Youko pressed the pause button.
The image on the television froze at the moment she opened her eyes and met Chisato's gaze.
The surveillance footage was crystal clear, making it obvious what had happened.
Youko's recovery was evidently a direct result of Chisato's actions.
Norimasa stared fixedly at the screen, his breathing growing unconsciously heavy.
A doctor's heart is bound by compassion.
The reason he had resolutely chosen this path in the first place was because, as a child, he had witnessed his own father suffer under the torment of illness, closing his eyes for the last time in endless pain.
He didn't want such things to happen again. He wanted to acquire exceptional medical skills—skills that could cure all diseases in the world.
Judging by the current situation, he had indeed obtained exceptional medical skills. But even so, he couldn't bring hope to every patient.
The deeper he delved into medical knowledge, the more he realized the limitations of modern medicine.
There were still many diseases that, once contracted, became death sentences—ailments that humanity had no means of stopping.
Yet what he had just witnessed shattered his understanding and planted a thought in his mind.
If the formula of whatever that boy had in his possession could be made public, how many patients would benefit from it?
Youko's recovery was just one aspect—most importantly, the damaged organs in her body had also healed almost instantly!
Many terminal illnesses stem from the body being overwhelmed by viral attacks, pushing it beyond its limits and ultimately threatening life itself.
If they had what he held in his hands, even if it couldn't cure diseases beyond leukemia, its immense regenerative effects could significantly extend the lives of terminal patients!
"Norimasa-kun."
Youko narrowed her eyes slightly.
Having been friends for many years, she knew his temperament and personality well.
Seeing his expression shift from dazed contemplation to fiery fervor, she easily guessed what he was thinking.
"You're thinking about going to Chisato and asking him directly for detailed information about what he fed me, aren't you?"
Norimasa snapped back to reality, but his fervor remained undiminished.
"That's right! If what he gave you can be mass-produced, then every terminally ill patient in the world can be saved!"
"If all goes well, the next major event he attends could be the Nobel Prize in Medicine ceremony! He would become the savior of the world!"
"Alright, calm down. Think about it carefully—why do you think he was so cautious, making sure everyone else was gone before feeding that thing to me?"
"Doesn't that suggest it has some unique, irreplicable properties?"
Youko spoke with measured clarity.
"If it were as simple as you say, why hasn't he already announced it to the public, registered a patent and trademark, and turned himself into a star of the medical world, basking in flowers and applause for the rest of his life?"
Norimasa froze, his soaring enthusiasm instantly doused with a bucket of cold water.
That's right. Now that he thought about it rationally, that made perfect sense.
Youko got out of bed and walked over to him, placing a hand on her old friend's shoulder.
"I know you want to do something for other patients, but some things can't be rushed. Don't put so much pressure on yourself."
"Leave this matter to me—I'll ask Chisato for the answers you seek. But whatever happens, don't let anyone else find out about this, alright?"
Norimasa let out a shallow sigh but nodded nonetheless.
"You two still have things to talk about, don't you? I'll be going now. But Youko, just to be safe, you should stay in the hospital a while longer and see how things go."
"I understand."
Norimasa left the hospital room.
Youko let out a sigh of relief.
It was good that he agreed. Norimasa-kun was an upright person—he wasn't the type to say one thing to someone's face and do another behind their back.
If he gave his word, there was no risk of him secretly going against it.
Speaking of which, if he didn't possess such admirable qualities, she wouldn't have maintained their friendship for so many years.
And she certainly wouldn't have placed her life in his hands when she was gravely ill.
With one person settled, the next thing to deal with was…
Youko turned around, her gaze falling on Kazusa, who still sat beside the hospital bed, head bowed, deep in thought.
Her daughter was what troubled her the most.
Youko sat down beside Kazusa and took her hand.
"Kazusa, there are some things I can finally tell you now."
"..."
Kazusa lifted her head to look at her mother.
Youko couldn't help but smile.
She had to admit—it had been a long time since she had seen her daughter show such an adorably dumbfounded expression from sheer shock.
Should she say, as expected of her daughter, her life's greatest masterpiece?
She almost wanted to scoop Kazusa into her arms, squeeze her cheeks, and listen to her let out soft, helpless little noises.
"Don't worry, it's good news. Last night, Dr. Takayanagi took another blood sample of mine to a different hospital for testing."
"The results matched the ones from this hospital, ruling out any possibility of faulty equipment. In other words, my body is completely healed."
"There's no need for surgery anymore. As long as I eat properly and on time, I'll be fine."
Youko opened her arms, expecting her daughter to burst into tears of joy and throw herself into her embrace.
The two of them would share a warm and touching moment, showcasing a beautiful mother-daughter bond.
But Kazusa didn't react as she had expected.
Instead, she slowly shifted her gaze to the television screen, staring at the boy on it—her boyfriend.
A complicated smile surfaced on her face.
"I see… you're cured…"
"..."
Youko awkwardly lowered her hands.
This was exactly what she had been worried about.
Now that Kazusa knew Chisato had saved her life… Her simple-minded daughter, who was already infatuated with him, now had an even greater, unpayable debt of gratitude toward him.
From now on, she would probably never have the upper hand in this relationship.
But with herself keeping an eye on things, and considering Kazusa's own qualities—though she might throw the occasional tantrum—there shouldn't be any major issues.
_______
50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
_______
If any of you noticed an error, please point it out in comments!