Episode 60. Doubt and Oath 15
Episode 60. Doubt and Oath 15
We walked down the long corridor like that.
"Your name is Yubin, right? I heard about you in advance."
"Ah, yes. But... is his name Lee Jeong?"
"He didn't tell you?"
"Well, I did receive his business card, but it only had his name written in Chinese characters. He didn't even tell me how to read it."
"Really?"
The Director chuckled once before continuing.
"He's a bit rigid and stiff like that. Please understand."
I nodded with a somewhat awkward expression.
'They seem quite close.'
Judging by how she spoke about him without hesitation, they seemed to be very close friends.
"Anyway, Yubin will have her Mana Core examined as scheduled today, and Eunbyeol... what would you like to do? The examination will take quite a while, so you might get bored."
"It's fine, I'll just wait."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Alright. Now, left here."
After walking diligently through the winding passageways, we finally reached our destination.
It was a room that looked like a laboratory like the others, but its scale was enormous. It seemed to take up about half the floor.
The Director had us sit in some chairs and brought over a few papers to hand to me.
"First, this."
"What is this?"
"It's an initial examination questionnaire. We'll conduct the examination based on the survey results, so please fill it out properly?"
"Ah, yes."
I picked up a pen like I was taking a test and began diligently answering the survey questions.
[1. Things that normally wouldn't bother me feel distressing and annoying.]
[2. Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Or sleeping too much.]
[3. Loss of appetite or intermittent nausea.]
[4. Difficulty concentrating on activities like reading newspapers or watching television.]
.
.
.
Most questions were about mental state rather than physical - whether I felt depressed, sad, etc.
Seyeon's words suddenly came to mind: Magic is done with the heart.
'Strongly agree, neutral, agree, strongly disagree......'
It was a bit lengthy, taking me a little over 15 minutes to complete.
"Whew, all done."
"Really? Then I'll go submit it for you."
"Ah, thanks then. Please do."
Eunbyeol, who had been sitting across from me browsing Instagram, neatly gathered the survey forms, took them away, and returned.
And a few minutes later.
"Miss Eun Yubin?"
"Yes?"
"Please come this way."
Following one of the researchers, I saw a massive door that took up an entire wall.
When the researcher tapped a card key against a small locking device in the corner, the door slowly opened with a heavy sound.
Drrrrr-
Thud.
The revealed room had a structure like a school broadcasting room or interrogation room. A partition divided the room into two spaces with a large window, allowing one to look into the other room.
"Here?"
"Yep."
"Then we'll begin the examination in earnest now. First, take a look over there."
The Director pointed with her finger beyond the glass window.
Unlike this side which was cluttered with various machinery, the other side was just an empty room with a single large test chamber placed in the middle.
Looking closely, I could see black cables and wires tangled complexly at the back of the test chamber, connecting to the wall.
"Ah."
Soon, several researchers in pure white protective suits struggled to move a hose as thick as their waist circumference and placed it inside.
Then with a whooosh-, orange liquid poured out violently, soon filling the test chamber to the point of overflowing.
'...LCL?'
"Yubin, you'll be going in there."
"Huh?"
I had been staring blankly at the scene and was startled by the Director's words, asking again.
"Going in?"
The test chamber looked about twice my height.
"Yes. For the most precise examination possible."
"Ah... then I'll need to take off my clothes?"
"That's right. Over there- could you bring one spare gown? Ah, and all male staff, please step out. Sorry."
At the Director's words, everyone moved in perfect unison.
"We don't have a separate changing room here?"
"Ah, then......"
"Seems like you'll have to change here. Sorry."
"It's fine. I'll just think of it as coming to a bathhouse, I guess."
Thanks to Seyeon, I'd long since overcome most embarrassment.
And anyway, there are only women here...... huh?
'Crazy.'
For a moment, I felt afraid of myself for thinking that way just now.
Now I naturally consider women as the same gender.
'I really have changed.'
But as long as I continue living in this body, this is the most comfortable way of thinking.
I took off my school uniform haphazardly, set it aside, and picked up the gown.
"Uh, wait a moment."
"......?"
The Director stared at me with wide eyes as I was about to put on the gown.
"What is it...?"
"Why, why are you doing that?"
"No, sorry."
The Director frowned slightly while scratching her forehead before speaking again.
"Yubin, you don't get embarrassed easily, do you?"
"No."
"Then... could you just walk over there like that? You'll have to take everything off anyway to enter the GSC solution."
"Ah, I'll do that."
The GSC solution must be that orange liquid, given the context.
"Now, take her right over."
"Understood."
So I followed the researchers in their alien-looking hazmat suits to the other side.
