The doctor—Takemi Tae, as she called herself—was, like the journalist who'd exposed Kamoshida, one of Rinto's partners in the Phantom Thief business.
Because incidents related to the Metaverse often involved situations people couldn't discuss openly.
Sometimes he needed an official doctor's note or medication, but couldn't exactly walk into a hospital and explain everything.
Their connection began over a year ago when Rinto brought Takemi a would-be suicide victim and asked her to care for them.
For unknown reasons, this mysterious doctor tucked away in a corner of Yongen-Jaya possessed formidable clinical skills, keen perception, and an unexpected knack for addressing her patients' mental health.
One thing led to another, and "Dr. Takemi" quickly realized Rinto wasn't an ordinary teenager, but someone tangled up with the Phantom Thieves.
But she didn't pry.
She accepted his self-proclaimed role as an "informant and helper for the Phantom Thieves," and struck up a transactional relationship with him.
Since Rinto frequently referred troubled, even suicidal, victims to her clinic, Dr. Takemi saw him as slightly mysterious but fundamentally good-hearted.
She never questioned his information sources or accomplices, maintaining just the right distance.
And as part of their arrangement, whenever Rinto returned to Tokyo, he was required to undergo regular check-ups at her clinic—
And, given his young and healthy body, help test some of her privately concocted medicines. That's why she'd started calling him her "little lab rat."
As usual, once the door was shut and the "In Consultation" sign was up—
Dr. Takemi led Rinto into the back room and had him strip in front of her.
"...So, my little lab rat, have you been working out?"
Dr. Takemi raised her brows, clearly surprised at how toned Rinto's body had become.
"That's actually why I came today, Dr. Takemi," Rinto admitted, puzzled. "Lately, my body's bulked up a lot for no reason. I haven't been exercising or eating anything special. Could you check me out? I'm not infected with some weird virus, am I?"
Takemi: "Like, what—a spider virus? Is our justice-loving Phantom Thief turning into the friendly neighborhood boy?"
Expression unchanged, Dr. Takemi donned her mask and gloves and began a hands-on examination.
Rinto obediently lay down on the clinic bed, watching as the masked doctor's hands moved across his body... He was honestly a little excited.
The ever-professional Dr. Takemi thoroughly checked each muscle.
After finishing, she started jotting notes on her clipboard, her tone slightly ambiguous:
"Your body seems extremely healthy. I'll draw some blood in a bit—if anything looks off in the results, I'll let you know."
"Besides muscle gain, have you noticed any other recent changes?"
Rinto: "Actually, yeah. I've started dating four girlfriends at once, and I'm, uh, fulfilling my duties every day. But the weird thing is, I just keep feeling better and better. Doc, is that some kind of illness?"
"...Huh?"
Dr. Takemi's voice dropped a full octave, the coldness in her eyes instantly making Rinto regret speaking.
The only reason he'd confessed was because he genuinely trusted her as a reliable doctor—not because he was bragging!
But honestly, even he found this part of his body baffling.
Ever since he began dating Momoka, he'd literally been running full-tilt—like an ox yoked to the plow, sparks flying from the blade.
Yet, rather than feeling wiped out, Rinto had pulled an all-nighter just last night and still felt totally refreshed.
It was bizarre. Momoka and the others were the ones complaining they couldn't keep up.
Perhaps it was the earnest look in his eyes that finally convinced her.
Dr. Takemi, who already had one hand on the emergency alarm, now seemed more surprised than anything else as she asked:
"You're serious? This isn't some dumb joke?"
"Dead serious," Rinto nodded honestly.
To support his claim, he omitted names but gave her a simple rundown of recent events:
First, there'd been the night Momoka drunkenly jumped him, followed by the Yoshizawa twins.
Almost a full month of nonstop classes, part-time jobs, home cooking, and "duties," and he still wasn't the slightest bit tired.
Even the timeline matched—his body had started changing right around then.
"...Now this is interesting."
A faint, suggestive smile appeared on Dr. Takemi's lips.
She didn't seem bothered by Rinto's punk-rock levels of "relationships," genuinely curious instead.
But his physical transformation—that caught her interest.
Crossing her long, pale legs, she fixed Rinto with a look:
"With that kind of intensity, unless you're on stimulants, you really shouldn't be able to keep it up. But your pupils look fine, and you don't appear drugged... If that's truly the case, maybe you're some kind of mutant Superman."
