"Oh my god that new doctor is just as handsome as always"
" i don't think that will ever change"
The two nurses both sigh in admiration as their eyes followed the new doctor that was walking through the hallways of tonan hospital, as he disappears the two make their way to the nurse's room.
"I heard he did his internship in america"
"No way ! well, it only makes sense since i heard he has an IQ of 200"
"He does!? Wow, handsome , smart and capable! He's probably married to a beautiful wife"
"Nope! I did my research and i heard that he's still single !"
They both squeal in excitement as a tiny figure enters the room silently minding her own business
"Aihara-san! Did you check room 104 yet?" she yells with an intimidating tone.
"I'm on my way senpai, i just finished changing the sheets at-"
"No excuses ! i told you to check 5 minutes ago! Ugh, you're so slow! Hurry up now"
"Yes, sorry about that" kotoko bows politely
"Haha ! sometimes i wonder why it's just so fun to be mean to her"
"Because she's a pain! That's what she gets for always trying to be the nurse of the year"
"Yeah, you know that patient at room 104 ? he refuses to let me take his blood! He's just always looking for that stupid air head!"
"I hear you. That patient at room 106 too! It's so annoying"
"Whatever, she wants to work? We'll give her work"
The senior nurse smirks then laughs in an evil manner as they both continue to complain about their duties
-Back at the Irie/aihara household-
"Oh! I'm so excited for tonight's dinner !" noriko squealed as she was prepping the vegetables for the side dish.
"That baka-chan comes over every week for dinner, i don't see why your always this excited each time she does" yuki states without looking away from his business marketing book.
"Why, it's because i miss her so much! Ever since she moved out, it's never been the same"
"So? You still see her"
"That's not enough! She has to come back to this house! Her father misses her too"
"Well i don't" he chuckles
"OW!"
"Enough being rude to your sister in law ! she will come back soon i guarantee !"
"Sister in law? I don't think that's accurate given the fact that onii-chan hasn't even asked her out"
"That emotionally undeveloped child of mine, something has to be done, i will not stand for this nonsense" she dramatically looks away in the distance
"Oh! Yuki-chan! Make sure you dress properly for dinner okay?"
"Why? It's just baka-chan"
"Well, yes your sister in law is coming… but you wouldn't want konomi-chan to see you in your pajama's right?"
"MOM ! i told you to stop calling her over"
"Too late! I already rang her mother and told her you're picking her up at the station! This is for your own good, you don't want to end up like your onii-chan right? Really, the men this generation are really different… my poor girls , oh how i pity them"
Yuki rolled his eyes as he continued his reading.
Though the thought of seeing konomi in a few hours kept making him feel anxious, he pretended as if he didn't care.
Noriko observed her son from afar, giggling to herself as to how similar her two boys were.
Naoki carefully placed his documents inside his briefcase.
Finally it was time to go home.
He had been working since 5AM, originally his shift would end at 3pm, but due to numerous emergencies that he needed to tend, his shift was drastically extended.
Stomach was empty, and his muscles were aching, all he wanted to do was to go home and put his feet up to relax.
The doctor checks his watch for the time. 7;10 PM already?
I better get home before mother gets angry again, that woman won't stop ranting everytime i come home late
Naoki checks his phone and see's what his brain was anticipating
'Calling : okaa-san'
Rolling his eyes as he answers the call, he opens his mouth with an annoyed tone
"I'm on my way home now mom, no need to yell"
"I didn't even say anything yet onii-chan" she cleared her throat. "Anyway! I wasn't calling to scold you , i wanted to know if you're still at the hospital"
"Yes , But I'm about to leave so-"
"Perfect! Then you and kotoko-chan can walk together! You know i don't like her walking home by herself at this time! I really should buy you your own car so you and papa would stop sharing the car, that way you can always pick her up whenever" his mother chirped on the other end of the line.
