Severance (Caution: Graphic Content)

Back in the present, inside Siwu's dorm room. Siwu and Professor Yoon Arin sit facing each other across the desk. On the desk rests a single appetizing packaged lunchbox, wooden chopsticks, and a bottle of water. The rain-soaked, bedraggled Siwu from before is gone. In his place sits a neat, freshly cleaned version of him in the chair. He has just showered and changed into the pajamas Professor Yoon Arin brought. The faint dampness still clinging to his hair gives it away.

"Sorry... I wasn't sure about our Siwu's size... they're a bit big, aren't they? But that just makes you even cuter... our Siwu..."

Sky-blue striped, adorable pajamas. They're slightly too large on him, completely covering his ankles and wrists while the sleeves actually get in the way of his movements a little. He looks like a child playfully raiding his father's closet. It doubles the natural cuteness that already radiates from Siwu.

If he'd had his body from his previous world, they probably wouldn't have felt so oversized. Thinking about that brings an inexplicable wave of melancholy over him.

More than anything, though, what really bothers Siwu is having Professor Yoon Arin in the same room. He'd expected her to approach him again eventually... but why wasn't she using her Individuality to control him? That question kept circling inside his head.

"........Since I've done everything you told me to—showered and changed clothes—can you leave now?"

"I'll go after I watch you start eating."

He hadn't wanted to let Professor Yoon Arin into his room. But what power did he have to refuse her? Noticing that her behavior today was different from usual, Siwu had decided that cooperating might prevent him from suffering the same kind of abuse he'd endured from Koharu. So for now, he followed her instructions.

Right now she wore a satisfied expression as she quietly admired him in his pajamas. Since she'd brought luggage, daily necessities, simple clothes, and food, he didn't have to worry about shopping. But rather than feeling grateful for that kindness, he only felt fear.

Especially the lunchbox sitting in front of him. What if she'd laced it with something strange? Siwu couldn't shake his suspicion and kept staring at it without picking up the chopsticks.

"Nuna will make you something delicious later. For today, just eat this."

".........."

"Hm?"

"....You should answer when Nuna speaks to you, shouldn't you?"

"Y......yes."

Siwu immediately receives a lesson in proper behavior. Having expressed his desire to defy Professor Yoon Arin through silence, he quickly tucks his tail between his legs. Even though her attitude seems gentler today, she won't tolerate his resistance. This is the hierarchical relationship between women and men.

The trauma from what Koharu did to him still sits deep in Siwu's mind. The fear that the woman before him might do something horrible to him again was slowly turning him into an obedient person, though he himself hadn't realized it yet.

"Hurry up and eat. Nuna has work to do and needs to leave."

Setting aside his fear that something strange might be inside it, Siwu had no real appetite for the lunchbox Professor Yoon Arin had given him. But he had no choice. He abruptly peeled off the plastic wrap, tore open the wooden chopsticks, and began eating.

He started with the rice, chewing steadily. Then came the rolled omelet. It wasn't anything special... but to Siwu, who had been quite hungry, it tasted... surprisingly good. He hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, so that was only natural.

Had convenience store lunchboxes always tasted this good? On top of that, after everything that had happened, his exhausted mind and body desperately needed nutrients to recover ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠energy.

Still, just in case, he ate at an extremely slow, cautious pace.

"......Then, Nuna will ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠be going now."

".......?!"

With food still in his mouth, Siwu looked up at Professor Yoon Arin, chewing. His expression was one of pure shock, as if asking, She's really leaving without doing anything? In truth, he'd been resigned to the idea that she'd pounce on him the moment she said that. But Professor Yoon Arin actually stood up from her chair and headed for the door, just as she'd promised!

What she'd said wasn't empty words. What kind of change of heart could make a woman who'd sworn to chase him to the ends of the earth back off so easily? Leaving behind a stunned Siwu, she pressed the door lock button, unlocked it, and disappeared beyond the door.

"......I'll come again next time. Our Siwu needs to take care of his body, okay?"

After expressing concern for Siwu's well-being, she really left his room without any twist or reversal. Siwu stood frozen with food still in his mouth, staring blankly at the front door through which Professor Yoon Arin had vanished. His cheeks were puffed out, making him look incredibly like an adorable squirrel.

He swallowed the food along with his saliva and mulled over and over in his mind what on earth Professor Yoon Arin's intentions could be.

"Haa.........fuck, don't come back, please....."

With a short curse, he spat out words filled with both fear and irritation toward Professor Yoon Arin, who had already left and couldn't hear him. Behind that tough exterior was our Siwu.

