A competent doctor can cure everything

“Wow, how many times has Hyung received congratulations now?”

“I… I think it’s been over ten times….”

“…….”

Today truly feels like one of those unforgettable days for me.

On the way to lunch with Wonil and Min-hwa, hospital staff keep stopping me to say hello.

It’s the first time I’ve ever teared up over a patient’s chart.

And it’s also the first time I’ve greeted this many people since joining the hospital.

“But honestly, it’s pretty amazing! Most of the other videos on our hospital’s YouTube barely hit a few thousand views, but the one with you is in the tens of thousands!”

“It… it looks like it’ll hit a hundred thousand views soon!”

Yes, that’s right.

Thanks to Rocky’s championship acceptance speech, which got picked up as a “trending video” on YouTube, my video also gained significant exposure after someone linked it in the top comments.

‘Looks like the PR team had this in mind when they hinted at a “big release.”’

I assumed it was mostly younger guys familiar with the gaming scene who’d notice, but I was completely mistaken.

Excited by the surge in views, the PR team decided to do something outrageous.

They set the big monitor in the hospital lobby to loop ‘those videos’ on repeat!

So, naturally, the whole hospital heard about it.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

At least the second video was less embarrassing, but whenever people bring up the more humorous first video, my face burns with embarrassment.

Seeing my discomfort, Wonil is thoroughly enjoying himself.

“Hyung~, please give me your autograph.”

“You’re dead.”

“Oh! Maybe we should set up an autograph booth next to the lobby monitor….”

“I said, you’re dead.”

Even as we stand in the lunch line, Wonil keeps smirking. I seriously consider giving him a well-deserved flick on the forehead.

Listening to his teasing, I quietly filled my tray with food.

Though the rice and basic sides are self-serve, the main dish is handed out by one of the kitchen ladies.

‘Today’s main is fried chicken… Three pieces per person, I think.’

Wonil, looking slightly disappointed, licked his lips before bravely speaking up to the server.

“Uh, ma’am, could I possibly get just one more piece…?”

Glaring!

Under the stern gaze of the lady—who could’ve intimidated a general—Wonil instantly shrank back.

“Wouldn’t there be less left for others? Haha. Thanks for the meal.”

Looking a bit dejected, Wonil trudged over to the table Min-hwa and I had already claimed. Serves him right for making requests he couldn’t back up.

“Is hospital rice made from air or something? You’re hungry again right after eating!” he grumbled while nudging Min-hwa, who had suddenly fallen quiet.

“Is that why you’re feeling down too, Rilla?”

“Ah… it’s actually this….”

Min-hwa showed us his phone screen, where a community post was open with the headline: “Purple Angel Bree’s Attitude Controversy.”

From what I could gather, people were criticizing her for looking gloomy and passive at an event. Comments about her “losing her spark,” “gaining weight,” and “not taking care of herself” filled the page.

Hmm… “Bree” must be the leader of Purple Angel, right? I remembered when she came to visit Mika in the hospital.

I only met her that one time, but she seemed mature and grounded, just like a true leader.

‘She even bowed and asked me to take good care of Mika, despite me just being an intern.’

I shrugged. “It must be tough being a celebrity.”

“Then it must be hard for you too, right, Hyung?”

“…Maybe if I jab your philtrum, you’ll finally keep your mouth shut.”

“Oh, Hyung~.”

After lunch, we grabbed some coffee to go and took a stroll around the rooftop garden at the hospital. Wonil gulped down his coffee and stretched, sighing.

“It’s only mid-July, but this sun is no joke!”

“Haha, you can say that again.”

“!”

A familiar voice chimed in, and I turned to see who it was.

“Dr. Seon-Joon, how have you been?”

It was Kang Eun-jung, a former stomach cancer patient I met during my rotation in the gastroenterology department last month.

Her son, Kyung-soo, was by her side, linking arms with her. Ms. Kang Eun-jung glanced at Wonil and Min-hwa, smiling softly.

