Chapter 5 - Let's Show Them the Best Performance
“There is no problem with your ankle, Na-eun-ssi.”
“Pardon?”
Baek Hyeon-woo explained to Seo Na-eun in a calm voice.
“She's On's Yuri-ssi from earlier had a problem with the anterior talofibular ligament in her ankle. The ligament ruptured because she performed a fierce dance with damage to her ankle ligament.”
As he said that, Baek Hyeon-woo directed his gaze to Seo Na-eun's left ankle.
“But you, Na-eun-ssi, have no problem with your ankle ligaments at all.”
“H-How can you know that?”
“I know by looking.”
Of course, he meant that he knew by looking at the status window.
If he were to trust the status window's explanation, Seo Na-eun's ankle pain wasn't coming from her ankle ligaments.
“Na-eun-ssi, when people sprain their ankle, do you know which way the ankle usually twists?”
“Uh, well...”
Seo Na-eun hesitated as she looked down at her ankle.
“Ah, does it twist inwards?”
“Yes, that's correct. The ankle joint twists inwards, and this is called an ankle inversion sprain.”
If it twists inwards, it's an inversion sprain; if it twists outwards, it's an eversion sprain.
“There are structures that normally hold the ankle joint to prevent it from twisting inwards. What holds the bones of the ankle joint together is the anterior talofibular ligament, and...”
Saying that, Baek Hyeon-woo touched the outer side of his own shin.
“The muscles that connect the leg bone here and the ankle bone, holding them firmly, are the fibularis longus and fibularis brevis muscles.”
If you place your hand on your outer ankle bone and move it straight up towards your knee, you can feel a long bone on the outer side of your shin.
This leg bone is called the fibula, and the fibularis longus and brevis muscles are the muscles on top of this fibula.
“If a problem arises in these fibularis longus and brevis muscles, they cannot properly support the ankle. It becomes a state where you're prone to spraining your ankle.”
“Ah…!”
“That's not all. When the fibularis longus and brevis muscles stiffen, pain appears around the ankle. Just as if you've injured an ankle ligament.”
Baek Hyeon-woo pulled down his sock and pointed to the area below his outer ankle bone.
“Doesn't it hurt around here?”
“Th-That's right! That's why I've been putting pain-relief patches on that area!”
“It might have a minor analgesic effect, but it's not a fundamental treatment. The problem right now isn't the ankle ligament, but the fibularis longus and brevis muscles.”
After pointing to the outer side of his shin again, Baek Hyeon-woo met Seo Na-eun's eyes and spoke.
“Therefore, if we just release the fibularis longus and brevis muscles, we can get rid of the ankle discomfort.”
“I-Is that really true?”
“Yes, I can treat you right here, right now.”
“Ah…!”
Seo Na-eun's eyes widened as she showed her delight.
“Th-Then please treat me! I'm begging you!”
“Na-eun-ssi, however, there is one thing I need to confirm.”
Baek Hyeon-woo directed his gaze towards Seo Na-eun's lower body.
Seo Na-eun was currently wearing her stage outfit, so her bare legs were exposed.
“I will have to touch your legs a lot with my hands. Will that be okay?”
“Pardon?”
“I'm saying this because you might feel uncomfortable.”
This was a deserted stair landing.
Because there was no one else around and it was quiet, it wasn't a bad space for treating a patient.
Originally, the principle is to conduct patient treatment in a place where there are no other people nearby.
This is because the medical law stipulates that patient information must be protected, so what symptoms a patient has and what treatment they receive should not be exposed to others.
From a treatment effectiveness perspective as well, conducting it in a separate space is more effective, which is why even in a hospital's physical therapy room, the space must be divided by curtains or partitions.
However, providing treatment in a separate space sometimes causes problems.
Especially in the case of female patients, there is a concern that they might feel uncomfortable with physical contact and perceive it as sexual harassment.
For that reason, prior communication with the patient was essential.
“……”
Seo Na-eun looked at Baek Hyeon-woo's face.
Then she opened her mouth again.
“Manager-nim, I know what you mean.”
Seo Na-eun is a woman who is active in the entertainment industry as an idol.
Therefore, even without Baek Hyeon-woo explaining in detail, she could tell what he was worried about.
“However, I'm not such a bad person that I would betray someone who helped me. Please do it without worry.”
“……”
Listening to Seo Na-eun's earnest voice, Baek Hyeon-woo checked the status window once more.
Her Mental Condition stat had risen slightly compared to before.
If Seo Na-eun didn't trust Baek Hyeon-woo and was thinking of him suspiciously, her Mental Condition would have dropped further.
Right now, Seo Na-eun was genuinely trying to trust and rely on Baek Hyeon-woo.
If that was the case, then Baek Hyeon-woo no longer needed to hesitate.
“Understood. Then I will begin right away.”
“Yes, please.”
Baek Hyeon-woo reached his hands toward the outer side of Seo Na-eun's left shin.
“It might hurt a little.”
“I-It's okay.”
As he held her left leg and moved his hands, Seo Na-eun flinched slightly.
