—You’re fine! Breathe, Lovi Chan!
My stomach gave way. Just for a split second. He said it the moment he walked in, like it was perfectly normal. Like we were still back there.
“Lovi Chan.” It’s a nickname from university. No one uses it anymore except me. That’s what the guys on the handball team used to call me. I was really into manga, and when they found out, they started calling me that. Just to mess with me.
I turn the business card between my fingers: “Dr. Kuroo Tetsuro – Sports Medicine – Specialized in musculoskeletal injuries. Physiotherapy – return-to-play – prevention.”
I grab the back of my neck as a dump truck unloads a massive pile of memories into my mind. Of course. It was him. Tall, dark-haired, a lock of hair falling across his forehead, black eyes, and that long, teasing smile. It’s Kuroo. The captain of the university handball team. Maybe I didn’t recognize him because of the glasses. Or because of… the white coat.
I look up his name online. Dozens of medical papers and news articles fill the search results. He seems to be all over social media, unlike me. A shiver runs down my spine, and I immediately stop searching.
I call my boss. No answer. I call Sulyvane. No answer either. They must be in a meeting. I’ve already been here for a good forty-five minutes, and our clients have probably arrived by now. Since the cooling gel has taken the edge off the pain, I finally steel myself and take advantage of the receptionist slipping away for a bathroom break to limp out of the building.
I make it to the elevator. I’m drenched in sweat. The floors tick by. I watch the numbers light up. 1—Kuroo was always a little distant with me. 2—I never knew how to approach him. 3—I yelled at him more than once. 4—Stop.
I shove those memories aside and slip his business card into my pocket. Then I take a long, steady breath and pull myself together. By the time I reach the tenth floor, the elevator doors slide open.
My plan is simple. Walk straight to the conference room without letting anything show. My first five steps are almost normal. On the sixth, I start to tilt. On the seventh, I throw my arms out and desperately catch myself against the wall.
Suddenly, I spot Claude and Sulyvane at the end of the hallway. They’re coming back from showing the clients around the office. I hop as fast as I can on one foot and duck behind the snack vending machine. I hear them talking, then heading into the meeting room. Meanwhile, I collapse onto the floor. Ninja mission: failed.
A moment later, one of my coworkers, Misha, a quiet brunette, walks down the hallway.
—Having a panic attack, Lovi?
—No, I just twisted my ankle. Can you bring me a chair on wheels?
She nods and comes back a minute later, dragging an office chair behind her. I thank her, and she steps away to answer a call on her phone. Despite everything, I refuse to give up. In five minutes, I’ll try again.
While I wait, I check my personal emails. A friend, LIGHT SATORI, has sent me a new list of background sounds and effects he needs for his podcast. I skim it. Nothing complicated and, more importantly, nothing urgent.
I test my ankle again. I think it’s better. I get up, take two steps forward, then hurry back to my chair. A sharp stab of pain tells me… yeah, no chance. There’s no way I’m walking into that meeting room like some kind of warrior. So I decide to work on my other client account instead, just so I don’t feel like I’ve wasted my whole morning.
Seated on my five-wheeled steed, I move as quietly as possible, rolling backward and pushing myself along with one foot. I pass the meeting room’s double glass doors, but unfortunately, my chair just won’t… go in a straight line.
Sulyvane is talking, and in the meantime, I slam into the wall. His cold gaze lands on me for a moment. I grit my teeth and apologize with a quick wave. Luckily, the clients all have their backs to me.
I keep inching my way toward the office in a series of jerky little bursts. When I finally reach my desk, I find my satchel neatly resting on top of it. I pull out my laptop and bury myself in work.
Come on. Mind reset. I’m a UX designer. UX for User eXperience. I design intuitive digital interfaces based on user feedback. Basically, I try to optimize interaction between user and product by improving navigation flow.
The sales team sent me another batch of potential client projects looking to build or expand their apps. I open the first proposal. “Development of a telemedicine platform. Democratizing access to healthcare through innovation. Sports revolution. Mental health. Blah, blah, blah.”
Medicine. Yuck. Gross. Nope. Not for me. I forward it to Misha.
In another email, a coworker tells me they’ve put together a group of testers for one of my projects that’s in its final phase. They’ve booked one of the seminar rooms on the twentieth floor and ask if I’d be there to collect the users’ first impressions.
The session is scheduled for Thursday at four p.m. That’s the same time as my medical appointment.
…
Guess I’ll have to skip… my physio session.
🌀 Next chapter: immersive ALT_ scene with Light!
🔌 06 Alt_Light – Neuro-Electrician’s Tutorial 🌀
⚠️ quick intimate approach · gentle guidance 🌸
🌀 Mental care and soon, some erotic scenes!
🎁 Take it or leave it, it’s just BONUS content!
