Chapter 86
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Fiery Needles and Family Secrets
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"Hey, send me that one too. I wanna post it on TikTok."
TikTok? Is this really TikTok-worthy...?
It wasn't some divine blaze—it was just a simple torch lighting things up.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Sizzle!
Unlike her earlier sulky refusal to even get treated, Oh Jiyeong watched the procedure with rapt fascination.
"Oh, that one's getting hot now. Should we leave it in a bit longer?"
She pointed to the first needle I'd heated.
I quickly removed it with the forceps.
"No, you're spot on."
For this treatment, you don't leave the needles in long. You pull them out once they start melting and bending or when the patient says it feels too hot.
"Um, can I have that one?"
"No way. You'll burn yourself."
"Aww."
"It's still too hot. I'll give it to you once it cools."
Jin Minjeong blocked her son from touching the bent needle.
I lit the rest of the needles and repeated the process of heating and pulling.
"It feels... kinda refreshing."
After removing all the needles, Oh Jiyeong rotated her ankle.
"Heh, try walking on it."
She nodded, swung her legs off the bed, and took a step.
"Huh?"
"Feel the difference?"
"It doesn't hurt at all!"
Right? Heated fire needle therapy packs quite a punch.
Oh Jiyeong stomped around in amazement.
"Jiyeong!"
Even as Jin Minjeong scolded her, she hopped up and down, then tried a few dance steps.
"Doc, doesn't this mean I'm all better? It feels totally fine!"
"Nope. Let's stick to our deal—rest for exactly five days and focus on treatment."
"...Okay."
Oh Jiyeong pouted again, but she seemed thrilled with her much-improved ankle.
"Thank you, Director. I had no idea she was pushing through the pain like that. I thought I was paying attention, but..."
"Haha, she's not a little kid anymore. At twelve, if she really tries to hide it, it's hard to spot. No need to feel guilty."
"Thanks for saying that."
Oh Jiyeong dashed to the waiting room with her brother. She clearly wanted to test her ankle with some dancing, but with her mom and me watching, she settled for the sofa instead.
I turned off the clinic lights, and Jin Minjeong went back to the waiting room to restore the clinic TV, which her daughter had connected to her phone.
Meanwhile, Oh Jihun wandered around the clinic.
"Hey, what's this?"
He spotted the autographs from Park Seseon and Hyun Jumi taped next to the water cooler.
They were small decorations—we hadn't wanted to hang them too prominently after going to the trouble.
"Hyun Jumi came here?"
"You didn't know? It was pretty buzzing around here for a while."
"I know about the incident in Daegu..."
"Jumi was my patient. The noisy Haneul Clinic that made headlines? That was our Daegu branch director."
"Whoa."
Oh Jiyeong had been stone-faced and grumpy right up until the treatment. Once her ankle improved, she perked up a bit.
But spotting Hyun Jumi's autograph made her cheeks flush bright red.
Sudden admiration lit up her face.
"Does she still come for treatments these days?"
"No, both are fully recovered, so they haven't been around lately."
"Oh."
She looked a little disappointed but couldn't tear her eyes from the autograph.
"Once you get famous too, Jiyeong, you'll sign one right next to it?"
"...I only dance well. My singing's just okay..."
"You can get famous for dancing. Let's get you fully treated this time and make practice fun again. Deal?"
"Yeah, deal!"
Oh Jiyeong left the clinic beaming with her brother.
"Jihun, take your meds! See you next month!"
"Okay! Bye!"
Back when Director Choi Eunhui treated my ankle, I'd been just as amazed, shaking it out like that kid.
I do ankle treatments at least ten times a week, but somehow, it brought back old memories.
Park Seseon and Hyun Jumi had said they wouldn't come back after treatment ended, making their words ring hollow.
Park Seseon showed up at the clinic just a few days later.
"Director, got a sec?"
She skipped the front desk and came straight for me.
"Long time no see! What brings you here? Something bothering you?"
"Nope~ Thanks to you, I'm healthy and slim! Keeping up with maintenance too. I'm in Busan for a shoot and just stopped by to say hi."
Park Seseon grinned and handed over a stack of paper bags.
"What's this? I should be the one giving gifts!"
"Just chocolates. Since I was passing by. Did Jumi and I help out at all?"
"Huge help. Way more than you know. Business is booming at both the Daegu branch and here!"
"I was a little hurt~ You should've called me first next time! Calling Jumi instead?"
"Haha, thanks for caring. Next time, you'll be my first call."
I chatted with her and peeked into one of the paper bags. There were six in total, all identical.
"Chocolates, huh? Like the ones Director Park Seon-yoon gave us last time?"
"Yep, same brand. Seon-yoon said you hired more staff, so I got one per person! Share them out."
Are these gals in the chocolate business? Running domestic taste tests?
They were delicious anyway, and not a big expense for her, so I happily accepted.
