The Physician of Traditional Medicine Returns from Murim

As Park Se-sun told her story, she observed the reactions of those in the consultation room.

Her cousin brother, Park Seon-yun, held her hand as if to say she had been through a lot, while Dr. Chu Mi-young, standing in a corner, stared at her with wide eyes, fixated on her face.

‘Does this person really not know me?’

However, Dr. Han Yeowon’s eyes didn’t waver in the slightest.

Even if one doesn’t make a fuss, people usually show some interest while pretending not to, but she calmly listened to the story and nodded.

“You’ve made a good decision. An environment where you can focus on dieting is extremely rare.”

“Hehe, isn’t it? It’s thanks to my family’s consideration.”

Nevertheless, Park Se-sun was an actress. There was no way she would show that she found Dr. Han Yeowon fascinating.

Although she had asked to keep her visit here a secret, not knowing when an eyewitness account might leak, she responded with her usual elegant smile.

“Let’s work hard since you’ve come with such a big decision. I’ll take a look at your InBody results first.”

The doctor briefly briefed the printed InBody sheet.

Height 161 cm, current weight 64 kg.

Skeletal muscle mass was on the lower end of the normal range, while BMI, body fat percentage, and visceral fat level all indicated overweight or obesity, far exceeding the borderline.

She had already checked a few times at the gym, but the two characters for “obesity” still didn’t feel real.

“I used to fluctuate between 47 and 48 kg. Then, right before giving birth in the last month of pregnancy, I went over 70 kg. I was told I’d lose 15 kg just from giving birth, so I was hopeful, but I only lost 10 kg. And somehow, I gained even more while taking care of the baby, probably from eating constantly, and ended up like this.”

Park Se-sun sighed. She still couldn’t believe she was in a situation where she was worried about her weight.

“When you give birth, the baby, placenta, and amniotic fluid come out, and you lose a lot of blood. This much naturally decreases, but depending on how you manage, the expanded fat tissue might not reduce.”

“Ah…”

“You said you can focus on dieting for about 3-4 months, right? Do you have a rough target weight in mind?”

“Sigh… I’m now a middle-aged actress in my 40s, so I don’t need to be skinny like before. Still, I’d like to get down to 54 or 55 kg.”

At the very least, she had to return to a normal weight range. People would gossip about her gaining weight after having a child anyway, but she couldn’t forgive herself for showing her current figure.

“9 kilos… It’s difficult but an achievable goal. I usually aim for 5% in the first month, 7% in the second month, and 10% in the third month. Given your strong determination, let’s try to put in a little extra effort each month. At that rate, we should be able to establish good eating habits without harming your health.”

This reassurance actually made her feel more at ease.

She was afraid of damaging her health or experiencing a yo-yo effect with those who insisted on extreme diets claiming guaranteed results, and if they suggested losing weight unreasonably slowly, there would be no point in dieting at all.

“Alright. If my appetite decreases a bit, I’ll do my best to work on my habits.”

Park Se-sun nodded, but the doctor waved her hand, saying that wasn’t the right approach.

“Rather than struggling to make an effort, you need to settle into it naturally. You’ll need to maintain it even after the intensive weight loss period.”

“That’s… true.”

It was a point of concern deep down.

Even if she lost weight with firm determination this time, would she be able to maintain it? Had her constitution changed to one that easily gains weight after childbirth?

“Do you think your current appetite is beyond normal levels? Not compared to your old self who had little appetite, but compared to other people.”

“I think so. If I get even a little stressed, I constantly want to eat something. Especially certain foods keep calling to me. Things like ramen or jajangmyeon.”

At those words, the doctor raised her eyebrows and said,

“Do you also like things like bread, cake, or juice?”

“That’s right. When I feel just a bit frustrated, I start thinking about those things, and I feel like I’ll go crazy if I don’t eat them.”

“…You’re on the path to carbohydrate addiction. You’ve done really well to come for treatment.”

“Carbohydrate addiction?”

