Chapter 85
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Dancing Through the Pain
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Oh Jiyoung had loved dancing ever since she was little.
Even without anyone to teach her, she'd mimic the dance singers on TV, and once she got a smartphone, she taught herself by watching YouTube.
"Anyone wanna sign up for the talent show~?!"
"Count me in, no question!"
When she started elementary school, she met friends who shared her passions.
Like her, they dreamed of becoming idols, spending their free time singing, dancing, and dressing up.
"Hey kids, mind doing a dance routine for the sports day opening ceremony?"
The teacher, realizing how much the kids loved dancing and being the center of attention, asked them to perform at the event.
"I'll dance here, so Jiyoung, you come in from the side!"
She'd film TikTok challenges with her friends and upload them too.
Then one day...
"Whoa, looks like a broadcast dance academy just opened up near the station!"
A dance studio had popped up within walking distance from home.
"No way!"
"Their website says one instructor was a backup dancer for Idol U-Way! Bet he's met tons of celebs."
"Isn't the choreographer even cooler?"
"We gotta sign up the second they open!"
All her friends she hung out with signed up.
"What class we taking? Broadcast dance? Girls' hip-hop? Kids' dance is for kindergarteners, right?"
"They'll tell us at the consultation."
"You're coming too, right Jiyoung?"
"I'll ask Mom first."
Of course Oh Jiyoung wanted to go. She dreamed of joining the broadcast dance class with her friends, learning properly, and maybe even auditioning someday.
"What? Dance academy? Where's the money for that?"
But her family didn't have much to spare.
"...Yeah, figured."
Her dad was a civil servant, and she'd heard a million times that after paying the mortgage principal and interest, there was nothing left for a family of four's meals.
Oh Jiyoung had no choice but to watch her friends' skills improve while she stayed behind.
"You really wanna go to that academy that bad?"
"It's fine."
No need for an academy—if you've got talent, you'll shine anywhere!
That's what she told herself as she practiced alone to YouTube videos.
"That's a wave, right? But the angle's off."
"Do that one—the hand one like riding a wave!"
"This?"
"Whoa, that's cool."
But her friends kept getting better, and she could only watch.
I used to be the best...
Around then, her little brother Oh Jihun started elementary school.
And Mom declared she'd start working.
"Go to school with your sister, and after school, don't come home alone—come with friends. Think you can handle that?"
"Sure."
Oh Jiyoung didn't think much of it.
Just nice having the house to herself and the phone without Mom around?
But things changed a lot once Mom looked for jobs, enrolled in a nursing assistant course, passed the exam, and started working.
"I've neglected you so much... If you still wanna go, how about that dance academy now?"
"Yes! Yesyesyes!"
"If I wanna support my girl, I gotta hustle at work!"
Oh Jiyoung enrolled in the academy.
"You've been practicing a ton, huh?"
"Yeah! Every day after school!"
In just two months, she advanced to the intermediate class with her friends.
"Jiyoungie~ Welcome~!"
"Hi! Nice to meet you!"
There were kids from her school, plus lots from nearby elementaries.
She hit it off with them right away.
Practicing dances together, karaoke, shopping trips to Seomyeon for window shopping.
One day at the academy, she watched a movie.
- Bam bam! Bam-pa-bam~! Bam-bam! Bam-pa-bam!
The dance battle on water in the movie looked insanely cool.
"Like this?"
"Whoa, nuts! How'd you copy it perfectly on the first watch?"
It was raining that day too.
- Bam bam! Bam-pa-bam~! Bam-bam! Bam-pa-bam!
Recreating the movie scene perfectly, Oh Jiyoung...
Splat!
"Jiyoung, you okay?"
"Oh no! Can you stand?"
...slipped.
She was mortified, but acted like nothing happened, got up, and finished the dance.
"How'd your clothes get so filthy?"
"...Fell."
"Soaked in mud. Can't wash this out. Gotta toss 'em. That bad a slip—you hurt anywhere?"
"Ankle a bit?"
"Come to Mom's clinic tomorrow for treatment!"
"It's not that bad. A patch'll fix it."
She wasn't scared of needles per se. Just didn't wanna miss academy for a hospital visit.
"Your ankle really better? Shouldn't you skip academy?"
"It's fine. Doesn't hurt at all now."
A week later, Mom checked her ankle closely, but Oh Jiyoung insisted she was fine.
The pain really was 80% gone, and it'd heal soon anyway.
"Hmm."
But the pain lingered longer than expected.
She had a knack for running too, serving as her class relay rep, but with sports day looming, her ankle throbbed badly.
"Eh, it'll heal."
She ignored it anyway.
No other girl in class could run relay like her.
"..."
But the ankle kept hurting.
