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TL: ALT
Chapter 10 – Yunseol
The mysterious woman who suddenly grabbed my hand!
I was slightly flustered when she took my hand.
Finally, Jin Young-seok shouted at me.
“Hey, Heo Jin! Don’t tell me you know her?”
His eyes seemed to beg me to say no.
But I didn’t see that look in his eyes.
Instead, I shifted my gaze to the woman holding my hand.
One woman came to mind.
“Could it be Ms. Yunseol?”
“You’re amazing, Doctor!”
Just as I thought.
The woman holding my hand right now was Yunseol, a regular at my clinic.
“I covered everything up. How did you know?”
“I can tell just by looking at your build and the way you walk.”
I’m a seasoned Korean medicine doctor, after all.
I can recognize someone just by their build and gait, even if their face is covered.
Should I say that I’ve mastered the art?
“Somehow, you seem more awakened than the awakened ones, Doctor.”
“By the way, what brings you here?”
Yunseol lived in the city.
There was absolutely no reason for her to be in the countryside.
In response to my question, Yunseol replied as if it were obvious.
“I came to see you, of course.”
Yunseol’s answer was blunt.
That answer made Jin Yeong-seok’s face fall in despair.
“Huh, you bastard, Heo Jin! How dare you flirt with this lady like this?”
“Flirt? That’s bullshit.”
It’s a doctor-patient relationship.
There was absolutely nothing between her and me.
“More importantly, when are you leaving?”
“Ugh!”
“I accepted your offer earlier. You should be leaving soon.”
I had agreed to take on the role of doctor instead of Park Haneul.
That settled Jin Young-seok’s business.
I wanted him to stop interfering.
“I-I also want to talk with this lady…”
“If you don’t leave within three seconds, I’ll change my mind. Three, two, one.”
“Damn it! I’ll remember this! Heo Jin!”
Jin Young-seok left like a third-rate villain.
Guys who are obsessed with women are really different.
He has feelings for Park Haneul yet shows interest in Yunseol.
But that wasn’t the important part.
“Ms. Yunseol, how on earth did you find this place?”
I didn’t tell any of my patients that I was going to the countryside.
I just vanished like the wind. Yet she came looking for me.
“There’s a way to do it all, isn’t there?”
“A way?”
“Are you curious?”
Yunseol’s expression became unfocused. Honestly, I was curious.
But at the same time, I remembered Park Haneul’s words from before.
“I was told that big shots from the underworld are protecting me.”
What did that mean?
Could Yunseol, standing before me, be one of those underworld big shots? If she were, finding me would be easy. So I shook my head.
“Sometimes the truth can be poison.”
“You’re wise, as always.”
Yunseol smiled faintly.
That smile felt like a well-honed blade.
It gave me a slight chill.
“Does this mean there are more people like this among my patients?”
The thought sent a shiver down my spine.
But that won’t change my attitude.
After all, treating people is the same.
“By the way, it’s a shame. I won’t be able to receive your massages anymore.”
She was a regular at my clinic.
She came two or three times a week!
That’s why she sounded so regretful.
“Hmm, then I suppose I should offer you a service, Ms. Yunseol.”
“Huh?”
“It’s still before opening hours, but would you like to receive one after so long?”
With that, I put on my gloves.
As for the question…
“Of course!”
A sparkle lit up in Yunseol’s eyes.
* * *
I’ve mastered just about everything.
Acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal medicine…
“Ugh!”
“Don’t make strange noises.”
Even massage.
They said my massages were especially top-notch.
Did they say it melts away all the fatigue in the body?
My father’s expertise with acupoints must have influenced it.
“While I wasn’t looking, coldness accumulated in your body.”
“I tend to use ice-attribute skills, you see.”
“You must always feel miserable with that coldness circulating in your body.”
I skillfully continued the massage.
First, I applied pressure to the top of the head and then lightly massaged the temples.
Next, I pressed the back of the neck and rubbed the shoulders.
Then, I gently massaged the abdomen in a clockwise direction.
Finally, I finished by applying pressure to the palms and soles of the feet.
The moment the entire massage concluded…
“Ahh… This is the feeling.”
Yunseol smiled ecstatically.
“I stimulated blood flow to circulate warmth throughout your body.”
“As expected from Master Hua Tuo. Just receiving this massage makes my body feel incredibly warm.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
This massage was for Yunseol.
Receiving it filled her body with heat.
For an ordinary person, it would make them sweat profusely.
But for her, who already had a low body temperature?
“It adjusts to the perfect body temperature for activity.”
What if she didn’t receive the massage?
Wouldn’t she have to live her whole life wearing a heating pad?
That’s why.
“I’m truly sorry.”
Realizing my mistake, I apologized to her.
Such an unexpected apology left Yunseol looking utterly bewildered.
“Why are you suddenly apologizing?”
“Because I feel like I irresponsibly abandoned you and left.”
Of course, quitting my job was my own choice.
However, that choice ultimately means patients go untreated. Thinking about that, I did feel selfish. Yet, Yunseol just smiled gently at me.
“No one blames you, Doctor.”
“…Really?”
“Of course! They’d probably feel sorry for you instead.”
“Feel sorry for me?”
“Because your health must be so poor that you came to this countryside to recuperate.”
Her answer made me smile.
After all, rumors about big shots in the underworld are all lies.
How could someone this warm and considerate be a big shot in the underworld?
“Of course, if anyone did resent you, I wouldn’t let them get away with it.”
“Huh?”
“It’s nothing.”
Yunseol smiled faintly as she said this.
“I must have misheard.”
Someone with such a gentle heart wouldn’t say something so frightening. I dismissed it as my own mistake.
“By the way, are you planning to settle here permanently?”
