CHAPTER 6
NEW SPRING DAWNING
"It's Irie Sensei…" a pretty young nurse stage whispered to the friend beside her as they stood behind the nurses' station of the pediatric ward of Tonan University Hospital.
"He's coming over here.." the friend giggled excitedly, then turned and a cast a stern eye at the girl next to her. "It's my turn to go with him on his rounds — don't you dare interfere!" She whispered ominously.
"Yes sempai.." the younger nurse acquiesced, knowing she would be in for a world of hurt if she in any way tried to catch his attention while her senior was in the same room. "It's not as if YOU have any chance with him anyway…" she thought quite nastily, handing over the stack of charts to her sempai.
"…and don't think we didn't notice you arranging the roster so that your night shift group always includes Kamogari-san." The older nurse warned, casting an irate glance at her kouhai.
At the beginning of each new year, the older nurses made it very clear to all the incoming junior nurses that certain young doctors and the rare male nurse who caught their eye (such as Irie Naoki) was off-limits to them, the older nurses staked their territory well and any one of the younger nurses who was foolish enough to compete for their would no doubt be bullied by the older nurses.
"Don't you think we notice you trying to flirt with him…so pathetic…" Nurse Tsumugi Kaori said with a sneer. "And with Kamogari-san as well. You DO remember the heirarchy here don't you?"
Fluffing her hair and pulling up her tight uniform skirt a bit higher to show off her long legs, the older nurse put on her brightest smile, anticipating Irie-sensei's arrival. Sadly, there were only three patients admitted today so Irie-sensei's rounds would be short but she vowed to make the most of her fifteen minute opportunity.
Irie Naoki was a Pediatric Intern, quite famous in Tonan for completing his medical studies in three years instead of the usual six, by managing to almost perfect the written assessments, allowing him to get credit for his first two years of college and then skip two years of medical school. He had graduated just the past semester and the hospital was ecstatic that he chose to continue his specialisation in Tonan even if other more prestigious teaching hospitals had offered him positions in their pediatrics programs.
Among the female population of the hospital however, Irie Naoki was famous more for his looks than his academics — although his reputation as a genius was certainly part of the attraction. To the despair of the nurses and female doctors however, none of them seemed to manage to catch his eye — and not for the lack of trying. He was always unfailingly polite but also always distant — and every single intrepid woman who had mustered up the courage to confess to him had met with a firm and polite rejection, accompanied by a bland smile.
It was well known in the hospital that Irie Naoki had been engaged to be married to well known society beauty Oizumi Sahako but for reasons undisclosed, a discreet and tasteful announcement had been made in the newspapers a year before what had been touted as the society wedding of the decade that the engagement had been broken. Six months later, Oizumi Sahako married handsome young lawyer, Watanabe Junichi, the son of an equally wealthy and prominent family and long time friends of the Oizumi clan. More juicily – at least to the inveterate gossips – Watanabe-san had been a high school friend of Irie Naoki. Speculation ran rampant that Irie Naoki had been thrown over for Watanabe and for a while the financial papers speculated on the future of Pandai, the Irie family company.
It seemed however that the withdrawal of the Oizumi funding did not adversely impact Pandai when the gaming company, with Irie Naoki at the helm, created a spin off company completely independent of the Oizumi zaibatsu funding=.
The new company which was called "Sakurai" released a best selling game called Racquet Warrior Kotorin a few weeks after the broken engagement. This development immediately shot Sakurai into the ranks of successful gaming companies and shifted the spotlight from the gossip over of the cancelled wedding. A few months later, to the shock of the business community, Irie Naoki announced his resignation as both Sakurai and Pandai's CEO, returning the helm of both companies back to his father Irie Shigeki who had by then, fully recovered from his health issues.
The following semester, Irie Naoki resumed his studies at Tonan, surprising everyone by withdrawing from his business degree course and enrolling in the medical program. When asked about the seemingly sudden and off-tangent decision and why he had suddenly decided to become a doctor, Irie Naoki merely replied that "I made a promise to someone that I would."
