“Hmm… it seems they’re calling because this genius Doctor’s face has been exposed once more, I suppose…”
The Doctor suddenly began to fuss, then continued speaking, flapping her arms about.
“Still, nothing will come of it. Who do you think this genius Doctor is? I’m the top two of this organization—the second most powerful individual…!”
Her expression brimmed with an almost overflowing confidence.
The Man stared blankly at the spectacle before him, then mumbled under his breath.
“⋯⋯I didn’t say a word.”
He hadn’t even asked.
Why was she suddenly spouting such things?
“Th-thaaat…”
Even under The Man’s questioning gaze, The Doctor seemed utterly oblivious to his words, simply raising her voice once more.
“Don’t you worry too much, Mob! The Boss might be a little frightening when they’re angry, but truly, nothing will come of it, I promise!”
“I’m telling you, I didn’t say a single word.”
Just as The Man was about to let out a frustrated sigh, he noticed The Doctor’s small frame quivering ever so slightly.
Though the movement was subtle, it was easy to discern, largely due to her oversized gown, which seemed comically disproportionate to The Doctor’s diminutive stature.
The sleeves, completely engulfing her dainty hands, fluttered so violently it was as if an earthquake had struck.
The Man quietly observed her.
‘Could she actually be nervous?’
It was an odd sight indeed, for this was The Doctor who always rambled on with such brazen confidence, even peppering her speech with suggestive remarks—the very Doctor who seemed utterly unacquainted with the concept of tension.
This display struck him as profoundly peculiar. After all, it was exceedingly rare to witness The Doctor in such a state of agitation.
Furthermore, as he watched her face flush with such palpable embarrassment, an inexplicable warmth spread through him.
His body began to heat up.
His chest thumped with a subtle, yet undeniable, thrill. A strange excitement seemed to permeate his very being.
An urge to mar that face even more, to break it further…
‘…Wait, what?’
What had he just… thought?
Startled by the sudden surge of his own mind, The Man vigorously shook his head.
‘No, no, that’s not right.’
He pressed a hand to his forehead, desperately attempting to regain his composure.
“⋯⋯Have I inhaled too much of that milk scent? I must be losing my mind.”
He mumbled to himself, deliberately averting his gaze.
As The Man wrestled with these unsettling, unfathomable emotions.
Ding!
An alert chimed from the computer monitor.
As if bracing herself, The Doctor took a deep breath and answered the call.
“Bo-oss… Why did you ca-…”
The Doctor began her conversation, deliberately drawing out the end of her words, attempting to project an air of composure. Yet, her speech was abruptly severed.
“Doctor.”
From the speaker, an incredibly low, deep voice resonated.
The Boss had uttered only a single word, yet the oppressive weight of it was so profound that it seemed to crush the very air within the laboratory.
A sudden chill traced down The Man’s neck.
‘So this is truly the Boss of a formidable organization.’
His body involuntarily shivered at the sheer charisma emanating from that voice—a presence utterly unlike the kind and almost benign figure The Boss had seemed upon their first encounter.
“Ugh…”
Despite the overwhelming atmosphere, The Doctor didn’t appear particularly cowed.
Instead of fear, she seemed more taken aback by The Boss’s anger, forcing a strained smile even as beads of cold sweat trickled down her brow.
‘Could this truly be the second-in-command of the organization?’
“Ehehe, Boss. So…”
“I will hear your explanation in person.”
Evidently furious, The Boss didn’t even allow The Doctor to speak, instead making a terse declaration before abruptly cutting off the call.
“⋯⋯Ugh.”
Beep-beep.
Listening to the persistent dial tone emanating from the disconnected screen, The Doctor, who had been lost in thought, eventually scratched her cheek with a look of profound discomfort.
“Our Boss seems truly enraged…”
Upon witnessing this, The Man let out a soft chuckle.
“Indeed. They seem quite furious, wouldn’t you say?”
Her distressed expression, so uncharacteristic of her, struck him as incredibly endearing—utterly adorable.
‘Is this what they call gap moe (TL Note: A Japanese term referring to the appeal of a character revealing an unexpected, often adorable, side that contrasts with their usual personality)?’
A profound sense of satisfaction washed over him, causing the corners of his mouth to involuntarily twitch upwards.
‘It would be rather pleasant if she were like this more often.’
“D-don’t laugh, Mob.”
The Doctor shot The Man a sharp glare, puffing out her cheeks and wrinkling her nose in a frown.
It seemed her pride had been slightly wounded by The Man’s amusement at her expense.
Yet, even as she fumed, the charming way her small cheeks puffed out made her resemble a child throwing a mild tantrum, only serving to heighten her cuteness.
‘How cute.’
—He refrained from uttering the words aloud.
It was clear The Doctor would erupt into a furious tantrum.
“Pfft…”
Still, he thought, such a sight might be worth seeing again sometime.
“I said don’t laugh…”
The Doctor grumbled under her breath, then let out a protracted sigh and resumed speaking.
“Regardless, this genius Doctor is going to pay The Boss a quick visit…”
She bounced. With her characteristic springy gait, she entered the inner room, swiftly changed her clothes, and emerged.
Just as she was about to exit the laboratory, she paused, pointed a finger at The Man, and flashed her signature infuriating smile.
“Be prepared, Mob. When I return, I’ll make sure you taste the ‘Jjirit-jjirit-kun’ (TL Note: A playful, onomatopoeic term for a shocking or tingling sensation, often used for electrical shocks or intense experiences). The price for laughing at this genius Doctor is steep indeed…”
The Man’s earlier chuckle must have truly incensed her, for she promised vengeance with an air of triumphant self-satisfaction.
