Chapter 222 Probability 1%
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”About Nana’s future…” Haruto began, folding his hands on his lap. “Like I mentioned before, I want the next step to be her standing up on her own. But before we can hope for that, she needs to build some muscle. And that starts… with massage therapy.”
”Is this the one the teacher talked about—the, uh… socially tricky kind?” Suzume asked, raising an eyebrow.
”Exactly,” Haruto nodded. “It’s a method where you massage the entire lower body, starting from the navel down. The goal is to stimulate the muscles, even if it causes some micro-damage. But… when it comes to touching a woman’s body like that, there are obvious risks. Suzume-san, as a lawyer, I’m sure you understand better than I do.”
Suzume’s voice was calm as she replied, “If a man performs such a massage on a woman, yes, it could certainly be seen as problematic. But if a woman does it… wouldn’t that be more acceptable?”
That was just as expected from her.
If it’s woman-to-woman, and there’s consent, then yes—it probably wouldn’t be a big issue.
But hiring a female specialist meant Haruto wouldn’t be able to treat female patients himself. So, he brought up something else.
”Suzume-san is right. If a woman handles it, there’s no problem. But… there’s more to this story,” he said, his tone slightly heavier.
”More?” Suzume asked.
”This massage doesn’t have any medical proof behind it. There’s no scientific support. To put it bluntly… it’s based entirely on believing in ‘miracles.’”
”Miracles…?” Suzume echoed softly. “You mean, you believe in them?”
Haruto smiled faintly. “I’ve been studying both Western and Eastern medicine since I was a kid. And with that background, I started thinking. Maybe, just maybe… this method could raise the chance from zero to one percent.”
”So if a hundred people tried it… maybe one of them would improve?” Suzume asked, her eyes narrowing.
”I never claimed it was guaranteed,” Haruto said. “All I ever did was explain that such a massage exists.”
”From zero to one percent,” Nana repeated.
”How that one percent is taken… depends on the person,” Haruto said quietly. “But I believe in that one percent. If the odds move from nothing to even a little… I’ll hold on to that. Because Nana… she’s already reached out and grabbed that one percent.”
”So when you said it’s ‘socially difficult’… you meant more than just the gender issue?” Suzume asked.
Haruto nodded. “Exactly. What Suzume-san said is true—if a man performs it on a woman, there are legal concerns. But that’s not the only problem. If I start offering this treatment, claiming it helps recovery despite no scientific basis… it could be seen as fraud. I could be sued.”
”………”
In today’s world, things without clear medical backing—like the old hot springs claiming to heal illnesses—are all treated the same. Suspicion, skepticism, and lawsuits.
”This clinic was originally supposed to test that massage quietly,” Haruto said. “But for Nana’s case, there’s no avoiding the lower body. That’s why I told both of you everything—honestly.”
”Onee-chan,” Nana whispered, turning to her sister. “Do you think it’s okay to trust Haruto-kun… because he told me the truth?”
”Nana…”
(Please… if she says no, there’s nothing more I can do. I can’t lie about this anymore.)
”Do you think… that a one percent chance isn’t worth it?” Haruto asked.
”…That’s…”
”You know,” Nana said, looking down at her hands, “after the accident, I did some research…”
”You did…? What kind of research?” Suzume asked gently.
”I tried to find out the odds of ending up paralyzed from the waist down.”
”Nana…”
”I couldn’t find exact numbers. So… I calculated it myself. It came out to around 0.02%.”
Even the Ministry’s official documents don’t list exact figures for lower-body paralysis. They just use broad terms like “physical disability,” which covers all kinds of mobility issues. Nana must’ve used that data to figure out her own answer.
”And yet, the chance of getting better is one percent. That’s way higher!” she said, lifting her head.
”…Yes, you’re right,” Suzume said softly.
”I’ll do my best again next time too!” Nana smiled.
”Doctor…” Suzume looked at Haruto, eyes steady. “Please… take care of Nana.”
Notes:
• Nana – The one dating Haruto before she goes to Hokkaido.
• Suzume – Female. Nana’s companion, who is just as beautiful as Nana. She has a husky voice, which makes her age and relationship to Nana (sister) slightly ambiguous. She is supportive and polite, accompanying Nana to the job interview.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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