“Could I steal Dr. Seon-Joon for a moment?”

“Yes, yes! Take him as long as you need!” Wonil said enthusiastically, giving me a friendly push forward.

“I’ll wait by the garden entrance, Mom,” Kyung-soo said. It seemed he was calling her “Mom” now.

So, just like that, I found myself alone with Ms. Eun-jung. As we walked around the rooftop garden together, I couldn’t help but think back on our previous encounters.

“Sorry I haven’t visited in a while.”

“Oh, not at all. Kyung-soo comes by nearly every day, so every day feels precious and full of happiness.”

She squinted a bit in the summer sunlight, smiling warmly.

“It might sound strange, but saying I’m happy while in hospice care almost feels like a lie, doesn’t it?”

“No, not at all. You really do seem happy.”

“I wanted to thank you for that, actually. Because of you, I can feel the warmth of the weather each day, see my son’s face, savor the taste of food. Doctors have this term they use: ‘QOL’ (Quality of Life). And even though I don’t know how much time I have left, I feel like my QOL has never been better than it is now. Thank you.”

She seemed much more at peace than before. But what she said next took me completely by surprise.

“And, I wanted to tell you to be happy too, Doctor.”

“…Do I seem unhappy?”

“I don’t know… When I look at you, it feels like you’re standing on the edge, just like I was before.”

“……”

I’ve heard that happiness is supposed to be found in the present. Yet I’d spent most of my time angry over the past or sharpening myself for the future. The only moments I truly felt present were when I was with my patients.

“Doctor… may I hug you?”

Ms. Kang opened her arms and approached me. I didn’t move to stop her, just stood still.

She gently patted my back with her frail arms, and whispered, “I wish you happiness, always.”

It reminded me of my mother’s embrace, a feeling I hadn’t thought about in so long.

* * *

The influence of that YouTube video didn’t stop at the hospital’s doors.

When I visited the Blue Whales, I was met with cheering and applause from the players.

“Whoa!!!”

“Dr. Seon-Joon is here!”

“We loved watching you on YouTube!”

It seemed like they were playfully going over the top with their enthusiasm. Even Head Coach Han Mi-young, who usually kept a strict, charismatic demeanor, joined in with a smile and a round of applause.

“Dr. Seon-Joon, please take care of our team so we can win the championship too!”

I felt a bit like a lucky charm for their success. Then, the team’s “big sister” Ji Young-sook approached me, practically buzzing with excitement.

“Doctor! How did you know exactly?”

“Sorry? Know what?”

“The 3 kg! My weight dropped by exactly that amount. I got chills! And my whole body feels so much better too.”

“Totally! She’s been unstoppable lately!”

“If this keeps up, our team might really make some waves, huh?”

Young-sook’s excitement only fueled the other players’ energy.

“Doctor, we don’t even know how to thank you!”

“I can’t believe we get such excellent care for free.”

“Isn’t there something we could do for you? Maybe give you some volleyball lessons?”

I wasn’t sure if all volleyball teams were this lively or if it was just this team, but I didn’t mind. With a small smile, I replied, “Then how about you mention my name in your championship speech?”

“Deal! We got it!”

“Yeah! Let’s go!!”

Everyone’s energy was contagious. Soon, it was time for me to start my rounds, and as usual, a long line had formed outside the temporary clinic. At the end of the line, I noticed a familiar face — the team’s foreign player, Emma, along with her interpreter.

“Emma, would you like to get treatment today?”

“Yes, please. Come with me to the clinic.”

I was relieved. I’d been worried she might resist treatment entirely. For once, I felt a little grateful for the video.

When Emma walked into the clinic, the other players cheered.

“Whoa! Emma’s trying acupuncture?”

“Good choice! It’s super refreshing. Give it a try!”

Emma looked a bit bashful with all the attention. After treating the players in order, it was finally Emma’s turn.