By then, most of his contemporaries in Tonan had already graduated and very few remained who would even have remembered the tiny, insignificant footnote that was all Aihara Kotoko was in its history. Naoki was relieved, for he did not always look back on those days comfortably, remembering the way he had been and how badly he had treated the girl who was now gone - time and maturity having cursed him with the blessing of hindsight.
Nonetheless, Irie Naoki's unconscious personal policy to never speak of himself or his past backfired on him. And instead of quelling the curiosity about his past, the broken engagement and Oizumi Sahoko, his reticence only made his many (female) admirers more curious. To assuage their hurt feelings from the unrelenting indifference that was all Irie Naoki could offer the women who confessed to him, the many rejected females simply insisted that Irie Naoki must still be pining away for Oizumi Sahoko and could not return their feelings — for who would not?
The Oizumi's were big philanthropic donors to Tonan's charity medical program and those who saw Sahoko-san during her quite regular visits to the pediatric charity ward could believe why Irie Naoki could have fallen for her and would still be carrying a torch for the lovely young society matron.
It was strange however that Oizumi Sahoko and Irie Naoki seemed to still be on civil if not friendly terms on the occasions they met at the hospital, but the hopeful young admirers simply chalked it up to Irie-sensei's impeccable manners and the good breeding of the former couple.
Naoki proceeded in his usual unhurried gait to the nurse's station, not knowing that his less than two minute approach to his destination had been accompanied by so much speculation and competition among the nurses.
"Konnichiwa — it's time for my rounds, may I have the patient's charts please?" He said, a blandly pleasant smile on his face as usual.
"Konnichiwa Irie-sensei, I am Nurse Tsumugi Kaori and I'll be accompanying you today. You can call me Kaori." The enthusiastic nurse offered, smiling her brightest smile (and then a bit annoyed as it did not seem to have the same effect that it did on the other young male residents).
"Arigato Nurse, shall we begin?" Naoki replied, to her chagrin he simply ignored her offer of the use of her given name. (And in fact, the younger nurse noticed with malicious glee, he did not even seem to have bothered to remember her name).
The rounds proceeded as expected, Nurse Tsumugi making every effort to catch the young doctor's eye, taking every opportunity to brush her hands against him as she handed him various medical implements throughout the rounds and making her extremely annoyed that he continued to seem oblivious despite all her efforts. Finally, they had reached the last room — the patient, Nobuhiro Nobunaga was a 12 year old cardiac patient who had been in and out of the hospital since his early childhood due to the need for repeat surgeries.
"Konnichiwa Nobuhiro-kun. And how are you feeling today?" Naoki asked, as he began examining the petulant boy.
Nobuhiro frowned. For this round of treatment, he had already been admitted for over a month, recovering from his last surgery and was thoroughly tired of the hospital. The son of a wealthy older couple, he had been an unexpected surprise to his parents who had been married for 20 years and had resigned themselves to having no children when he was conceived. However, he had been born with a weak heart with an underdeveloped valve which meant that he was constantly in and out of the hospital and consequently, had missed many days of school. This, coupled with the fact that he had been diagnosed with mild attention deficit disorder and low level dyslexia put him severely behind in terms of academic level as his peers.
"When are you letting me out of this place?" the boy complained, glaring at Naoki.
Naoki smiled, thinking how much the grumpy boy reminded him of his own brother at that age.
"Well that was a pretty serious surgery Nobuhiro-kun and you need to recover properly. We need to make sure that you're well before we can clear you. Are you getting impatient for school?" He asked.
Nobuhiro had been one of Naoki's first patients when the latter began his pediatric residency and despite the boy's prickly demeanor, the young doctor had grown fond of him. As for the boy, he secretly admired the cool Dr. Irie and trusted him after the many weeks he had been under the young physician's care.
"School? As if…." Nobuhiro scoffed "I hate my school — I have no friends and everyone thinks I'm…you know…stupid." He said, his face flushing.
"Stupid?" Naoki inquired "Who says that?"
