Talent Reborn
Episode 2: The Gift of Talent
Haruto sat frozen on the edge of his bed, his heart hammering in his chest.
The calendar on the wall read one year before his final exam. The phone in his hand displayed the same date. His reflection in the mirror was undeniable—he was younger, his face free of the exhaustion and defeat that had weighed him down in his past life.
It wasn't a dream.
He had really gone back in time.
His mind raced. Had he been reborn? Given a second chance?
A wave of emotions crashed over him—relief, disbelief, excitement… and fear.
If I fail again…
He shook his head. No. This time, he wouldn't repeat the same mistakes. He couldn't.
His eyes hardened with determination.
"I will pass. I will become a doctor."
Haruto took a deep breath and walked to his desk, running his fingers over the familiar texture of his old medical books. The pages were worn from years of studying. He flipped through them, the information flooding back easily.
He turned to his notebook, where he had listed his weaknesses in each subject. His past self had struggled with surgical procedures and practical applications.
"I was good at theory, but when it came to real-life situations… I froze."
That hesitation had cost him his future. But now, he had knowledge from his past life—everything he had learned after failing. He had a head start.
And yet, he knew that alone wouldn't be enough. He needed something more.
That's when he remembered the voice in the void.
"Do you want another chance?"
Had he been given a power along with his second chance?
Haruto spent the morning testing himself, trying to see if anything felt… different. He flipped through textbooks at rapid speed, but his learning ability seemed the same. He tried recalling medical theories, but his memory was no sharper than before.
Then what was it?
Feeling restless, he decided to take a walk outside. His apartment was located near a bustling district, filled with students, office workers, and street performers.
As he passed a park, he noticed an old man playing the violin. The melody was soft yet haunting, his fingers gliding effortlessly over the strings.
Haruto stopped, mesmerized.
Then, something strange happened.
A rush of heat filled his mind. His fingertips tingled. His vision sharpened, focusing entirely on the way the old man's hands moved, the way the bow glided across the strings.
Then—
His body understood.
Haruto gasped, stepping back.
His fingers twitched as if they already knew how to hold a violin, how to play that exact melody. He had never touched a violin in his life, and yet—
"I… I understand how to do it."
It was like he had copied the skill just by watching.
His heart pounded.
"This is my ability… I can copy talent?"
Excitement and disbelief warred inside him. He needed to test it again.
Haruto rushed to a small bookstore that had a Go board set up for customers. A few elderly men were playing, their movements slow and calculated. He had never played Go before, but if his theory was correct…
He stood nearby and watched.
The same rush of information filled his brain. The patterns on the board, the logic behind each move—it all clicked instantly.
One of the elderly men looked up and chuckled. "Young man, do you play?"
Haruto hesitated. "Not really… but I'd like to try."
The old man smiled and gestured for him to sit. "Let's see what you've got."
Haruto picked up a piece. His hands moved automatically, placing it on the board with perfect precision.
The elderly man's eyes widened. "That's… a professional-level opening move. Are you sure you haven't played before?"
Haruto's hands trembled.
"It works."
He had copied a talent just by observing it once.
His chest tightened. If this ability worked on anything…
"What if I watch the best surgeons?"
A thrill ran through him.
This power—it could be the key to everything.
That night, Haruto sat at his desk, his mind racing with possibilities.
He opened his laptop and searched for videos of world-class surgeons. The screen played footage of a famous heart surgeon performing a delicate procedure.
Haruto leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the doctor's movements.
Then, it happened.
The same heat filled his body. His fingers twitched.
And suddenly—he understood.
He had never held a scalpel in real life, but his body suddenly knew how.
His breathing quickened. This was it.
This ability wasn't just for playing instruments or board games. It worked for medicine.
"This time… I'll become the greatest doctor in the world."
His journey had just begun.
End of Episode 2.