Aiko sat cross-legged on her dorm bed, her tiny frame almost swallowed by the oversized hoodie she wore. At 24, she was petite--barely five foot--with a delicate, slim build and modest A-cup breasts. Pretty by any standard, but she didn't see it. Years of fading into the background, unnoticed and untouched, had ground her confidence into dust.
Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she muttered, "If only I wasn't so flat, so... forgettable."
When the poster appeared on campus--"Unlock Your Full Potential! Experimental Body Enhancement Study. $150 Compensation" --it felt like a sign. Curious (and desperate), Aiko made the call. They promised her more than just curves; the drug would awaken her "true potential," they said. Fuller hips, a few more inches of height, and a whole new outlook on life.
Now, sitting alone in the sterile white waiting room, anxiety prickled her skin. The mirror across the room seemed positioned just to mock her, reflecting every small insecurity she carried.
The door swung open, breaking her spiral.
"Aiko, right?" A tall, athletic man entered, his brown hair artfully messy, lab coat undone. "I'm Dr Fran. Follow me."
He barely glanced at her as he spoke, already halfway out the door. Heart pounding, she scrambled after him down a narrow hallway into a procedure room, where an older, heavyset doctor waited.
"This is Dr Stephenson," Fran said, taking a seat beside him. "He'll explain everything."
Dr Stephenson rattled off a list of potential side effects--nausea, dizziness, fatigue--before fixing her with a serious look. "You understand, Miss Aiko, this will change you permanently. Unexpected effects may occur."
Fear flickered in her chest, but when she caught a glimpse of her own reflection--so small, so plain--resolve hardened.
"I understand," she said firmly.
Minutes later, a small blue-and-green pill sat trembling in her palm. With a shaky breath, she swallowed it down.
The doctors made her wait twenty minutes. No seizures, no fainting--just a buzzing energy under her skin. They sent her home.
Exhausted, Aiko crashed into bed and slept--and slept.