Once she was gone, he stared down at the half-eaten lunchbox.

"......."

What if she'd put some strange drug in it? Was it really okay to keep eating?

"Ha...shit...."

Siwu abruptly stabbed his chopsticks into a tempting piece of karaage. That's right. He was simply too hungry to throw the lunchbox away without eating it!

In the blink of an eye, he devoured the entire thing as if possessed by the flavor. His throat felt dry, so he opened the nearby water bottle and gulped it down.

"Whew...."

He didn't trust that crazy bitch. But her behavior today had been quite different from last time. She hadn't used her Individuality, hadn't laid a single finger on his body, and had obediently left the room.

When she'd entered and immediately told him to shower, his heart had dropped. He'd kept anxiously watching the bathroom door, terrified she might burst in while he was showering, but nothing happened.

Why was she acting like this all of a sudden? Why had she suddenly become a sweet woman... instead of a sweet man? Had she changed her strategy? Even so, she was no different from that crazy bitch Koharu. She might have been well-behaved today, but next time could be completely different.

Staring at the now-empty lunchbox container, he rolled various speculations around in his head.

"I have ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠no... haaahm... idea what's going on...."

A natural physiological reaction appeared in his body. A yawn accompanied by drowsiness. This was definitely post-meal sleepiness. Even if it wasn't, looking at the time, it wouldn't be strange for him to feel sleepy.

Siwu stood up from the chair with a scrape and walked toward the bed. He flopped down onto the soft mattress and laid his head on the pillow. The plush mattress and soft blanket enveloped his entire body. It felt truly good. A smile naturally formed on his lips.

But the situation he was in was the complete opposite of that comfort. What kind of crazy women would he meet in the future? Why had he been stupid enough to make that contract with that demon bitch? At the very least, he should have secured something that could protect his body when making the contract... Only worries and regrets dominated his mind.

Meanwhile, his body, craving rest, wouldn't let him continue agonizing. The drowsiness kept growing stronger. His consciousness drifted away....

How nice it would be if he opened his eyes and all of this had been a dream.

.........

The adorable Siwu, having eaten his fill, fell into a deep sleep on the bed. Lost in peaceful slumber, he didn't stir at all. Only his chest and stomach rose and fell slightly with each breath.

But Siwu still didn't know. His day was not over yet.

......

About ten minutes after Siwu had fallen asleep.

The sound of someone manipulating the door lock of Siwu's dorm room echoed through the otherwise deathly quiet space. People who had business with him had entered his dorm password in one go.

Without the slightest hesitation, they entered Siwu's living space. But Siwu still hadn't woken up. A normal person would have woken at such loud noises, yet our Siwu showed no reaction even after falling asleep.

The two 'women' who had entered his room without permission discovered Siwu lying asleep in bed.

"Husband, you still haven't changed the default password... How careless of you..... Oh! Ha... haa.... So cute♥"

The moment she saw Siwu, Koharu's expression melted away. The incredible sight of the man she adored sleeping with an angelic face. He'd been cute when awake and cute when making love with her, but his sleeping form was adorable too. Who on earth had created such a lovely being!

Koharu's wicked hand naturally reached toward Siwu's body.

But unfortunately, Koharu wasn't the only visitor to Siwu's room.

"......This isn't the time for that, is it?"

"I'm trying to touch my husband. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Fuck, I really will kill you."

Professor Yoon Arin swiftly grabbed Koharu's wrist, blocking the lewd hand reaching for Siwu in an instant.

"Professor, aren't you having a hard time holding back either?"

"K...khm..."

Professor Yoon Arin blushed, looking flustered. She couldn't deny it and kept clearing her throat awkwardly. How many women in the world wouldn't feel a strange urge upon seeing Siwu sleeping so defenselessly?

"Anyway, let's finish what we came to do quickly."

"Yeees~ Yeees~"

Koharu gave a cheeky, teasing reply and placed the rather large black bag she was holding onto the desk beside the bed.

She opened the bag's zipper and slowly took out its contents one by one. But every single item was a strange tool whose purpose was impossible to guess. A syringe, a small bottle containing a colorless and odorless unknown liquid, something resembling a surgical scalpel, and a large quantity of towels. What on earth were they planning to do with these?

Koharu skillfully picked up the syringe, then began drawing the mysterious liquid from the bottle into it through the needle. The liquid slowly entered the syringe along the needle.

"Let's start with anesthesia."

When Professor Yoon Arin said that, Koharu took the syringe and approached Siwu.