Park Se-sun tilted her head.

She knew that things like rice, bread, and noodles were carbohydrates, but she had never heard of becoming addicted to them.

“When you consume excessive simple carbohydrates like sugar and white flour, dopamine secretion increases, making you feel good temporarily. But if you repeat this, the brain’s reward system gets damaged, and you can even become depressed when you don’t eat them.”

The doctor continued her explanation.

Carbohydrates are converted to glucose to supply energy to the body, but when the amount of glucose flowing in the blood, that is, blood sugar, gets too high, a hormone called insulin is secreted.

This synthesizes glucose into glycogen and fatty acids, preventing serious diseases that can occur when blood sugar is high, but in exchange, it accumulates fat in the body, causing weight gain.

“…So I became addicted from constantly eating what I craved during pregnancy. I was too careless, thinking I had a constitution that doesn’t gain weight.”

Now she understood. It wasn’t that her constitution had changed just from giving birth, but that she had been excessively exposed to simple carbohydrates that she didn’t eat much of originally.

“Don’t worry. The medication will help control your current excessive appetite, and once your brain’s reward system is corrected through proper diet, you won’t crave noodles or sweet foods like you do now.”

Park Se-sun felt completely at ease.

She even liked the expression ‘abnormal appetite’. It seemed to tell her that it wasn’t because of a lack of willpower that she couldn’t resist.

“I’ll trust and follow your guidance. When you say proper diet, I guess that means cutting out carbohydrates, right?”

“We can’t and shouldn’t completely cut out carbohydrates. Instead, try to reduce simple carbohydrates like flour, sweet foods, and white rice as much as possible, and consume mixed grains including barley or brown rice.”

“Seon-yun, relay that to the housekeeper.”

“Okay.”

Park Seon-yun nodded while jotting it down on his phone.

“Focus on Korean cuisine, but be careful with salty broths as they can cause bloating. You can eat vegetables and meat in moderation… Do you have someone who can help you with meal planning?”

“We have a housekeeper, but for meal planning…”

“Ah, Nuna. Grandma follows a diabetic diet, so we have a nutritionist who provides meal plans. I’ll ask them.”

When he glanced at the doctor to see if that would be okay, she nodded readily.

“Then we can leave the meal planning to them. Lastly, the most important thing is meal timing. Remember we talked about insulin earlier?”

“Yes.”

“If meal times are consistent, insulin only rises at mealtimes to synthesize glucose, and during rest periods, levels naturally decrease, actually consuming calories through metabolism.”

The doctor explained while making a wave motion with her hand.

“But what happens if you keep eating at random times? The body needs to be ready to lower blood sugar at any time, right?”

She raised her hand high and drew a horizontal line.

It was very easy to understand. That’s how she had been gaining weight with her current eating habits.

“I’ll manage the timing, types, and amounts of food well.”

The doctor nodded with a smile.

“If you do that, you should be able to lose as much weight as you want. I’ll help you well.”

It was something anyone could say, but the doctor’s words sounded like a certainty, no, a prophecy.

Afterwards, there were explanations about the principles and composition of herbal medicine and possible side effects, but she had no doubt that she would definitely lose weight if she just followed the instructions.

“Do you have any other questions?”

“Ah, yes. Thank you for explaining so well. Do I pay for the medicine on a monthly basis? I was wondering if it would be okay to come for consultations a bit more frequently. Of course, I’ll pay separately for the consultations.”

It was a question asked out of a desire for support whenever her will weakened, and the doctor nodded, saying it was very good.

“Of course. If time and preparation costs are okay, it’s even better to decoct a week’s worth of medicine at a time. It’s important to adjust the amount to achieve weight loss without side effects.”

“Then I’ll do that. I’m in your care.”

Park Se-sun bowed politely and left the consultation room.

No matter how strongly her cousin brother had recommended it, she had doubts about whether coming all the way to Busan was the right choice, but now she understood why he told her to come here.

