The Physician of Traditional Medicine Returns from Murim

“Ah, I feel like I can live again!”

Jung Gwangsu pressed his now more comfortable chest and exclaimed how refreshing it felt.

I then pressed a few more acupoints on his arms and legs.

I loosened Jung Gwangsu’s stagnation just enough that it was hard to tell if it was merely psychological or a real improvement.

“Shall we get up now? I’m indebted to you.”

Jung Gwangsu smiled sheepishly, pointing at the napkins he had used to wipe his tears several times.

“Don’t worry about it at all. I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

The café owner spoke cheerfully, but Jung Gwangsu’s face was slightly flushed as he stood up abruptly.

“Next time, I’ll bring the people from my hospital room.”

“Ahaha, I told you not to worry about it.”

He looked ready to dash out of the café, so I quickly moved to support him.

“You’re going to the Korean medicine hospital, right? I’ll escort you.”

“I can’t impose on you that much.”

“I was on my way to the hospital anyway. I need to see the professor.”

“Ah, if that’s the case.”

Jung Gwangsu and I left the café. Chewing on the complimentary chocolate the owner had given us, we crossed the crosswalk where the accident had nearly occurred earlier.

Just across the street was Korea University’s affiliated Korean Medicine Hospital.

“From today, I’ll think of it as living a new life, and I’ll quit drinking too.”

Jung Gwangsu said before we parted ways in front of his hospital room.

It was unclear if he would follow through, but at least for now, his sincerity was evident.

“You’ll definitely get healthy.”

I spoke with certainty. In a way, only I, as a student, could make such a promise, since Professor Lee Minseok, as the attending physician, would have to take responsibility.

I clenched my fists, further encouraging his burning resolve. How a person sets their mind can truly change their body.

“Thank you.”

◆◇◆◇◆

After confirming that Jung Gwangsu had entered his room, I headed to Professor Lee Minseok’s office.

“The professor just left for afternoon rounds. He left a message to keep the laptop here.”

As luck would have it, he had just stepped out.

“I’ll leave it with you then.”

I had just visited the ward, but it seemed we had missed each other.

I handed the professor’s laptop to the desk staff and went to the school library.

‘I guess I should rewrite it after all?’

It was a shame to discard what I had already written, but after seeing an actual patient, my previous assignment, which only listed general treatment methods, didn’t seem like it would be helpful for treatment.

– We need to resolve liver qi stagnation and clear heart heat.

The professor seems to prefer myology. Would I get fewer points if I submit it like this? I chuckled, imagining the professor frowning at my report.

But what could I do? This was truly the direction of treatment Jung Gwangsu needed.

I wrote in detail about what I considered the most effective acupuncture method and herbal prescription.

After submitting the newly written assignment, I opened the book I had been reading until last night.

◆◇◆◇◆

At the same time.

Professor Lee Minseok, having finished his afternoon rounds, frowned at the unexpected visitor.

“Hyung, why are you treating me like this?”

Jo Haneul had entered his office without permission and was sitting in his chair with his legs crossed.

“Haneul? What brings you here without an appointment?”

“Are you going to keep treating me like a stranger? Did my father do something to upset you?”

“Not particularly.”

Lee Minseok shook his head and gestured.

“Would you please get out of my seat?”

In truth, Professor Jo Hoyoung, Haneul’s father, had done a few things to upset Lee Minseok. Professor Jo wasn’t particularly known for his outstanding character and bullied graduate students a bit more than the average professor.

He would say rather harsh things during the thesis writing process or call students for personal errands.

It was quite annoying to book flights for the advisor’s family vacation, and requests to pick up his drunk youngest son or help with vacation assignments were… quite bewildering.

But Lee Minseok wasn’t the type to harbor resentment towards his advisor for such things and then take it out on his son.

‘Does he see me as an employee?’

If he hadn’t crossed the line like this today, they might have gotten along a bit better.

After all, they had built a relationship meeting face to face.

“If it weren’t for my father, this chair wouldn’t be yours, Professor.”

That wasn’t 100% wrong either.

Professor Jo Hoyoung was as diligent in taking care of his people as he was in tormenting students. He had extensive connections with Korean medicine professors nationwide and actively recommended his disciples whenever positions opened up.

