A Surgeon Who Uses Martial Arts [EN]: Chapter 108

The Tournament (3)

“Jun-hoo, please do well in the second half too.”

“Dae-jin is so thoughtful. Sending in such a great goalkeeper as a substitute in this important game.”

“Looking forward to the ‘Spider Hand’ play.”

These were the words spoken to Jun-hoo by his teammates as he entered the court after the halftime break.

The doubts of the team members towards Jun-hoo had long disappeared.

Now, Jun-hoo was the object of their unwavering faith.

In situations where conceding a goal wouldn’t have been surprising.

In situations where a goal should have been conceded.

Jun-hoo’s performance shone brightly amidst various crises.

He hadn’t allowed the opposing team to score a single goal.

A draw was certain.

To win, they needed to score.

Jun-hoo, guarding the goalpost, surveyed the field widely.

The attacks of the Shinwon University team were sluggish.

The passes were intercepted or flew in the wrong direction.

The forwards frequently lost the ball to the defenders.

The only one who was fighting well was Sung-ho.

Sung-ho often dashed to the opponent’s goal with his quick feet, sending chills down the spines of the opposing players.

‘But it would be against the rules for me to step in,’ Jun-hoo thought.

Jun-hoo didn’t request a change in position.

Wasn’t it excessive for a special forces soldier to step into a fight between kindergarteners?

However, an incident occurred that broke the unwritten rule Jun-hoo had set for himself…

“Kuh-euh-euh!”

A groan spread across the field.

Followed by the sound of a ‘Peeeeeep’ whistle.

Sung-ho had fallen while fighting for the ball with an opposing player.

He clutched his ankle, complaining of pain.

The game was temporarily suspended.

Shinwon University players flocked around Sung-ho.

Thump, thump, thump.

Jun-hoo even used a martial arts footwork technique as he ran towards Sung-ho.

“Hyung [older brother/male friend], are you okay?”

“I think I hurt my ankle. I don’t think I can run.”

Jun-hoo supported Sung-ho, helped him up, and moved him off the field.

“Sung-ho, are you badly hurt? Shouldn’t we get an X-ray?”

“It looks like your ankle is swollen?”

“It would be great if we had an orthopedic doctor here.”

The team members expressed their concern and regret.

At the same time, morale plummeted instantly.

Because Sung-ho was the core of Shinwon University’s attack.

“I’ll take care of Sung-ho, hyung,” Jun-hoo stepped forward confidently.

He decided to make use of his training experience in the orthopedic department.

In the orthopedic department, Jun-hoo hadn’t just done intern work.

He had watched the residents’ work.

And had acquired the residents’ work skills.

Why?

Precisely to prepare for moments like this!

‘Preparedness prevents misfortune’ was one of Jun-hoo’s favorite proverbs.

“Do you know what you’re doing, Jun-hoo? I think it would be better if I took a look?”

“Yeah. Let’s leave it to Byung-hyun.”

“I can do well too. If you’re not satisfied with me, then the teacher can take another look.”

As Jun-hoo didn’t back down, the team members watched Jun-hoo’s examination, displeased but curious.

“Hyung. Tell me right away if it hurts.”

“Okay.”

Jun-hoo used his fingers to press down in turn on Sung-ho’s left ankle bone, the metatarsal bone near the big toe, the tibia on the inside of the ankle, and the navicular bone on the inside of the ankle.

“Is there any tenderness?”

“Hmm… it doesn’t seem that painful?”

“This time, get up and walk about four steps.”

“Okay.”

Sung-ho got up from his seat, grimaced, and took four steps.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Asking a person in pain to walk, isn’t that too much?”

“He’s going to kill someone.”

Subtle criticisms poured out from the surroundings.

The prevailing atmosphere was that Jun-hoo was meddling without knowing anything.

But it was the other doctors who didn’t know anything.

“The examination method I just used is the Ottawa rule. It’s the simplest and most excellent way to diagnose ankle sprains.”

“Ottawa rule? Ah, now that I hear it, I think I remember it?”

“I think I heard about it when I was an orthopedic intern.”

“He must have stepped up because he was confident, so let’s trust him and leave it to him. He seems to be doing well so far.”

The surrounding doctors who had been watching the examination began to support Jun-hoo one by one.

It was a boon for Jun-hoo.

“Hyung, can you sit down again?”

