Health Center Life (2)

"Next."

The very next patient came right in.

This one looked even worse off. Dark circles hollowed out under her eyes, and her hair was clearly torn out in clumps.

"Have a seat. Name and affiliation, please."

"……."

The woman sat in the chair without a word, staring into space with unfocused eyes. Her lips twitched nonstop.

"Die, die… gotta kill 'em all… hehe, hehehe…."

A chilling mutter. I could feel the counselor next to me glancing over.

Yeah, better not bother talking.

No need to drag it out. I already had the answer key.

Slaughter, huh. At this level, was it dangerous?

A little more stress, and she'd go berserk, slicing at allies and enemies alike without distinction.

But from the way she was mumbling, this one seemed like she was faking it too.

"Grade 3. Go grab your meds from the therapist."

"Hehe, really…? Grade 3?"

"Yep. Next."

"…Tch."

I hammered the keyboard without hesitation.

Next. Next again.

My turnover rate was leagues ahead of the other counselors. Patient sits. Open app. Check. Stamp. Send off. By the time they handled two, I'd already processed five.

Speed wasn't the goal. It was just a bonus. Plus, I had plans to leverage my performance here to bump up my counselor rank.

That's when it happened.

"Um… Mr. Jeong?"

Someone tapped my partition from the next station. I turned to see a guy about my age, glasses and all, looking troubled. Another civilian psych counselor.

"Yeah? What's up?"

"Well… aren't you going a bit too fast? I mean, this is psychological counseling. Shouldn't you at least hear the patients out…?"

"I am listening."

"Come on, you're stamping approvals the second they sit down. Everyone over there's whispering about it. Saying you're half-assing it."

He gestured across the room. Not empty words— the white-coated colleagues were indeed shooting glances my way.

Ridiculous, from my perspective.

I figured there'd be some pushback like this.

Didn't think someone would actually come over to meddle, though.

"I'm not half-assing it."

"That last patient was in and out in under three minutes. Same with the one before."

"And?"

"…You can't just spit out judgments like a machine. These women are heroes who just risked their lives on the front lines. A little empathy and active listening is basic, right?"

Ah, the textbook type. The rigid one who needs everything by the book.

"Sir."

"Yes?"

"That's my specialty. Gauging contamination levels."

"…Is that so?"

He didn't buy it for a second.

What a pain.

"So mind your own business and do your job. I'll handle mine."

"Hey, but there's protocols—"

"Hey."

Fuck, seriously. Do I look like a pushover?

"I said butt out. What, you liable for my work? Focus on yours."

"…Ugh."

His face flushed red. He twitched his mouth, then slunk back to his seat.

Whatever. Bullshit's in full bloom around here.

"Next patient."

I called out mechanically again.

Clack, clack.

This footstep was different. Solid heels from sturdy shoes. A woman stepped past the partition and sat.

"……."

I opened the app out of habit and looked up. Then froze for a second.

She looked pretty damn fine.

No, not just fine— she radiated killing intent like she'd just come off the battlefield, monster head in hand.

Long black hair, tanned skin, a pristine suit-style transformation outfit without a single tear, plunging cleavage… and those sharp eyes glaring daggers at me.

B-grade.

Here it comes at last.

My first B-grade magical girl.

I swiped to the Corruption Desire ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tab with my thumb like always.

Trouble.

Had to, though.

"Have a seat."

"……."

She sat without a word. Back ramrod straight, hands neatly on her knees. Posture straight out of a job interview.

"Min Seo-yu, Sector 4 Mobile Strike Team Deputy Leader, right?"

"Yes."

"Symptoms?"

"None."

Her voice sliced cold. She stared me down.

"I'm only here because regs require it. My condition is perfectly normal. No issues with combat performance."

"I'll be the judge of that."

"Judge?"

One eyebrow twitched.

"You, a civilian, judging someone like me with three years in the field?"

"Well… government's orders?"

"……."

Don't snap at me, it's scary.

Start the extraction first.

Hm?

I double-checked my eyes.

Masochism? This uptight elite deputy leader?

Are all B-grades like this?

Glanced at the screen again. 78%. Pretty high.

…Might as well be straight with her.

"Grade 2."

I added flatly, eyes still on the monitor.

"Requires isolation therapy and meds. Normally you'd transfer to a rear hospital like Grade 1s, but provisionally rest here at the center…."

Bam!

The desk shook. The monitor trembled.

"You messing with me?"

Min Seo-yu's voice was low, but the killing intent was crystal clear.

"Grade 2? Me? Listen, counselor. I aced yesterday's op."

Sudden casual speech.

"Ability eval and mental contamination are different."

"They're not! Rotten mind means the body's no good either. You itching to slap a red mark on my record?"

What, one injury and it's a red mark? Sure, Grade 2 contamination meant weeks of rest, but.

"…Deputy Leader."

"Spit it out. What's your evidence? Where am I 'crazy'?"

"Lower your voice. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Other patients."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Like that matters now?!"

She bellowed. All eyes turned our way. Team Leader Lee Se-yeon glanced over annoyed but showed no sign of intervening.

