Chapter 13 : Kojima Megumi

“Holy crap, A-He! You killed her!” Having witnessed the whole thing, Yamazaki Miki opens with a heartfelt blessing.

“Can you say something positive? I’m a person, not a dump truck. My attack power’s nowhere near as lethal as your words.”

Shangguan He, head full of black lines, glances around. The commotion was too loud—students from nearby classrooms are poking their heads out to check. This kind of incident is not good news. For now, the priority is getting the knocked-out girl to the infirmary.

Sighing inwardly, he reaches for her, but upon seeing her face, he lets out a surprised murmur. “Huh?” Thick bangs. A deliberately oversized uniform hiding a great figure. How’s it you? Suzuki Hikaru?

While he’s stunned, Miki steps in with ease, hoisting the unconscious Hikaru onto her back with such enthusiasm you’d think she was the one who hit her. “What’re you standing there for? Let’s go, infirmary!”

“I hit her, I’ll carry her…” Shangguan He reaches out.

“Hey, don’t be a stranger! Who’re we to each other? Your business is my business!” Miki’s words brim with bro-tier loyalty, but then she adds seriously, “Besides, no touching between genders! Don’t think you can cop a feel while she’s out cold!”

“…So, the real reason is?”

“Take her to the infirmary, get back to class late, and the teacher can’t say squat.” Miki flashes a sly grin. “If she needs a hospital check-up or something, I might even skip the exam!”

“Your scheming’s so loud it’s practically smacking me in the face.”

“Don’t sweat the details—human life’s at stake. Let’s move!”

The infirmary’s in another building, mainly for club activities. With their speed, it’s a few minutes’ walk. But on the way, Shangguan He feels something’s off. Last night, he bonded with Hikaru at the family restaurant. Today, he crashes into her. Sure, it could be a coincidence. No coincidence, no story. But this is a world built for “romance.” This kind of coincidence means something. Has he unwittingly locked onto Hikaru’s romance route?

Before he can puzzle it out, they reach the infirmary door. In his first playthrough, he explored much of the school but never visited the infirmary. Realizing this, he feels a twinge of nerves. In school-themed stories, the infirmary is a classic battleground.

Miki, carrying Hikaru, can’t knock, so Shangguan He swallows and raps politely. “Come in.” A crisp female voice calls from inside.

“Excuse us.” He slides the door open. The smell of disinfectant hits, mingling with the breeze from the air conditioner.

“Teacher! Emergency!” Miki hollers the second she steps in.

The school nurse, clearly unused to such drama, furrows her delicate brows in confusion before quickly rising from her chair, guiding Miki to place Hikaru on a bed. “Classmate, what happened?” Draped in a white coat, the nurse conducts a preliminary check with a stethoscope while calmly asking.

Shangguan He notices her name tag reads “Kojima Megumi” and responds calmly, “Here’s what happened, Teacher Kojima…”

Kojima Megumi nods as she listens, but her movements gradually lose their earlier urgency. For some reason, Shangguan He feels her attention shift from the patient to him. It’s polite to look at someone when they’re speaking, sure. But as the one being stared at, he senses her gaze roving over his entire body. It makes him instinctively shrink back. It’s odd, but he feels like a lab rat under an owl’s stare.

That said, if Kojima Megumi is an owl, she’s the prettiest one imaginable. Unlike the JKs littering the school, 28-year-old Megumi takes the mature woman route. Her oval face boasts neatly trimmed, slender brows that exude a delicate charm with every movement. Her striking peach-blossom eyes, even when still, seem to radiate seductive allure. A pair of retro gold-rimmed glasses perch on her high nose, lending an air of intellectual coolness.

“I understand the situation.” Megumi nods, finishing Hikaru’s check-up. She heads to her desk, grabs a hair tie, pulls her deep purple wavy hair into a bun, dons a disposable surgical cap and mask, washes her hands per protocol, and slips on white latex gloves.

“Teacher Kojima? What’s this?” Shangguan He blinks, confused.

“I’ve checked Suzuki-san’s condition. No major issues—her fainting was likely due to intense shock. Further checks would require a hospital; this is just a high school infirmary with limited equipment.” Her sharp eyes peer through her glasses at him. “Shangguan-san, from what you said, you took a hard fall. You might have internal injuries. I need to examine you.”

“Huh? Me?” He’s stunned again. “I’m bouncing around fine, no issues.”

“Some people feel fine right after breaking a rib, only noticing the pain a week later when they finally get checked.” Her tone is as cold as a scalpel. “Injuries need to be ruled out through palpation. I’m a doctor—listen to me.”

Her logic is airtight, backed by professional knowledge. But Shangguan He has one tiny issue. “Teacher Kojima, if it’s just palpation… do you need all this?” Mask, gloves, surgical cap—she’s one hazmat suit away from tackling an infectious disease outbreak.

“Oh, this?” Megumi pauses, then explains, “It’s a personal habit. I don’t like direct contact with males. If it makes you uncomfortable, please bear with it.”

“Oh, got it!” His doubts vanish instantly. “No big deal. Palpation it is. Let’s do it.”

“Thank you for understanding.” She nods, then continues, “You can strip.”

“…Huh?” He points at the unconscious Hikaru. “She doesn’t have to strip?”

“She’s not in a state to have her clothes removed forcibly—it could cause secondary harm.” Megumi’s tone is icy. “You’re conscious and can undress yourself. Moving your muscles and bones might reveal pain. Stop immediately if you feel any.”

“Wait, hold on.” Miki, ignored until now, pipes up. “Right here? Right now? In front of girls? That’s not okay, right?”

“Oh, Yamazaki-san, since you’re uninjured, you can leave.” Megumi’s expression is blank. “The last two periods are the placement exam. Don’t be late.”

“Eh?” Miki trudges out, torn between confusion and despair.

With the noisy one gone, the disinfectant-scented infirmary falls silent. The hum of the air conditioner fills their ears.

“Shangguan-san, strip.”

“Just the top, right…?”

“Leave your underwear.” Megumi’s voice is arctic. “I’m a doctor. Extra clothes get in the way of palpation.”

“Uh, uh, uh…”

Sensing his hesitation and shyness, Megumi softens her tone, coaxing like she’s talking to a child. “Be good. Let me take a look.”