Should I leave him alone? Or help?
Part of me wanted to watch Jo Haneul squirm for a little longer, but I didn't deliberate for very long.
If I leave him like that, it'll only get worse. The patient didn't do anything wrong.
I stepped out from where I'd been standing and walked toward the two men.
"Mm? Who are you?"
The Porsche driver turned around at the sound of my voice.
The moment I got close, I had to resist the urge to pinch my nose shut. The smell of alcohol rolling off him was overwhelming.
Wow. Both of them were drunk driving? How do two idiots exactly alike end up crashing into each other?
Any sympathy I might have had for the Porsche owner instantly evaporated.
At the same time, I realized Jo Haneul was an even bigger piece of trash than I'd thought.
"I'll take a look."
Since I'd already stepped in, I might as well treat him.
I reached out and grabbed the Porsche owner's neck.
"Ah...?"
Before he could even give permission, I pressed around his neck and shoulder, checking the condition of his muscles.
Jo Haneul's diagnosis hadn't been entirely wrong.
"What's your name? And your age?"
"Lee Jong-woo. Thirty-eight."
"No dizziness, headaches, nausea, or numbness?"
"No. I'm okay. It's just my neck..."
Overwhelmed by the situation, Lee Jong-woo answered each of my questions obediently.
Just as Jo Haneul had found earlier, his range of motion to the right was barely twenty degrees. He also complained of pain when bending his neck forward.
"You're not going to stick another needle in me, are you? That guy just now..."
His eyes were filled with distrust.
After all, Jo Haneul had already failed once. It was only natural for him to lose confidence in acupuncture.
"One needle."
I spoke confidently.
"One needle and your neck will turn normally again."
I wasn't exaggerating.
I'd treated well over a thousand patients with stiff necks that wouldn't turn.
Jo Haneul hovered nearby, unable to stop me and unable to ask for help.
He clearly didn't like this.
But at the same time, he seemed just a little hopeful.
"...Alright."
Lee Jong-woo squeezed his eyes shut.
I took the needle from Jo Haneul's hand and located the spot I'd identified earlier.
Slightly above Gyeonoe-su (Jianwaishu).
The upper trigger point where the levator scapulae muscle twisted and tightened.
I confirmed it both from the flow of qi I could sense and from the hardened knot beneath my fingers.
Pressing the area firmly with one hand, I flicked the needle.
The tip pierced the skin in a single smooth motion.
Three centimeters.
Straight in.
I distinctly felt it pass through the trapezius and reach the knotted section of the levator scapulae.
"Didn't hurt, right?"
"Huh? You already inserted it?"
Lee Jong-woo's eyes widened.
The sensation was completely different from when Jo Haneul had needled him moments ago.
"Turn your head."
I withdrew the needle immediately and told him to move.
He cautiously began rotating his neck, clearly worried it would lock up again.
Beside him, Jo Haneul's eyes darted nervously.
I could already feel the muscle releasing beneath my fingertips, so I was confident.
Apparently he was worried I might not have treated it completely.
"Uh... uh! UH!?"
His neck, which had barely moved thirty degrees moments ago, swung almost eighty degrees without resistance.
"It doesn't even hurt! Holy crap! What are you, Hua Tuo or something?"
Lee Jong-woo practically shouted.
The legendary physician Hua Tuo.
Quite the compliment.
"Just an ordinary doctor."
I paused.
"Well... a Korean medicine doctor."
Then corrected myself again.
"Actually, just a Korean medicine student."
"Thank you!"
He grabbed my right hand with both of his and shook it enthusiastically.
The suspicion from earlier had vanished entirely.
"...What did you do?"
Jo Haneul asked, mouth hanging open.
No wonder he was shocked.
When he'd tried, Lee Jong-woo's neck hadn't budged at all.
"Your point selection was fine."
I generously decided to teach him.
"You were just too shallow. The needle never even reached the target."
"......"
"You memorize textbooks but never learn the actual depth. You know the landmark, but not what's underneath it."
I continued mercilessly.
"And why are you inserting it so timidly? If you're scared and inch it in little by little, of course it'll hurt. You need to pierce the skin quickly."
"Ahh!"
Lee Jong-woo nodded in admiration.
Jo Haneul, meanwhile, said nothing.
Whether he understood or not was another matter.
"Want me to loosen the rest of the muscles too? They'll probably recover on their own after a few days."
