LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 55 - Shall We Have a Drink?
I frowned.
“A lawsuit?”
“The original goal of the research team was to diversify the formulation of herbal medicine to create more convenient prescriptions for practitioners…,” Min-hwa explained, furrowing his eyebrows.
As he spoke, he seemed excited, and his words came out more quickly than usual.
“The developed new drug is classified as a Western medicine, so if a herbalist prescribes it, it becomes illegal…!”
“!”
It did seem a bit strange.
The new drug is currently being prescribed enthusiastically in Western medicine, but it isn’t being prescribed at all in Oriental medicine.
If it’s registered as a Western drug, that explains why.
“Wasn’t the original plan to develop a Western medicine?”
“Y-yeah… Apparently, that wasn’t the case. At first, the goal was to develop a drug that falls into the shared zone between Oriental and Western medicine….”
Ye Wonil, who had been listening blankly to our conversation, finally grasped the situation and his expression turned serious.
“Crazy. Such a big issue happened?”
“It seems to be quite a well-known issue among researchers right now….”
“Wow.”
“But… regardless of the intent, the outcome is what it is. The Ho Yeon University research team is getting a lot of criticism. They’re being called traitors for selling Oriental medicine to Western medicine….”
I see. I propped my chin on my hand, lost in thought.
If you look at just the facts, it amounts to handing over traditional medicine to Western medicine under the name of a natural medicine.
At first glance, it looks like a highly successful study, but in reality, that isn’t the case.
So… it’s no wonder Shim Ji-seob, who wanted to advance traditional medicine through research, would be shocked.
However, that aside, I still can’t understand that senior.
‘But is there really a need to act so cynical?’
Research is research. Clinical practice is clinical practice.
Even if one suffers emotional scars in research, that’s a separate issue from clinical work.
Yet Shim Ji-seob’s words and actions convey a sense of “herbalists just can’t succeed anyway.”
As a practitioner, he should naturally feel rewarded when patients recover.
It’s strange. There must be something more to it.
“Still, why is Shim Ji-seob like this…?”
As I murmured without thinking, Ye Wonil lightened the mood with a casual tone.
“Hyung, that senior probably just made another irritating comment. Just let it slide. Anyway, once this turn ends and you go to a different department, you won’t have to see him again.”
Unfortunately, I can’t say that for sure.
I shook my head.
“I’m seriously considering the Department of Traditional Medicine Rehabilitation. So don’t tell the other interns yet.”
“Oh. Then you’ll have to endure until that senior graduates. But the rehab department is pretty popular~. Now you’re joining the fray.”
“Well, if it’s you, you’d be first choice wherever you apply, so…!”
“That’s true, but do you know there’s a ‘royal connection’ among the interns right now? I think that one is also interested in rehabilitation.”
I know.
I heard there’s an intern whose parents are both professors at our hospital.
I shrugged.
“Well, if I don’t make it because of competition, it can’t be helped.”
“But are you planning to get your board certification and open your own clinic right away? What do your parents say?”
“Uh, well, Ye Wonil… those kinds of questions…”
Seeing Min-hwa flustered and trying to stop Ye Wonil, it seems he has picked up on something.
I hesitated for a moment about how to respond.
“Um….”
Still, these are people I’ll be seeing for the next four years.
I think it’s time to share at least some of my family situation.
“My goal is to run a traditional medicine hospital, just like my father.”
“Oh? Your father is also a herbalist? Why didn’t you say anything? Where is his hospital?”
I smiled faintly at Ye Wonil, who had wide eyes and was firing off questions.
“Shall we have a drink sometime soon?”
At that, Ye Wonil dramatically pressed his forehead as if overwhelmed.
“Wow~, I can’t believe you’re the one suggesting we drink first.”
“……? What are you doing?”
“No~, I’m just so moved. It’s like a cautious stray cat has finally opened its heart to me!”
I looked at him in disbelief.
Seriously? Now I’m a stray cat?
Min-hwa, who had been nodding in agreement with Ye Wonil, quickly changed the subject when he saw my expression.
Come on, Min-hwa, even you…
* * *
After hearing Min-hwa’s words the night before,
my questions about Shim Ji-seob’s twisted nature only deepened.
Perhaps that’s why,
while I was looking at the EMR (electronic medical records) at the station,
I couldn’t help but tune into a conversation among the nurses when I heard Shim Ji-seob’s name.
“Isn’t Ji-seob from the rehabilitation department super handsome? He always speaks so softly too.”
“Right? But why doesn’t he have a girlfriend? Maybe he has high standards?”
…Normally, I wouldn’t have paid any attention to this kind of talk.
Just then, a short shadow loomed over the two chatting nurses.
“Hey, you two. Why are you so curious about your colleagues’ love lives?”
She’s like the mother and problem-solver of our Hanbit Hospital’s traditional medicine department.
She was the head nurse, responsible for managing the ward.
Today, her trademark red horn-rimmed glasses and even redder lipstick stood out.
‘Occasionally, I’ve witnessed her charisma at the ward station.’
When she pointed out a mistake made by a nurse with a smile while calling her “honey,” I felt my knees go weak.
That was when I first realized how terrifying the word “honey” could be.
“Ah! Nurse Su is here!”
“Hehe… Sorry about that.”
The nurses giggled awkwardly.
“You all. Dr. Shim is not someone you can meet with an easy mindset.”
“??”
“You should at least be prepared to deal with someone who has an elementary school kid, right?”
“Wait?!”
