Beautiful and aloof, Maki Nishikino was considered one of the most popular residents at the best hospital in Tokyo. Many speculated that at least part of the greater freedoms she got compared to others in her year stemmed from her parents' ownership of the hospital. They were right, of course, and Maki hated it.

She was skilled in medicine, but not exceptional. It wasn't her passion. Maki tried her best not to dwell on that, though. There was nothing she could do about it.

"Nishikino-san?" Just as she was deep in thought, a lower-level resident tapped her on the shoulder.

"What is it?"

"There's a patient requesting you," they replied, motioning across the busy ER. "Bed three."

"I'll be right there," she said, rolling her eyes. So much for getting caught up on paperwork. This wasn't uncommon either. If patients found out that the daughter of the owners was there, they'd request her. It didn't make much sense to Maki, but it was what it was.

"Hoshizora Rin," she read from the patient's chart. "Injured playing softball?"

"Oh, good, Rin requested the pretty doctor, nya."

Face flushing, Maki put the chart back, taking a better look at the girl sitting there. Injured wrist propped up, eyes sparkling with energy, short, orange hair...Not that Maki could really judge the choice to dye it an unnatural color, given her parents' disapproval of her own scarlet locks. This wasn't the time to be admiring a patient's looks anyway, she chided herself.

"You shouldn't say things like that," she muttered as she examined the wrist. "Judge your doctors on their medical skills, not their looks." When she was younger, Maki would've gotten much more flustered at that kind of comment, but she'd been able to tone down her reactions as she aged.

"But it's true," Rin protested. "You're very pretty, Nishikino-san."

Mumbling under her breath the rest of the exam, Maki breathed a sigh of relief when she was able to ship the girl off to radiology. Likely a broken wrist, nothing too catastrophic. She didn't know why a couple little compliments from a stranger got her so worked up.

"Well, just sign these papers and you can go," she found herself saying a couple of hours later, gaze focused on the bright yellow casting material instead of Rin's face. "Be sure to call if you have any concerns, and schedule a follow-up with a doctor."

"I do have one question," Rin said as she signed the discharge papers with her good hand.

"What is it?"

"Do you want to go on a date with me?" Rin asked, adding a 'nya' on the end, as if for added cuteness.

"That's a highly inappropriate thing to ask your doctor. Besides, I don't even know you."

Rin pouted, and Maki commanded herself not to be swayed. This was ridiculous.

"At least sign my cast. Draw something cute on it."

"Draw something cute on your cast? You're in your twenties, not a child."

"Please, Maki-chan..."

Maki heaved a sigh, signing her name and doodling a little cat next to it, since Rin seemed fond of acting like one.

"There," she said, straightening up and choosing to ignore the newly familiar form of address.

Similarly, she chose to ignore it when Rin slipped her her phone number on the way out.

A few days later, she sent a text to the number she'd been given, saying yes to the offer of a date. Her parents were always encouraging her to try socializing and putting herself out there, even if Rin probably wasn't what they had in mind.

Months later, Rin still hadn't tired of calling her pretty, or of bothering her in the ER, though thankfully not as a patient anymore.

That was one special request for her that she didn't resent at all.