Talent Reborn
Episode 3: A Surgeon's Hands
Haruto's fingers hovered over his laptop keyboard, trembling slightly. The realization of his ability still pulsed through him like an electric current.
"I can copy talents."
It wasn't just a theory anymore. He had confirmed it at the park and again at the bookstore. But this… this was different.
Copying a violinist's skill or a board game strategy was one thing.
Surgery was life and death.
The video on his screen showed a world-renowned heart surgeon performing an open-heart procedure. The doctor moved with precise, almost inhuman grace, his hands steady as he worked around the delicate muscle.
Haruto leaned in, watching carefully.
Then, it hit.
A rush of heat flooded his brain. His vision sharpened. Every cut, every movement, every careful stitch—the knowledge imprinted itself into him.
His fingers twitched, eager to replicate the motion. His breathing quickened.
"If this ability works the way I think it does… then I should be able to do it too."
But knowing how to move was different from actually doing it.
He needed to test it.
The First Experiment
The next morning, Haruto stood before his desk, a scalpel in his hand.
He had borrowed a piece of raw pork from the market—a close substitute for human skin in medical practice.
"If I'm serious about this, I need to start small."
He took a deep breath and pressed the blade against the meat.
His hands moved automatically.
A perfect incision.
His heart pounded as he continued, cutting with precision, mimicking the exact movements he had seen in the video. Every angle, every technique—it was flawless.
He stepped back, staring at his own work.
"I've never done this before… but it feels natural. Like I've been a surgeon for years."
A grin crept onto his face. This was real.
His ability wasn't a trick or illusion. It was powerful.
But then, a troubling thought entered his mind.
"Is this enough to make me a great doctor?"
His grip on the scalpel tightened. No.
Copying skills could make him good, even exceptional. But true doctors weren't just skilled with their hands.
They needed experience. Judgment. The ability to stay calm under pressure.
And those couldn't be copied.
If he wanted to truly change his fate, he needed more than talent. He needed real experience.
That meant going where real doctors worked.
The hospital.
A Glimpse of the Real World
Haruto made his way to Teito University Hospital, where medical students often observed real doctors at work.
The familiar halls sent a chill down his spine. This was where his past self had struggled.
But this time, things would be different.
He found a small crowd of medical students gathered near the observation rooms. Inside, surgeons worked on a real patient. The students whispered among themselves, taking notes, eyes wide with awe.
Haruto's gaze locked onto the operating table.
A surgeon moved with absolute confidence, his hands steady as he performed a delicate procedure. Haruto memorized every motion.
Then, his ability activated.
The rush of heat filled him again. His fingers twitched. He understood.
A voice beside him scoffed.
"Hey, isn't that Haruto Aizawa? The guy who failed?"
Haruto turned to see Renji Kujo, one of the hospital's most promising young doctors.
Sharp-eyed, confident, and already leagues ahead of his peers, Renji was considered a genius.
And right now, he was looking at Haruto with a smirk of amusement.
"I'm surprised you came back after your failure," Renji said, arms crossed. "Didn't you realize you weren't cut out for this?"
Haruto met his gaze, unfazed.
"I came to learn," he said simply.
Renji's smirk faded slightly. "Hmph. Then watch carefully. Because in the real world, talent alone isn't enough."
Haruto clenched his fists.
"We'll see about that."
An Unexpected Test
Just as Haruto was about to leave, a commotion broke out in the emergency ward.
A car accident victim had been rushed in—severe bleeding, possible internal injuries. The doctors scrambled, calling for immediate surgery.
Haruto's heart pounded.
A nurse called out, "We need more hands! Someone get ready to assist!"
Before he even realized it, Haruto stepped forward.
"I'll do it!"
The room fell silent.
Renji's eyes narrowed. "You?"
The head doctor, a stern-looking man in his fifties, looked Haruto up and down. "You're just a student."
"I know," Haruto said, his voice steady. "But I can do it."
The doctor hesitated—there was no time to argue. The patient was deteriorating.
"Fine," he said. "Scrub in."
Haruto washed up quickly and entered the operating room. His hands were steady, his heart calm.
The surgeon gave him a scalpel.
"Hold it properly."
Haruto took it, and his hands moved flawlessly.
Renji's eyes widened slightly.
"That grip… it's perfect. But there's no way…!"
The doctor gave quick instructions, and Haruto followed instinctively. Every technique he had seen, every motion he had copied—it all flowed naturally.
Even the head surgeon raised an eyebrow. "Hmph. Not bad for a student."
Haruto's pulse raced.
He was doing it.
Not as a failure. Not as a dropout.
But as a doctor.
This was only the beginning.
End of Episode 3.