likes you, so she's trying to get friendly."
It happened sometimes.
When you snap! and solve someone's long-standing issue, don't they seem kinda cool?
Some want to repay you, some just admire you, and others develop affection.
Some became friends, some didn't, but I never deliberately kept my distance. Not until I met the Heavenly Demon, anyway.
"Director, I'll head out now?"
"Sure, take care!"
Park Sesun, having finished her business, knocked on the exam room door.
I got up to say goodbye and opened it, but she had already bolted to the desk to pay.
It was such a common occurrence; no need to be that embarrassed.
She'd be back next week anyway, so I let her go without chasing and returned to my chair without regret.
"Too bad I couldn't watch the whole thing, but it looks like it'll go smoothly as planned."
Chu Miyoung closed her notebook, which she'd been jotting in nonstop.
It had been over two months since we started her tutoring, so it was time to wrap up.
Today was her last observation day.
Clinic hours were winding down anyway, so I told Seo Inae and Seol Yuhee to clock out first, then sat down with Chu Miyoung.
"Yeah. We've built good rapport, and she's following instructions well."
Throughout the observation, she'd envied the relationships I had with patients. She'd never received a heartfelt thank-you gift, she said. Even the occasional cookies came with ulterior motives?
Anyway, rapport is hugely important in medical practice. If patients are guarded or hide things, even treatable conditions become impossible.
"She's losing weight so healthily. Fixing her eating patterns and treating her sluggish digestion has brightened her complexion too. Sigh...... I really need to reflect on this."
"Reflect? On what?"
"Back when I was deputy director at the Cheonan branch. Looking back, there was so much to learn there, but I thought management was the manager's job and paid no attention. I just recited textbook jargon. If I'd cared more, I could've helped her lose weight healthily."
If someone's looking for professional info, they should dig into textbooks or papers. Back in the day, access was limited, but nowadays, a doctor's role can't stop at mere transmission.
She's changed her mindset now, so I won't say anything. Pouring out such honest thoughts to someone much younger was impressive in its own way.
Come to think of it, something felt off.
The tutoring schedule over the past two-plus months hadn't been easy. To pack in as much as possible, I'd demanded previews, reviews, memorization, hands-on practice, and critical thinking—yet Chu Miyoung never complained once.
How could someone capable of this have been so listless at Haneul Clinic?
"Director, were you negative about dieting itself?"
"......Yes."
"How on earth did you end up working at Haneul Clinic?"
"Good question. My seniors kept saying a pretty face was the top skill and pushed me toward beauty clinics...... No, when I first started, I wasn't that negative! But the Cheonan director insisted on mentioning skin care and dieting to every patient, no matter their complaint, and that's how it snowballed."
"Like pushing unnecessary stuff and scamming them?"
"Exactly! He said every woman needs skin care and dieting, ha......"
Chu Miyoung trailed off, shaking her head.
Just recalling the past stressed her out.
"I should've quit sooner, but it became routine...... My parents told me to open my own practice with it...... Who can I blame? My fault for taking the easy path."
"Not entirely wrong."
"Right? It was all me......"
"No. What the Cheonan chief director said."
Chu Miyoung just sighed deeply, but I saw it differently.
"Almost every Korean, men included, has a need for dieting and skin care."
Adult obesity rates are charging toward 40%.
Average office workers can't have a dedicated nutritionist, housekeeper, or trainer like Park Sesun. Escaping delivery app temptations, fixing disrupted eating habits, and exercising takes superhuman effort.
No one can deny the desire for easy, convenient weight loss.
"True......"
And it's not wrong to call it lookism.
Obesity really does cause tons of complications.
"Pushing it on everyone is obviously not the answer. Only recommend weight loss if you judge it's necessary, and the benefits outweigh potential side effects from diet meds. Considering cost-effectiveness and safety—only when you'd take it yourself."
For someone like Park Sesun, just over the obesity line, it might be ambiguous, but I was confident I could help her lose safely, so I recommended it gladly.
"Personally, I think diet herbal meds have a clear edge in efficacy, convenience, and price over other treatments."
"......You're right. It really seems that way. I lacked confidence and backbone."
"Your old workplace pressured you hard, so don't beat yourself up too much. From now on, trust your judgment."
"Yes. I've learned so much."
Chu Miyoung suddenly stood and bowed deeply to me.
I'd taught her a ton.
From detailed disease specifics she'd forgotten post-grad to full herbal prescriptions, plus hundreds of case studies. My acupuncture and tuina skills were solid too. She lacked experience but was visibly growing.
"I taught well, and you're plenty capable, so be confident in Daegu."
"Thanks to you, Director, I think I can."
Chu Miyoung beamed. She'd always clenched her teeth anxiously, but the more she studied, the less she did it.
"Heading up today?"
"Yes. Though I'll visit once a month. And call often! Still tons to ask."
"Anytime."
With patient permissions and extra tuina, I'd been 1.5x busier.
And I'd spent nearly all weekday evenings and weekends on her, barely gaming.
It was a hassle daily, but now that she was leaving, it felt a bit empty.
"I'll work hard, earn big, and send you plenty."
Of course, the positives outweighed it.
Way more rewarding than most games. Like clearing a chain of quests to unlock raid content.
I happily cheered her new practice.
"Fighting."
I thought her leaving would free up time, but clinic hours were still nonstop.
Word must be spreading—patients hit 60 a day.
Time to seriously hire a deputy director, no joke.
I barely had time for thorough initial consults. Long waits covered it so far, but more growth would drop quality.
"How about reservations? For initial visits or med consults taking 10+ minutes, push back non-reserved ones."
"Ah, sorry for the long wait. Lots inquiring, must be inconvenient."
"Nah, I can just say I have other pains. The staff seem overwhelmed."
Park Sesun was spot on. Seo Inae ran the treatment room smoothly as hub, but Seol Yuhee struggled adapting to the surge.
"I'll think about it. Thanks."
Time to seriously revamp the system.
We'd grown close enough for her weekly visits and candid advice.
"How about you, Sesun? Not feeling drained?"
"Me? Loving it. Bumped cardio to 30 minutes per your advice, and my condition's better. The tonics make me feel sturdier too."
"Glad to hear."
After 6kg down, two weeks stagnant had her anxious, but the plateau passed.
"InBody check. Oh......!"
"55kg. Success."
And finally, a final sprint: 9kg down in three months.
"Perfect! Great job all this time!"
She'd weighed at home first—no surprise in her eyes. Instead, pure joy, beaming ear to ear.
"Thanks to you, Director. I was terrified I'd live with this belly fat forever. Now I can shine in my next film."
"Your effort made it happen. Take remaining meds twice daily for maintenance!"
"Yeah. Really......"
"Tough, huh?"
"No. Weekly check-ins and your praise made it fun. Proper healing in Busan before I go."
Park Sesun kept smiling brightly, bowing repeatedly. Achieving her three-month goal warranted pride.
I gave a few more congrats and ended the consult.
"Ah......!"
As Park Sesun opened the exam room door, Park Sunyun, peeking down the hall, flinched.
He'd come for consults early on, but she'd shooed him out for interrupting.
Yet he kept showing up religiously.
"Mr. Park Sunyun."
"Y-yes."
Did this guy know how suspicious he looked?
Park Sesun was glaring with narrowed eyes—surely she'd told him once.
He'd had chances to confess, but just repeated treatments silently.
I couldn't stand the suspense anymore.
"Got a question."
"Yes. Go ahead."
"Where's your crush? On Ms. Seol Yuhee? Just ask her out straight!"
I cut right to it.