Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Going Backwards (2)
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My face flushed beet red as I hung my head low.
Scratch. Scratch.
All I could hear was the doctor scribbling notes and flipping through pages.
A moment later, the doctor approached me again.
“Mr. Legend. Does this reaction only happen with a specific woman's scent?”
“Uh… yes.”
“Oh, and don't worry that I'm disgusted by you or anything like that. I was just pondering something. Nothing more.”
“…Really?”
“Of course. I was the one who asked, after all.”
Hahaha!
The doctor let out a hearty laugh and patted my shoulder.
I couldn't say a word, just kept my head down.
At least his booming laughter eased my embarrassment a little. That was some small comfort.
“When you say 'woman's scent,' do you mean a particular woman's?”
“Yes.”
“Probably that woman who always comes with you? Now that I think about it, she didn't come today.”
“She had some work… and yes, you're right.”
“No need to be so embarrassed. In this line of work, stories like yours are just mildly intriguing.”
The doctor kept smiling to put me at ease, raising his voice a bit as he continued.
“Have you had any sleepless nights lately?”
“Not in the last two weeks, I think.”
Since Valentine's, I hadn't pulled any all-nighters.
Even if I had, I'd caught up on sleep during the day.
Honestly, it didn't seem like a big deal, but Myth worried so much that skipping sleep entirely felt iffy.
“You make an effort to sleep regularly. That's a great sign. Once you're asleep, do you have trouble waking up?”
“I wake up often, but I try to get back to sleep.”
“I see. Waking up frequently… Do you break into cold sweats?”
“Not every day, but sometimes.”
“Right. And when you wake up, do you feel anything unusual in your body?”
“No.”
The doctor's questions kept coming.
“Hmm. Any recent exciting experiences? Romantic ones count, or even a sense of achievement from games.”
“Quite a few of both. Romantic… and work achievements too.”
“Got it. Any dizziness or rapid heartbeat?”
“When nothing's going on?”
“Yes.”
“Not really.”
It felt odd.
We didn't usually have this many questions.
The doctor kept asking, then gave my leg a meaningful look.
“Do you normally bounce your leg like that?”
That's when I realized my leg was jittering.
Never been called out on it before in my life.
I consciously stopped it.
“Ah, sorry.”
“No need to apologize.”
Scratch scratch.
Tap tap.
The pen on paper and keyboard clacks tickled my ears nonstop.
The questions didn't let up.
“Mr. Legend, are you sensitive to praise?”
“Sensitive to praise…?”
“Does your heart race wildly when someone compliments you?”
“Doesn't everyone feel that?”
“True. Everyone does.”
Sometimes the questions came out of left field.
“Mr. Legend… self-esteem… no. For example, do you tend to get nervous before doing something?”
“Not really… ah.”
“Something come to mind?”
“When I create something and show it to a lot of people, I get really nervous.”
“I see. And when you get praise for it, your heart races again.”
“Yes.”
“Not prying. It's a perfectly natural symptom.”
Some questions felt like they pierced right through me.
They kept coming, way past our usual consultation time.
“You were brought to our hospital before, about two months ago. Got your stomach pumped, right?”
“Oh yeah, that happened.”
I recalled Myth's kimchi fried rice—too cruel to even call it that, more like alchemical residue.
Looking back, I never should've eaten it. Why did I?
Remembering made me chuckle despite myself.
“The report says you ingested a highly dangerous substance directly. Was it voluntary?”
“…Yes.”
“Mr. Legend. Was your lady friend involved in that?”
“Doctor? Well, she's not my girlfriend, first off.”
The questions dug deeper, so I looked at him.
But he just smiled warmly, his expression firm yet kind.
What was this?
Did I have to answer?
Reading my wary glance, the doctor pressed on.
“Don't worry. Not assigning blame. Just confirming something. As a doctor, I promise no harm to her.”
“…She was involved.”
“Thank you for answering. No need to fret. It's fine.”
My breath quickened a bit.
Noticing, he made a quick call somewhere.
“Doctor. Got what you asked for.”
“Thanks.”
A nurse entered with a black bag.
Inside: snacks, candy, water.
She set them down and left promptly.
“Figured we'd chat longer, so I ordered snacks. Help yourself, Mr. Legend. Plenty here.”
