The next day.
The rare warm sun of a winter day pierced through the curtains and fell across Kiryu Kazusuke’s face.
Though he was only a resident physician, after working several consecutive shifts, even a hospital that treated the Labor Standards Act like toilet paper had no choice but to arrange a day of compensatory leave for him.
When Kiryu Kazusuke woke up, it was already ten in the morning.
He stretched.
The joints throughout his body let out a crisp series of cracks.
The stamina he had spent last night going wild with his neighbor had, after a night’s sleep, fully recovered. In fact, he felt even more energetic than before.
Saionji Mina really was useful.
From now on, improving his physical condition would depend on her.
His current physical capabilities were probably about thirty percent stronger than they had been half a month ago, and his endurance had doubled.
He got out of bed, poured himself a glass of water, and drank it.
Then, with a thought, Kiryu Kazusuke unfolded the pale-red screen before his eyes.
[Name: Kiryu Kazusuke]
[Assets: ¥348,800]
[Items: None]
[Skills: Kirschner Wire Fixation—Perfect; Surgical Incision Suturing—Advanced; Joint Dislocation Reduction—Basic; Anatomical Reduction of Fractures—Perfect]
Kiryu Kazusuke looked at the assets column.
A little over 340,000 yen.
That included the salary issued by the hospital, the rewards from the world-line mission, and the ¥100,000 envelope Associate Professor Mizutani had given him.
It meant he had no anxiety about survival. He could even live fairly well.
After all, right now, a bowl of Yoshinoya beef rice cost only 400 yen, and renting a single room within Tokyo’s Yamanote Line was only ¥60,000 to ¥80,000.
Most importantly, he would not be like the original owner, eating convenience-store bentos nearing their expiration date for a whole month just to buy Senior Nagata Ayaka a handbag.
Then he looked at his skills.
This was his greatest reliance.
The ones with the highest value were undoubtedly “Kirschner Wire Fixation—Perfect” and “Anatomical Reduction of Fractures—Perfect.”
As long as it was not replantation of severed fingers requiring extremely advanced microsurgical techniques, or an ultra-difficult operation involving the spinal nerves, ordinary limb fractures had almost no threshold for him anymore.
“Surgical Incision Suturing—Advanced” was also extremely practical on the operating table.
It could ensure that his sutures were beautiful and that patients recovered quickly.
As for “Joint Dislocation Reduction—Basic”…
Better than nothing. In any case, it could save him some effort in the emergency department.
He closed the screen and went into the bathroom to wash up.
Looking at the young face in the mirror, he splashed his cheeks with cold water.
The 1990s.
It was a good era, and also a bad one.
For ordinary people, the pains after the bursting of the bubble had only just begun. Banks collapsed, companies laid off workers, and the once-vaunted system of lifetime employment began to disintegrate.
But no matter how depressed the economy became, people would always fall ill, and people would always break bones.
It could even be said that the worse the economy, the more accidental injuries caused by suicide, brawls, and alcoholism there would be.
And that meant Kiryu Kazusuke would have more opportunities.
He had to make good use of the three months of “priority operating-room access” he had obtained from Imagawa Ori, and accumulate as many surgeries as possible.
Only by displaying his value could he truly shake off the consumable label of “resident physician.”
After washing up, he changed into casual clothes.
A deep-black turtleneck sweater, with a gray wool coat over it. This was the most presentable outfit he could find in his wardrobe.
It was not some famous brand, but its tailoring was neat, and on him it did give off a rather upright, handsome impression.
He pushed open the door and went downstairs.
In this era of sluggish consumer desire, as a good citizen, he had a duty to stimulate domestic demand a little.
He walked out of the apartment building.
Though the sunlight outside was bright, the air remained cold and sharp.
With the end of the year approaching, there were quite a few people on the streets.
This was the central district of Maebashi City. Though it could not compare to Tokyo’s prosperity, it could still be considered lively.
Both sides of the street were plastered with all kinds of discount and promotional posters.
“Year-End Grand Appreciation Festival!”
“Fifty Percent Off Storewide!”
“Bleeding Clearance Sale!”
These red slogans looked festive on the surface, but in truth, they were desperate cries from merchants trying to recoup their funds.
Of course, the government was still glossing over the situation, claiming that the economy was undergoing a “soft landing.”
Unfortunately, the wallets of ordinary people did not lie.
Kiryu Kazusuke passed by an electronics store.
In the display window sat Sony’s latest Trinitron television, priced at ¥198,000.
A few office workers in suits had gathered beside it, pointing and commenting. Their eyes were filled with longing, yet they did not dare go inside.
“That’s way too expensive.”
“Yeah. This year’s bonus is gone again. Looks like I won’t be buying this TV.”
“I heard Yamamoto from next door got laid off last week.”
“Wasn’t he still paying off his mortgage?”
“That’s why he’s finished.”
Their whispered conversation drifted into his ears. This was the pulse of the times.
But Kiryu Kazusuke did not have any sympathy to spare.
Since they had enjoyed the revelry after the Plaza Accord, they ought to have been prepared for the mess that followed.
He continued walking forward.
After about twenty minutes, he arrived in front of a large chain bookstore called Kinokuniya Bookstore.
No matter how bad the economy was, bookstores always had plenty of people.
After all, the internet was not developed right now, and even mobile phones were still bricklike devices that only a minority could afford. Books were already a relatively inexpensive form of entertainment.
Kiryu Kazusuke pushed the door open and went in.
The heating was turned up high.
The bestseller section was filled with Haruki Murakami’s novels and all kinds of self-help books teaching people how to get rich quickly.
He headed straight for the professional books section on the second floor.
“Medicine · Nursing.”
There were clearly far fewer people here. Only a few young people who looked like medical students were browsing through books.
Kiryu Kazusuke walked to the shelf labeled “Orthopedics.”
His fingers slid over rows of thick, hardbound spines.
Gray’s Anatomy, Campbell’s Operative Orthopaedics, AO Principles of Fracture Management, Standard Orthopedics…
All of them were classic textbooks.
But what he was looking for today were journals and the latest cutting-edge monographs.
For the profession of medicine, technique was the core, and theory was the foundation.
Therefore, he wanted to know exactly what stage medicine had developed to at present.
Although Kiryu Kazusuke had rich clinical experience from later generations, all of that had been built on the foundation of modern medical equipment and consumables.
If he did not understand where the ceiling of the era lay, and he happened to propose a plan only to find it limited by technology, would that not make him look like a clown?
He walked up to the bookshelf.
Most of the books here were original English or German editions, and their prices were shockingly high.
A single original edition of Campbell’s Operative Orthopaedics cost tens of thousands of yen.
And with his entire current fortune, buying just a few books would basically wipe him out.
In this era, when intellectual property was strictly protected and professional books had small print runs, books were luxuries.
Especially medical books. Many poor students simply could not afford them.
They either had to borrow them from the library, or several classmates pooled money to buy one copy and take turns reading it.
And to think Kiryu Kazusuke had even felt a little smug before leaving home.
Seeing that he had over 300,000 yen, he had thought he counted as having a bit of money.
What a joke.
One extra chapter today. In the future, the author will be more cautious regarding plots and page time involving female characters. I hope everyone will continue to support me. Many thanks.