Jun-hoo sat Sung-ho down again and this time placed his palm on Sung-ho’s left ankle.

Woooong.

Internal energy spread out in concentric circles from his palm.

The internal energy brushed past the muscles, nerves, and bones in turn. It informed Jun-hoo whether there was a problem with Sung-ho’s ankle or not.

‘There’s nothing wrong with the Ottawa rule either.’

‘There’s no major problem with internal energy either…’

Only then did Jun-hoo’s hardened expression relax.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Jun-hoo, on the spur of the moment, used his index finger to press acupoints around Sung-ho’s ankle.

He had used the ‘pain relief’ acupressure on the ankle nerves.

“How is it now?”

“Wow! It’s much better? At this rate, I could run right away, right?”

“What are you talking about? Your ankle is swollen. Don’t overdo it and rest.”

“Ugh… nagging.”

Meanwhile, the team members were watching Jun-hoo as if possessed by a ghost.

Jun-hoo, who was treating him, was serious.

And he looked quite professional.

Even though Jun-hoo was an intern, they didn’t have the confidence to handle it as well as Jun-hoo.

Everyone was waiting for Jun-hoo’s treatment to end.

“How’s Sung-ho’s ankle? Do you think he needs to go to the hospital?”

Byung-hyun asked cautiously.

“Yes. It looks like a simple sprain. I don’t think you need to go to the hospital.”

Jun-hoo continued calmly.

“Could you bring me the first aid kit?”

“Here you go.”

Jun-hoo opened the first aid kit and sprayed a spray-type pain reliever on Sung-ho’s ankle.

Cheeeee!

There happened to be a splint.

He put the splint behind Sung-ho’s ankle and wrapped it tightly with a bandage.

Perhaps because he had done splints and casts like eating rice in the orthopedic department.

Jun-hoo’s bandaging skills were unmatched.

The bandage boasted a firm pressure and supported Sung-ho’s ankle.

The spacing of the bandage, which spiraled upwards, was as accurate as if it had been measured with a ruler.

The team members could no longer ignore Jun-hoo as an intern.

At least in the field of orthopedics.

“Jun-hoo, what is this? Why are you so good at treating people? I thought you were an orthopedic resident?”

Byung-hyun asked Jun-hoo, impressed.

“I trained in the orthopedic department until recently. I guess I’m a little better than the other teachers.”

“You trained in the orthopedic department and you know the Ottawa rule? And you bandage so well?”

“Hahaha. I worked really hard. How’s your ankle, hyung?”

Jun-hoo’s gaze rested on Sung-ho.

“Thanks to you, I’m fine. Thank you. But what do we do now? If I’m out, we won’t be able to attack.”

Sung-ho’s injury was settled for the time being thanks to Jun-hoo’s thorough diagnosis and treatment.

But the game was not over yet.

And Shinwon University had lost its best striker.

Jun-hoo shook his head as if to say don’t worry and continued.

“I can play as a striker.”

* * *

As the injury time was coming to an end.

Jun-hoo made a bombshell announcement.

He declared that he would take on the role of the foremost striker, not the goalkeeper.

“Jun-hoo is good at goalkeeping, so wouldn’t it be better to keep playing as a goalkeeper?”

“Being a striker isn’t easy. If you haven’t touched the ball much, you’ll be busy dropping it.”

“Didn’t you say you didn’t have much soccer experience? Attacking is impossible.”

The team members tried to dissuade Jun-hoo.

Just because Jun-hoo was a great goalkeeper.

There was no guarantee that he would be a great striker.

The goalkeeper and the striker.

The gap between the two positions was so large that it wouldn’t be strange to say that they existed in completely different dimensions.

But this was because everyone didn’t know Jun-hoo.

“Do you want to lose in the rivalry match against Goryeo University?”

“……”

“Do you want to lose and donate the company dinner expenses to the opposing team?”

At Jun-hoo’s successive questions, the team members became speechless.

No one wanted to lose.

“And the staff in the Office of General Affairs.”

Jun-hoo stared intently at Ho-young.

Ho-young, along with Sung-ho, was one of the foremost strikers.

“Ah. Yes.”

“You seem to be very tired. Especially in the second half.”

“……”

“I’ve seen you trying to receive passes while standing still rather than running out and taking positions?”

“Ah… yes.”

Ho-young lowered his head, embarrassed.

Jun-hoo was a goalkeeper, but he knew everything that was going on inside the court.