Lee Minseok had applied to Korea University through normal channels, but it was hard to say for certain that there had been no influence during the hiring process.

“So, are you going to tattle to Professor Jo? What are you planning to say? That your father’s disciple scolded me because I didn’t know the levator scapulae?”

“You think I can’t? You’re not even a full professor yet.”

“Interesting. Go ahead and try.”

Lee Minseok burst out laughing without realizing it. Did he think he could get him fired just by wanting to?

‘This kid, isn’t he over thirty?’

It was utterly ridiculous, like an elementary school student thinking their dad was the strongest in the world. He could easily imagine an advisor calling the department head to put in a good word for his student, but the image of someone asking to fire someone for bullying their son…

‘If it’s such a pathetic group, I should leave.’

Lee Minseok had written the most SCI-level papers among the applicants and had sufficient experience as a part-time lecturer. Above all, now that he had been hired, he wasn’t in a position to be swayed by a few words from his advisor.

“Hyung, I’m not trying to fight. I just want to know if you’re upset about something or if there’s anything you want. Should we talk over drinks after you’re done?”

“I can’t drink even a single drop, and I have nothing to be upset about. If there’s anything I want, it’s for Haneul to show some manners and study hard.”

Lee Minseok sighed.

“If you’d like, we could even invite my father…”

“Next time, make an appointment before coming.”

He issued a cold dismissal with a frozen expression.

Jo Haneul reluctantly got up from his seat, pretending to be unwilling, and finally left the room.

‘It’s hard to get my seat back even once.’

Lee Minseok slumped into his chair. Just when all the inpatients had been unusually cooperative today, a student had to cause such an unpleasant incident.

Click. Click.

Despite his irritation, he habitually opened his email.

Had it been only two or three hours since the lecture ended? An assignment submitted by a student was in his inbox. It was the same student who had turned in their report first yesterday.

‘Han Yeowon.’

Her previous presentation and assignment had been impeccably clean. Although they had only had two classes so far, her diligent and proactive attitude stood out. She gave the impression of a proper student that any professor would welcome as a graduate student.

‘If only Professor Jo’s son could be half as good.’

Lee Minseok casually opened the grading sheet and began reading Han Yeowon’s assignment.

“Hmm?”

He had expected another exemplary answer like the day before, but the format was completely different. It was more like teaching given to a disciple than an assignment submitted to a professor.

As he carefully examined the content, he paused at a certain point.

– For a patient who hasn’t visited a hospital in 10 years, it’s most important for the doctor to gain their trust.

Trust.

It was something that had been nagging at him internally. As a resident, he had thought it couldn’t be helped since he wasn’t a professor, and now as a professor, he had rationalized that it was natural for patients to be dissatisfied given that he had become their attending physician midway and was young.

Even as he assigned the task of writing about teaching methods, he himself was struggling to find a suitable approach.

But today, during rounds, the attitude of the most troublesome patient had changed.

Jung Gwangsu, who had always regarded him with suspicious eyes, had actively asked about his illness, saying he would do whatever was told.

‘Suddenly asking for a prescription to quit drinking…’

Han Yeowon’s assignment was as detailed as if she had personally examined Jung Gwangsu. No, it was as if she had looked into his very heart.

‘Could it be?’

Lee Minseok carefully read Han Yeowon’s assignment—no, her prescription and advice—from the beginning again.

◆◇◆◇◆

“Damn it.”

He had gained nothing from his unnecessary visit to Professor Lee Minseok. Jo Haneul spat out curses as he left the hospital, almost as if he had been kicked out.

[What’s everyone up to? Let’s go for a drink.]

A fun drinking session with friends was perfect for venting his frustration. Jo Haneul sent a message to the group chat.

[I’ve already come home. Let’s drink next time.]

[I’m meeting my girlfriend right now lol]

[Ah, too bad 🙁 My mother came up from out of town, so I can’t make it today]

Hwang Sanghun, Kim Mingyu, and Lee Cheoljin all replied in less than a minute. But none of their answers satisfied Jo Haneul.

[Haneul hyung, are you still at school? Can I ask you for a favor?]

[What is it]

[Can you borrow a book for me? The one I’ve been waiting for just got returned.]

