TOMDB 24

Chapter: 24

That night.

Although the clinic had closed long ago, the lights of Baekmyodang remained on later than ever before.

Outside the window, the faint chorus of cicadas drifted through the warm summer night.

As I tidied the examination room while waiting for my final patient of the day, Jeong Rabit’s words suddenly came back to me.

— “Can’t you make herbal medicine in two different versions too?”

That simple remark lingered in my mind.

From that single sentence, one idea after another continued to bloom.

Even if I use that method, I still need to understand the patient’s condition to some extent.

That was why I still couldn’t close the clinic.

Just then—

Someone lightly knocked on the front door.

The sound pulled me out of my thoughts.

“Yes! Coming!”

I hurried to the entrance.

The moment I opened the door, a low voice greeted me.

“Ms. Yeonhee.”

It was Yang Siheon.

He must have come straight from filming, because traces of light makeup still remained on his face.

His straight nose and clean jawline gave him an elegant appearance.

His eyes beneath long eyelashes were deep and calm, making even the air around him seem quieter simply by standing there in silence.

As he stepped into the clinic, he looked around awkwardly.

“I’m sorry for coming so late. You couldn’t even go home because of me.”

“It’s fine. I was the one who insisted we start acupuncture treatment as soon as possible. I’m grateful that you came so willingly. But what about you? You couldn’t even go home after work.”

“Haha. Even if I went home, I wouldn’t be able to sleep, and I don’t really have anything to do anyway.”

Although he answered with a smile, there was an unmistakable stiffness about him.

Was he nervous about getting acupuncture?

Trying to put him at ease, I gestured gently.

“This way. Just lie down comfortably on the treatment bed.”

Siheon obediently climbed onto the bed.

Standing beside him, I tore open the acupuncture needle package.

The overhead light reflected off the silver needle tips.

As I disinfected his hands, feet, and scalp, I spoke.

“I still haven’t finalized your herbal prescription. But you can still receive acupuncture.”

Herbal medicine was expensive to prepare.

More importantly, if the diagnosis wasn’t accurate, it could cause side effects.

Acupuncture was different.

It was much more affordable, and even if the pattern diagnosis was slightly off, it rarely caused serious side effects.

Besides… Rabit’s words yesterday gave me a hint, but I still need to talk with Mr. Siheon a little more.

His spiritual energy still wasn’t visible through my Spirit Eyes.

That meant I still hadn’t fully understood my patient.

That was exactly why I had insisted on beginning with acupuncture.

“…”

As he lay there staring at me, his brows furrowed ever so slightly.

Smiling, I inserted the first needle.

“Mr. Siheon, are you afraid of needles?”

The first acupoint I chose was Shenmen (HT7).

Located on the inner wrist near the little finger, it’s commonly used to calm anxiety and relieve insomnia.

“It’s not that… I’m just worried.”

“Worried?”

“I’m worried my fans… or rather, the people who call themselves my fans… might come all the way here.”

His quiet voice carried a dark weight.

My hand froze for a moment.

Ah… He wasn’t worried about himself.

He was worried about me.

That was… unexpectedly touching.

I deliberately smiled brightly.

“Don’t worry. Baekmyodang’s protective barrier has been strengthened, so ordinary sorcery can’t get through it. Besides, I wear protective charms too. They should be enough to stop even the most obsessive fans.”

I lightly raised my left wrist.

The jade bracelet shimmered softly beneath the light.

Only then did Siheon seem to relax a little.

“Oh, by the way, I was really surprised to hear that Director Yang Byung-geun is a divine beast.”

I continued placing needles while guiding the conversation.

This was my chance to learn a little more about Yang Siheon.

“Director Yang is such a famous person. Does he also see successful projects in prophetic dreams or—”

“…No.”

I had been speaking cheerfully when Siheon suddenly interrupted me.

For a moment, the light faded from his eyes.

“My father doesn’t have prophetic abilities.”

“…What?”

“Even though he’s a direct descendant of a divine beast, he inherited almost none of our abilities. You could call him a mutation.”

…!

His unexpected confession left me speechless.

He let out a short, bitter laugh.

“He considered it a lifelong disgrace. In divine beast society, it’s viewed as a major defect. So he devoted his life to making successful films in the human world instead.”

His voice remained calm, but beneath it lay years of cynicism and exhaustion.

