"Being scared of ghosts… Mako-chan really is still a kid."
Yokomine walked down the dim corridor after lights-out, guided only by the glow of the emergency lamps, replaying her earlier conversation with Mako.
"I haven't seen anything—yet."She'd said it casually, but it wasn't without reason.
In this hospital, both senior and junior nurses occasionally whispered about seeing "something ghost-like."
One senior nurse once laughed and told her:
"Some things can be seen by people who can see them. People who can't will never see them, not even once in their life."
And even if you did see something, it didn't necessarily mean anything bad would happen.
Besides, Yokomine herself wasn't the type to believe strongly in ghosts or spirits.
But—
"If a ghost cat really did appear… I kind of want to see it."
A strange curiosity had taken root inside her.
Would its feet be transparent? Would it float fluffily in the air?
She snickered under her breath at her own silly imagination—when suddenly—
Tap.
A hand landed on her shoulder from behind.
"Kyaaaaaaah!!"
She let out a scream loud enough to burst her heart and jumped nearly a meter away.
She whirled around—
"Wha—Kido-sensei!?"
She glared at him with a mix of shock and anger. Dr. Kido gave a sheepish smile.
"Why are you so jumpy? You scared me more than I scared you."
"P-please don't do that! I was just talking to Mako-chan about ghosts…"
Hand pressed against her pounding chest, Yokomine tried to steady her breathing.
Kido smiled slightly at her reaction, then his expression shifted into something more serious.
"Mako-chan—ah, Fujimiya-san. How was she?"
"She seemed a little tired, but overall she looked fine. She even finished her dinner."
"That's good. In that case, she'll probably be able to go home tomorrow or the day after. Her EEG showed nothing unusual, and there were no signs of Cyberization."
"Really? That's such a relief… Honestly, I was worried since her symptoms were similar to Virtual Syndrome."
Yokomine exhaled deeply in relief. Kido nodded quietly.
"Well, yes. But if she really were developing Cyberization, she wouldn't look nearly that calm."
That remark naturally drew Yokomine's gaze toward the special ward.
The hospital at night was silent—too silent.Somewhere deep inside that darkness lurked something unsettling. She could practically feel it.
"…Doctor. What exactly causes Cyberization, anyway?"
She asked in a quiet voice. Kido answered slowly.
"The academic explanation is that it's triggered by something like a photosensitive seizure. You remember that old incident where kids had seizures after watching the flashing lights in an anime broadcast? The principle is similar."
Photosensitive seizures—
A violent reaction of the brain to flickering light, causing headaches, nausea, and sometimes convulsions.
"And that… turns people into that?"
"Well, it's not exactly the same thing. People who end up cyberized usually develop symptoms similar to Virtual Syndrome beforehand. Since those symptoms resembled photosensitive seizures, the name stuck. But Cyberization is still under research."
Yokomine sighed deeply.
She wasn't sure if it was a disease, a neurological phenomenon, or something else entirely—and the uncertainty filled her chest with a vague, crawling anxiety.
"…Still, 'Cyberization.' Isn't the name a bit childish?"
She tried joking to lighten the mood. Kido chuckled.
"Maybe. But since that's the official term, we're stuck with it. Ever watch an old anime called Ghost in the Shell? It used a similar word."
"Ghost in the… Shell? Sorry, never heard of it."
Kido looked mildly disappointed.
"It's a classic. Watch it if you get the chance."
"R-right… maybe if I'm in the mood."
She replied with a polite fake smile and peeked at her watch.
"I'll continue my rounds now."
"Alright. I'm counting on you for the night shift."
She had just started to walk away when something important struck her, and she called out:
"Oh, Doctor! We're seriously short-staffed lately—please do something!"
"Can't be helped. Even Chief Nurse Goda is out on medical leave after being attacked by a cyberized patient."
Yokomine froze.
"...Doesn't that mean it's really dangerous?"
"I know. We're working on countermeasures. But for now, you young ones will have to manage. And—keep a close eye on Special Ward Room 502. Onizuka-kun. Something unpredictable may happen. I'm going to grab a nap."
"…Yes, sir."
Before she could say anything more, Kido casually raised a hand and walked briskly down the hall.
Just as he reached the corner, Yokomine's frustrated shout—"Hurry up with the countermeasures!!"—echoed down the corridor, but Kido pretended not to hear it.
"…Seriously. This hospital is getting dangerous."
Muttering under her breath, Yokomine headed off to continue her patrol, tension tightening her steps.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kido, walking toward the doctors' resting room, whispered to himself:
"…Cyberization and Virtual Syndrome cases are rising again. I should call Counselor Nakagami sooner rather than later…"
His footsteps faded quietly into the night.