Seeing that she seemed a bit nervous, Baek Hyeon-woo spoke in a gentle voice.
“You're an easy patient to treat, Na-eun-ssi.”
“Pardon?”
“You have no excess fat, and your muscles are well-defined.”
Muscles are located beneath the subcutaneous fat.
Therefore, people who have gained weight and have thick layers of fat are difficult to treat.
However, just because someone is thin doesn't necessarily mean they are easy to treat.
Because if they don't exercise much and their muscles aren't developed, it's difficult to locate the treatment points.
Therefore, Seo Na-eun, who had no excess fat and distinct, elastic muscles... was an ideal patient from Baek Hyeon-woo's perspective.
“You must take good care of your body.”
“W-Well, that's because I'm a celebrity.”
Seo Na-eun replied, blushing slightly.
“I always control my diet... and exercise.”
“That's admirable.”
As they were having such a conversation, he could tell that the tension was leaving Seo Na-eun's body.
Touching the now-relaxed Seo Na-eun's leg, Baek Hyeon-woo began to seriously search for the treatment point.
“It's here.”
The treatment point for the fibularis longus muscle is below the fibular head, the bone that protrudes next to the knee.
Confirming a point that was firmly knotted and the size of a small bean, Baek Hyeon-woo applied pressure with his finger.
“Ah, that hurts.”
“This spot has to be released for your ankle to feel comfortable.”
It's quite a distance from the ankle.
But if there's a problem here, it affects all the way down to the ankle.
“It will probably hurt quite a bit, but you have to bear it.”
“Pardon?”
There are ways to treat it less painfully.
But right now, there isn't enough time.
To get results in a short time, there's no choice but to apply strong stimulation.
Baek Hyeon-woo steeled himself and strongly pressed the trigger point on the fibularis longus muscle.
“Ack…!”
In that moment, a scream burst from Seo Na-eun's lips.
“I-Isn't your finger strength too much? It hurts so much...”
Seo Na-eun looked at Baek Hyeon-woo, her eyes welling with tears.
“Your fingers aren't even that thick... Aack!”
As Baek Hyeon-woo continued to press her leg strongly, Seo Na-eun hurriedly covered her mouth with her own hands.
“Please bear with it for just a little longer.”
“Ugh…!”
Even seeing Seo Na-eun with tears welling in her eyes, Baek Hyeon-woo did not lessen the pressure from his hands.
This was because stimulating with clumsy strength in an attempt to make it less painful could actually make it worse.
Only by applying strong pressure to forcefully break up the knotted area would the effect finally appear.
Baek Hyeon-woo moved his fingers with a merciless coldness.
He applied strong stimulation, as if creating friction, perpendicular to the direction of the muscle fibers.
It was a Deep friction massage to restore the flexibility of the soft tissue.
“Agh…!”
Deep friction massage has the effect of forcefully releasing and realigning hardened and knotted tissue.
After forcefully releasing the bean-sized, hard trigger point on the fibularis longus muscle, Baek Hyeon-woo removed his hands.
“This side is finished.”
“Ah, it's finally over...”
“I'm going to do one more spot further down.”
“Ack…!”
Now that he had released the fibularis longus, next was the fibularis brevis.
As you can tell from the name, the fibularis brevis is a shorter and smaller muscle than the fibularis longus, but its function and treatment method are nearly identical.
However, the treatment point is further down... located a few centimeters up from the ankle bone.
Baek Hyeon-woo performed a deep friction massage there as well.
“Ugh…!”
“That should be enough for the leg.”
As he completely removed his hands, Seo Na-eun looked at Baek Hyeon-woo with a resentful gaze, her eyes brimming with tears.
But Baek Hyeon-woo wasn't shaken in the slightest.
This was because he had the confidence that he had performed the best possible treatment.
“Na-eun-ssi, may I take care of just one more thing?”
“Pardon?”
“Your head hurts right now too, doesn't it?”
“……!”
Seo Na-eun made a surprised expression.
“H-How did you know that?”
“I know by looking.”
The status window also had the sentence, [Headaches are occurring due to problems with the trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles in the head and neck.].
Her overall condition was likely lowered due to the headache, so that had to be resolved as well.
“There isn't much time. I'll just release it for a moment.”
“I-Is it going to hurt like before this time too?”
“No. It won't be like that.”
The trapezius or the sternocleidomastoid are quite sensitive areas.
If treated hastily, other head and neck muscles could also tense up, and her condition could worsen.
So Baek Hyeon-woo decided to approach it with a different method.
“I apologize, but I'm going to hug your head a bit.”
“Pardon?”
Baek Hyeon-woo hugged Seo Na-eun's head.
As she ended up in a position where the side of her head was leaning against his chest, Seo Na-eun's eyes widened.
“I-Is this the right way to do it?”
“Yes, that's right.”
Saying that, Baek Hyeon-woo supported the back of Seo Na-eun's head with his hands.
While holding the mastoid process, the protruding part behind the ear, steady with his thumbs, he slowly rocked Seo Na-eun's head.