"In any case, let's run a full battery of tests: vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and pain sensitivity. It'll take a while, and I've got new meds I want to test later—hope you don't have anything urgent?"
Rinto: "No problem. Anything for science. It's my duty to contribute."
Rinto's heroic, straight-faced delivery made Dr. Takemi burst into genuine laughter.
After spending the entire morning at Takemi's clinic, Rinto invited the punk doctor for curry at Café Leblanc, parting ways only afterward.
Before he left, Dr. Takemi gave him careful instructions:
"Starting today, keep a detailed log of your daily schedule. Bring it to your check-up next week. Write down everything you eat and every girl you 'bothered' each day. I want all the details."
"Uh... Dr. Takemi, isn't that a violation of privacy?"
Rinto's face drooped, clearly not thrilled.
But the professional punk doctor wasn't having any of that.
She narrowed her eyes, shooting him a withering look:
"With your mess of a love life, you're worried about privacy? You don't want to end up dead in bed before twenty, do you? Do as you're told."
"You're my little lab rat. I still need you for my drug trials, so obviously I need to monitor your health closely... Oh, and don't forget to practice safe sex. If you ever catch something, you're out of my clinic for good."
That punk lady really was a force of nature.
With a wave, she sent Rinto off.
And as he watched her leave, Rinto made a mental note to take her advice seriously.
She might be strange, but Takemi really was a responsible—and good—doctor.
...
That afternoon, Rinto headed to his next appointment.
He arrived at the café where he'd arranged to meet Togawa Sakiko, immediately spotting her—a girl who stood out from the crowd, elegant as a crane among chickens.
As always, she wore her sunny-day casual clothes: a sundress, short lace socks paired with small black shoes—delicate and charming as a porcelain doll.
Refined style, sweet features, long wavy hair cascading down her back with a bow-ribbon—she gave off an untouchable, almost fragile aura.
This girl really knows how to hold her own, Rinto thought, amused.
Approaching her, he couldn't help but offer a straightforward compliment:
"Sakiko, you're even cuter today than yesterday. At this rate, someone might snatch you right off the street. What am I going to do then?"
"Pfft—cough, cough!... Cough, cough, cough!"
Maybe she hadn't expected such a direct pickup line—Sakiko nearly choked on her tea.
After Rinto calmly ordered his coffee, Sakiko glared at him, blushing furiously:
"Senpai, are you teasing me on purpose? You're terrible... And you look way too happy. Did something good happen?"
"Oh, you can tell?"
Rinto's grin was genuine. "Yeah, I'm in a pretty great mood. Everything feels lighter, like nothing's weighing me down."
"Sakiko, you should try letting go of your stress, too. If there's anything bothering you, just tell me. I'm the world's best listener—happy to help you spill your guts."
Sakiko: "...Well, thank you for caring, Senpai. If I need to, I'll come to you."
Little Miss Sakiko pursed her lips, shooting a slightly sour look at the man before her.
Honestly, she was a bit jealous.
Rinto was undeniably in high spirits today—one glance made it obvious he'd had some good fortune.
Since Sakiko had also been at STARRY's show with him last night, she could pretty well guess his cheerful mood had something to do with Momoka and the others.
Just imagining Rinto and Momoka living together—who knew what they got up to at night... Sakiko felt a restless discomfort she couldn't quite identify.
"So let's get straight to the point. I'll be taking Senpai to the Wakaba residence shortly. Please be prepared."
To mask the awkward, unsettled feeling, Sakiko forced herself to get down to business.
Today, her plan was to bring Rinto to the house where he'd been asked to tutor privately.
The student was Wakaba Mutsumi—born into a celebrity family.
Her father was a comedian.
Her mother was an even more famous actress, the type who appeared on Kouhaku every year.
With that background, Wakaba Mutsumi herself had been in the spotlight since childhood—the kind of celebrity whose photos flooded your phone with a simple search.
Being recommended as a private tutor to a family like this—trusted to educate Wakaba Mutsumi—was remarkable.
Under ordinary circumstances, someone like Rinto—a typical high schooler—would never even have a shot at a job like this.
