Talent Reborn
Episode 5: A Life in His Hands
The sky was painted in hues of orange and purple as Haruto stepped out of Teito University Hospital. The cool evening air brushed against his face, but his mind was still trapped in the events of the day.
His second time assisting in surgery had been another success, but it came at a cost—people were starting to notice him.
Dr. Kuroda's reaction, Renji's scrutiny, the whispers in the halls—he was drawing too much attention too fast.
"I need to be careful. If people start questioning my skills, I won't be able to explain how I learned so fast."
He sighed, shaking his head. There was no use worrying now. He just needed to keep moving forward.
As he crossed the street toward the train station, a sudden screech of tires split the air.
Haruto's eyes snapped up—just in time to see a motorcycle slam into a pedestrian.
The man's body hit the pavement hard.
Gasps and screams filled the air as bystanders rushed forward.
But Haruto was already moving.
"A head injury… possible internal bleeding… I need to act fast!"
Instinct Takes Over
Haruto knelt beside the injured man. Blood pooled beneath the man's head, his breathing ragged and shallow. His pulse was weak.
A woman crouched beside him, tears in her eyes. "P-Please! Somebody help him!"
The crowd murmured, uncertain.
"Shouldn't we wait for an ambulance?"
"What if moving him makes it worse?"
"Does anyone here know first aid?"
Haruto's mind raced. He had seen emergency cases before. He had copied the knowledge. But this… this was real.
There was no attending surgeon. No backup.
It was just him.
He inhaled sharply, forcing his nerves to settle.
"Trust the skills. Trust the experience—even if it isn't yours."
He assessed the injuries.
Head wound. Bleeding, but not excessive. Possible concussion.
Fractured ribs. Breathing is labored. Could mean internal damage.
Leg bent unnaturally. Definitely broken.
He needed to act.
His voice was firm. "Call an ambulance, now!"
A bystander fumbled for their phone.
Haruto focused on stabilizing the man. He gently turned his head to the side to keep his airway clear. He checked his pupils—uneven dilation. A sign of brain trauma.
Time was running out.
A sudden groan escaped the injured man's lips. His body convulsed slightly.
"Damn it—his condition is worsening!"
Haruto gritted his teeth. He needed to do more. He needed to think like a real doctor.
His hands moved on instinct.
Using a ripped piece of his own shirt, he wrapped a makeshift bandage around the head wound to stop the bleeding. Then, carefully, he pressed his hands against the man's ribs, feeling for signs of a punctured lung.
The man wheezed. Not good.
Haruto looked around desperately. "Does anyone have a small, clean straw? Or a plastic pen?"
People stared in confusion.
"What for?"
"A pen? How would that help?"
A young woman quickly pulled a plastic straw from her bag and handed it to him.
Haruto snapped it in half, his mind replaying the emergency procedures he had learned from watching trauma surgeons.
With a deep breath, he made a tiny incision between the ribs and inserted the straw.
Gasps erupted around him.
"What is he doing?!"
"Isn't that dangerous?"
But seconds later, the man's breathing eased.
The tension in Haruto's chest loosened.
"It worked… I relieved the pressure in his lungs."
A loud siren pierced the air as the ambulance finally arrived.
Paramedics rushed forward, taking over. One of them, a middle-aged man with a sharp gaze, turned to Haruto.
"Who did this?"
Haruto hesitated. "I did."
The paramedic studied him. "You're a doctor?"
"...A medical student."
The man's eyes widened slightly. He looked back at the injured patient—now stabilized—and let out a low whistle.
"You just saved his life, kid."
Haruto felt the adrenaline finally leave his body, exhaustion crashing into him.
But as he watched the ambulance drive away, another emotion settled in his chest.
Satisfaction.
For the first time, he hadn't just copied someone else's skills.
He had used them to save a life.
A Dangerous Spotlight
The next morning, Haruto arrived at the hospital, expecting the usual routine.
But the moment he stepped into the halls, he knew something was different.
People were staring. Whispering.
"Again?"
Renji Kujo approached, holding up his phone.
"Care to explain this?"
Haruto frowned and glanced at the screen—his heart stopped.
A viral video was playing.
It showed him at the accident scene, performing the emergency procedure.
The caption read:
"Unknown Medical Student Performs Life-Saving Surgery on the Street—Who Is He?"
Haruto's blood ran cold.
"No… This is bad."
He had tried to stay under the radar, to avoid attracting too much attention. But now, the entire hospital was talking about him.
And beyond that… who else was watching?
Renji's gaze sharpened. "Haruto. No normal student could do what you did."
His voice was quiet but serious.
"Who the hell are you?"
Haruto clenched his fists.
It wasn't just about proving himself as a doctor anymore.
Now, people were searching for the truth about him.
And if he wasn't careful—his secret would be exposed.
End of Episode 5.