The test chamber I reached after a short walk was much larger than it appeared from afar. It seemed to be nearly three times my height, surpassing twice my height.
"Here, hold this in your mouth."
One researcher handed me a small scale-like object.
"What is this?"
"It's necessary for breathing in the solution. Ah, not now - right before you enter, put it in."
"Okay......"
As I nodded and took the scale, a sizzling- sound came from somewhere.
"Ah, ah. Yubin, can you hear me?"
A voice mixed with some noise buzzed through the space.
"Yes, I can hear you."
I nodded while looking at the glass window.
The Director smiled slightly and gave me several precautions. Don't drink the solution if possible, try not to move your body too much, etc.
Holding the scale tightly in my hand, I carefully climbed the ladder placed against the test chamber.
Once I reached the top of the test chamber, I looked at the glass window and asked.
"Should I go in right away?"
"Yes."
Hearing that, I put the scale in my mouth.
The scale immediately stuck to the roof of my mouth.
"...Eep?!"
At that moment, my breath caught in my throat and the oxygen in my lungs was sucked out.
'Don't tell me this is...!'
Is it made to allow breathing only in water, not in air?
"Khek, khek...!"
Startled, I forgot my fear and immediately entered the test chamber.
Splash-
"Gulp......"
Because I submerged so hastily, I accidentally swallowed some of the solution.
After flailing for a moment, I soon righted myself.
'My body is floating on its own?'
If it were normal water, I would have sunk unless it was seawater, but I was now floating buoyantly in the middle of the test chamber.
That wasn't the only strange thing. Even with my naked eyes without goggles, the outside scenery was clearly visible. My skin felt something like carbonation popping against it.
'Anyway... now I just need to stay still, right?'
Since she said to move as little as possible, all that remained was to wait until the examination was over.
'This must be the most bizarre experience since I was possessed.'
Thinking that, I slowly closed my eyes.
♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥
"How is it?"
Inside where only strange electronic sounds flowed.
A woman's voice rang out clearly through the air.
"Nothing particularly unusual. Heartbeat normal. Concentric graphs are flat too. Mana Core efficiency is close to 90 percent."
"Excellent."
"But......"
The researcher trailed off.
"What is it? Go ahead."
"...The boundary of self is too clear."
Of course, the boundary of self mentioned here was different from the general psychological term.
The Research Institute Director, Hyejin, looked at the blue-glowing monitor.
Inside the square frame, there was a vertical line as if drawn with a ruler.
"......"
For ordinary people, the boundary would be blurry like an oil painting. While people can easily change their personalities, usually those personalities tend to be quite similar.
But Yubin's self was divided into precise sections like a well-planned city.
One side was mixed with various colors like an ordinary person's, but the other side, occupying nearly half, was just blood-red.
'It's as if someone artificially categorized it.'
Even to Hyejin, who was quite renowned in this field, this was an extremely rare case.
"Hmm."
In Hyejin's experience, such abnormal selves were roughly classified into three cases.
Case 1: Among people who work in battlefields like soldiers or Hunters, those with severe remaining PTSD.
Case 2: Extreme cases of multiple personality disorder.
And the final Case 3 was......
Hyejin unconsciously swallowed dryly.
Beyond the glass window, she could see Yubin peacefully with her eyes closed.
"...Let's observe for 10 more minutes first, then drain the solution immediately after."
"Yes, understood."
♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥
"Umm...?"
I suddenly woke from sleep with the feeling of my body floating.
'Crazy. Did I fall asleep here?'
Given that my head felt groggy, it seemed I really had.
Anyway, my body kept floating upward until I eventually emerged above the surface.
'Ah, my breath-'
Plink.
The moment I worried about breathing, the scale stuck to the roof of my mouth came out on its own and fell to the bottom.
Suddenly looking down, I saw the Director watching me with one hand raised.
Does she use telekinesis too?
And so I landed safely on the laboratory floor.
Solution dripped from my hair and entire body.
"Is it over?"
"Yes. Now just shower and check the results."
"Thank you."
"Ah, and you should shower for quite a while."
"Huh? Why?"
"The solution that penetrated your body will slowly come out. Through holes like your eyes, nose, ears."
I nodded in understanding, then suddenly got goosebumps.
"Th-then, when you said not to drink the solution......"
"Yubin, don't tell me-"
The Director couldn't finish her sentence.
Because I immediately collapsed and vomited a bunch of orange solution.
"Bleeeehhhh......"
"Are you okay? Oh my, you drank too much. A small amount would have just come out through urine."
"So-sorryyyy bleh......"
Supported by the Director, I headed toward the shower room.