She grabbed the ankle of the soundly sleeping Siwu, lifted it, and carefully examined his right ankle. Her expression was completely serious, without a trace of her usual smile. Anesthesia? Were they really going to perform surgery right here?

Siwu didn't have any injuries anywhere on his body. The areas where Koharu had assaulted him had already been completely healed by a HealingIndividuality, so he had never suffered any wound that would require surgery.

"Sssip.... Hoo...."

After taking one deep breath in and out, she brought the needle to Siwu's ankle without the slightest hesitation and stabbed it in. At the same time, the liquid inside the syringe began slowly injecting into Siwu's body through the needle.

"Ugh.... Mmm...."

Siwu's face twisted slightly from the pain of the needle, letting out a small groan. But he did not wake from his sleep. Koharu briefly glanced at his expression to observe it, then pulled the needle out of his body. She repeated the exact same process on his left ankle.

After pulling it out, she received a small piece of gauze from Professor Yoon Arin, who had been standing silently beside her, and immediately pressed it firmly against the injection site.

It was truly seamless teamwork. One might doubt whether these two had ever fought, given their perfect coordination.

"You double-checked the dosage, right?"

"Yes, I checked it several times, so it's fine."

The drug they had injected into Siwu was 'ropivacaine,' a local anesthetic widely used in orthopedics and similar fields.

"Still, I can't believe you actually managed to get it..."

Professor Yoon Arin murmured in quiet admiration. Just as she'd said, this was a drug that ordinary people could neither possess nor obtain without a doctor's prescription. How on earth had she acquired it?

"If I couldn't even get something like this, I wouldn't be from a prestigious family. With enough money, nothing is impossible."

Money and power. In the past and now, if you had these two things, you could carry out activities that violated the law without any hindrance. As expected of the Fujiwara family, which proudly held the second rank among hero noble houses.

......

Professor Yoon Arin began laying out the several towels she'd brought under Siwu's lower body—specifically beneath his feet. About five minutes passed.

Professor Yoon Arin held a surgical scalpel in one hand, while Koharu lifted Siwu's ankle and positioned it directly in front of Professor Yoon Arin's face, holding it steady so she could see clearly. The sharp scalpel reflected the light, proudly displaying its presence throughout the room.

".....You can start now."

Judging that the anesthesia had taken full effect, Koharu gave a small nod and signaled Professor Yoon Arin.

"Got it."

Professor Yoon Arin acknowledged the signal and began moving the scalpel she held toward the back of Siwu's heel. And then...

She began severing Siwu's Achilles tendon with the scalpel.

Siwu's ankle began pouring bright red blood onto the bed. That was what the towels were for. Since they'd laid down thick towels in two layers, there was no worry about dirtying the bed.

That's right. These two women had broken into this room to sever Siwu's Achilles tendons.

The sharp, blood-stained scalpel moved busily from left to right, mercilessly cutting through poor Siwu's Achilles tendon. Rather than feeling any pangs of conscience for this horrifying and cruel act, the two women only continued their work-related conversation.

"Just in case, it might be better to cut a little more above and below."

"Understood."

At Koharu's request, Professor Yoon Arin adjusted the incision area slightly longer vertically and continued severing Siwu's Achilles tendon. Their expressions were like students concentrating on solving an exam problem. Extremely focused.

To perform this task, Professor Yoon Arin and Koharu had learned some medical knowledge in advance from a doctor they had contacted beforehand. Although a HealingIndividuality existed in this world, that Healing was not omnipotent. The range of abilities varied wildly—from healing that could only fix minor scratches to incredible healing capable of regenerating severed arms. Especially since those with the latter type of HealingIndividuality were extremely rare, not everyone could enjoy the benefits of healing.

Therefore, even in a world where the HealingIndividuality existed, the necessity of medicine still remained.

That's right. The world Siwu was living in was one where HealingIndividualities and modern medicine coexisted.

From the dosage of propofol to the exact incision site for the Achilles tendon, they had received guidance through video calls with doctors in advance, so they proceeded with the procedure without hesitation. There was also no worry that the doctors bribed with Koharu's money would report them. The Fujiwara family's influence was shining brightly in this situation.

Still, one might wonder if it was really possible to perform such a procedure in such a short time... but Professor Yoon Arin was originally an expert at handling blades. One of her Individualities was Soul Weapon. It was a common yet powerful ability that allowed her to summon her exclusive weapon, a katana, and engage enemies in combat. Having cut down many villains so far, Professor Yoon Arin already knew exactly where to cut a person to make them unable to walk.

It was thanks to—or rather, because of—these factors that the two possessed that innocent Siwu's Achilles tendons ended up being severed.