"Everyone in my class that's who…" Nobuhiro muttered. "I've missed so much school that I'm behind in everything and they all tell me I'm a baka or that I'm too lazy to study...but I…I DO try to study when I'm not too sick… So maybe I really Amy jut stupid."
Naoki shook his head sadly, remembering.
"That's not true." He assured the boy as he began writing in the chart and signalling the nurse to leave them. "You're not at all stupid – and in fact, I admire you."
With an ill-disguised pout, Nurse Tsumugi left the room in a sulk.
"Me? You admire ME?" Nobuhiro scoffed again, unable to imagine his idol admiring anything about him.
"Yes, you. You are strong, you're a fighter — and you've been a fighter ever since you were a little boy and you've been fighting against your heart problem all these years. I know the surgeries have been painful, but you never give up — and on top of that, you still make such an effort to keep up with school." Naoki explained.
"Uh…well..that is…" Nobuhiro stuttered, suddenly embarrassed. "Irie-sensei…do you think I'm…that is…do you think I could be a doctor like you when I grow up? Am I too stupid?"
Naoki looked up from the chart in surprise, this was the first he heard of it.
"Nobuhiro-kun, if this is something you really want to do, I know you can do it. Don't let other people impose their own wrong judgments on how you see myself — and many people will make that mistake, they will make snap judgments about you — I'm not proud of it, but I used to be one of those kinds of people myself." Naoki explained.
"But then I realized that whether you are smart or not is only half the battle — if you are willing to work hard and are determined to accomplish something, you will find a way to do it." Naoki continued, his heart clenching painfully in the way it sometimes did when he remembered someone whom he himself had misjudged so badly. "So never ever let anyone convince you are stupid."
"What made you decide that you want to become a doctor?" He asked the boy curiously.
"Well…I guess it's because I practically grew up in here so I think it's interesting what doctors do…"Nobuhiro replied, gesturing towards the hospital room "…and also Irie-sensei, I want to be like you when I grow up."
"Ah…be careful what you wish for Nobuhiro-kun…you don't really want to be like me." Naoki smiled ruefully, shaking his head and ruffling the boy's hair as he prepared to leave. "Anyway, I need to go as I have been called to a meeting by my sensei, so I will see you tomorrow?"
"Why did YOU want to become a doctor?" Nobuhiro asked, turning the tables on the young doctor.
Naoki paused in the midst of opening the door. "Someone…someone important to me once told me I should."
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After he left the room, Naoki went on his way to his boss's office, still lost in thought.
Dr. Yamakura was the head of pediatrics and had taken the promising young doctor under his wing immediately after Naoki joined the pediatrics department. Even only after a few short months, Naoki already had a lot of respect for the older man who had become his mentor. After a quick knock, Naoki heard his sensei bid him to come in and he entered.
"Konnichiwa sensei." Naoki greeted his sensei politely and following the older doctor's gesture, took a seat across the wide wooden desk.
"Ah Irie-san! Thank you for coming — just the person I wanted to see." Dr. Yamakura said, a smile breaking across his friendly face.
"Yes sensei?"
"So the reason I called you today — are you familiar with Dr. Suzuki?" the older physician asked.
"Of the psychology department sensei?" Naoki replied, wondering where the discussion was leading. "I know OF her, but I have never met her personally. We do not have a lot of interaction with the psychology department..."
"Ah, so you must not have heard? I assumed that since you are friendly with Oizumi Sahoko-san that she might have mentioned it."
Naoki stiffened, his face freezing up into its usual guarded expression when his past was mentioned. Dr. Yamakura was however, oblivious to this as he shuffled through the papers on his desk, seemingly trying to locate some document.
"Well to cut to the chase, the Oizumi foundation along with several other donors are funding a special program in the University Hospital — it will be a joint project between the Pediatrics Department and the Psychology Department. Dr. Suzuki is putting together a pilot class for children with special educational needs like mild autism, ADHD, dyslexia, or those who have been long term patients in the hospital who may have missed a lot of school." Dr. Yamakura explained, still occasionally grumbling to himself as he seemed unable to find whatever it was he looking for.
"I see sensei. And where do I fit in into all this?" Naoki asked curiously.