Just by hearing her name got his interest, As smart as Irie Naoki was, he was extremely terrible at remembering personal dates, ah i forgot about that, tonight she's coming to visit for dinner
Suddenly he didn't feel as tired as he was. If anything, he was energized and inside his mind, he thanked his mother for reminding him, not to mention insisting kotoko to visit more since they all missed her.
"Yes I'll go pick her up right now, bye"
He ended the call and happily made his way to where he knew she'd be.
"Why weren't you looking! It's all over my uniform now!"
"I'm so sorry ! I'll pay for the cleaning i promise!" she bows her head down low.
Naoki didn't want to intrude on the scene since he had no idea what was going on, he slides through the wall and hides himself while listening in patiently
"You're so clumsy! I don't even understand how your even a nurse !
What did she just say? Her words aggravated him slightly.
He knew kotoko was known to be a clutz and an airhead. There were some things that she wasn't that fully capable of doing, and she still lacked some common sense at times,
But she was extremely passionate about her career and all the patients loved her.
Of course there were some who never understood the girl, but every time he would examine a patient under her care, they have said nothing but wonderful things about the nurse.
"Aihara-san, how long have you been an official nurse now?"
"U-um.. almost a year"
"Exactly! You're not a trainee anymore! I don't understand how you couldn't do such a simple thing without causing trouble!" the nurse's voice got louder
" i got scolded by Daijamori sensei because somebody decided that they wanted to show up 2 minutes late !"
Naoki rolled his eyes, this was way too exaggerated. Dr. Daijamori was always unnecessary at times, all nurses and fellow doctors complained about the man and often just brushed it off whenever he ranted.
"Gomen! On my way there, i saw a patient in need of help to walk up the stairs, i had to help her get back to her room"
"How dare you use a patient as an excuse for your tardiness! I'll make sure to inform the head nurse about your screw ups tomorrow"
The senior nurse huffs in frustration, crossing her arms.
"Now see, you made me late for my date! Clean this up before anyone slips on it, and make sure your not late tomorrow!"
The senior nurse finally storms out, leaving kotoko alone to clean up the mess she accidentally made
The room was silent as kotoko continues to stare down at the floor, frustrated at herself.
"Yosh" she sighs, as tries to encourage herself.
"Here, let me help"
Kotoko was surprised by his sudden appearance. how long had he been standing there ? she wondered.
"Are you all done for the day?"
She nodded silently, naoki could tell she was affected by all the yelling. Judging by her uniform, she looked like she had a long day herself.
"I just finished myself, want to walk together? Okaa-san said she wouldn't want you to walk to the house alone"
"Oh that was today? Sorry! I suddenly forgot… i can't come over for dinner tonight, i have to finish my professional literature so i can keep up."
Naoki frowned, he was looking forward to finally catching up with her, ever since he came back from america, they haven't really gotten around to being with each other lately since they both work such stressful jobs and kotoko wasn't living in the house anymore.
"Its good to know that your reading and continuing to do research kotoko, but that stuff is only optional, you do know that right? It's just some extra work that you can do on your own free time, not when you get home tired from work"
" i know, but I'm not smart like you irie-kun, i still have so much to learn and I'm trying my best to keep up, for everyone's sake"
I don't understand why she has to always go the extra mile
"I guess. Okay, I'll let mother know"
"Thank you, and tell her I'm sorry"
After helping kotoko clean up, he stood by the wall as he watched her pack her things
"You're not leaving yet?"
"No, I'm waiting for you"
"Why? I just told you i can't go"
"Baka i know, but i also told you that mother doesn't like the idea of you walking home alone"
"Irie-kun, i can take care of myself. You must be tired and hungry so just go on ahead"
"Stop being stubborn and just hurry up, I don't want to get scolded by okaa-san because of you"
She frowned a bit, "Right, sorry"
When kotoko was finally ready to leave, they both walk together side by side out the hospital building. his ears were attentively listening to kotoko's words,
She was talking so fast , excited to tell someone about how her day went.
"Want to get some ramen?"
"Huh?"