The doctor popped a jelly into his mouth and offered me a fresh pack.
He ate first, so it was safe.
I gratefully took one.
“Thanks. I'll dig in.”
“Eat up, then anything in the bag.”
“Yep.”
I popped in the cola-shaped jelly, coated in sugar crystals.
Tartness zapped my tongue awake, sweetness jolted my brain.
As my breathing steadied, we munched and chatted idly for a while.
“Alright, back to the consultation.”
“Can I guess why today's session is so long?”
The doctor paused, mulling it over.
He glanced between the chart, notes, monitor, and me, then nodded.
“I think I've found a clue to your peculiar situation, Mr. Legend.”
Peculiar situation—probably the sleep and focus issues.
Gulp.
I swallowed and straightened up.
Useful abilities, sure, but being different made me uneasy.
Like Myth worried, who knew when it'd backfire.
“Really?”
“Of course, I don't know exactly why. Waking after seven years comatose and immediately walking and running? Beyond comprehension.”
Christmas miracle, right?
The doctor continued.
“But… skipping the miraculous muscles, I have thoughts on the sleep disorder and hyper-focus.”
“What are they?”
“Easy to say, but I want to be certain. A few more questions—can you answer honestly?”
I nodded.
Satisfied, he began.
“Back to the stomach pumping.”
“Yes.”
“Whatever it was, did you have no choice but to eat it?”
Did I have no choice with Myth's creation?
Well.
She did watch expectantly, but it wasn't mandatory.
I didn't think she'd force it if I refused outright.
“No.”
I shook my head.
“Did you not know it was dangerous?”
“No?”
“I see.”
How could I not know? Spoon corroding, kimchi acting alive.
The doctor nodded repeatedly.
What was he gleaning from my answers?
“Well, I didn't realize it was that dangerous.”
“Got it. Next. Two questions left.”
Two questions.
What answer awaited after?
My heart started pounding.
“Mr. Legend. Does the sustained focus have specific conditions?”
“Conditions?”
“Like only during certain tasks or actions. Or all the time?”
“Hold on. Never thought about it. Let me think.”
“Take your time.”
I pondered deeply.
Never really analyzed it.
Phone scrolling, reading, TV—did I hyper-focus then?
No matter how I racked my brain, one answer.
“Only when working, I think.”
“What kind of work?”
“Ah, well…”
I hesitated.
Worried it'd reveal Myth's identity.
The doctor seemed to read my mind.
“For reference, your not-girlfriend? I know she's a famous Nutuber who comes with you.”
“You know?”
“She told me first.”
No point hiding, then.
“3D modeling work.”
“Ah-ha. Related to her?”
“Yes.”
One question left.
My throat felt dry.
I grabbed a water bottle from the bag and drank.
He waited till I set it down.
“Last question, Mr. Legend. It's sensitive—if it bothers you at all, skip it.”
What could it be?
A bit scared.
“Mr. Legend.”
“Yes.”
“From what I know, you two are very close. At least past the 'flirting' stage.”
“She told you that too?”
“No. But visiting for seven years? Not family, opposite sex—no one's done that before. Or ever will.”
“…”
I agreed, so I stayed silent.
The question came.
“One more time: if it's unpleasant, no need to answer.”
“…Okay.”
I knew instinctively.
What was next.
“Why hasn't your relationship progressed further? Whose fault?”
Stab.
Words pierced my heart.
I didn't answer.
Just bowed my head and shook it side to side.
That sufficed—he said, “That's all,” ending the questions.
“Now I'm certain. The root of your current state, Mr. Legend. I think I know it.”
He handed me the report.
Amid scribbles, a circled word caught my eye.
Gulp.
Throat still parched despite swallowing.
“You're strong, Mr. Legend. Astonishingly so. Waking after seven years, yet so composed. Psych evals showed nothing.”
I drank more water.
Kept going.
“Honestly, embarrassing. Signs were there, but I missed them. Probably because that one person always present during checkups isn't here today.”
Till the bottle emptied.
“Mr. Legend.”
Knock. Knock.
“Right now—”
Last drops hit my tongue.
Even so,
“you're experiencing extreme anxiety.”
My throat kept drying out.