The eyes of the two nurses grew as wide as plates at the head nurse’s words.
But she only gave them a silent, knowing smile through her red glasses.
Relieved, the nurses finally laughed along.
“Oh, Nurse Su, you really have a way of making jokes sound serious.”
Hmm… As far as I know, this head nurse has been working at this hospital for decades.
Thanks to that, she knows all the ins and outs of the hospital.
Maybe that wasn’t just a meaningless joke, but a pointed remark?
As I mulled over her words, suddenly the direction of the conversation turned towards me.
The head nurse addressed me directly.
“By the way, Dr. Seon Joon. Congratulations?”
“Excuse me?”
“Didn’t you know? The second video just went up on Hanbit University’s YouTube channel, and the reaction is already hot!”
Ah…. I let out a short sigh inwardly.
So it’s finally out in the world.
If I look awkward in the video, they call me a robot, and if I take the consultation seriously, I get teased for that too—it’s maddening.
Sure enough, the nurses started to tease me under the guise of compliments.
“Heh. Dr. Seon Joon, you’re cuter than I expected!”
“Right? At this rate, you’ll become a popular star at the hospital!”
“…Haha.”
Vroom-!
At the same time, my phone vibrated briefly.
It was a lengthy message from the head of the PR team.
[Hanbit University Hospital PR Team Leader: Hello, Dr. Lee Seon-Joon! We’ve been worried as our hospital’s YouTube content has been running low and views have been decreasing. Thank you so much! Honestly, we didn’t expect the video to be this popular, but it seems to be thanks to your star quality and the connections you’ve built over time… (omitted)]
I thought I was reading the acceptance speech of a director who won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
After sending a casual reply, I asked why the second video took so long to upload.
The first video went up just two days after filming (on business days), but this one took five days.
[Hanbit University Hospital PR Team Leader: Ah, that’s because for the first video, we worked overtime on the weekend^^]
[Hanbit University Hospital PR Team Leader: For this video, we purposely aimed for a good release date^^]
A release date? I raised an eyebrow in confusion.
Did they really think more people would watch YouTube on a Friday?
It’s not a blockbuster movie; it’s just a hospital YouTube channel, so the team leader seems a bit too invested.
Still, people who are serious about their work are admirable.
In that sense, I didn’t dislike this person.
[Hanbit University Hospital PR Team Leader: By the way, I assumed you were already a resident, but you’re still an intern?]
[Hanbit University Hospital PR Team Leader: So you’ll be going around to all the departments in the future? How about we follow you and feature that as a special series? ^^]
…Forget what I just said.
I clenched my teeth and wrote a refusal message.
* * *
Although many interns were heading out for drinks after work on this “Friday Night,” I was at Blue Whales.
The minor examination room was bustling as usual.
The most common issues were musculoskeletal disorders, but since there were female athletes, there were also many inquiries about women’s health.
“It would have been better if I had already completed the obstetrics rotation.”
But since the next department is Korean medicine obstetrics, I would soon be learning about that field.
After finishing my consultations, I took a brief break while watching the athletes practice.
At that moment, the mercenary Emma approached me, accompanied by an interpreter, hesitating as she came closer.
It seemed she had been thinking a lot over the past two days.
“Dr. Seon, Emma has a question about Korean medicine.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“What are the benefits of acupuncture?”
“There are various benefits, but please tell her it mainly helps control pain and inflammation, and aids in the recovery of damaged areas.”
“Okay. …Then she wants to know what the principle of acupuncture is?”
Ah, a classic question that any acupuncturist has likely heard before.
“Interpreter.”
“Yes?”
“Are you ready? I’ll explain it as simply as possible.”
“Haha…”
Perhaps sensing a sad fate, the interpreter’s lips twitched slightly.
“Acupuncture treatment is broadly divided into three types: local stimulation, segmental stimulation, and systemic stimulation. Local stimulation involves placing needles directly on the painful area. This releases vasodilators to improve blood circulation and promote the healing of damaged tissue. It also blocks pain signals transmitted through the nerves, providing pain relief. Additionally, it relaxes the muscles.”
I waited for the interpreter to finish translating before continuing.
“Even if needles are placed away from the painful area, pain can be alleviated through segmental stimulation. The human body is interconnected by nerves, so needles are placed on the skin or muscles that correspond to the same segment as the painful area.”
The mercenary seemed to understand the explanation, and her expression was not bad.
“Finally, depending on the condition, needles can also be placed on the fingertips or toes. Stimulating the distal limbs releases various neurotransmitters in the brain. Substances like dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins are released to alleviate pain and depression.”
As I finished speaking, the mercenary whispered something to the interpreter again.
“Is it really safe?”
“A study analyzed 4,441,103 cases of acupuncture treatment. How many serious adverse reactions do you think occurred from acupuncture?”
“Well, I guess it might be over 100?”
I chuckled as I looked at the interpreter, who was tilting their head in confusion.
“No, it was 11 cases.”
“Oh!”
“That study concluded that acupuncture performed by skilled professionals is ‘very safe.’”
Finally, the Q&A session with the mercenary came to an end. I quietly waited for her decision.
After a moment, the interpreter conveyed her thoughts with an embarrassed expression.
“Um… Excuse me, but the athlete said she would think about it over the weekend.”
Hmm, I felt like we were almost there.
However, I nodded without showing any disappointment.
But that very weekend, an incident occurred.
And that event, seemingly unrelated to Blue Whales, would create a butterfly effect in the KOVO Cup tournament.