"What a rush!" In a street in Shibuya, Taichi stretched his arms, letting his body relax completely.
The confusion and helplessness he felt after transmigrating were completely vented in that last attack with the light beam against the monster.
"Taichi, I suggest you learn some close-quarters combat skills," Ultraman X, the unknown caller, reminded him again via the phone. "You can't rely too much on beam techniques. If you encounter a monster immune to light-based skills, you'll lose miserably."
"Yeah, even if you say that... X, I just got here! I don't have many of the original owner's memories left. At most, I know a name and my schedule for the next few days. Even if I wanted to find a martial arts dojo to train in, I don't have the money to be an apprentice."
"So, training in close-quarters combat will have to be put on hold for a while until I save up some money."
"...Even if you say that... I understand." X reluctantly agreed with Taichi's reasoning.
"So, what are your plans now?"
"Well, according to the schedule..." Taichi flipped through a few pages of a small notebook he pulled from his pocket. "I have two part-time jobs."
"One is a 'drug trial' job that starts tomorrow. It includes food and accommodation, and I can buy medicine at an internal price."
"The other is a 'school janitor' job that officially starts in three days. The salary isn't high during the probationary period, but the benefits after becoming a full employee are exceptionally good."
"...Wait a minute, are the names of these two workplaces a bit strange?" Taichi stared blankly at 'Takemi Medical Clinic' and 'Shujin Academy'. "...Is it a coincidence? It must be a coincidence, right?"
...
"It's not a coincidence!" Standing outside the Takemi Medical Clinic, looking at the building that was exactly as he remembered, Taichi touched his forehead in a daze, then pulled out his phone...
Masayoshi Shido... Goro Akechi... A search confirmed they both existed.
Well, he had thought this was just an ordinary Ultraman parallel universe, but he never expected it to be a mash-up. Persona is here, too...
No, maybe the anomalous things are X and himself?
But there are monsters.
Forget it. It's pointless to rack his brain over existing problems. He should focus on making sure he can eat his fill first. After all, he only had a few hundred-yen coins left in his wallet.
With the sound of wind chimes, Taichi stepped into this "den of evil."
"Welcome... although I shouldn't be saying that." A beautiful, black-haired woman with delicate features sat behind the reception desk near the entrance, observing him. "Are you here to buy medicine? Or for a physical exam?"
"I'm Naruto Taichi, the one who called to interview," Taichi explained proactively. "For the drug trial job."
"Oh? It's you." The woman paused, sized up Taichi, and then pointed to a small door beside her. "Come in here to talk."
With that, she flipped the 'Temporarily Closed' sign and walked out from behind the counter. From what he could see, her figure was fantastic!
...
"I'm Tae Takemi, the director of this clinic." After Taichi sat on the tall stool opposite her, Tae Takemi crossed her legs and carefully examined the motorcycle license Taichi handed her, casually typing a few things on her computer.
Soon, some of Taichi's information appeared on the screen.
"Hmm, the information matches."
"Naruto Taichi, nineteen years old... Just barely over the line of being a minor. He's a very suitable 'guinea pig'."
"But are you sure you're determined to do this?" Tae Takemi turned to look at Taichi, reminding him repeatedly. "I'm telling you upfront, while the new drugs I create aren't fatal, the side effects can be quite severe."
"I'm sure," Taichi nodded and replied. "Given my circumstances, if I don't take a job that includes food and lodging, I really won't be able to survive."
"...Well, if that's the case..." Tae Takemi bent down, pulled a contract out of a drawer, and handed it to Taichi. "Sign it."
It was a labor contract. In addition to food and lodging and the ability to buy medicine at an internal price, each drug trial would earn him an extra 50,000 yen. After all, being a test subject has some inherent health risks.
But Taichi thought this job was pretty good and signed his name without hesitation.
As for the side effects of the drugs, he wasn't worried. After all, X had told him that after the drug's effects wore off and the experimental data was collected, he could restore Taichi's body to a healthy state at any time.
...He just hoped his quick recovery wouldn't lead Dr. Takemi to misinterpret the data.
"So, when do I start working?" Taichi looked at Tae Takemi with a look of excitement. "I'm ready to dedicate myself to the pharmaceutical world at any time!"
"...Don't get too excited." Tae Takemi felt that the test subject she had recruited seemed a little slow-witted.
She hoped it wouldn't affect the drug trial results.
"I have three new drugs on hand that haven't had their efficacy data proven yet. For your health's sake, I think it's necessary to make a plan first," Tae Takemi explained. "You should get some rest today. The drug trials will officially begin tomorrow night."
After confirming that the contract was signed correctly, Tae Takemi got up to take Taichi to the room she had prepared for him. Small clinics in Japan are usually located in the same building as the living quarters. Takemi Medical Clinic was no different.
Being a woman of some wealth, she owned the entire building. The first floor was her workspace, the second floor was a warehouse and laboratory, and her residence was on the third floor.
Unlike the somewhat narrow appearance of the building's exterior, Tae Takemi's living space was quite spacious. There were three rooms, the smallest of which was about 30 square meters.
Taichi's room was, of course, the smallest one. With a bed, a desk, a chair, a wardrobe, and a bookshelf, a wall-mounted air conditioner, and an LCD TV, the internal facilities were quite complete.
"I've already paid for the subscription channels," Tae Takemi reminded him. "But, when you're done, remember to ventilate. I don't want my residence to be filled with a fishy smell."
"Dr. Takemi, you're so funny," Taichi replied with a laugh. "The five-fingered mountain is no match for a gentle girl... Oh, right, can I bring a girlfriend over to spend the night in the future?"
"...As long as you don't break into my room, you can do whatever you want," Tae Takemi said, giving him a look that seemed to say, 'You, a poor guy like this, have a girlfriend?'. "But don't bring back any shady women."