“Thank you, Seon-yun. I think I’ve met a good doctor thanks to you.”

“Right? I hope it goes well.”

Park Seon-yun was delighted as if he had praised himself.

“Thanks for coming with me this far. You must be busy, so hurry back to work.”

“Ah, I should. From now on…”

“Don’t worry, I can come alone. I have a driver too.”

“…I’ll come with you as much as I can.”

Hm? Is that really necessary?

Park Se-sun wasn’t a child, nor was she seriously ill. She was just trying to diet, so what need was there for a guardian?

Although they were closer than typical cousins since he had followed her well since childhood, even siblings don’t accompany each other to every hospital visit.

The train of thought easily led to the conclusion that he wasn’t coming for her sake.

“You, are you perhaps interested in Dr. Han?”

Park Seon-yun was startled by Park Se-sun’s question.

“Did it seem that way?”

“Hey, if you have such feelings, instead of following your Nuna around, you should be bold like your Nuna’s husband…”

“No! I’m absolutely not interested in her romantically!”

“Then, are you trying to scout her?”

“……”

Park Seon-yun’s eyes darted back and forth. What on earth is this kid thinking?

“Why would a private practitioner close their clinic to join your company? Can you match her salary?”

“…I thought she was an employed doctor at first because she’s so young. I just considered it briefly.”

Park Se-sun placed her hand on her brother’s shoulder and said,

“Well, whatever it is, do as you see fit. I need to go exercise.”

The company’s affairs were none of her business. Actress Park Se-sun had her own work. Having been introduced to a good helper, she needed to focus on achieving her clear goal before filming.

She got into the car first, leaving behind her brother who was staring blankly at the business card.

◆◇◆◇◆

Park Se-sun really came every week. I thought she might just say so and then make excuses about being busy and settle for phone calls, but she faithfully reported her weekly diet, exercise, and weight changes.

“My appetite has definitely decreased! I don’t feel very hungry even if I just eat what’s prepared. When I occasionally crave snacks, I take a walk in the garden instead.”

“You’re doing very well. Have you also reduced your meal portions?”

“Yes. I’m eating half a bowl of rice and not worrying about the vegetable side dishes. Of course, I’ve asked for them to be prepared less salty.”

“Were there any side effects?”

“I felt a bit of heart palpitations on the first day, but it’s fine now.”

“I’m glad it’s suiting you well.”

At first, it was a conversation between doctor and patient, but…

“Wow, I’ve already lost 3 kilos!”

“You usually lose the most in the first two weeks. Don’t get impatient even if you hit a plateau.”

“My husband is coming down this weekend, can I go for omakase just once?”

“……”

“Sob, I’ll only eat a little.”

As we became closer, she started treating me like a friend and whining.

“Doctor, a gift!”

“What’s this? Department store cookies?”

“I received them, but I can’t eat them, right?”

…It seems like you bought them?

Do people in this family really like gifts that much?

Her weight decreased steadily as we engaged in conversations that were half chitchat, half consultation.

After one month of dieting, -4.2 kilos. This was a good performance.

“I think I’m getting a bit constipated.”

“How long has it been?”

“About two days?”

“I’ll give you some separate constipation pills.”

“Can’t you give me acupuncture? Seon-yun said it was really good.”

“That’s fine too.”

As expected of a celebrity, she was someone who knew well how to exude her charm.

And for some reason, she really liked that I didn’t recognize her and opened up her heart.

I also came to think of Park Se-sun quite closely, and gradually became more comfortable with small talk.

“By the way, I’m curious about something.”

“Wow, the doctor’s first question to me! What is it?”

So I asked what I had been wondering about all this time.

“Your cousin brother… does he perhaps have a… special preference?”

“Pardon?”

Park Se-sun blinked as if she had no idea what I was talking about.

“I was wondering if he really likes getting acupuncture, since he keeps coming even though he’s clearly not in pain.”

And at my words that followed.

“Ah? Oh. Ahahahahaha!”

She burst into laughter.