"I need a liaison and dedicated pediatric consultant for the project — I thought you would be the best candidate." Dr. Yamakura finally cut to the chase. "Don't worry, it will not significantly increase your workload and the program will be housed in the newly constructed south wing so it is not too far from here."
"It sounds interesting sensei – but what exactly would I be contributing?"
"Well, primarily, you would identify potential candidates for the program from our pediatrics patients and refer them to Dr. Suzuki. She will have her own staff and I understand Nurse Hosoi is also assigning a few of her nurses on a rotating schedule so I don't think your interaction with them will be extensive. Occasionally you may be called upon to do an examination or consult in case anything untoward happens but that should only happen rarely."
Naoki nodded in his usual impassive way.
"What made you select me sensei? Surely my sempais would be more qualified than I? I am very junior." Naoki asked curiously. "I would not want to disrupt the heirarchy…"
"Bah…" Dr. Yamakura harrumphed in annoyance. "I am still the head of this department am I not?"
(In reality, the older doctor had selected Irie Naoki at the recommendation of the Head Nurse, Hosoi — who had said that while Irie seemed very cold and detached, he was actually very empathetic and gentle and thus extremely popular with his young patients while at the same time, seemingly immune to the overtures of flirtatious young nurses and even patients' predatory mothers.)
Naoki was silent. Although he was very curious and excited about the program, he did not want to trample all over the very delicate balance of seniority and heirarchy between residents of different years in the department, well aware that his acceleration in the medical program had already been met with much resentment.
"Thank you for the opportunity sensei, I will do my best."
"Arigato gozaimas Irie-San, I am sure you will."
With a brief bow, Naoki left his mentor's room and went about the rest of his work until it was time to go home, completely unaware that he had taken the first step towards a journey that would either make or break the rest of his life and happiness.
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As if it had all been orchestrated by some cruel fate with a twisted sense of humour, the first person Naoki ran into at the elevator on his way out was none other than Oizumi Sahoko.
"Naoki-san!" Sahoko exclaimed in surprise, her heart still fluttering – for though she was married now, she had never really forgotten her love for Irie Naoki.
"Konnichiwa. You are on your way home?" She asked, recovering herself quickly.
"Good afternoon to you too Oizumi-san." Naoki bowed politely. "Or is it Watanabe-san now?"
"Ah…Oizumi still, soon after our wedding, Junichi-san agreed to take on our last name as grandfather wished." Sahoko explained.
Naoki nodded, looking at her critically and noting that while she was was beautiful as ever, her beauty still seemed so…still and placid…and that it still failed to move him in any way.
He wondered how his friend Watanabe had been convinced to take the Oizumi name, for the Watanabes were almost as old a family as the Oizumis were. But then again, Junichi was a second son and not expected to inherit the bulk of the Watanabe fortunes.
And then Naoki wondered — if he and Sahoko had ended up together, would he be Oizumi Naoki now instead of Irie Naoki? And his smile twisted bitterly.
Returning himself to the present, Naoki realized he had yet to reply to Sahoko.
"Yes, I am. I just came from my mentor — Yamakura-sensei's office. I understand your foundation is funding the special education project we are partnering with the psychology department on?"
"Why yes – I actually have an appointment with Yamakura-sensei, that's why I am here…we are organising a fundraising ball for the programme…" Sahoko explained.
Ah, of course. Naoki thought. Remembering all about Sahoko and her charity balls.
"Are you participating in the program?" She asked Naoki whose mind seemed to have wandered off.
"Yes, actually Yamakura-sensei has just asked me to be the pediatric consultant for the program." He replied.
"That is nice." Sahoko said with a gracious smile. "It will be nice that we will be seeing each other more often then."
Naoki nodded and smiled as well, wondering how long it would be until the next elevator arrived and to his great relief, the elevator chimed.
"I will be taking my leave Oizumi-San." He said, bowing politely and motioning towards the elevator.
Sahoko nodded goodbye and with a last wistful look at the closing elevator doors, turned and went on her way.
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"Otousan!" The young woman said excitedly as she exited the turnstiles from the bullet train.