"I know a spot close by your apartment, I'm a little hungry and knowing you, you're probably starving"
"Really? You sure you're not too tired?"
"I'm more hungry than tired, unless you'd rather have me walk you home and wait till i get home to eat"
"No no no! Let's go get some ramen ! I've been starving since this morning because i skipped lunch" she yawns tiredly "living on your own is so hard, i don't mind cooking but i rarely have time to even get groceries"
naoki nods in agreement. He had the same problem in america.
His stay there consisted of him eating a lot of fast food since his internship was so hectic. He was happy that part of his life was done and over with.
They made their way through the busy roads in tokyo.
It was extremely packed considering it was this time of the evening. Kotoko's apartment was located deep within the downtown part of being is because it was only a few minutes walk from the hospital. Naoki along with his mother, disliked the location, although it was reasonable, it was a very dangerous area, Since kotoko was a nurse, she worked very odd hours as well… sometimes she would be done at 5AM, sometimes at 7pm, the worse was if she was to ever be done at 12AM, or 2;00AM. crazy people were mostly found loitering around at some places in the city.
Homeless or strange men, drug dealers, potential psychopaths, naoki could keep going on listing all these bad people that were possible threats.
His mother was right, she shouldn't be walking home alone in this kind of area.
If only she'd move back.
The small ramen shop was tiny, but it was cozy, and the aroma made kotoko's mouth water.
Naoki heard her stomach growl the moment they walked in.
She had an embarrassed look while laughing shyly as naoki fought the urge to laugh out loud.
They sat adjacent from each other.
He remembered the time they went to the amusement park, also that day he brought her by the bridge and ate hamburgers.
Obviously this isn't a date.
He tried to justify the situation.
If he ever had a chance to take kotoko out on a date, he wanted to bring her somewhere nice.
She at least deserved a proper date.
She would probably enjoy some high class cuisine, maybe in a 5 star res-
"Wooahhhhhh! This ramen tastes sooooo good!" she exclaimed, interrupting naoki's thoughts
"Itadakimasu!" she had a big grin on, excited over such a simple thing.
Instead of eating, naoki carefully observed the girl as she took her first serving. She looked like she just won the lottery, her reaction would convince just about anyone that she was eating a 5 star class dinner.
"Oh my goodness that's sooooo good!" she expresses with so much passion
Naoki couldn't help but smile at the sight.
Nevermind… If it's her, she's happy with just about anything.
Admiring her for always being grateful for every small thing she encountered. Kotoko was such a simple minded girl, another quality he wished most people had.
While women her age are desperate and never satisfied, kotoko always found the time to be happy over the simplest things given to her, it was a part of her that he always envied and admired.
They ate together and talked about a lot of things,
He later learned how much she's changed over the year, without hirosaki, she was so much more independent than before.
She moved out for that particular reason, and wanted to experience how life would be standing on her own two feet.
"I bet mother was against it at first"
"Of course she was, but i convinced her that i would visit as much as i can on my free time"
"And your father?"
"He cried and said that he was proud of me" she smiled
"That's good"
"Yeah, now yuki is probably so happy your back. He missed you alot when you left…. I never really realized how fast he's grown lately."
"I agree. He has matured quite alot over time"
"He is an irie after all. It's so cute! He takes his girlfriend on dates and they study for exams together"
"I heard about that from mother, haven't met her yet"
"No?"
He shakes his head. Curious as to why she looked so eager to talk about yuki's girlfriend
"Oh she's nice. Just not your type" she giggles
Now she has his attention, he re-arranges his sitting position and raised his brow
"my type?"
"Well, she IS from class F"
Naoki couldn't stop himself, he started to laugh. Kotoko was giggling herself. This was all so nostalgic for both of them and they both saw the humor in yuki's blossoming relationship.
Kotoko and naoki's dinner lasted quite a while. They talked mostly about highschool and how things were back then, kinnosuke was still working at the aihara restaurant along with chris,
Matsumoto and Watanabe were now engaged.
