"Did your friends make it back safely, Keita-san?" Kotoko asked.
"Yes," he replied, "and they sent their most sincere thanks for the tour and getting to meet your star patient."
"Hmph! Star pain in the rear," she contradicted him. "Did he behave at dinner or was he exposed?"
Keita laughed. "We managed to squeak through, but it would have been Motoki and Marina who were most likely to let the cat out of the bag. At least they waited until we got back to the hospital for their selfie frenzy."
"What?"
"You know, proof that they had actually met him." He hastily added, "They know about the need for secrecy and won't show them off until Naga-san's released."
"His manager will appreciate that." Kotoko scrunched her nose. "I guess I'm too used to him to get excited like them. So," she held out her hand for the tablet that Keita was eagerly clutching, "do you have your training schedule plotted?"
"Yes, Kotoko-san." He handed it over, and his fists clenched as he stood behind her while she scanned the screen.
"Hm. It looks good. However, I'd wait until the physician's assessment after surgery before setting these repetitions in stone." His head leaned nearer and nodded. "But the exercise progression is sound." She handed it back to him. "Congratulations. This one is your baby. Of course," she added, "I'll have to be the one to finish it up when you return to Tokyo."
Some of the light dimmed in his eyes. "I almost forgot. It's just a few weeks more, isn't it?"
"Yes," she answered with a slight smile, "time certainly flies, doesn't it? Well," she glanced at her watch and touched his shoulder, "if you want to watch the surgery, you'd better get a move on!"
"Thank you, Kotoko-san!" He abruptly hugged her. "I won't let you down!"
"Great," Kotoko grumbled to herself after he left, "I knew I shouldn't have gone to a first-name basis. That was way too casual!"
Mrs. Irie, shoving around a dust mop in a janitorial jumpsuit, peered from under the brim of her cap. "Why is Kotoko-chan standing so close to that male nurse? I knew he was trouble the first time I heard of him!" She almost sprang forward when Keita embraced her but managed to recall that she was supposed to remain incognito. She ducked her head reflexively as he left the rehab center. "Oh, I must warn Onii-chan about this," she moaned. "I can't allow that young man to tempt her heart away!"
To Kotoko's great relief, the impulsive hug was neither mentioned nor repeated by Keita, so after a few days she filed it away in her mind as a momentary aberration caused by excitement. One morning as she once more reminded a patient how to position herself for the best advantage, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Keita, assisting a more-than-usually chipper Phoebus, kept glancing her way. Shrugging, she placed her attention firmly on her own task and decided to follow up later.
"Was Na-kun getting on your nerves earlier?" she asked when they broke for lunch. Mrs. Irie was playing hausfrau to the extreme, lovingly preparing a meal for her and Naoki each day. Unfortunately, his busy schedule never seemed to free him at the proper time, so she had begun sharing the food with Keita to keep it from going to waste.
"What? Oh, he was talking about dealing with fans and his purported love life. It was fairly interesting." Keita took a second roll of fried egg.
"Good, then. If he ever aggravates you too much, just give me a holler and I'll take him down a notch or two." Kotoko studied a piece of fish then held it out to him when her nose twitched. "Does this smell off to you?"
Keita sniffed. "No. I've had several pieces, and it tastes great. It's amazing that you have time to prepare all this first thing in the morning."
"Well, about that…" Kotoko considered telling him the truth, then made a face and shrugged. "Never mind. I'll let you have the rest of the fish. I guess my stomach's not in the mood for seafood today."
"Ah, Kotoko-san?" Keita's voice was hesitant. "I was wondering… Does this hospital have any policies against employees dating one another?"
"Not really." She took a drink of water. "Why? Does Tonan Hospital have restrictions like that?"
He looked at the table and blushed. "No, but…"
"Hey!" She leaned over. "Didn't you tell me that you didn't have a crush on one of your friends?"
"No, no!" He waved his hands.
"So it's someone else then? Maybe here?" She barrelled on. "Well, you're only young once. Go ahead and ask her out. If she turns you down, at least you can dust off your shoes and look elsewhere."
"It's just, I don't know, I think it can cause complications to be dating someone you work with. I mean, if things go south, well, they're right there, all the time."
"You could always ask for a transfer," she offered practically. "Getting a department or two away can ease the pain of seeing them on a daily basis."
"So," he asked daringly, "has this ever happened to you? Having to work with someone you used to date?"
"Used to date?" She gave him a mysterious smile. "Not really in the manner that you're speaking. But I think I'm getting the impression that you're not in favor of workplace romance. Am I right?"
"Well, yes."
"I have a friend who also subscribes to that philosophy, and believe me, there were lots of heartbroken young men who were disappointed because of it. If that's your outlook, then great. But it won't be very popular in some circles. After all, hospital workers have long hours, and sometimes their only friends are coworkers. Who else can they go out with?"
Keita had a frustrated look on his face, the point of his conversation having flown way above Kotoko's head. "Well, anyway, I just want to say that, if you were ever in a situation where you needed to get away, Tokyo is a great place to live and I'm sure you could find a wonderful job there."
"Probably so," she agreed, "but I grew up there and chose to move here several years ago."
"Isn't your family still there? You could be closer to them."
"Kobe is plenty close for me." She shook her head. "The family I have improves with distance. At the moment, I could use a little more distance," she added.
"Pardon?"
"Never mind. This feels like home now, so I'm not planning to move." She indicated the lunchbox. "Come on. Finish your portion so we can get back to work."
Glumly Keita complied. He had tapped into the hospital rumor mill several weeks earlier and learned all about the Irie Naoki Fan Club that was reborn each semester with the new nurses. He felt it wasn't fair to Kotoko, with her being way too innocent to be involved with someone with as many followers as Naoki. One of his fans was bound to get to him sooner or later, and then she'd be left with a heartbreak. I just hope she remembers this conversation at that time.
"You know, I thought at first that you were exaggerating about that singer of yours," Mrs. Irie confided to Honda as they sipped iced coffees.
"Really?" she sniffed. "How out of touch are you?"
"That's because Kotoko-chan doesn't seem to pay him any special mind. But when That Nurse brought in some friends, well, let's say he attracted them like a magnet. Up until Onii-chan arrived, that is." She settled back into her seat with a self-satisfied smirk.
"Onii-chan? You actually believe that Dr. Irie—attractive though he is—could possibly compare to a member of Resplendent Olympus?"
"Well, I am his mother," Mrs. Irie retorted. "I'm allowed a little prejudice. And," she admitted, "they went right back to your young man once he left."
"Naturally." Her visage was smug.
"But it's That Nurse I'm concerned about," Mrs. Irie fretted. "He's with her all day, and she is even letting him eat the food I prepared for Onii-chan!"
"Let's see," Honda consulted her notes, "that would be Kamogari Keita. Very attractive. We used him and your son for the admission photos. They received a few fan letters themselves, as a matter of fact."
Her companion hissed. "No! No more competition! Already I'm afraid that my children's relationship has been sabotaged. That Kamota or whatever his name is has gotten too close to my Kotoko-chan."
"Well, I hate if this sounds cold, but it's better they find out now. Besides," she stowed her cell phone in her bag, "I'm not going to get concerned unless she becomes involved with Phoebus."
"You're heartless!"
"I've got to be in this business." She stood and looked down at the matron. "Are you up for another mission, one where you can get a real close look at them?"
Her eyes lit up with excitement. "Of course!"
