At first, Leo thought he was dead.
He couldn't see anything—just an endless void. But then, a steady thump echoed in his chest.
The dead don't have heartbeats... right?
His dulled senses stirred. A coarse blanket draped over him. Cool air brushed against his skin, tinged with the sharp, sterile scent of disinfectant.
He was back. The same hospital bed where he had wasted away for years.
Fear coiled in his chest. He didn't dare look at himself.
Was he still the same? Still weak, emaciated?
What if the Body Upgrade had been nothing more than a cruel joke?
His breath hitched—but even that faded. Something was different.
The pain. Or rather, the lack of it.
The agony that had tormented him for years... was gone.
With shaky hands, he reached up, fingertips brushing against cold metal—the VR console.
A lump formed in his throat. Slowly, he lifted his head and pulled it off, keeping his eyes shut.
He took a deep breath. Then, cautiously, he opened his eyes.
Light flooded in—clear, sharp, vibrant.
A slow smile curled his lips.
But... something felt off.
It wasn't just his vision. His hearing and sense of smell were sharper, too.
Beyond the closed door, he could hear the distant shuffle of feet in the hallway, the quiet murmur of voices. Even the soft, steady breathing of someone nearby.
His nose caught the faint trace of perfume—subtle, floral.
His gaze flickered to the corner of the room, where a nurse had dozed off in a chair. Weren't nurses supposed to be working? Why was one sleeping here?
His fingers curled around the bedsheets
Relief flooded through him—until he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the VR console.
Slowly, he reached up. His fingers brushed against fur.
The realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.
He had ears. Cat ears.
His breath caught. His heartbeat pounded in his ears.
Something tapped against his back, a flicker of movement at the edge of his vision.
Luna's words echoed in his mind.
"You're growing a tail."
Dread pooled in his stomach. His gaze snapped downward.
A kitten-like tail fluttered behind him, the fur standing on end.
'Horo and Lily are going to mock me for life over this!'
A strangled noise clawed its way out of his throat.
His voice startled the nurse awake.
"I'm awake! I wasn't sleeping!"
The woman jolted upright, nearly toppling out of her chair. Blinking groggily, she hurriedly straightened her uniform and looked around, as if expecting a supervisor to berate her.
The nurse's eyes flickered to him, and for a brief moment, she didn't seem to register what she was seeing. Then realization hit.
Her mouth opened. Then closed. Then opened again—like a fish gasping for air.
Leo raised an eyebrow.
Leo tilted his head, watching her sputter like a broken engine. This was... bizarre. He didn't recognize her, and in all his years here, he had never heard of a nurse like this.
The nurse blinked. Then, as if a switch flipped in her brain, she gasped.
"Oh, right! I'm supposed to call the doctors if you wake up!"
Leo's tail flicked in irritation. He wasn't sure he wanted a bunch of doctors poking and prodding him right now.
"How about you don't?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Miss... what's your name?"
"Rachel," she said, rubbing her eyes. "Honestly, I'd love to do nothing. I barely get the chance to sleep! But what happens if my boss walks in and sees you awake? I'll get fired on the spot!"
Leo narrowed his eyes. There was something off about this woman.
"...You sound weirdly casual about all this."
Rachel yawned while sounding utterly nonchalant.
"What can I say? I've seen some shit."
Leo furrowed his brow
"So you aren't surprised at my ... .let's say unique appearance?"
"You have a cute set of ears? Did the hospital let you keep your accessories?"
This confirmed Leo's suspicion. There was definitely something off about this Nurse.
He quickly climbed out of the bed while remaining vigilant of the nurse who had a lackadaisical smile on her face.
The nurse tilted her head at the unexpected question.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I am asking who sent you to keep an eye on me...or is it that you are here to kill me?"
Leo got into a stance, ready to run or fight if needed. Seeing him , the nurse started laughing.
"Hahahahaha~! I am a nurse here. This is like my 2nd week here Mr. Leone. Please don't say some nonsense that will ruin this for me~".
Rachel smiled lazily, but something in her gaze flickered—too sharp, too focused. Like a predator watching its prey squirm.
The scalpel gleamed under the fluorescent light.
Leo's breath hitched. It was already there, inches from his eye.
His heart slammed against his ribs.
"Besides..." Her scalpel gleamed under the fluorescent light. "If I wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead~"
Leo felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand while cold sweat trickled down his cheek.
'What sort of nurse has skills ?!'
He hadn't seen her move nor did he even have the chance to react.
Yet before he could speak, the woman pulled the scalpel away with a smile returning back to her face.
"I hope that you will keep what happened just now our little secret. Okay~?"
Leo swallowed hard and nodded. Yep. This girl was absolutely insane.
"Good. Glad we understand each other~! Now if you want me to keep quiet, how about you show me a little sincerity~?"
Leo was so confused that an involuntary question escaped his lips.
"You know what I am talking about Kitty Boy. I am talking about Moolah. Benjamins, Cash. You got this fancy room right. You must be loaded!".
'Oh god...is she trying to blackmail a patient?! A nurse is asking for a bribe?!'
Rachel saw the incredulous look on his face and grumbled.
"What? Money's tight this month. A girl has got her expenses!"
"So you resort to...blackmail?"
"I prefer to call it a barter of mutual interests"
"Nah. That's just extortion!"
"Whatever. Are you gonna pay me or not?"
"I don't have a penny to my name. I am an Orphan. It's my sisters friend who has been paying for this room apparently."
The nurse was silent for a moment before she kicked her chair.
"Goddamn it...I picked a dud.An Orphan of all things...I must be slipping"
Leo was stunned by this woman's antics.
'It seems anybody can become a nurse nowadays'
A knock on the door distracted both of them.
"Leo you in there? Luna is signing your discharge papers! Let's get going."