"If it doesn't hurt like before, absolutely!"
At some point his tone had become completely respectful.
I proceeded along the Small Intestine meridian, needling Jianwaishu, Quyuan, Bingfeng, Tianzong, Naoshu, and Jianzhen.
Quyuan, located near the superior angle of the scapula, was another trigger point of the levator scapulae.
I confirmed the needle touched the scapular spine before manipulating it several times.
Finally, I inserted needles at Fengchi and Wangu, behind the mastoid process.
"Wow! My neck feels better than it did before the accident!"
"Glad to hear it."
"I seriously thought I'd never be able to turn my neck again. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Lee Jong-woo rubbed his loosened neck and shoulders in delight.
I nodded at his gratitude.
"Well then, now that your neck is better..."
Just then, Jo Haneul glanced at him and pointed toward the car.
"Ah, it's getting late."
Lee Jong-woo immediately caught on.
"We can discuss repair costs later. For now..."
Apparently having his neck fixed had improved his mood.
A few minutes ago he'd been talking about lawsuits.
"Mm? You're leaving?"
"Of course. I have an exam tomorrow."
Jo Haneul answered.
"Ah, should I pay you for the treatment? Here's my business card—"
Lee Jong-woo added.
I stared at him.
What? Did they seriously think I did all this for money?
What kind of nonsense was this?
The smell of alcohol was still hanging around both of them.
"I never said I was letting either of you go home."
I smiled and placed a hand on Lee Jong-woo's shoulder.
"...Excuse me?"
Behind him, flashing red-and-blue lights approached.
He turned his head, following my gaze.
"Uh... uh?"
"Han Yeowon!"
Jo Haneul exploded.
Only then did Lee Jong-woo realize what was happening.
His entire body stiffened.
"Mmgh."
He slapped a hand over his mouth.
Far too late.
Before I even started treatment, I'd already called the police.
They said officers were handling another incident nearby. Took them longer than I expected.
I'd worried things might turn violent.
Now both idiots getting hauled away together sounded perfect.
"You've been drinking, right?"
"Uh... well..."
"You're lucky the only thing you hit was each other. What if there'd been a pedestrian?"
My voice hardened.
"You would've become killers."
"No, no, I barely drank! That guy was the—"
"Goddammit!"
Jo Haneul stomped the ground in frustration.
Lee Jong-woo tried shoving past me toward his car.
I caught his wrist effortlessly.
"The officers were kind enough to come all the way here."
I smiled.
"You should at least take the breathalyzer test before leaving."
"Urgh...!"
He couldn't move at all.
Looking directly into both their eyes, I spoke.
The way the Heavenly Demon Lord might have.
"Stay where you are."
Their bodies froze.
"The smartest thing you can do now is accept your punishment and reflect on what you've done."
"Hic."
Lee Jong-woo inhaled sharply.
Jo Haneul looked genuinely terrified.
Completely overwhelmed.
Heh. I've lost most of my cultivation, but little intimidation tricks like this are still easy.
Running away now wouldn't help anyway.
I folded my arms and smirked.
Perfect timing.
The police officers stepped out of their patrol car and approached.
"We received a report!"
For the good of society...
Taking away these idiots' licenses seems like the right thing to do.
Jo Haneul arrived at school in a police car.
"What happened?"
"Did he get into a gang fight or something?"
"No way. Apparently it's drunk driving."
The examination hall buzzed with gossip.
Everyone should have been focused on the final round of studying, but this kind of drama was far too rare to ignore.
"I looked it up. Apparently they let you go home first and then prosecute you a few days later?"
"Maybe he caused a scene?"
"That's insane..."
I hadn't stuck around after turning him over to the police, so I didn't know the details.
Maybe he'd started causing trouble the moment he sobered up.
Hwang Seoyeong poked me in the side while we listened to our classmates gossip.
"Apparently he's a repeat offender."
"What?"
"License revoked. Could be a huge fine or even jail time."
"You heard that from Sanghoon?"
"Yep."
Wow.
In the middle of all that chaos, he'd still found time to contact his friends.
The classroom door opened.
The star of today's gossip walked in.
"..."
Silence fell instantly.
Jo Haneul crossed the room with a slightly reddened face.
As he passed my seat, I casually spoke up.
"Pulling an all-nighter? How are you feeling?"
"...Fine."
His reply barely escaped his lips.