The older gentleman waiting for her quickly engulfed her in a big hug, too overcome by emotion to mind the curious stares they were getting from passers-by. While he had just seen her two weeks before, she was home (for good he hoped) and not for one of her rare flying visits to Tokyo.
"Kotoko-chan! It is good to have you back." Aihara Shigeo said, pulling back from the embrace and holding his daughter at arms length so he could examine her.
She looked even more like her mother than he remembered and he felt almost overwhelmed because she looked so healthy, animated and happy — for he remembered that winter afternoon when he had sent her off to Kyoto when she had had tears in her eyes and a quiver in her voice.
Taking her lone suitcase, he put a hand behind her back and started guiding her to the taxi stand. "Is this all you have?" He asked.
"Yes Otousan, I shipped the rest and they should already at my new apartment." Kotoko responded. "We can go straight to Fugoyoshi if you want — I am very excited to see my friends."
"Are you sure you don't want to stay with me?" Shigeo asked, hoping she had changed her mind. "Your bedroom is waiting for you, you know. Tokyo is a lot different from Kyoto and I worry…."
"Don't worry about me Otousan! And thank your for finding me the apartment. I promise to come visit you often — but I do want to try living on my own like a real adult!" The girl interrupted, smiling at her father. She wold always b a little girl in his eyes she supposed.
It had been a whirlwind month after Kotoko had informed Dr. Kamogari of her decision to accept the position in Tonan — terminating her lease, packing up the accumulation of objects that represented the three years she had spent in Kyoto and then planning her move back to Tokyo. With the help of her father, Kotoko had found a small but functional apartment only train stop away from the university, she could even walk home in good weather.
It was tiny but all hers. And Kotoko decided it would spell the beginning of her new life in Tokyo.
Jinko, Satomi and Kinnosuke had been overjoyed to hear of her decision and while Kotoko was apprehensive about going back to Tokyo, Jinko assured her that their old gang of friends would support Kotoko as they always did. It was rare that they saw any of the Iries, Kinnosuke assured her, and on the rare times that the Iries came to Fugoyoshi for a meal, it was usually just the Irie couple and no one spoke of Naoki.
As for Tonan, Jinko assured Kotoko that very few, if any, of the people who had been in their class was still at university and if at all, Kotoko told herself that no one would remember what a fool she had made of herself over Irie Naoki. Meanwhile, her new office would be close enough for Kotoko and herself to meet up for lunch sometimes.
Satomi had readily chimed in — joking that she wold abuse Kotoko's free babysitting services now that she was back and that Yuuki was excited to see "Awnty Koto-nee". Satomi had once mentioned seeing Naoki and Sahoko at some charity function (Kotoko assumed they would be married by now) and with some malicious glee, narrated how she had certainly put the "Asshole Irie" (as Kim-chan fondly referred to him) in his place.
Kotoko had laughed, more because of how much satisfaction Satomi seemed to have gotten over finally giving Irie a piece of her mind than anything —for she told herself that she had no lingering feelings of ill will towards Naoki. To her mind, he had always been very honest about his lack of feelings about her — and if anything, she had been the one at fault for choosing to chase after him, to misinterpret anything he did as a sign of a non-existent affection.
These days, she could almost think of him without that pang of pain in her heart, and she could say his name without her voice cracking, or sleep at night without seeing him in hr dreams.
Mostly.
Tired from the journey, the late night celebration at Fugoyoshi with Jinko, Satomi and Kinnosuke, and settling into her new apartment Kotoko, nonetheless found herself staring wide awake at her ceiling – both excited and anxious to start her new job the following day.
And yet, when the young woman finally succumbed to sleep — she dreamed of that night from long ago when an intense young man, in a fit of pique, had stolen her first kiss, challenging her "See if you can forget me after this."
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Disclaimer: I do not own Itazura Na Kiss and no infringement is intended. This story and plot are mine.
Author's Note: Apologies for any medical errors or technical mistakes. I am not a medical nor education professional. While I try to do my homework, I know google is not always the most reliable source.