“Yes, I intend to open a clinic with government support.”
Government support would make things easier.
Since I planned to live here long term, that wouldn’t be a bad thing. Hearing my answer, Yunseol smiled faintly.
“Then I’ll have to come here for massages from now on.”
“A hospital close by is best, you know.”
“Oh, come on! Where else would you find a doctor as good as you?”
She’s coming all the way out to the countryside just for a massage.
That’s dedication.
But her words didn’t stop there.
“Or perhaps I should just settle down here?”
“…You’re joking, right?”
“Well?”
After the massage, she sprang up from her seat.
“Phew! Now I feel like I can live again!”
She stretched and flashed a bright smile.
“Coming down here was definitely the right choice.”
“You flatter me.”
“Then how much should I pay? Just name your price.”
“It’s like the service from months ago.”
“That’s impossible! If you like, I can give you all the land around here…”
“Please spare me that.”
Having known Yunseol for a long time, I know better.
She’s incredibly wealthy.
Probably because she’s an Awakener, though I’m a complete layman when it comes to that.
Besides, I didn’t particularly want to look up the patient’s information.
I only knew she was rich.
“Hmmm, then how exactly should I repay you?”
Just as Yunseol was saying that—
Kwoong!
A massive vibration began rumbling from outside.
At that very moment—
Nod!
We looked at each other and stepped outside.
* * *
When I went outside, I saw quite a sight.
A huge crack had appeared in the middle of the village!
The village elders were murmuring as they looked at it.
“Good heavens! What on earth is this?”
Is this what they call a ‘court’?”
“You old fool! It’s not a court; it’s a gate!”
“Woman! It’s that one, that one—you know!”
They seemed completely unaware of the gravity of the situation. I quickly ran over and shouted at the elders.
“Run away immediately! The gate is dangerous!”
“Oh, it’s Mr. Heo’s youngest son!”
“It’s been ages! How nice to see you!”
“This isn’t the time for greetings! Everyone, get away quickly!”
The elders usually don’t grasp the gravity of the situation.
So, I became the herding dog myself and drove them away.
“Not a single casualty must be made.”
I’ve lost someone precious before.
These elders are precious to me as well.
That’s why I made sure each elder got as far away from the gate as possible.
After escorting them all to safety, I turned back toward the gate.
“Guh, cough!”
Was it because I moved too hastily?
Blood surged up from deep inside me.
This damn weak constitution always trips me up!
“Doctor! Are you okay?”
Yunseol ran over with wide eyes.
But now wasn’t the time for that.
The gate needed attention first.
“Yunseol, report this to the government immediately.”
The moment I said that,
[D-Rank Gate – Troll Tribe March activated.]
The gate was fully complete.
This gate was a whopping D-rank gate!
A D-rank gate requires about ten D-rank awakeners to safely seal it.
“But right now, the only awakener here is Yunseol.”
Well, I am an awakener too, in a sense.
However, I had absolutely no offensive skills.
In reality, it was safe to say that only Yunseol was here.
Kung!
Trolls began appearing from inside the gate!
I gritted my teeth at the sight of them.
“Why trolls, of all things?”
Trolls are a race with exceptional regenerative abilities.
That’s why Awakeners find them particularly troublesome.
In this situation, I recalled what I had to do.
“Report it. I have to report this immediately.”
What if I reported it to the Awakeners Association right now?
They would dispatch Awakeners immediately.
But this is the middle of nowhere.
The Awakeners wouldn’t be able to come right away.
Still, reporting it first was the right thing to do, so I picked up my smartphone.
Then…
Swish!
Yunseol blocked my hand with her arm.
“You don’t need to report it.”
“…What do you mean?”
“I can handle this gate alone.”
“It’s dangerous! Are you saying you’ll stop a D-rank gate by yourself?”
A D-rank gate barely requires a B-rank to stop it.
But to say she’ll handle it alone?
I absolutely couldn’t allow that.
And that wasn’t all.
“I barely drove the cold from your body! Your symptoms could flare up again!”
As a doctor, I couldn’t stand by and let that happen.
A patient who has just been treated is worsening immediately?
That was unthinkable.
“You should just wait quietly for the government agents to arrive.”
I desperately tried to stop Yunseol.
But she shook her head.
It was as if to say it was fine.
“If I get a massage, the cold won’t build up in my body for a while.”
“…Is that true?”
“Because your massage is that special.”
“Hah, but still…”
“Besides, a D-rank gate is really easy to handle.”
With that, she stepped forward toward the troll.
Calmly.
From behind, her figure looked precarious to me.
“Doctor, do you remember that?”
“Hm?”
“When I just awakened, cold energy spread throughout my body, causing me to collapse.”
She turned to look at me.
“Back then, you were the one who saved me, weren’t you?”
I remember.
About two years ago.
Yunseol collapsed in front of my clinic.
Her body was frozen solid due to her ability.
She was on the verge of suffocation; her condition was critical.
“I massaged her for ten hours straight to save her.”
I was driven solely by the resolve to save a life.
I massaged her for ten long hours.
Thanks to that, Yunseol barely survived.
“It was the first time. Someone gave their absolute best for me.”
Then, Yunseol’s arm shot out toward the trolls.
In that instant—
Crack!
Every single troll froze solid.
And that wasn’t all.
Even the gate that had appeared in the dimension.
It, too, froze completely by her skill.
“What the…?”
I gaped at this unbelievable sight.
Yunseol smiled at me and said,
“Ever since you saved me, I’ve made a decision.”
Then, she clenched the hand she had extended toward the trolls.
At that moment,
“No matter what happens, I will protect you.”
All the trolls shattered into pieces.
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Ah, Onee-san! I know, I know. It’s a Korean novel, but… 😉
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