Chapter 81

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Translator: Ace

Chapter: 81

Chapter Title: Viral Boost and Counterstrike

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I hadn't scolded Chu Miyoung for her rash move because I was prepared to use this tactic if things got dicey, and I didn't feel any real sense of crisis either.

Still, I'd hoped to keep it under wraps if possible... but seals are made to be broken, right?

They'd come at us that aggressively—no way could we just sit back all high and mighty.

"Mind if I post our photo on Instagram?"

I messaged Hyeon Jumi to get her permission.

Park Seseon had asked me to keep her diet herbs a secret, but Hyeon Jumi had left behind photos and an autograph without me even asking.

She'd even given the okay to hang them up at the clinic.

But I hadn't bothered. The Busan main branch was packed enough as it was.

"Of course! That's why I posed for it! But is something going on?"

I gave her a quick rundown of the trouble in Daegu.

"Oh my! If it's something like that, count me in. Hold on! Is this the right Instagram? Sung...?"

"Yes, that's it."

Hyeon Jumi quickly found the clinic's Instagram after hearing the story.

There was only one Seongsu Clinic account anyway, managed by Chu Miyoung. Kim Chunsik and I just chimed in occasionally with business hours or herb profiles.

Posting there would draw eyes to the Daegu branch.

"Hehehe, get ready! I'll make sure to pay you back properly!"

A few hours later, Hyeon Jumi posted on her own Instagram, tagging Seongsu Clinic.

"A lawsuit?"

I'd figured she'd post our photo together or something clinic-friendly since she offered to help.

But what she shared was way more attention-grabbing than any ad.

It was her story: debuting young, enduring malicious comments without realizing how bad it was, then grasping the severity only after panic attacks hit.

And how meeting me, getting acupuncture treatment, restored her health and gave her the courage to sue.

"Oh...?"

This went beyond just "it works"—this was going to hit big.

"Director, DMs are flooding in nonstop. What should I do? Tell them to come in for a consult?"

Chu Miyoung was an influencer in her own right, but Hyeon Jumi's millions of followers were on another level.

The moment the post went up, articles popped up parroting it word-for-word.

With her recent lawsuit announcement, the curiosity exploded: "So that's the backstory?"

Most people fixated on Hyeon Jumi over the clinic, sure—but the desperate patients alone were enough to crash our inboxes.

"Jumi, you okay sharing this?"

"Totally! My agency said they handled it great too!"

And Hyeon Jumi wasn't done.

Park Seseon suddenly posted our photo on her Instagram too.

Complete with the tag, of course.

"Wait, didn't Seseon ask to keep the diet secret?"

I called to check if this was okay.

- As long as the diet part stays secret?

Visiting the clinic? No problem sharing that.

Park Seseon didn't have as many followers as Hyeon Jumi, and there wasn't a heartfelt story to tug heartstrings.

But everyone knew she was chaebol royalty.

Suddenly, patients poured in from afar: "Fix this," "Brew me tonics," hitting Seoul, Busan, Daegu—all branches.

"Kim Ijin, Jo Miran, Heo Sunnam—to the treatment room! Lee Jeongin, room 1~"

"Son Chunja, room 2! Kim Oksun, just a bit longer please~. No spots in treatment yet!"

"How much longer for me? Jeon Ilyang here."

"Sorry! First-timers might wait an hour and a half!"

"I'll grab lunch within the hour. Call if my turn comes—I'll rush back."

Patients were overflowing—literally bursting at the seams.

We'd always been busy, but my speedy needling kept it manageable.

Even peak times, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠no one waited over an hour.

Now? Not enough seats in the waiting room—people standing outside.

'I wanted to take it easy with consultations... that's why I cut to four days a week?'

How'd it come to this?

The Daegu trips were hectic enough; even Busan's four days offered no breather.

Park Seseon's photo alone? People might shrug: "Personal doc."

But Hyeon Jumi's post struck too deep.