After releasing the tension by gently rocking it like that... he pulled it diagonally in one go, as if pulling her head off.
“Ah…!”
Crack!
A distinct sound was heard, and a cry of surprise burst from Seo Na-eun's lips.
“W-Wow, that felt incredibly refreshing!”
“Your head feels a bit clearer now, doesn't it?”
As Baek Hyeon-woo let go of Seo Na-eun and asked, she nodded her head vigorously.
“I think so! One side of my head had been throbbing constantly, but it's gotten much better!”
“That's a relief.”
The muscles around the neck, like the trapezius or the sternocleidomastoid, play the role of holding the head in position.
Because they have to support and stabilize the head, they are always tensed with a certain amount of force, and if that becomes excessive, it causes various problems in the head or neck area.
Therefore, if you just slightly correct the positional relationship between the skull and the neck bones... the load placed on the muscles is relieved, and the symptoms are alleviated.
“But Na-eun-ssi, in truth, this is merely temporary.”
“Pardon?”
“Because with this level of correction, it will return to its original state after only an hour or two.”
Just because you twist someone around making cracking sounds, it doesn't mean their skeletal structure will be perfectly corrected.
For the corrected state to be maintained, long-term treatment is necessary.
“It's the same for the leg I just treated. A single short and simple treatment like this is bound to have its limits. It will probably start hurting again soon.”
“Ah…”
If he said this to a patient at a hospital, he would be severely scolded by the director or the manager.
Saying why on earth he would bother mentioning such a thing.
“However.”
Baek Hyeon-woo met Seo Na-eun's eyes and spoke.
“For the short duration of less than 3 minutes, it will be enough to show the best performance on stage.”
“……!”
That's right.
Right now, Baek Hyeon-woo was not in the middle of treating a patient at a hospital.
Helping the idol named Seo Na-eun show her best performance on stage... that was what Baek Hyeon-woo had to do as an assistant manager.
Therefore, Baek Hyeon-woo treated Seo Na-eun with all his might.
By mobilizing all the skills he had honed for a long time... skills he didn't have many opportunities to use at the hospital.
“Na-eun-ssi, please go on stage with confidence.”
“Manager-nim…”
“In your current state, Na-eun-ssi, you will be able to surprise a great many people.”
At Baek Hyeon-woo's voice, which spoke with conviction, Seo Na-eun's eyes wavered.
But it wasn't a reaction of anxiety or doubt.
Right now, on Seo Na-eun's status window... not only her Body Condition but also her Mental Condition were rapidly rising.
“Let's go, Na-eun-ssi.”
Towards Seo Na-eun, who was still sitting crouched, Baek Hyeon-woo extended his hand.
“Let's show them the best performance.”
“……!”
Seo Na-eun grabbed Baek Hyeon-woo's hand and stood up.
In her eyes, there was no longer even the slightest waver.
* * *
“Hyeon-woo-ssi, what on earth were you doin?! You're so late!”
“I'm sorry.”
In front of the reprimanding Park Yeong-ho, Baek Hyeon-woo bowed his head.
He was supposed to bring Seo Na-eun within 5 minutes, but he was way over time.
“Team Leader Park, I'm sorry. I…”
“Never mind about you, Na-eun, just go fix your makeup! Quickly!”
“Ah, yes…!”
After raising his voice at Seo Na-eun who was trying to explain, Park Yeong-ho reprimanded Baek Hyeon-woo again.
“Hyeon-woo-ssi, did something happen with Na-eun? She's an idol right before a live show, so you should make sure there are no problems...”
“It's fine.”
“Pardon?”
Baek Hyeon-woo observed the back of Seo Na-eun as she hurriedly ran off.
Despite just being scolded by Park Yeong-ho, her steps were very light.
“There won't be any problem.”
“What are you talking about?”
Leaving the bewildered Park Yeong-ho aside, Baek Hyeon-woo checked Seo Na-eun's status window once more.
—------
[Seo Na-eun]
Vocal: B
Dance: A+
Visual: B
Potential: A
Body Condition: 95%
Mental Condition: 95%
– Body Condition is very good.
– Mental Condition is very good.
– A plus correction is being applied to Dance.
—------
Seo Na-eun, with a physical state close to perfection.
Checking her status window once more, Baek Hyeon-woo said in a clear voice.
“Among the idols who will go on stage today, Na-eun-ssi will be the best.”
“How do you know that?”
In front of the dumbfounded Park Yeong-ho, Baek Hyeon-woo answered confidently.
“I know by looking.”
Today, Baek Hyeon-woo had also checked the status windows of the other performers in his spare moments.
Excluding She's On, there was not a single person among the performers with a higher Dance rank than Seo Na-eun.
She's On was now unable to go on stage today, and Seo Na-eun was in a state where a plus correction had been applied to her Dance.
“Today, there will be no one who can be a match for Na-eun-ssi.”
Right now, only Baek Hyeon-woo knew this, but soon, everyone would find out.
That the star of today's show is... Newstarz's Seo Na-eun.