The arrogant confidence he'd always worn around me was gone.
He looked completely defeated.
Maybe he was still scared.
"Everyone is seated. We'll begin distributing the exam papers."
The professor and teaching assistant overseeing the exam clicked their tongues and announced the start.
"AAAAAAAAAAH! IT'S FINALLY OVER!"
Someone screamed in liberation.
At last, the graduation exams were finished.
My results?
Perfect, naturally.
I'd memorized every textbook down to the most obscure details.
By the third and fourth sessions, I could count the number of uncertain questions on one hand.
"Should we go ask the professors for our scores tomorrow?"
The moment the final exam ended, I marched straight to Jo Haneul's desk.
He visibly flinched and took a step back.
"H-Hey, no."
"Hm? Surrendering before even seeing the results?"
I stepped closer.
Just like yesterday.
He glanced behind him, but there was nowhere left to run.
"Y-Yeah. You probably did better than me."
His lips trembled as he answered.
"Hmm."
Honestly?
It wasn't as satisfying as I'd imagined.
He looked so beaten down that it almost felt like bullying someone weaker than me.
"You're going to apologize, right?"
I smiled.
"For that comment about bloodlines and background."
"I spoke out of line."
Jo Haneul immediately lowered his head.
"Seriously? You're folding this easily?"
Hwang Seoyeong jumped in before I could say anything.
"...Sorry."
Even his aggression had completely disappeared.
I was wondering what I should say to make him reflect a little more when—
"Haneul, are you still here?"
The classroom door opened.
Professor Lee Min-seok entered.
Most of the students had already left.
Only Seoyeong, Haneul, myself, and Hwang Sanghoon watching from afar remained.
We all turned toward him.
"The exam's over, so... can I leave now?"
"You don't need my permission for that."
I waved casually.
I'd won.
I'd gotten my apology.
Everything I'd wanted was already accomplished.
"Let's go."
We followed the professor out.
Seoyeong and I planned to join the post-exam celebration afterward, but everyone had to leave through the same exit anyway.
We headed toward the parking lot together.
"Huh?"
I stopped.
"What's she doing here?"
I tilted my head.
"Who?"
"The director of the Haneul Korean Medicine Network."
Seoyeong blinked.
Jo Haneul's mother was leaning against a Mercedes.
"What?!"
I wasn't the only one surprised.
Apparently Haneul hadn't called her.
He clamped a hand over his mouth.
He looked even more frozen than when I'd unleashed killing intent on him yesterday.
"Fuuu..."
Director Choi Eun-hee crushed the cigarette beneath her shoe.
Then immediately lit another one.
"How do you know her? Are you personally acquainted?"
"Not really."
I hesitated.
"...I used to admire her quite a lot."
"You did?"
"You could say she's one of the reasons I entered Korean medicine school."
Thinking about it now, Director Choi had once come to my rural hometown as part of a volunteer medical outreach program.
I'd been deeply impressed.
I even followed her around to attend one of her lectures afterward.
But that was a long time ago.
"Seriously? Then Jo Haneul must've been a huge disappointment."
"Not really."
I shrugged.
"Respecting someone as a physician and them failing to raise their kid properly are two separate things."
Maybe I'd once been a tiny bit jealous.
Just a little.
But not anymore.
Looks like she really loves her son.
Maybe she'd assembled a team of expensive lawyers to clean up the drunk-driving incident.
At least, that's what I thought.
Instead, events unfolded very differently.
While Seoyeong and I whispered among ourselves, Director Choi didn't say a single word.
"I brought him."
The first person to speak was Professor Lee Min-seok.
Even then, she didn't respond.
"Thank you. You may go."
Instead, a middle-aged man stepped out from the car she'd been leaning against.
"Yes, Professor. I'll contact you soon."
The way he spoke respectfully made it obvious.
This was Jo Ho-young.
Jo Haneul's father.
And Professor Lee's former advisor.
"M-Mom, how did you—"
"Tch."
Without warning, Director Choi flicked the cigarette she was smoking directly at her son.
"Dear, that's enough."
Professor Jo Ho-young spoke while bending down to collect the cigarette butts she'd scattered on the ground.
Apparently she'd chain-smoked throughout the entire exam.
There were far more than one or two.
"Fine."
Director Choi nodded.
Then she calmly walked toward Jo Haneul.
SLAP!
Her hand flashed through the air.
And struck her son square across the face.