Moreover, Hwang Sanghun was making a bothersome request. He wanted him to go to the library.

Am I your errand boy? As he was about to refuse in annoyance, Hwang Sanghun’s message continued.

[Never mind. I’ll just go tomorrow. Don’t fight with Yeowon and just go home.]

[Han Yeowon?]

[Oh, she’s always studying in the library? I saw her yesterday when I went with Sanghun hyung]

Kim Mingyu’s follow-up piqued his interest.

Han Yeowon. Han Yeowon, you say?

It had been quite satisfying to see her subdued after bombing the first semester exams, but lately, she had been increasingly annoying. Just thinking of her smirking face made him frown.

Jo Haneul had disliked her since the freshman orientation five years ago. She had no connections, nothing particularly impressive, yet she was so stiff-necked.

– Hey, your name was Yeowon, right? Have a drink.

– …What’s this?

– Romanée-Conti, 17 years old. A wine that commoners couldn’t even dream of tasting in their lifetime. Just this much is worth over a million won.

Wow, amazing! Can I really accept this? Thank you! This is so cool. It’s awesome.

These were the typical responses he heard when he brought expensive, high-quality items.

Jo Haneul had always been surrounded by such admiring and envious gazes, and his university classmates’ reactions weren’t much different.

– I don’t need it. I’m not interested.

But Han Yeowon had refused the wine.

– Come on, don’t feel burdened. It’s just a gift to get to know each other.

– I’m not particularly interested in getting to know you.

She had even embarrassed him.

She never attended any of the drinking gatherings he frequently organized after the semester started.

Occasionally, there were female students who dreamed of being Cinderella, and even if not, classmates would show their faces at least once, hoping that associating with him might lead to job opportunities. Han Yeowon was the only one who seemed intent on getting on Jo Haneul’s bad side.

‘What a pathetic sense of pride.’

It was contemptible. Even more so after hearing that Han Yeowon was practically an orphan.

Her competitive spirit was laughable, given her circumstances.

[lolol I guess she’s studying in the library because she can’t afford to go to cafes?]

Jo Haneul typed the message and naturally headed towards the library. She had boasted so confidently about becoming the top student, but of course, she had nothing to rely on.

[Yeah lol She’s already studying for the graduation exam, must be scared]

[Don’t pick fights unnecessarily. It’ll end up on the school community board again, complaining about the noise.]

[lololol Since when do you care about that? Let them talk.]

He completely ignored Hwang Sanghun’s message. This guy was good in every other way, but he was too timid.

Jo Haneul entered the central library, intending to vent the frustration caused by Professor Lee Minseok.

‘What? She’s studying without moving an inch.’

There weren’t many students in the reading room. Jo Haneul immediately spotted Han Yeowon. She really was studying for the graduation exam already, with an internal medicine textbook open in front of her.

‘Why study so crudely? She should start with past exam questions.’

As expected, unlike Jo Haneul, who studied efficiently in a short time focusing on important parts extracted by seniors and Hwang Sanghun, Han Yeowon was crudely reading through the book.

‘No wonder she can’t be the top student.’

He had clearly intended to approach and speak to her right away, but for some reason, Jo Haneul sat down in a chair far away.

‘I’ll mock her when she gets up, I guess.’

Was it difficult to disturb someone so focused?

Jo Haneul, who normally wouldn’t care about such things, found himself unexpectedly intimidated.

‘She’ll take a break in 10 or 20 minutes anyway.’

Jo Haneul rationalized, thinking of his own maximum study time, but…

‘She still hasn’t gotten up?’

The long hand of the clock made one full rotation.

‘Is she even human?’

Two rotations.

‘Is that really Han Yeowon? Is she a robot?’

Even after three rotations, she hadn’t moved an inch.

“What are you doing here?”

“Waaahh!”

Jo Haneul, who had been staring at the back of Han Yeowon’s head with his mouth agape, screamed in surprise.

“Don’t you know you should be quiet in the library?”

Han Yeowon whispered in a low voice.

“But, but you were just over there?”

“…Were you dozing off?”

Had he seen a hallucination? Looking at the clock, three and a half hours had passed since he first arrived at the library.

“You didn’t come here to study, did you? Do you have something to say to me?”