He was amplifying his vision with internal energy and carefully observing the movements of the players.

“That’s… I think I overdid it in the first half.”

“It would be better for me to attack than for a tired teacher to attack.”

“……”

“What do you all think?”

Jun-hoo scanned the team members and sought their agreement.

Opinions quickly gathered.

Jun-hoo was to enter as a striker in place of Ho-young.

The goalkeeper was taken over by another reserve player.

Jun-hoo, although he was a newbie who had joined the team for the first time today, exerted charisma and stood at the center of the team.

Everything he said was right.

And he shone brighter than anyone else in his position.

No one could object to Jun-hoo.

Peeeeeep!

The referee’s whistle sounded loudly.

The injury time was over.

Players from both teams poured out onto the court.

Step. Step.

Unlike before, Jun-hoo turned his back to the court and walked towards the half-line.

Jun-hoo’s eyes, which had been scanning the opposite court, stopped at one player on the opposing team.

Goryeo University number 34.

A young man with a burly physique and a sports haircut.

Jun-hoo’s gaze towards number 34 was as sharp as a well-honed sword.

‘Just you wait.’

‘Because I can never forgive you.’

Number 34 had maliciously attacked Sung-ho.

In the process of competing for the ball.

He charged by putting his weight on his shoulder.

He even used his elbow to push Sung-ho’s side.

In other words, he had buried Sung-ho.

Since Ho-young’s stamina was running low.

He must have thought that if they just stopped Sung-ho from playing, they would definitely win.

It was truly a cowardly and foul-smelling strategy.

Shouldn’t the game be fairer if it’s a rivalry match?

That way, you can accept the results of the game more cleanly.

Number 34’s intentional foul.

And Sung-ho’s injury.

These two things made Jun-hoo, who had been taking a lukewarm attitude towards the game, burn with passion.

‘From now on, Jun-hoo was going to crush Goryeo University bit by bit,’ he vowed to himself.

“Hey. That foul earlier was a bit much, wasn’t it?”

Jun-hoo spoke to number 34, who was a little further away, first.

“Come on. When you play soccer, you can do some physical fights and get a little hurt.”

Jun-hoo clicked his tongue at number 34’s rude way of speaking.

He should be apologizing sincerely.

He couldn’t believe he was saying that.

“That’s harsh. Are you always so shameless?”

“Geez. I’m so dumbfounded… Hey, what more do you want me to do?”

“I’m going to give you back exactly what you just said, so just wait.”

Jun-hoo deliberately saved his words.

He didn’t want unnecessary emotional exhaustion.

What mattered was the result of the game.

In the midst of a long battle.

Thud!

The ball came over to Jun-hoo, who was in the center of the court.

Jun-hoo received the ball stably with the inside of his foot.

A moment of sparkling vision.

Jun-hoo could see it.

A sinkhole-like wide space pierced between the defenders.

Jun-hoo started running forward while kicking the ball forward.

Cheongpung Steps [Qinggong or lightness skill, a martial arts technique for moving swiftly].

He began to step on the Cheongpung Steps, a footwork technique that boasts speed enough to be included in the top 20 footwork techniques of the martial arts world.

Ssaeeeehk!

Jun-hoo became a gust of wind and crossed between the defenders.

“Uh… uh!”

“Hey! Block him!”

The Goryeo University defenders screamed, but it was too late.

Jun-hoo had already overtaken all the defenders.

No one could stop Jun-hoo.

No one could chase after Jun-hoo.

A situation where he faced the goalkeeper one-on-one.

Wham!

Jun-hoo kicked the ball with force, utilizing the Azure Dragon Kick, one of the leg techniques.

A fast and powerful shot!

The ball, which flew in a graceful arc like a rainbow, was lodged in the upper left corner, one of the blind spots of the goal.

Also known as the Yashin Zone [named after legendary Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin, referring to a difficult-to-reach area for goalkeepers].

The net shook excitedly.

The opposing team’s goalkeeper and defenders all had blank expressions.

“Wow. First goal, first goal!”

“Jun-hoo is crazy? Wasn’t that a knuckle shot just now?”

“Crazy. He dribbled past all the defenders and scored a goal by himself?”

The team members ran to Jun-hoo in one step and shared their joy.

They were busy praising Jun-hoo.

But Jun-hoo’s expression was still full of poison.

‘The real game starts now.’

‘I’ll show you what a real foul is.’