"I'm heading out."
Early that morning, Ethan pulled on the new formal suit he had just bought. Compared to his usual loose white coat, the tight fabric of the suit felt stiff and constraining.
"Wait, don't forget the tie."
A pink blur zipped into the room. Komoe scurried up, stood on tiptoe, and expertly tied his tie as Ethan bent down slightly to accommodate her. As he watched her focused expression from the side, he found himself dazed for a moment.
"Oh, and this too."
Finally, Komoe grabbed a pair of thick-rimmed glasses and placed them on the bridge of his nose. Then she stepped back and smiled with satisfaction.
"You look really sharp."
Am I the kind of delinquent student you can actually be proud of?
Ethan muttered, "I'm just guest-teaching as a school doctor. It's not a job interview..."
"Schools like that are full of etiquette snobs. Of course you have to dress properly," Komoe lectured. "Forget men, even a male mosquito wouldn't make it past the gates!"
"'Ladies of high society,' huh? They're just capitalist breeding stock raised for political marriages. Only the soulless would call themselves nobility." Ethan adjusted his glasses.
"You've got such a bias against ojou-samas!"
To Ethan, it felt like a Japanese drama was unfolding in real life. He was the protagonist, rushing through his mundane working life. They called it 'employee,' but really, it was just corporate livestock.
Komoe stayed behind to prep her next lesson. The new computer they'd just bought was for her. When promotion time came, she'd be thrilled to earn a raise and help with household expenses.
Ethan gave her a warning. "Don't sneak in any gaming while I'm out."
"You're the one who acts like a child! Anyway, be safe on your way~" Komoe smiled sweetly.
"You're just like a wife, Komoe."
"...Eh?"
Pomf.
Komoe's entire face flushed red.
A young... young wife?
They looked just like a couple. Or maybe siblings, or even a father and daughter duo, living a poor but content life in Academy City.
Turns out, the kind of "sci-fi romance" seen in shows like I'm Screwed, Surrounded by Beauties was actually happening in real life now.
"Later."
As Ethan left, he didn't notice Komoe leaning against the closed door behind him, palms pressed against her burning cheeks.
Why had their relationship ended up like this?
Her body... was going to break.
....
The School Garden was also located in District 7. It was a massive compound made up of five elite girls' schools, including Tokiwadai. Its campus was over fifteen times larger than the average high school.
No need to transfer districts, no train ride required.
Ding, ding!
Ethan boarded a bus heading toward the School Garden. The entire vehicle was filled with stylish, vibrant young women, even the driver was female.
Awkward silence settled in.
Ethan adjusted his glasses to mask his discomfort.
Komoe had called them a "lucky charm," unearthed from a dusty box. She'd once said that when she started teaching, she worried that her youthful looks wouldn't earn her authority, so she wore fake glasses to appear more serious.
"So now, I'm passing that luck on to you," she had said.
Thinking of that, Ethan smiled.
He didn't even notice the girls around him stealing glances and whispering.
"He's kinda hot..."
"Is he meeting his girlfriend? Romance is against school rules, right?"
"So bold!"
In his hand was the latest scroll-style ultra-thin smartphone, more complex than any regular foldable tech. The Academy City navigation app displayed his location, as well as the rapidly approaching destination.
Yesterday, he'd gone shopping with Komoe.
She picked this suit. The phone was a gift to celebrate his esper breakthrough. While crossing the street, they'd held hands out of habit, both palms clammy with nervous sweat.
The most adorable height gap.
With Komoe's size, she had to stretch just to reach his hand… and eventually gave up. More like siblings than lovers. Or maybe even a father-daughter dynamic.
The moment they ran into one of her students, Komoe had ducked behind him like a guilty cat.
We're just family.
....
"Population: 2.3 million, 80% students. Welcome to Academy City, the world's most advanced scientific hub. In other words: one giant experiment..."
The line echoed from a passing tour bus, its guide tirelessly explaining the city to a group of tourists and their children.
"Up ahead is the School Garden. Entry is restricted, passes only!"
All esper development equipment was supposedly produced here. The entire Garden was laced with 2,458 surveillance cameras. Security was airtight.
But even that couldn't stop Mimicry.
Ethan's access pass had been included in Shokuhou Misaki's invitation. She had everything arranged in advance.
At the entrance, he underwent a full inspection.
Name, occupation, and even interview-like questions.
"How old are you?"
"Just turned eighteen."
"Have you had a girlfriend before?"
"No."
"Would you date a girl under eighteen?"
Ethan froze on the spot.
What kind of messed-up question is that?
Pffffft!
"Time's up! The answer should have been: 'Nope! She's underage~' We have to ensure our school doctor isn't some predator, okay?☆"
Weird sound effects followed by a high-pitched cutesy voice, totally inconsistent with the thirty-something female teacher standing before him. Ethan looked up.
As expected, she was being controlled.
And then came the real twist: the "Shokuhou Misaki" in front of him had transformed into a 300-kilogram behemoth, lumbering forward like a boss monster from some game.
