Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: A Doctor’s Smile

The days leading up to Dr. Garaki's visit were filled with an undercurrent of unease Kaito couldn't shake. It wasn't just the usual worry about his quirk—it was the weight of his secret, pressing down harder with each passing day. He had kept the truth hidden from everyone. His father had no idea what Kaito had really been doing in the garden, what experiments he had been conducting in the quiet of his room. The more he tested his quirks, the more the line between control and chaos blurred.He couldn't keep living like this. He had to understand his quirk—he had to know where the limits were before it was too late.It was early afternoon when Dr. Garaki arrived at the house.Kaito was in the study, pretending to read a book while his mind raced. He had hoped to be left alone today, to finally test a few things without the risk of someone watching him. But his father had insisted on another quirk evaluation. Kaito's quirk was still classified as "Push and Pull"—nothing special, nothing too dangerous.Akihiko wasn't worried about Kaito's powers. But Kaito was.He heard Garaki's voice in the hallway, greeting his father and exchanging pleasantries. His nerves tightened. The man always seemed so calm, so controlled. Kaito couldn't help but feel like he was being watched under a microscope.A few minutes later, Garaki knocked on the door, his steps muffled on the thick carpet. Kaito looked up, meeting the doctor's gaze for just a moment. Garaki smiled, a warm but somewhat calculated expression."Ah, young Yukimura," Garaki said, stepping inside. "How are we feeling today?"Kaito stood up, his legs stiff from sitting too long. "Good, I think.""Good, good," Garaki repeated. "Shall we get started? I'd like to run a few tests to make sure your quirk is developing as expected."Kaito nodded, following Garaki to the small exam area his father had set up. The table was already prepped with the usual devices: the wrist monitor, the heart rate scanner, and the little screen that would show the results in real-time.Kaito had done this routine dozens of times. His father was meticulous about it, always wanting to make sure Kaito's quirk was developing "properly." But today, something felt different."Alright," Garaki said, gesturing toward the equipment. "Sit here for a moment. Let's start by checking your neural responses while you activate your quirk. Shouldn't be anything difficult."Kaito sat down on the cushioned chair. He felt a momentary unease, as if something was about to happen that he couldn't control.Dr. Garaki began placing electrodes on his head, adjusting the positions carefully. "Now, Kaito," Garaki said in a smooth voice, "just do what you've done before. Use Push and Pull. Move the object toward you. Simple as that."Kaito's mind wandered, but he quickly brought himself back to focus. He reached out with his mind, calling on his quirk to pull the pen toward him. The pen moved, just as expected. Garaki nodded approvingly."Excellent," Garaki said, tapping something on his tablet. "Your neural responses are stable. Everything seems to be progressing well."But Kaito didn't feel stable.He felt the pressure inside him again.The feeling that the quirk inside him was too much.The pen wobbled in the air, not responding to his usual precise pull. For a moment, Kaito's hand shook, and the pen faltered, its movement erratic. He clenched his teeth, focusing again, trying to get it under control.Garaki's brow furrowed slightly. "Is something the matter, Kaito?"Kaito quickly recovered, but the unease remained."No. I'm fine," Kaito said, his voice steady. He hadn't been perfect in controlling the pen, but it was still in motion. He wouldn't let Garaki see the struggle.Dr. Garaki adjusted a few settings on his tablet. "I see," he murmured, tapping more notes into the device. "I've been meaning to ask you, Kaito. How does your quirk feel when you use it? Do you notice any strange side effects? Headaches, muscle strain?"Kaito hesitated. How could he explain the strange pressure he felt whenever he used it? The heaviness he couldn't shake, like something was stretching inside him? Would Garaki even believe him?"It… feels normal," Kaito said. "Just like I've always felt. But... sometimes, it feels like there's more to it."Garaki studied him carefully. "More to it? You mean you sense more than you did before?"Kaito didn't respond immediately. Instead, he just nodded. That was the truth, wasn't it? Every time he fused a quirk or tested something new, it felt like the quirk inside him was growing. Like it was expanding. Stretching beyond what it should be.But he couldn't say that. Not yet.Garaki pressed a button, and the screen blinked. Kaito's neural data popped up on the display, a collection of numbers and graphs Kaito didn't quite understand. He had learned to look at them with disinterest. They were just numbers."Everything looks fine," Garaki said, scrolling through the data. "Your quirk seems well within normal limits. No signs of instability, which is good."Kaito swallowed hard.Instability.He wasn't sure he believed Garaki.He couldn't feel stable.The doctor's voice broke through his thoughts. "But I'd like to run a few more tests, just in case. There's something I've been meaning to try with you. It might help understand your quirk better."Kaito blinked. "What do you mean?"Garaki didn't answer immediately. He simply smiled in his usual way, but there was something more to it this time—a hint of calculation in his eyes. "It's a technique I've used with other patients. Some of them have had quirks that evolved over time. I want to see if there's any change in yours."Kaito's stomach tightened.He didn't know what Garaki was suggesting, but he didn't want to find out. The more he learned about his quirk, the more he realized just how little control he truly had over it. What if this "technique" Garaki was suggesting was something he didn't fully understand? What if it pushed him further down a path he couldn't walk back from?Before he could say anything, Garaki spoke again."Let's make sure you're in a controlled state," Garaki said with a small smile. "Just a small test, nothing to worry about."Kaito's pulse quickened. "What kind of test?"Garaki's smile widened slightly. "Don't worry. Just something to