“Today, we’ll just do a basic treatment.”

Ideally, fire acupuncture would be used for ligaments, and herbal acupuncture for cartilage. But I decided not to use these techniques right away since it was her first time trying acupuncture.

Starting off too intensely with a new patient can sometimes lead to a reaction called “acupuncture dizziness,” so I wanted to ease her in.

“Acupuncture dizziness” refers to a condition where a person feels dizzy, nauseous, sweats, becomes pale, and in severe cases, temporarily loses consciousness after receiving acupuncture.

It corresponds to “vasovagal syncope” in Western medicine.

“It usually happens when someone who is extremely tense receives acupuncture or when a weak person undergoes strong stimulation from acupuncture.”

So, I plan to start with basic acupuncture treatment.

First, I inserted the needle into the semimembranosus muscle at the back of the knee. Because it’s a deep muscle, the needle must be inserted 4-5 cm deep.

Also, since blood vessels and nerves pass through the central part of the popliteal fossa, it’s better to insert the needle slightly to the inner side rather than directly in the center.

Next, I treated the quadriceps on the front of the thigh.

If there is pain around the kneecap, trigger points in this muscle need to be released.

Lastly, I inserted needles into acupoints around the knee, including the Neisulan, Oesulan, and Xuezheng points.

When I placed needles not just in the knee but also in the popliteal fossa and thigh, the interpreter looked puzzled.

“Doctor, but you’re placing needles in other areas besides the knee?”

“Knee pain doesn’t mean I only treat the knee. The surrounding muscles must also be treated.”

“Oh, I see.”

After the acupuncture, I used moxibustion, cupping, and electro-acupuncture to finish the treatment.

When I went to remove the needles from the other players, 15 minutes flew by quickly.

“I’ll take the needles out now.”

After removing the needles, I watched Emma take a few cautious steps.

“……!”

A subtle smile spread across her face as she moved her knee.

I couldn’t quite understand the meaning, but the voice she shouted to the interpreter was much brighter.

“She says her knee moves much more smoothly now… and she regrets not having tried this sooner. She also mentioned that she might try an Americano soon.”

I was relieved.

I hope K-Americanos get a little more recognition.

“By the way, from next time, I plan to use bee venom acupuncture for treatment. It has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects.”

“Bee venom acupuncture? Do you mean bee stings?”

“Yes. Normally, bee venom acts as a harmful substance, but in the case of inflammation, it actually has a strong anti-inflammatory effect. The inflammation caused by bee venom competes with the existing inflammation, thus suppressing it.”

Since I knew the foreign player would ask about the principle, I gave a brief explanation.

“The pain-relief effect comes from bee venom increasing the pain threshold, thereby reducing the overall pain in the body.”

“But isn’t bee venom dangerous? Like, an allergic shock or something?”

“These days, in order to prevent anaphylaxis (a systemic allergic reaction), the allergenic components are removed, and only the active ingredient, melittin, is extracted, making it safe. According to an analysis of 49 research papers, the incidence of anaphylaxis with bee venom acupuncture is 0.045%, with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) it’s 0.130%, and with penicillin, it’s 0.459%.”

“Really? That’s lower than I expected.”

The interpreter had a long conversation with the foreign player and then turned to me.

“The player is asking if she can receive bee venom acupuncture treatment now.”

“Are you sure about this?”

“She says she really wants to receive the treatment and get better quickly.”

Seeing the eager look in the foreign player’s eyes, I slowly began to speak.

“I can do it, but if you want to heal quickly, there’s something more important than the treatment that you need to follow.”

“Something more important than the treatment?”

“Let me place the acupuncture first, and then I’ll explain.”

I had been struggling with how to bring this up for a while.

While the player was one thing… I expected that the coach and manager would strongly object.

“They’re probably going to exclude the foreign player from practice for a while.”

Yeah, especially with the KOVO Cup tournament only two weeks away.