But Sakiko explained it this way:
"I have some connections at the Wakaba house. And although Mutsumi is a well-behaved daughter, she struggles with shyness and social anxiety. Most private tutors can't even get her talking, let alone focused on lessons."
"So I volunteered myself, saying I'd introduce a trustworthy teacher and promised I'd sit in and study alongside Mutsumi until she's comfortable. That's the only reason her mother agreed."
So—
Sakiko's eyes sharpened, a fierce "fighting spirit" flashing as she stared at Rinto:
"Senpai, this isn't just your job—it's a challenge for both of us. I'll join you for the first few lessons. If we help Mutsumi and gain her parents' approval, it'll definitely benefit you too."
"...All right. If you think it'll work, Sakiko, then I trust you."
Rinto didn't add much else—just offered Sakiko his steady support, as always.
Of course, Rinto noticed Sakiko was pushing herself hard.
She'd arranged this job not just to repay a favor.
Maybe she wanted to show Wakaba Mutsumi's family that Togawa Sakiko still had the skills and connections she always had.
That stubborn, fierce pride of hers—that relentless self-respect—was evident in every graceful, deliberate move she made.
But there was nothing wrong with that, and Rinto fully accepted it.
When it came time to pay, Rinto took the check before Sakiko could object, carrying it to the register himself.
Though Sakiko stubbornly protested, Rinto simply said,
"I'm your Senpai—older than you. Besides, you're the one who found me this job, so by every rule and custom, I should be treating you."
Surprisingly firm, Rinto patted Sakiko's head, adding,
"Let your Senpai show off a little, will you? After all, we'll be working together for a long time, right?"
"...Honestly~!"
Sakiko could never quite win against this guy, so in the end, she went along half-willingly, half-helplessly.
They took the subway to a luxurious residential district in Shinjuku.
Every house along the way was a massive, walled mansion with gardens—modern, detached villas, truly impressive. It felt like stepping into another world.
Sakiko walked briskly ahead, leading the way. Soon, the two rang the doorbell at one of the grand houses, and a maid welcomed them in.
Thankfully, it was just a regular maid—not one dressed in a frilly costume... Rinto couldn't help but chuckle quietly.
This maid was clearly familiar with Sakiko—she called her "Miss Sakiko."
To be addressed by her given name, rather than her surname—
That had to mean Sakiko really was close with this family; childhood friends, for sure.
"Miss Sakiko, please wait a moment."
The maid spoke politely, "Miss Mutsumi is resting in the music room. I'll let her know you've arrived."
"That's all right; we'll go find Mutsumi ourselves."
Sakiko replied easily.
She didn't need a maid's guidance; instead, she simply took Rinto's arm and led him deeper into the mansion.
Down a long staircase—just like the one at STARRY—this house even had a basement.
Pushing open a heavy, soundproofed door, they passed through a hallway lined with foam and entered a basement music room as big as some performance halls.
It might not seem like much compared to STARRY, but for a private home, this underground studio was genuinely impressive.
And the equipment was top-notch.
One entire wall was filled with music albums and professional books; every kind of instrument was neatly arranged—even a drum set and a piano were there.
At that moment, Rinto heard a sharp burst of electric guitar.
A smooth, rapid run of scales.
The type of daily finger exercise Momoka did—but this speed was next-level, practically showing off.
"Mutsumi. I've brought Rinto-senpai."
Sakiko peeked around the corner at the bottom of the stairs, calling out.
The electric guitar stopped immediately, only faint echoes remaining.
A girl with pale green hair—Wakaba Mutsumi—stood up, guitar slung across her back.
Her appearance perfectly matched the photos Rinto had found online.
Even her blank, expressionless gaze was just as lifeless as in the pictures.
But when she nodded in greeting and finally spoke, voice thin and quiet, Rinto felt relieved she wasn't just a doll:
"...I'm Wakaba Mutsumi. Nice to meet you."
"Mm. Nice to meet you, Mutsumi."
Just as he would with any troubled kid, Rinto's smile was gentle and sincere.
Which made Mutsumi immediately look away, eyes downcast, as though she couldn't stand the gaze of such a notorious "playboy."
---
T/N:
Hello. I'm Enkidu.
Before you start… thank you for coming this far. Stories are strange things—once they leave the hand that wrote them, they become part of the world, like water joining a river. If this chapter keeps you company for even a moment, I think that is worth something.
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