Most flocked to me in Busan or Daegu, but the whole Seongsu Clinic network boomed.

Thanks to Chu Miyoung paddling hard: posts hyping all four directors' strengths.

Plenty specified her or Hwang Sanghun now.

"Heh heh heh. We'll hit three figures soon!"

Kim Chunsik grinned ear-to-ear at every video call.

Seoul's huge population helped. Most locals hit Songpa over trekking out.

Truth be told, the other three's resumes combined didn't touch half of Kim Chunsik's.

Impressive guy: prof background, PhDs standard, endless books and papers. Skills matched too.

"Teaming with Han is pure luck. Even Prof. Lee Minseok thanked me repeatedly."

He'd extended hours despite no night shifts before, vowing to handle everyone.

Worried about staff? His wife has a nursing license. All good.

And the epicenter: Seongsu Clinic Daegu branch.

As the Instagram hub, it drew numbers dwarfing the others.

"My daughter's got no real stress, but she can't sleep, seems depressed. Quit her job, just resting now."

"Similar symptoms, different causes. She's too thin—low energy overall. Treatment needs appetite boost, some weight gain. Nutrients from food fuel the brain, balance hormones."

"But gaining weight...?"

"Just 5 kilos. I'll help you stop at the right point. Health skyrockets. Meds, exercise—5 kilos, and you'll look better too."

"Okay, doc's orders!"

Hyeon Jumi's panic story drew mental health cases big-time.

"What'd Park Seseon take? Tonics? Same for my dad."

"Patient info's confidential. Dad's tonics match his symptoms. Any issues?"

"Not severe. Son nagged me. Just low energy, dizzy."

"Got it. Details: appetite, digestion...?"

Chaebol tonic seekers popped up too.

No diet mention, but sharp eyes compared her old posts—deduced herbs.

"Whoa, twenty herb packs today."

"Insane. Graphs exploding! That last one left a receipt review!"

SNS-savvy crowd meant review photos galore, no gifts needed.

Patients snowballed; first-floor cafe filled with waiters.

But it didn't stop there.

"Whoa, all this for waiting?"

Hyeon Jumi showed up at Daegu branch herself.

"Sign please!"

"Sure~. One sec, just check-in!"

Click. Click. Click.

"Hey, no pics during check-in! Delete 'em! Posing one minute—keep the cute ones!"

She ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bulldozed through the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠crowd, checked in.

Then handled every autograph and photo request inside or at the cafe.

"Event here?"

"Celeb showed..."

"Who?"

"Hyeon Jumi comes here?"

Naturally, front swarmed: patients mixed with fans.

Haneul Clinic Daegu next door couldn't miss the buzz.

"This way~ Haneul Clinic Daegu: 365 night service~."

Lee Hansol flyered desperately, but no Seongsu waiters budged.

They came far for me.

Offline hype spilled online.

Haneul's mom café ops backfired—Seongsu mentions trickled in.

Celeb sightings, long lines—over ten posts mentioning Seongsu Clinic.

Right in the middle of this skyrocketing surge.

Random ping from Yoon Hanbyeol.

I'd sworn off games during six-day weeks—no logins since.

Update or whatever, no time now.

Yoon Hanbyeol sent a screenshot: old ad from Lee Hansol on a local café.

Explained basics to engineering crowds early, snapped before delete.

What to do with this...?

She laid out evidence.

First: Lee Hansol.

Ludicrously, two IDs started "lhs"—obvious initials.

Deleted smears fearing suits, but old recs for Haneul Clinic lingered from months/years back.

Second: His wife, face public.

Yoon Googled her nick/ID to real name, school; tracked to marriage photo with Lee Hansol.

"...What the hell?"

Not done.

Third funniest: Her blog linked public on café.

Yoon buddy'd up with comments over days... mutual follows unlocked.

Backstabbing Lee Hansol, right there.

"Drop it."

Next day, Yoon Hanbyeol hurled a massive meteor into the local café.