"This side is done. Lift the left foot."

"Yes."

Having already finished the right foot, the two immediately moved on to cutting the left Achilles tendon. Perhaps because she'd already cut the right one once, Professor Yoon Arin's speed at severing the Achilles tendon had become considerably faster. Even in this short moment, Professor Yoon Arin had grown through experience. She truly was a terrifying woman.

"....Did you disinfect this?"

"Don't worry. It's already been sterilized and disinfected."

Professor Yoon Arin's gloved hands moved diligently, now relaxed enough to even chat. After all, it would be very troublesome if Siwu died from tetanus after all the effort of cutting him. Both the gloves and the back of Siwu's heels were soaked with blood.

"Oh my, already?"

Koharu couldn't hide her amazement at the significantly faster speed compared to the first one.

"Yes. Now it's your turn."

"I'll finish quickly, so please organize the tools."

Koharu, with a face full of confidence, placed one hand on Siwu's foot, where the flesh had been cruelly torn open. Soon, a faint light began to emanate from Koharu's hand and both of Siwu's heels.

While putting the used tools back into the bag with a clatter, Professor Yoon Arin asked a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠question.

"You're not reattaching the severed parts, right?"

"I'm not an idiot.... Of course I'm only covering it with new flesh on top, so don't worry. And finally...."

Professor Yoon Arin's concern was only natural. After going through all the trouble of cutting it, it would be pointless if it got reattached through healing.

"With this as well...."

Koharu, who had finished the healing, now began using a different Individuality. While the healing had emitted a sacred light like sunlight, this time it was an unpleasant purple light—or rather, a strange misty shimmer began to flicker around Koharu's hand and Siwu's two ankles. An eerie presence that was difficult to describe in words.

When Koharu lowered her hand, the purple shimmering vanished in an instant.

"I've placed a Healing Block Curse on the cut areas, so unless someone has a healing Individuality, it will be absolutely impossible to heal."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Even without the curse, unless it's a Rank 1 healing Individuality user, it can't be fixed, so you don't need to worry."

Koharu explained her work in detail, relieving Professor Yoon Arin's concerns. The Healing Block Curse that Koharu had used was a curse developed by those with curse Individualities. It was a fairly well-known ability that had often been used on prisoners of war during wartime. It was said to have been developed to prevent healing Individuality users among prisoners from arbitrarily healing their allies.

Professor Yoon Arin, having gathered all the tools and trash used in the procedure, closed the bag's zipper. Then she examined Siwu's ankles to check the results of their work. Perfect. The external appearance of the ankles before and after the procedure looked completely identical. That's right. On the outside, at least. The ankles were clean, without even a single scratch remaining.

"It's perfect."

Satisfied with Koharu's skill, she gave a light nod, then walked over to Siwu's head this time.

"......."

Siwu was completely sound asleep... no, anesthetized. He didn't stir at all. To be able to sleep so deeply even while his flesh was being sliced—it was truly the power of modern medicine.

She gently reached out toward Siwu's head.

Slap

"Oh my, you're not saying only you can touch him and I can't, are you?"

Koharu wasn't about to just watch quietly.

"Tsk."

Professor Yoon Arin irritably shook off the hand that had grabbed her wrist and clicked her tongue. Even touching his head had become a point of mutual restraint and competition. They looked nothing like people who had just worked together with such perfect coordination moments ago.

"Our poor husband.... Please endure just a little longer...."

To call him pitiful after being the ones who cut him—anyone else hearing this would have been utterly dumbfounded. Koharu spoke to the unconscious Siwu in a voice that sounded like she was about to cry, offering comfort.

"What nonsense. Let's go quickly."

To Professor Yoon Arin, all of Koharu's behavior felt completely fake, so it only served to irritate her.

"Sigh..... People from Joseon really have no sense of emotion.... Is it because their genes are inferior from the start? Oh, of course, I exclude husband from that."

"What the fuck did you just say?!"

"Oh my, I was just talking to myself..."

Professor Yoon Arin and Koharu, having gathered their bag, left Siwu's room while bickering. Click. Koharu didn't forget to turn off the room light as they left. The moment the switch was flipped, Siwu's room was swallowed by darkness.

The door closed and the door lock engaged. The sound of their argument, which could hardly be called friendly, could still be heard coming from the hallway. Gradually, those voices grew fainter until they could no longer be heard.

Siwu lay in the exact same position as before they had entered his room. From his external appearance alone, it looked as though no change had occurred to Siwu's body at all. Yes. On the outside, at least.