"Sorry for taking up so much of your busy time. Fighting!"
Park Seseon just popped in for a quick visit and left.
"Actress, wait!"
Jin Minjeong hesitated a moment, then chased after her for an autograph.
[Fighting, Jiyeong~ See you at the broadcasting station! -Park Seseon]
She seemed thrilled with the gift for her daughter—her smile wouldn't fade.
A few hours later.
"Great work, everyone. Chocolates from Actress Seseon. Take them home and share with your families."
At the end of the day, I handed out the paper bags to the staff.
"Whoa, thanks, Director!"
"Whoa, this many? I wanted more—they're so good—but they're pricey."
"...They're expensive?"
"Yeah. A small box like that was 200,000 won. This 48-piece one's gotta be even pricier."
Seol Yuhee's words had everyone's lips curling twice as wide.
"Ooh."
"Oh my, that fancy? The kids'll love it."
Hwang Sanghun and Jin Minjeong were purely impressed, but Seo Inae's eyes gleamed suspiciously.
...Planning to resell on the secondhand market?
Whatever, their business.
I tore open a package right there and popped a chocolate in my mouth.
No idea if it matched the price, but the silky melt-in-your-mouth sweetness washed away the day's fatigue.
A few days later.
"Huh? Who left this behind?"
Right before heading out, I spotted a box of chocolates in the clinic break room fridge while grabbing water.
I first thought Seo Inae might be using lunch break for a sale, but two pieces were missing.
Then Hwang Sanghun came to mind—no one to share with at home anyway.
Bad timing—he was off today. Ask tomorrow?
As I was prepping to leave, all four staff gathered in the break room to see what I meant.
"Oh, that's mine!"
The culprit raised her hand unexpectedly.
Gong Nari.
"Forgot it? Or on purpose?"
"Why not share with your family? Our parents loved them too!"
Seo Inae was 25, Seol Yuhee 23, Gong Nari 21.
As far as I knew, only Seo Inae lived independently; the other two were with their parents. And Gong Nari had a sibling too, right?
"Oh, sorry. Taking up too much fridge space?"
"Nah, just checking since you forgot."
I wasn't pressing, but Gong Nari scratched her head and spoke up.
"Last time you gave us a bit, I took some home and Mom snatched it all. 'You eating good stuff alone?' Total meltdown... Figured out of sight, out of mind."
She meant the chocolates from Park Seon-yoon before. We'd mostly shared at the clinic; maybe one or two pieces made it home? And she took them?
"If they liked it that much, why not buy more?"
"Right? Buying's pricey, but hiding what's already here feels off too."
Seol Yuhee and Jin Minjeong tilted their heads at Gong Nari's story.
"It's just..."
Gong Nari gave an awkward smile, while Seo Inae's face darkened sharply.
'...She must not realize how harmonious her own family is.'
Seo Inae and I sensed Gong Nari's home life wasn't normal.
No one hides something like that unless it's begging for a bite or accidentally eating the last one.
"Family stuff, haha. If my mom were like you, Ms. Minjeong, I'd buy ten boxes."
"Ah... Sorry. Everyone's got their own issues. I spoke out of turn."
"Me too, sorry!"
Finally catching on, Jin Minjeong and Seol Yuhee apologized.
By then, Gong Nari's face was back to its usual bright smile.
"Does your mom give you a hard time?"
Seo Inae, face more serious, placed a hand on Gong Nari's shoulder.
"Nah, she just hasn't had fancy stuff before~ I get it!"
Nothing to get, really. If you want a taste of family snacks, ask first.
As expected, Seo Inae picked up on the implication.
"No way it's just over one chocolate. My parents were... similar."
As Gong Nari hesitated, Seo Inae gave blunt advice.
"Won't pry into details. Not my style anyway. ...But if you can, just move out. Better than the fights and madness—not seeing them is best."
True to her word, normally she'd confirm it wasn't hers and bolt for the door.
But this hit close to home, so she lingered.
"I want to, but no money."
Gong Nari finally opened up.
"My income mostly goes to family expenses. I know it's not right... Ah, did I make it too heavy?"
"I brought it up. Skip if you don't wanna talk."
"Nah, I kinda want to vent. You're all so nice, but hiding this bugs me the closer we get."
I stayed quiet, waiting. No need to share every secret with friends, but if she wanted to unload her family woes, no one here would judge.
Sure enough, Jin Minjeong and Seol Yuhee watched with grave expressions.
"Spill freely. ...You don't hand over your whole paycheck to your parents, do you? Last month's incentives were huge."
"Ugh, trauma. Your parents aren't both unemployed, right?"
Gong Nari smiled faintly at our words.
"They both work. I don't give it all... But Dad dumps his into crypto, Mom donates to her religious group. If I don't cover rent and groceries, we'd all starve on the streets."
And then she dropped an even bigger bombshell.