A competent doctor can cure everything

It was Sunday evening at the training dormitory of the women’s pro volleyball team, Blue Whales.

Most players, except for married or top-level players, were staying here together.

The players were relaxing after a long day of intense training.

“Hey, what?!”

One of the players, lying on her bed and looking at her phone, suddenly sat up.

The one who’d shouted was the youngest on the team and a backup setter, known as “Soso.”

“Soso, what’s going on? You’re being so loud.”

“Unnis! Take a look at this. Isn’t this the same doctor who comes to give us those special treatments?”

“What are you talking about?”

The players gathered around Soso, who was excitedly waving her phone. She rewound a part of the YouTube video she’d been watching.

The video’s title read, “Pro Gamer Rocky’s Tearful Victory Speech.”

“What? Do you watch game streams now?”

“No, my boyfriend sent me the link. I’d told him how Dr. Seon-Joon fixed my finger in just one second! I told him a specialist from Hanbit University’s Korean Medicine Hospital treated me.”

“But what does that have to do with this video?”

“Listen to this part!”

With everyone’s attention on her screen, Soso hit play.

Onscreen, a man with glasses and freckles spoke tearfully.

– “So, we finally won after eight long years. Honestly, it still feels like a dream; it’s hard to believe it’s real….”

The man was rambling emotionally, thanking the people who had supported him—the teammates, staff, fans, family, and then….

– “Oh! And there’s someone really important I want to thank—Dr. Seon-Joon from the Department of Korean Rehabilitation Medicine at Hanbit University’s Korean Medicine Hospital! Thank you, Doctor! Because of you, my wrist is finally healed. You helped me so much!”

– “Wooooo!!”

The man, wiping his tears, broke into a smile and added,

– “Oh, and my cousin’s a gaming YouTuber, and he came to watch today’s match! He says he’s feeling a lot better too, thanks to you, Doctor.”

As he spoke, the camera zoomed in on someone in the audience.

The video showed a brief scene where a man resembling the winner smiled sheepishly and waved. Then, the host wrapped up the segment, and the video ended.

After watching, the volleyball players started chatting excitedly.

“Hey, yeah, that’s right! His name was unusual, so I remembered it.”

“Wow~ This is amazing. It’s so cool to see someone we know on a broadcast!”

“What are you talking about? We’re on TV too!”

“Yeah, but still… Oh, I wish we could give a victory speech too someday.”

One thing everyone agreed on:

“Wow, this is seriously awesome. We’re getting treated by a famous doctor!”

“No wonder he seemed exceptional. He really is a top specialist.”

Just then, Soso noticed Emma, the foreign player, looking curious about what they were talking about.

“Oops…! I should explain this to Emma too.”

Feeling a bit guilty for unintentionally leaving Emma out, Soso started explaining enthusiastically, using a translation app, gestures, and some English.

“So~ this pro gamer here… he got treated by our doctor. Same doctor! Game win! You know?”

“Hey, Soso, do you think Emma can understand that?”

The other players laughed, teasing Soso’s clumsy mix of body language and “Konglish.”

Surprisingly… Emma got it!

Of course, the translation app helped a lot.

“So, this guy’s a pro gamer, and he got treated by that traditional medicine doctor and then won the championship?”

This left a strong impression on Emma.

That night, before bed, she lay on her bed and searched for the YouTube video they’d just watched.

The views and comments had already increased. It seemed the gamer, the event, or maybe both, were quite popular.

Emma scrolled down the comments. Thanks to YouTube’s translation, she could read them in her own language.

Comments expressed fans’ joy over the long-awaited victory, admiration for the athlete’s perseverance, and… mentions of “that doctor.”

– “An amazing doctor. Thank you for helping Rocky win.”

– “This is the first time Rocky’s cousin showed his face. He also got treated by the same doctor.”

– “Here’s a video of Rocky receiving treatment from that doctor. www.wutube.com/…”

Huh? A treatment video?

Curious, Emma clicked the link, which led to another video. Sure enough, the face she recognized appeared.

Emma watched the video with English subtitles. It was actually quite interesting, and the diagnosis and treatment process seemed “rational.”

But there was more than one video. The second one, uploaded recently, had even more views and comments than the first. It seemed like a lot of today’s winning gamer’s fans had gathered in the comments section.

“Sung… ji… sun…rye? What does that mean?”

There were some unfamiliar words, but Emma guessed it was an expression of gratitude toward the doctor.

Come to think of it, that doctor could have been annoyed or even offended by her questions, yet he explained everything thoroughly.

At the time, Emma had felt grateful. She also remembered what he had told her:

“Please, don’t judge it with prejudice….”

Maybe she really had been biased.

Suddenly, Emma felt a deep sense of shame.

In Italy, racism against Black people was unfortunately common. In 2013, Italy’s first Black minister had even been hit with a banana thrown by someone in the crowd.

As a Black woman, Emma had constantly fought against prejudice.

“Had I acted just like those people who discriminated against me?”

The realization struck her heart like a weight.

And above all… winning.

Like the man in that video, Emma also wanted to win.

She reached down, running her hand over her right knee under the blanket. What she’d thought was a simple ache that would heal over time had turned out to be ligament and cartilage damage. It was something she’d only discovered thanks to that doctor.

“…I want to be treated by him.”

She wanted to heal and play without holding back. She wanted to contribute to her team.

Lying in the darkness, Emma stared up at the ceiling, realizing what she truly wanted.