“Eek…”
At her pronouncement, images of the tentacles he had witnessed during their previous skirmish flashed vividly in The Man’s mind.
He recalled the formidable mechanical appendages that had so effortlessly neutralized both heroes and villains.
The mere thought sent a trickle of cold sweat down his back, and his throat tightened, rendering him speechless.
“Are you referring to those tentacles? That’s… a bit much.”
Only then did The Man belatedly stammer out an apology.
“⋯⋯I’m sorry, Doctor.”
Yet The Doctor, as if declaring it too late, huffed indignantly and jutted out her chin.
“Apologies are quite useless now…”
Evidently thrilled to have seized control once more, she beamed, sticking out her tongue.
“Nyah-nyah!” (TL Note: A playful sound made when sticking out one’s tongue, similar to ‘nya-nya’ or ‘pffft’ in English.)
Her adorable little tongue wiggled, flapped, and then, with quick, pattering steps, she scurried out of the laboratory.
“Oh, and reheat the cocoa! I’ll be back to drink it…”
Even as she fled, she managed to shout these instructions before the door fully closed, her thoughts seemingly still on her cocoa, which…
“⋯⋯What the.”
The Man shook his head, utterly dumbfounded. Regardless of the situation, The Doctor remained as stubbornly whimsical as ever.
Yet, he found he didn’t dislike this particular aspect of her.
“Hmm.”
In the quiet solitude of the laboratory after The Doctor’s departure.
The Man found a corner of his heart feeling unexpectedly lighter.
‘Could it be the sweet taste of victory, having gotten one over on The Doctor for the very first time?’
“Heh heh…”
The Doctor’s bewildered, flustered face from moments ago resurfaced in his mind, drawing an involuntary chuckle from him.
The Man giggled, then his gaze drifted idly around the laboratory.
On the desk, an array of enigmatic components always occupied their designated spots, though their actual use remained a complete mystery to him.
His eyes then fell upon various bits of junk, some of which he couldn’t even recall seeing before.
The Doctor might insist this level of disarray was “tidy,” but in The Man’s estimation, it was nothing short of a chaotic mess.
“⋯⋯Perhaps I should do some cleaning until The Doctor returns.”
That Doctor.
She was, after all, surprisingly inept at the practicalities of daily life.
****
“⋯⋯She’s late.”
The Man furrowed his brows.
Ten, no, a full twenty minutes had now elapsed since he’d finished his perfunctory cleaning of the room.
He had even sat on the sofa, slowly sipping the now-chilled cocoa and murmuring to himself, “Hmm… it still doesn’t taste bad,” merely to pass the time. Yet, The Doctor remained conspicuously absent.
“What in the world could she possibly be doing that’s taking her this long?”
He tilted his head, pondering.
He told himself he wasn’t worried.
Yet, for some inexplicable reason, he couldn’t shake off a persistent feeling of unease.
While The Doctor had always managed perfectly fine on her own, perhaps it was her habitually buoyant and somewhat naive nature—like a child left unsupervised by the water’s edge—that made his heart feel continually unsettled.
Eventually, The Man sprang to his feet.
With resolute, long strides, he made his way towards ‘The Boss’s Room,’ nestled deep within the facility.
He was determined to, at the very least, confirm with his own eyes what The Doctor was up to.
“⋯⋯This must be it.”
Upon reaching the imposing door to The Boss’s room, he paused, glaring at it for a moment before cautiously pressing his ear against the wood.
No sound whatsoever could be heard from inside.
“Has their conversation concluded?”
The instant he murmured this thoughtlessly.
[Who’s out there?]
From within, The Boss’s low voice resonated.
While it lacked the chilling edge from their earlier phone call, it still carried an undeniable aura of authority and gravitas.
The Man flinched, his body tensing instinctively.
‘I hadn’t anticipated being discovered. They’re remarkably perceptive.’
[This presence. Is it the rookie? I had intended to admit no one, but… if it is that man, then it should be acceptable. Enter.]
As The Boss spoke these additional words, The Man paused in contemplation for a brief moment before ultimately grasping the doorknob and pushing the door open.
“Welcome.”
For the first time in a while, he entered The Boss’s room.
Carefully closing the door, he looked straight ahead, his eyes falling upon The Boss, who sat in a large chair, stroking a cat.
The Boss’s eyes gleamed with a sharp intensity, like the finely honed edge of a blade.
“What brings you here? It’s unusual for you to seek me out first.”
The Boss inquired in a low tone.
The Man’s lips parted for a moment.
“Uh… well, is The Doctor…?”
Before he could finish his sentence, his gaze inadvertently drifted towards a corner of the room.
There, contrasting sharply with the dim ambiance of the room, was something strikingly white.
And then… The Man witnessed a shocking sight that stole his breath.
“Hiccup.”
He saw a fluffy white bundle whimpering, kneeling on the floor.
It was The Doctor. She was serving a punishment in the corner, her hands raised high above her head.
“Ugh…”
“⋯⋯Hold them up straight, Doctor.”
“Hmph… Fine, I get it…”
That sight alone was incredibly shocking.
But there was something even more astounding: a large placard hanging around The Doctor’s neck.
[I will never cause worry again.]
The crooked, dancing script on the placard was striking, as if The Doctor herself had scrawled it in a serpentine fashion.
“Uh… what in the…?!”
Utterly bewildered by the situation, The Man could only blink his eyes.
He might not understand much, but one thing seemed clear.
“Hmph… why is this genius Doctor in such a state…?”
That image of The Doctor, pouting her lips like that.
That image of The Doctor, hands primly raised, her cheeks puffed out with a pocket full of injustice.
That innocent, docile appearance… it was incredibly cute, and also…