Ethan muttered, "A few days without seeing you, and you've... rebooted your entire body?"
Outside of some cake-related accident, the anime's Shokuhou had never gotten fat. This wasn't Boruto and Anko. Did Heal have some unknown side effect? Like... making fat cells multiply?
"Shokuhou" whined, "Doctor Ethan, please cure my adolescent obesity..."
"So this is why you invited me?" Ethan's voice sharpened. "You think I'd fall for that?"
Behind the lenses, Ethan's emerald gaze flashed. Emerald Eye pierced through layers of fat. Second Sight stripped away every layer of disguise, even the girl's,
True Name: Ayu Mitsuari
Age: 14
Esper Rank: Level 4
Calculation Power: 1024
Skill:Psychic Perforation (Lv.4) – a degraded form of Mental Out. It manipulates moisture and interferes with neurotransmitter secretions. In moments of rage, it can rip the water from a person's body in a flash.
Equipment: Designer Gel (Artificial Fat)
...
"I already said it, Mitsuari. Your little tricks won't work on me☆ And stop copying my way of speaking!"
A familiar voice echoed. The real Shokuhou Misaki stepped out, clad in Tokiwadai's uniform with a designer handbag slung over one shoulder. A strap nestled deep into her cleavage, highlighting her curves.
Same age as Mitsuari, but her development didn't look fourteen at all.
"Tch."
Mitsuari poked her artificial fat, deflated. Even with gel packs, her bust was no match. She'd lost both in psychic power and physical assets.
But what truly disturbed her was that man's gaze. It saw through everything.
As fellow psychic-types, both she and Shokuhou were highly sensitive to that kind of stare.
"Hmph! My test isn't over yet!"
Suddenly, Mitsuari lunged, like a rolling mountain of meat. Despite being a mental-type esper, she charged in for melee combat.
Here it comes.
Even an Anti-Skill officer would be helpless against this kind of mass without a weapon.
Huff
Ethan inhaled sharply and dropped into a stance. His muscles tensed, power rapidly building.
Ordinarily, even elite humans could only access 75–90% of their maximum muscle potential due to natural safety locks.
But I'm different.
I don't feel pain.
"Output... 91%!"
His fist slammed into the charging Mitsuari. The impact exploded with near-human-limit force, about 400 to 500 kilograms.
Boom!
What the-?
Inside her designer gel, Mitsuari felt an immense jolt. The artificial fat rippled like jelly, then warped and sank inward.
With that much cushioning, it should've felt like getting punched through cotton. So why...?
Next second, BOOM!
The human-shaped "jelly" burst open.
A girl with fluffy chocolate-colored hair was revealed beneath, clad in a dark bodysuit that barely held together. Exposure level: dangerously high.
Huurgh
Mitsuari clutched her stomach, vomiting bile. Even through all that fat, his punch had hurt her real body.
"Mitsuari, are you okay?!"
Junko rushed in to help the 'choco girl' to her feet.
"Dr. Ethan, that was so mean~☆" Shokuhou teased, showing zero concern for her subordinate.
"Mitsuari, now do you regret it? Why do you always walk around dressed like a fat version of me? Do you hate me that much?"
"No. It's to remind our Queen not to forget the pain once it heals. You're naturally chubby. If you don't watch your diet, one day you will end up like this…" Mitsuari grumbled.
The truth? She admired her.
Ethan coolly added, "So this is Tokiwadai's hospitality? Ojou-sama pranks have limits. I'm just a working stiff trying to pay rent, I don't have time to play."
"My apologies," Shokuhou said with perfect poise. "This was to assess whether your physical capabilities met our expectations. As thanks, you'll receive generous compensation~☆"
"Fine."
Seeing Ethan relent, Shokuhou finally relaxed.
Apparently, poverty was an excellent bargaining chip.
That punch had been beyond her wildest expectations.
She noticed Ethan's right arm sagging slightly before it began to glow faint green. He gave it a shake and loosened his tie, as if nothing had happened.
Because Komoe had tied it, he didn't want to mess it up.
Heal.
So this was the power that let him fight with such reckless abandon, trading injury for strength. If that's the case… Junko's problem might be solvable too...
Fighting in a suit and still fixing his tie? So stylish~
"Was that the legendary other style of fixing hair while fighting just now?! Dr. Ethan!"
The curly-haired girl who'd helped Mitsuari rushed over and grabbed his hand, flushed with excitement.
"Oof!"
From behind came a distant thud, choco-girl had fallen on her butt again.
Ethan was mildly taken aback.
Is this girl offering herself up for Mimicry?
"What's the matter, Junko?"
"Pardon me. With my rising abilities, no one in the School Garden can properly assess me anymore. But you… you're different. You might teach me combat arts I've never dreamed of."
Junko suddenly realized how bold she'd been. She stepped back, blushing, and gave a formal curtsy.
"Please… examine my body!"
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