Sahoko was living happily with hanako and their kids in osaka, they later found out that she got a job at an elementary school as a music teacher.
There she found her passion in teaching children, and rediscovered her love for music.
Hanako now had her own fashion line of clothing and ran a small boutique in downtown osaka, specializing in girl's gowns and formal wear.
Jinko was on tour with her boyfriend who was now a famous musician. She was now his manager full time. Satomi and her boyfriend got married after the birth of a little baby girl. She worked for a local fashion magazine as a stylist.
The Irie's remained at shigeo's house. After getting pandai back, shigeki himself paid off half of the mortgage that shigeo had to pay off. So officially, it was their house as well.
It was only a couple of months ago when the renovation finally finished.
Noriko had designed a full extension so the house was twice it's original size.
Naoki found it completely unnecessary but with him and kotoko gone, she was probably bored out of her mind and looked into interior design as a new hobby.
Of course she was ecstatic that yuki finally had interest in girls
He was bringing konomi over occasionally , that it was enough for mrs. Irie to realize what was happening.
Naoki and Kotoko continued to talk without even noticing the time passing by.
She looked happy.
There was something about her that he just couldn't point out.
Before he could try and figure out, the server interrupted their conversation as he passed the receipt for the meal.
"Um, sorry to interrupt, but were about to close"
"Oh! Okay! sorry! " kotoko reached into her pocket to grab her wallet when naoki handed the man some cash.
"Here, keep the change"
The server looked at the cash and realized how big his tip was. he smiled at the two
"Thank you so much ! please enjoy the rest of your date"
"E-eh?! Were not on a date" she blushed "also, I-uh- Irie-kun!" she turned to face naoki who was now getting ready to leave "Why didn't you let me pay for my share?" she playfully hits his arm
"Let's go, it's already 2;00AM" he stretches his arms, ignoring her
"You didn't have to do that, I'll have you know that i have mone- OH MY GOD ITS 2;00!"
"Oy! Stop being so loud"
"Hehe.. gomen… but here! At least take the money"
"No"
"But why?" she whined in a very annoying tone that made naoki's ear hurt a little
"I'm a doctor. I make more than you baka"
"I don't care how much you make, i just don't like depending on anyone like that anymore"
So that's what's different huh.
She no longer clings to anyone anymore. Especially since he's gone, and her father isn't with her either...she doesn't rely on anybody but herself.. She doesn't even need me around
"Here, can you please just take it? I won't stop bothering you"
"Just pay next time"
"Huh?"
"This is your apartment right?"
Kotoko turns around dramatically and realizes their destination
"Oh, that was quick. Yeah this is me "
"See you" naoki was now starting to walk away from the confused girl.
"irie -kun! The money!"
"I said just pay next time, we'll eat anywhere you want so stop whining and go inside."
"B-but.."
"Goodnight"
And just like that, his tall figure disappears through the waves of people crossing.
Kotoko was left alone just like that, she didn't know what to say.
Naoki walked away with a smile on his face.
He knew his mother was waiting to bombard him with endless questions when he gets home, but that doesn't matter.
Not knowing whether it was the ramen or his tired state of mind, he had a big stupid grin all over his face as he thought about her on his way home.
AN:
As i promised, here is the part 2 story of 'as time goes by'
I won't be updating as fast as my last fic. but i figured, if i was in your shoes, of course it would make me so happy to finally get a part 2 ! also, i was so moved with all the great feedbacks and reviews with the previous story.
I intentionally made ATGB's story soley for kotoko and naoki's growth , and it focused more on their friendship than the romance part, but reason being is because A.) i wanted to extend the story more and B.) because i wanted to instill a strong foundation of friendship before the romance begun. And lastly C.) because naoki screwed things up a little so it needed some fixing. LOL
Anyways, i hope you all enjoy this one as you did with the first.
Please leave your reviews as they are greatly appreciated :)
Have a great evening!/morning!