It'd been nearly six months since the fall.
Admit it hurt now? She'd get scolded.
"Why didn't you say so sooner?" They'd yell, make her quit dance academy too.
"No good. Can't nail the choreo. Switch positions—you take Bokyung's part, Jiyoung, and Sumin does Jua. Actually, Jiyoung, you center! I can't do this."
"...Really?"
"Yeah. You center instead!"
No way that could happen.
The market festival was coming, plus a local event opening with an MC she'd never heard of but was a celebrity.
Her ankle would hold somehow.
It'd managed so far. As long as she didn't twist it weird or overdo the dancing, it was bearable.
Deal with it after the show!
So Oh Jiyoung kept her unhealed ankle secret.
School, academy, staying late to practice.
"Don't be like that—just let him check once. Might heal quick."
I persuaded Oh Jiyoung and sat her on the waiting room sofa.
Jin Minjeong finished settling the bill and approached too.
"I'm really fine."
Oh Jiyoung pouted that she was okay, but from my touch, she clearly wasn't.
Visibly swollen anterior talofibular ligament still.
"Ow!"
Sure enough, just light pressure brought sharp tenderness.
I palpated her ankle medial side, knee, even hip joint thoroughly.
"ATFL's shredded—not from yesterday or the day before. Peroneus weakened too... Been a while, huh? When was the first twist?"
"Not really..."
"First time? Right, about six months ago on a rainy road!"
"Mom!"
Oh Jiyoung shook her head, but Jin Minjeong recalled her daughter's history.
"You hurt it again? Or never healed since? Sigh, shouldn't have believed you were all better!"
"...I really was."
Jin Minjeong beat her chest in self-reproach, but Oh Jiyoung denied it fiercely.
Some things you leave be expecting self-healing; others you don't.
As the saying goes, the frail rush to docs at the slightest ache and manage well.
Healthy kids like this trust their bodies and miss treatment windows. Even tough ones like Kim Ijin dragged it out, prolonging care.
"Jiyoung, you need treatment. It'll become chronic sprain—twisting at the drop of a hat. Worse, ligament tear means surgery. Then no dancing for months, just casts."
I gave Oh Jiyoung a scare with some exaggeration.
Sign to Jin Minjeong it wasn't that bad. She got it and backed me.
"Right! You'll regret this. Like the director says—rest from dancing till healed, treat it!"
"Ugh, I'm fine!"
Oh Jiyoung anxiously glanced between her mom and me.
Hmm, scare tactics not enough?
"When's the performance? Can't rest even a week?"
"This week... few days left."
"Not telling you to skip. Treat today, rest just five days—not a week."
"..."
Five days? Manageable, right?
I mixed carrot and stick to coax her.
"Treat post-show? More than a month. You'll push hard till then—ligament's at limit. Treat while self-healing remains."
"...Really heal in five?"
She finally bit.
I nodded.
Chronic sprains don't heal that fast usually, but her condition's prime.
With my treatment and qi boost, full recovery doable.
"Not 100%, but after five days, dance with treatment. Tape up, careful."
Oh Jiyoung pondered.
Jin Minjeong looked frustrated, but I waited.
"Okay. I'll tell the instructor I'm resting."
She nodded reluctantly.
Good choice.
I moved everyone to the treatment room.
Pulled out the torch.
"Using that?"
Seeing the long metal rod, Oh Jiyoung startled at the torch's look.
Expected just needles; weird gadget freaked her.
"Yes. Heated fire needle's great for recurrent sprains. You'll feel it today. Few regular sessions after, good as new."
"Heated fire needle... Heat needle red-hot then insert?"
"Some styles, but today: needles first, then ignite."
"Oh."
Regular needles take ages—miss show timing.
Her ankle pain's no joke.
Hid it six months for dance passion.
...Wanna help her perform if possible.
Hence, special fast-track weapon.
Heated fire needle targets deep connective tissue, inflamed spots: insert needle, apply heat.
Induces minor damage for blood flow boost, regeneration. Like regular but stronger stimulus.
"Me tape?"
"No, I will. Needles first."
Fire mention might scare patient/guardian, but quick heal promise thrilled her.
Jin Minjeong saw it on others, no big worry.
I needled her ankle/leg right away.
Key spots: Qiuxu, Shenmai; up Bladder meridian to Weizhong, Weiyang; Yanglingquan where peroneus starts, Zusanli too.
"Sis. Hurt?"
"Nah?"
She took needles well. Good.
"Heating now. Won't feel hot at first. Tell me if sudden burn."
"Okay."
Whoosh!
Torch lit, her blank face lit up.
In Murim, transferred embers; torch's convenient.
"Whoa, fire show!"
Brother Jihun, watching, filmed excitedly with phone.