Chapter 46 — Full-Body Examination
Clink. Clatter.
The crisp metallic sounds of tweezers, forceps, and syringes tapping against a tray were oddly unsettling.
Ren sat half-perched on the edge of a medical chair, glancing sideways.
The woman in the white coat and high-collared sweater looked refined and intelligent.
Her slightly husky, low voice sounded steady and dependable—almost soothing.
And yet…
The way her deep brown eyes gleamed with excitement…
The way her gloved hands eagerly sorted through medical instruments…
For some reason, Ren felt a chill run down his spine.
---
Polymorphic Soul Isomer body.
Utahime had explained to Shoko the reason Ren's physique differed so drastically from normal humans.
Shoko had immediately grown very excited.
After Ren healed himself with Reverse Cursed Technique, she wrapped an arm around him and declared she would conduct a full-body examination on the spot.
"Even though Reverse Cursed Technique improved your condition significantly, there may still be hidden issues that weren't fully treated. To avoid leaving behind any long-term complications, a thorough and comprehensive examination is absolutely necessary!"
She half-dragged, half-shoved him toward the examination room.
"Shoko!" Utahime immediately saw through her barely restrained enthusiasm.
"Yes, Utahime-senpai!" Shoko replied with an awkward grin.
Then she launched into persuasion mode.
"Twelve times the strength. Twelve times the agility. Twelve times the sensory acuity. Twelve times the neural response speed."
"Every aspect of him is twelve times that of an ordinary human."
"This far exceeds the biological limits of the human species."
"Ren's body has immense research value. If these numbers are accurate, the data we gather from him could spark an entirely new medical revolution."
"Perhaps even a leap forward for all humanity."
"I can practically see the Nobel Prize in Medicine waving at me."
"No—compared to a discovery like this, even the Nobel Prize feels trivial. That kind of award would be insufficient to measure the monumental contribution we'd make to humankind."
…
Under her impassioned speech, Utahime finally relented.
"But no dangerous procedures. His safety is the absolute top priority."
"Relax, relax, Utahime-senpai," Shoko said, patting her chest. "Just routine medical tests. I won't do anything to the kid."
She gazed at Ren with exaggerated affection.
"He's not just your precious student anymore. He's humanity's treasure."
---
Shk.
Shoko inserted a syringe into a glass vial, then flicked it upright and pushed the plunger slightly, expelling a bead of liquid.
"Shoko-sensei…" Ren stared uneasily at the cold gleam of the needle. "Didn't you say routine tests? Why… why is there a syringe?"
"It's just a mild sedative," she replied, walking toward him. "To ease your tension and prevent stress from skewing the data."
"Don't worry. Just ordinary procedures. Blood tests, imaging, X-rays… maybe a few tissue samples—skin, hair, that sort of thing."
Ren nodded stiffly as she gently—but firmly—pressed him back into the chair.
"Besides," she added with a faint smile curling at her lips, "you've already mastered Reverse Cursed Technique. Even if something happens, you can handle it, right?"
…Wait.
Reverse Cursed Technique?
What kind of situation would require Reverse Cursed Technique?
"Shoko-sensei…?"
Ren's pupils shrank suddenly in alarm.
Shoko wasted no time.
With one hand, she pinned Ren firmly against the medical chair. With the other, she grabbed a roll of restraints and began wrapping it around him—once, twice, again and again.
In the blink of an eye, Ren was secured so tightly he looked like a freshly wrapped mummy.
"Don't worry," Shoko said. The usually languid, heavy-lidded face beneath her dark eyeshadow now radiated manic brilliance—the unmistakable expression of a scientist on the verge of a breakthrough. "Nothing will happen, Ren-kun. This is just a routine examination. Be a good patient and listen to your teacher."
The more she repeated that, the more uneasy he felt.
Suddenly—
Rip!
She grabbed his blue-and-white striped hospital gown and tore it open.
"Shoko-sensei?!"
The rush of cold air against his skin made him shudder.
"W-What are you doing?" Ren stared at the white-coated doctor, whose movements had become alarmingly enthusiastic.
"I told you," she said calmly, "it's just a standard medical check."
Her deep brown eyes gleamed with interest as she examined him inch by inch. From time to time, her gloved hands pressed and kneaded his muscles, as if assessing their condition through touch.
"Excellent," she murmured, closing her eyes briefly with an almost blissful expression. "Muscle density is remarkably firm yet elastic. Skin texture—smooth, resilient…"
"Shoko?"
Outside the examination room, Utahime—who had insisted on waiting nearby—caught a fragment of Shoko's tone and froze.
Inside, Ren let out a faint hiss.
Bound tightly to the chair, he couldn't move at all. He could only endure Shoko's inspection.
And somehow… the atmosphere was getting strange.
Her gaze—and her hands—moved gradually downward.
"Ren-kun," she said suddenly, clearing her throat and fixing him with a stern look, "please maintain your composure. This is a legitimate medical procedure."
"I must verify that every part of your body shows no abnormal deviation from baseline human physiology."
"Y-Yes, Shoko-sensei!" Ren's voice shot up an octave before dropping again in mortified embarrassment. "S-Sorry…"
He wanted to stay serious.
But this was… difficult.
A refined, slightly languid beauty was studying his body with sparkling curiosity. Her gaze traveled downward, inch by inch. Her hair brushed lightly against his skin. Her latex-gloved fingers moved across him with a smooth, almost slippery softness. A warm, layered fragrance lingered around her—perfume mixed with the faint scent of tobacco.
Even the secondhand smoke carried a strangely alluring undertone.
Under these circumstances, for a perfectly normal teenage boy, maintaining "professional composure" was nearly impossible.
"Ren-kun…" Shoko suddenly leaned closer, bending down until her face hovered just inches from his. The warm scent around her intensified, along with the faint trace of cigarette smoke in her breath.
"You seem to be enjoying this examination."
Her voice lowered, coaxing.
"If that's the case, how about you come here once a week? I'll give you a full checkup every week. How does that sound?"
"O-Okay…" Ren replied dazedly, almost nodding—before snapping back to reality. "N-No, that's not what I—Shoko-sensei—"
"Oh? Not okay?"
The woman in the white coat flicked her finger sharply.
Flick.
"Ah—! W-Wait—Shoko-sensei—don't flick—th-there—!"
Ren's face flushed a violent shade of red-purple as he choked out a strangled protest.
Outside the door—
"Shoko! Shoko! What are you doing in there?! You promised you wouldn't hurt him!"
Utahime pounded frantically against the examination room door.