help you better understand your quirk."Kaito felt his heart race at Garaki's words. He tried not to show the unease creeping up inside him, but it was becoming harder to ignore. He had been quiet about his quirk for so long. His experiments, the combinations, the feeling of power growing within him—it was all becoming too real.And now Garaki wanted to test him. Kaito had no idea what that meant, but he was starting to realize that Garaki was no ordinary doctor. There was something calculating in his approach, something too calm in his demeanor, as if he already knew exactly how Kaito's quirk would react."Don't worry, Kaito," Garaki said, reassuring him with a smile. "This will help you control your quirk better. You need to understand it before it becomes something you can't control."Kaito hesitated for a moment, but his curiosity got the better of him. "What kind of test is this?"Garaki glanced at the tablet for a moment, then back at Kaito. "It's a simple procedure. We're going to test how well your quirk adapts to external stimuli. We'll push it to its limits, but gently."Kaito wasn't sure what that meant, but Garaki's reassuring tone made him feel like he didn't have much of a choice. He nodded, sitting up straighter on the exam table.Garaki activated a small device on the counter, a soft hum filling the air as it powered up. Kaito watched as Garaki took a few more steps and adjusted some controls on the machine. The doctor turned back to Kaito, his face calm and unreadable."You've been using your quirk to manipulate objects, to pull and push," Garaki said, his voice smooth. "Now, let's see how you respond to something new."Kaito was already sensing the tension rising in his chest. The pressure. That feeling of strain. Was it going to happen again? Would his quirk get out of control?Garaki picked up a small metal ball from the table and set it on the ground between them. The ball was small, about the size of a marble, and shiny with a sleek metallic sheen. It wasn't heavy, but Kaito could sense that it wasn't just any object. There was something important about it. Something Garaki had planned."Now, Kaito," Garaki said, "I want you to push this ball across the floor, just like you've done with other objects."Kaito swallowed, his fingers twitching at his sides. He stretched his hand toward the ball, focusing. But this time, something was different. This wasn't just another object. He could feel the pressure rising within him as he activated his quirk. The ball didn't just move. It resisted.The ball stayed where it was.Kaito clenched his jaw, sweat beginning to form on his forehead. He pushed harder, willing the ball to move, but it wouldn't budge."Don't force it, Kaito," Garaki said, his voice soft but firm. "Remember, control is key."Kaito took a deep breath, trying to center himself. He focused, tried to find the right balance between strength and gentleness.He pushed again.The ball slid across the floor, just a few inches, before stopping again."Good," Garaki said, nodding. "Now, try pulling it back."Kaito didn't hesitate this time. He focused, pulled, and the ball moved smoothly back to him. There was a small feeling of satisfaction when it obeyed his quirk, but the sense of unease didn't leave him. He knew his quirk wasn't just about this anymore.Garaki stepped closer. "How did that feel?"Kaito looked up at him. "Fine, I guess. It felt normal."Garaki nodded, then took a step back. "Good. Now, let's add something else."Before Kaito could ask what he meant, Garaki clicked a button on the device and a soft whirring sound filled the room. Suddenly, the ball began to move on its own, rolling across the floor by invisible force, as if someone had pushed it without touching it.Kaito stared in shock."What… is that?" Kaito asked, his voice betraying his confusion.Garaki smiled, watching the ball roll slowly toward him. "I've just added a small electromagnetic field. It's nothing dangerous, but it's a test. I want to see how your quirk reacts when another force is introduced."Kaito felt the pressure grow in his chest. His fingers twitched, instinctively reaching out toward the ball.It was moving faster now. With the electromagnetic force added to it, the ball rolled unpredictably."Now," Garaki said, his voice lowering. "Try moving it. Push or pull it back. Use your quirk to control it."Kaito's mind raced. The ball was moving too quickly now. The electromagnetic field was too much of a challenge. He focused harder, extending his hand toward the ball.The ball wobbled.And then, for the briefest moment, Kaito felt the quirk inside him stretch. Not just the familiar tug of Push and Pull, but something else—something stronger. It was like the electromagnetic force was responding to his quirk, fighting against it, challenging him to push back.He could feel the quirk trying to break free, trying to control everything at once.And then, with a snap, the ball shot toward him.It was too fast.Too much force.Kaito tried to stop it.But the ball slammed into his chest with unexpected force. He stumbled back, nearly losing his balance.Garaki didn't move. He was watching closely, his eyes sharp.Kaito gasped for breath, trying to regain his footing. He could feel the tension in his muscles, the strain from trying to control too many things at once."That's enough for today," Garaki said, his voice soft but firm. "You need to practice balance, Kaito. You can't push everything all at once. Your quirk has limits."Kaito nodded, still catching his breath. "I… I understand."Garaki stepped forward, offering Kaito a steady hand to help him stand up. "Don't worry. You'll get better. But remember—your quirk is powerful, but it's not all about power. It's about control."Kaito nodded again, this time more to himself than to the doctor.Later that evening, Kaito sat in his room, his notebook open before him. The events of the day still weighed heavily on his mind. He had passed Dr. Garaki's test, yes, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something inside him was beginning to crack. His quirk was evolving, yes—but how far could he push it?The tension inside him hadn't gone away. In fact, it was worse now.But maybe… maybe he didn't need to know the answers yet.For now, all he needed to do was keep testing, keep experimenting. Sooner or later, he'd find the balance.