There’s a saying: “When three people say the same thing, even a nonexistent tiger can be created.” In Emma Russo’s case, her teammates who were treated first, the caring doctor who diagnosed her, and finally, YouTube, all served as her “three people.”

Once she made up her mind, a sense of peace settled over her. Emma fell asleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

Everyone has a moment they’ll never forget in life.

For me, it was a certain Monday.

It’s a day that comes to mind whenever I’m asked, “What’s been your most fulfilling moment as an acupuncturist?”

The day before was just an ordinary Sunday.

I was spending my weekend off at my grandmother’s house, a rare visit. It seemed like her mission in life was to make sure I ate well, as she continuously brought out more food.

“Joon, have some more ribs.”

Every time I emptied my plate, she would quickly refill it. At one point, she stood up from the table a bit too quickly and stumbled slightly.

“Grandma! Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Just got a bit dizzy from standing up too fast.”

“You need to watch out for orthostatic hypotension, especially since you’re alone here. It would be serious if you fell. Always get up slowly, okay?”

“Aigoo, alright, you nag. But I’m eighty years old and still pretty healthy.”

She gave me a reassuring smile, but instead of feeling comforted, my heart grew heavier.

I couldn’t believe she was already eighty. She even seemed to have a few more wrinkles since I last saw her.

“I’ll try to come by more often.”

“No need. It’s enough to visit on weekends once in a while.”

She waved a hand dismissively but then added with a soft smile.

“But when you’re here, it really feels like home.”

I felt the same. Even though I had a place of my own, the real feeling of “home” was always where my only family, my grandmother, was.

After spending that weekend with her, I faced a special Monday that didn’t come with any signs or omens. No good feeling or dream was leading up to it.

It was just… hectic from the start.

To get from my grandmother’s house to the hospital, I had to leave much earlier than usual.

So, I went to bed early on Sunday night, woke up at dawn on Monday, and lazily checked my phone.

‘…?? What’s with all these message notifications?’

After reading a few, I quickly understood. There had been the pro-gaming finals over the weekend.

Park Seok-jin—also known as the pro-gamer Rocky—had led his team to victory for the first time in eight years with an outstanding performance in the finals.

Apparently, he mentioned my name during his victory speech, even including my affiliation, making it very clear.

One sender stood out among the flood of messages. It was Zerojin—Park Young-jin himself.

The long message conveyed his excitement.

[Zerojin: Doctor!!! Did you see Seok-jin’s victory speech?]

[Zerojin: He said he was sad we couldn’t show the full treatment results on the hospital’s YouTube channel. He joked that if he won, he’d mention your name last in his speech, and the guy actually did it! Haha;;]

[Zerojin: Also, I finally revealed my face and hit 1 million subscribers on YouTube!!! Haha, after doing chiropractic corrections and starting a fitness routine, I decided to show my face. I’m trying to have more confidence in myself now.]

[Zerojin: Oh!! And the herbal medicine has really helped with my IBS. My girlfriend used to tease me by calling me “Mr. Fartsy,” but now she’s stopped. Haha.]

[Zerojin: Uh… that was a bit too much information, wasn’t it?]

Good thing he knows.

I chuckled and sent a reply before getting out of bed.

* * *

As soon as I arrived at work, I logged into the EMR (Electronic Medical Record) to check on my patients.

Thankfully, all the inpatients had been doing well over the weekend.

Lastly, I pulled up the end of Kim Jin-ah’s chart.

To see those golden words that only I could see.

No significant changes appeared after six days, so I opened the record for the seventh day with little expectation.

‘…!!’

For a moment, I rubbed my eyes, doubting what I was seeing.

But it wasn’t a mistake.

On the seventh day’s chart, the golden letters were clearly there.

“July X. Patient reports the first sensation of bladder fullness since admission, Foley catheter removed; after two hours, patient achieved approximately 80 ml of self-voiding.”

It felt like the world had paused, as if all background noise was muted, leaving just the silence.

At the same time, a wave of exhilaration swept through my body.

This… this means…

A week from today, the patient will feel the urge to urinate on her own for the first time since the accident, and will actually be able to void independently.

It might seem minor, but it’s profoundly significant.

This signifies the recovery of nerve function—a sign that confirms we’re on the right track with the current treatment.

‘…It’s happening.’

This patient can recover.

A glimpse of hope was finally appearing.

In that moment, the pent-up tension and anxiety I had been holding back came flooding out.

Predicting the prognosis of a spinal cord injury is challenging.

So, as Kim Jin-ah’s primary doctor, creating and implementing her treatment plan had felt like…

‘Like being the captain of a ship navigating a dark, vast ocean.’

But now, these golden words were like the light from a distant lighthouse.

With this as a start, other areas of her body could gradually regain function too.

If so, Kim Jin-ah might eventually be able to live independently.

In that moment, a wave of emotions swept over me all at once.

Hope, relief, fulfillment, joy, and exhilaration…

Drop.

A clear droplet fell onto the back of my hand resting on the keyboard.

At first, I thought water must be dripping from the ceiling.

It wasn’t until a passing nurse gasped in surprise that I realized.

“Oh my! Doctor, is everything okay?”

‘Huh?’

That’s when I noticed I was crying.

The nurse hurriedly handed me a tissue and asked cautiously,

“Oh my, could it be that the patient’s condition has worsened?”

If I had been in a more rational state, I wouldn’t have answered like I did.

I should have made an excuse, saying something had gotten into my eye.

But I don’t think I was fully myself in that moment.

“No. I think… I think this patient is going to recover.”

I said this with a smile.