The night outside Gunma University Hospital was especially quiet.
Since the hospital dormitory was already full, Kiryu Kazusuke had no choice but to find an apartment that was remote but cheap.
The cold night wind cleared his head considerably.
With a thought, the pale crimson light screen of the Worldline Convergence Plan appeared before his eyes once again.
[Branch Four: You are vindictive. Not only will you report her, but before that, you will humiliate her as well (Reward: Kirschner Wire Fixation · Perfect)]
The other branches besides this one had already disappeared.
And to obtain the reward, he probably had to wait until after reporting Osada Ayaka to the Medical Affairs Department to converge the worldline; merely making the choice wasn't enough.
Kirschner wire fixation—one of the most fundamental procedures in orthopedics (orthopedic surgery).
It was mainly used to treat relatively simple fractures, such as those in the finger bones or carpal bones, or as temporary fixation during complex operations.
The technical difficulty of this procedure wasn't particularly high, but it strongly tested a doctor's spatial imagination and manual precision. It was basic essential training that a resident had to master.
However, for anything in this world, being able to do it and being able to do it well were completely different concepts.
When performed by an ordinary resident, it might require repeatedly adjusting the needle entry angle, causing unnecessary damage to surrounding soft tissue and nerves, with postoperative infection or unstable fixation being common.
Perfection, on the other hand, demanded that the operator achieve the optimal position on the first attempt with the fewest tries and the most precise angle, realizing the most stable anatomic reduction with the minimal trauma.
In his previous life, Kiryu Kazusuke's skill level had been only somewhat better than that of a resident, and even then, limited.
...
Kiryu Kazusuke pulled his coat collar tight and quickened his pace.
He noticed a figure about a dozen meters ahead. She wore a thick brown wool coat on her upper body, but a pleated short skirt and white knee-high socks below, with a pair of leather shoes on her feet.
In this kind of weather, that outfit was truly the very picture of invincible youth.
At first, Kiryu Kazusuke didn't pay it much mind.
But as he walked, things began to feel a little off.
The girl ahead turned and entered a small path.
And that happened to be the route he was taking too.
This was a bit awkward.
Just then.
Saionji Mina, walking ahead, also seemed to notice the footsteps behind her. Her gait became somewhat stiff.
She secretly glanced back from the corner of her eye.
Could she have run into one of those legendary perverts?
Should she run?
No, in TV shows, the victims always started by running, only to be caught after running out of stamina.
Should she turn around and confront him?
That wouldn't work either. He definitely had a knife on him—that's how it played out in the news.
She straightened her back and walked with steady steps, trying to create the illusion of "I'm not afraid of you at all; I'm a karate black belt."
Kiryu Kazusuke didn't want to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings.
So, he stopped walking, intending to wait until she had gone farther before continuing.
However, when Saionji Mina saw Kiryu Kazusuke stop in his tracks, her breath immediately caught.
Yes, this was exactly the sign that the pervert was about to attack!
Her body reacted before her brain could think. At this point, she didn't care whether her stamina would give out or not; she broke into a mad dash in the direction of her home.
But before she had taken even a few steps—
"Ah!"
An accident suddenly occurred.
Because she was running too fast, Saionji Mina seemed to trip on something. After a short scream, she stumbled and fell to the ground.
The plastic bag in her hand flew out as well, its contents rolling all over the ground.
There was yogurt, onigiri, and a box of Pocky chocolate sticks.
Right at this moment, another pale crimson light screen unfolded before Kiryu Kazusuke's eyes.
[Saionji Mina: It hurts... It's all that guy's fault behind me, why was he following me the whole time! My knee is bleeding. How am I going to wear my uniform skirt tomorrow? Die, die, die!]
[Convergent Worldline—]
[Branch One: Ignoring a stranger's predicament is the way of the adult world. (Reward: A single high-quality deep sleep)]
[Branch Two: You cannot sit idly by in the face of an injured person, so you step forward to help. (Reward: 10,000 yen in cash.)]
[Branch Three: You pick up the chocolate sticks she dropped and eat them, then finish with a mocking "How careless." (Reward: Being cursed in her heart as "the worst," "scum"...)]
Huh?
She's actually a villainous woman too?
Also... is the reward for Branch Three for real?
But Kiryu Kazusuke had no such hobbies anyway.
At this point, he couldn't worry about misunderstandings anymore. He ran up in quick strides.
"Are you alright?"
He crouched down, wanting to help her up.
Saionji Mina raised her head. Her hair was somewhat disheveled, a few strands stuck to her forehead, and there was dirt on her nose.
Her small face was full of panic and wariness.
"D-don't come near me!"
As she spoke, Saionji Mina scrambled backward on all fours, wanting to put distance between them.
"I'm not a bad person."
Kiryu Kazusuke raised both hands, showing he meant no harm.
"I'm a doctor. I live nearby. I saw you fall, so I came over to check."