“The problem was… he used me to do it.”

The direction of the conversation had suddenly turned serious.

I carefully asked,

“What do you mean by… using you?”

“He forced me to have prophetic dreams. He chose scripts based on the dreams I had, and if a filmed scene didn’t match what I’d seen in my dream, he’d make everyone reshoot it over and over.”

His voice gradually became strained.

“At first… acting was fun. But later… there were times I hated it, and I still had to keep acting.”

Goodness…

After steadying my breathing, I asked,

“Didn’t your mother try to stop him?”

“My mother?”

Siheon frowned.

After hesitating briefly, he answered quietly.

“My mother was an unknown actress. She only played minor roles when she was young, and eventually gave up her career after getting married before anyone ever knew her name.”

He slowly exhaled.

“I suppose that’s why. She tried to fulfill the dream she never achieved through me instead. In the end, both of them forced their own desires onto me.”

A faint, bitter smile appeared on his lips.

His low voice echoed gloomily through the silent treatment room.

“And some of my fans too. At first I didn’t think much of them, but after dealing with them for over ten years… I’m completely sick of it now. My parents just stood by and called it proof that I was popular.”

I stopped moving the needle in my hand.

Looking at him with sympathy, I quietly listened.

“These days… I don’t even know anymore. I don’t know why I’m acting… or whether the people who call themselves my fans actually like me.”

As Yang Siheon stared at the ceiling, uncertainty filled his eyes.

And at that very moment—

I finally saw his spiritual energy.

It glowed with a dull, faded golden light.

…I see.

Now I finally understand.

His insomnia wasn’t simply a physical illness.

Years of suppressed anger and sorrow had remained trapped deep within his heart, slowly consuming his spiritual energy.

I carefully inserted the final needle.

At the same time, the final clue for his prescription became clear.

5:00 a.m.

The blue hue of dawn still lingered outside the window.

A thin mist drifted across Baekmyodang’s courtyard.

The moment I opened my eyes, I got out of bed.

I had barely slept after staying up all night thinking about Yang Siheon’s prescription.

Still… at least I managed to decide on the general direction of the treatment.

With renewed determination, I tied my hair up.

Then I hurried into the herbal preparation room and filled the medicine kettle with water.

Bubble… bubble…

As I listened to the water boil, I recalled Siheon’s pulse once again.

A wiry, rapid pulse (Hyeonsak-maek).

Outwardly calm…

Yet beneath it lay deep tension and suppressed energy.

Even now, I could still feel that taut sensation lingering at my fingertips.

Right. Thinking about it forever won’t help.

I’ll try the medicine first and watch how he responds.

Normally, treatment shouldn’t begin until the true cause of an illness had been completely identified.

But on very rare occasions, physicians prescribed medicine first and then inferred the underlying cause from the patient’s reaction.

That was exactly what I intended to do.

I’m not completely certain yet… but once I see his reaction, I’ll know.

It was Rabit’s “Version A and Version B” idea that had inspired this approach.

The herbs had begun releasing their essence.

I picked up the Myoan Stone.

Immediately, a gentle golden light rippled beneath its crystal-clear surface.

Slowly, I guided that energy into the medicine kettle.

Fwoosh!

The instant the stone’s energy touched the herbal brew, the liquid shimmered like rippling water.

Golden energy gradually dissolved into the medicine.

Watching quietly for a moment, I adjusted the temperature beneath the kettle.

I could be wrong.

But right now… this is the best I can do.

If he truly possessed the constitution of a divine beast, his body would respond quickly.

Moreover, this medicine contained my own spiritual energy.

Even a single day’s dose should be enough to determine whether I had chosen the correct course of treatment.

I carefully transferred the finished medicine into a box.

Then I took out a memo pad and wrote a short note.

The scratching of my pen echoed through the silent dawn.

Directions for Use

Warm the medicine before drinking.

Do not stop taking your Western medication suddenly. Continue taking both medicines, spacing them 30 minutes apart.

After taking the medicine, avoid the light from your phone and rest quietly.

I sincerely hope you can finally enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep today.

— From Go Yeonhee

I placed the note inside the medicine box and attached a “Handle with Care” sticker to the top.

Then I clasped my hands together as if in prayer.

Wholeheartedly wishing that this medicine would finally bring Siheon the peaceful night he deserved.