I sighed and leaned back in my chair.

Haaa, this is a magical girl too?

My romantic notions about them were beyond shattered—gone.

"You're perfect. On the surface."

"What?"

"But doesn't that perfection choke you?"

"Giving a philosophy lecture?"

"No. Describing symptoms."

I rolled my pen and met her eyes dead-on.

Only way was to make her realize it herself.

"In combat, ever taken a hit you could've dodged?"

Her eyebrow twitched.

"You…."

"The pain of flesh tearing against magical beasts. That weird liberation in the moment? When control slips, crushed helplessly by overwhelming violence—doesn't your head clear, body heat up?"

Twitch.

Her pupils shook like an earthquake. Fists clenched on her knees.

Of course.

I was rattling off what fit her symptoms perfectly.

"Craving sadistic treatment, forced orders…."

"Sh-shut up."

Her lips quivered.

"Stop."

"Nothing to be ashamed of, Deputy Leader. Common symptom from poison qi contamination. That's why the Grade 2—"

"I said shut it!"

Bam!

"Urk!"

It was instant. Min Seo-yu vaulted the desk and grabbed my collar. B-grade grip strength. Breath cut off, feet dangling in the air.

"Kek…!"

"You, you bastard… who are you?"

Her face burned red.

Th-this reaction was more than I expected.

"Wh-who sent you? Snooping on me? Camera in my room?!"

"Guh… wh-what're you… talking about… let go… kek!"

"How'd you know?! Spill!"

She growled in a whisper. Tears welled in her eyes.

Fuck, I wanna cry too….

As oxygen faded, it hit me.

I'd just described her 'symptom,' but to her, it felt like I'd exposed her 'sexual walls.'

Like with Kim Na-young…?

To normals, magical girl syndrome was just 'going berserk from corrupted mana.' So they never linked their secret kinks or habits to the poison qi.

Smoking, booze, extreme sports. Loose lips, peeping on privacy.

Common human vices, separate from corruption desires.

So my diagnosis sounded less like a doc's opinion, more like a stalker's threat. But, but… that just means I'm fucking innocent here!

"L-let… go…! Misunderstanding…."

"Misunderstanding? Spouting my head's contents, then 'misunderstanding'?"

Min Seo-yu yanked me closer, panting. Papers spilled everywhere.

"This won't do. Come with me."

"W-wait! On duty…!"

"Shut it!"

She hauled me like luggage toward the partition. Lee Se-yeon was blankly pouring hot water into cup ramen there.

This racket, and she wouldn't even glance over, let alone save me. Same dead-fish eyes.

"Team Leader Lee Se-yeon."

"……?"

Lee Se-yeon turned, chopsticks in mouth.

"Lend me this guy."

"Why?"

"Need to confirm something. Very… personal."

"Work hours."

"Thirty minutes. No, twenty."

Lee Se-yeon eyed me dangling by the collar, then the fuming Min Seo-yu. She walked to my desk and flipped through the papers.

"Fast hands."

"…Pardon?"

"High turnover. Take a break."

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was speechless. Cutting slack 'cause same B-grade? Amid this chaos?

Questions swirled; my face probably looked a sight.

"Let's go."

"W-wait! I'll walk! Collar…!"

Min Seo-yu ignored me. Active B-grade power— a D-grade mana sensor like me was paper-thin.

"Wh-where to?!"

"Somewhere quiet."

She ground her teeth.

"Gonna hear exactly what you know, straight from your mouth."

Corridor. Emergency exit. Cool stairwell air rushed in.

Bam!

Door shut; I was shoved hard against the wall.

"Cough, hack…!"

I braced the wall, hacking. Throat burned. A bit tighter, and vocal cords or windpipe would've snapped.

But the ragged breaths weren't just mine.

"Haaa, damn it…."

Min Seo-yu slid down against the door. The murderous glare gone. Hands cradling her head, she trembled.

"What the hell are you."

She asked without lifting her head. Voice wet with tears.

"Who? Who sent you? Association?"

"No, like I said."

"Don't lie! My private room… no CCTV, I check for bugs daily. So how'd you…."

She snapped her head up. Bloodshot eyes pierced me.

"How'd you know I get off on pain? That being crushed brings relief?! Tell me!"

I didn't say it that bluntly!

I rubbed my throat, steadying my breath. One wrong word here, and I'd be bones.

"Deputy Leader."

"Don't call me that. Gives me chills."

"Fine, patient then. Patient, you're majorly misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding?"

"I didn't snoop. Your tastes? Kinks? Zero interest."

I shoved hands in pockets, feigning nonchalance despite shaky legs.

"What I said was strictly symptoms."

"Symptoms…?"

"Yeah. Magical girl syndrome."

Her brow furrowed.

"Bullshit. Syndrome's just mana overload or hallucinations. Mine's not that. It's just… I'm filthy…."

Min Seo-yu bit her lip. Self-loathing in her eyes.

"That's the common misconception."

Now, what to do with this precious little snowflake.