He pointed to the hospital ID clipped to the pocket on his chest.
Saionji Mina looked at him with skepticism.
Though the streetlight wasn't very bright, she could still make out the hospital-style coat Kiryu Kazusuke was wearing. Furthermore, there was that intoxicating scent of disinfectant on him.
Seeing that he really didn't look like a bad person, she stopped retreating.
Saionji Mina tried to push herself up from the ground, but a sharp pain from her knee made her sit back down.
Looking down.
Her white knee-high socks were not only covered in dirt but had several holes torn in them.
And the largest hole was at her right knee. Through it, she could see that the skin had been scraped raw, bright red, oozing blood.
"Don't move. Let me take a look." Kiryu Kazusuke pointed at her leg. "If it isn't treated, it could easily get infected."
Saionji Mina hesitated slightly, but seeing that Kiryu Kazusuke didn't seem like a bad person, she lowered her guard a little.
She stiffened her neck and said in a forced tone, "Then... let me say this first: I, I don't have any money."
Kiryu Kazusuke was amused by this unexpected remark.
"Don't worry, I won't charge you."
"Come on, straighten your leg."
"I'll help you pull the socks down a bit and clean the wound."
With one hand, he supported her slender calf. With the other, he pinched the sock opening.
Accompanied by a subtle rustling sound, the warm cotton sock was slowly rolled down to her ankle. Without the fabric covering it, the wound oozing with blood could be seen.
This needed to be treated.
He looked around, then quickly walked to a nearby vending machine and bought a bottle of purified water.
"This might hurt a bit. Bear with it."
Kiryu Kazusuke unscrewed the cap, raised the bottle, and used gravity to create a certain impact force in the stream of water, rinsing away the sand and dirt from the wound's surface.
"Hiss—"
The icy water rushed against the raw, torn flesh. Saionji Mina couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath of cold air.
"Endure it. It'll be over soon."
Kiryu Kazusuke's movements were gentle and quick. Before long, he had finished treating the wound and used a tissue to absorb the water around it.
"All done." He stood up and held out his hand. "Can you stand?"
Saionji Mina looked at his outstretched hand. After a moment's hesitation, she still placed her own hand in his.
With a slight pull, Kiryu Kazusuke hauled her up from the ground.
Then, he helped her pick up the scattered items one by one, placed them back into the plastic bag, and handed it to her.
"Thank you so much."
Saionji Mina hugged the bag and bowed.
"It was nothing."
Kiryu Kazusuke waved his hand.
Saionji Mina bowed again before limping forward.
And Kiryu Kazusuke followed as well.
But after just two steps, he saw the girl ahead stop again.
"W-why are you still following me?!"
Saionji Mina turned around stiffly, her voice trembling. Whether it was because of the fall or not, her legs also seemed to be shaking.
Had she guessed wrong?
He wasn't some kind doctor at all, but a more patient pervert?
First using gentle methods to earn her trust, and then...
"Because I also live here."
Kiryu Kazusuke pointed at the three-story apartment building before them, feeling somewhat amused.
Saionji Mina looked at him in shock and suspicion.
She opened her mouth, seeming to want to say something, but ultimately said nothing. She simply turned around quickly and ducked into the apartment building.
Kiryu Kazusuke followed her inside.
The apartment had no elevator, only narrow concrete stairs.
He lived on the third floor.
When he turned the last corner of the stairwell, he found that girl standing in the third-floor hallway, gasping for breath.
This was a bit awkward.
Even Kiryu Kazusuke felt this was a bit too much of a coincidence.
The two of them stared at each other for a moment.
"You live on the third floor too?" Kiryu Kazusuke coughed dryly, taking the initiative to break the silence.
"Y-you too?" Saionji Mina took a step back.
Kiryu Kazusuke nodded and then pointed to Room 302 at the end of the hallway.
Saionji Mina looked in the direction he pointed, then looked at the key in her own hand.
The room number tag hanging from her key was Room 301.
"It seems we're neighbors."
Kiryu Kazusuke had also noticed the room tag on her key.
So he quickly passed by Saionji Mina, walked to the door of Room 302, and took out his key.
Click—
The door opened.
Kiryu Kazusuke looked back. The girl was still standing there in a daze. She must be very shy around strangers.
"Aren't you going in?"
"Ah... oh!"
The girl woke from her dream in a fluster, hurriedly running to the door of Room 301 and trembling as she inserted the key into the lock.
She turned the key several times, but the door wouldn't open.
"Did you insert the key backwards?"
Kiryu Kazusuke couldn't help but remind her.
"I... I know!"
Saionji Mina retorted with a stiff neck, but her hands honestly pulled the key out, reversed it, and smoothly opened the door.
Before slipping inside, she glanced back at Kiryu Kazusuke once more.
"My name is Saionji Mina. I just moved in yesterday."
"Today... thank you."
Without waiting for Kiryu Kazusuke's response, she closed the door with a bang.