An Apple A Day

by TheTsundereWife

Asakura Yoh returns to his hometown after fulfilling his life-long dream, hoping for a fresh start. Although if there's one thing that he is completely unprepared for, it may be a familiar blonde entering his life, once again.

5. Friends

Chapter Summary: No one knew sticky situations could lead to a truce.

WARNING: Mild coarse language and sexual innuendos (related to medical procedures).

. . . . . . . . . . .

AN APPLE A DAY – Chapter 5: Friends

The bag of fries almost spilled on the ground as he tried to balance everything in his hands while he wriggled his way towards the stairs that will lead him towards the VIP room. Inhaling deeply as another guy carelessly bumped against his shoulders, he still smiled earnestly behind the sunglasses and baseball cap that he wore. A sigh of relief reached him when he went past the door with great difficulty.

"As always, just in the nick of time." Someone with a raspy voice spoke.

His eyes glinted in recognition and smile went broader. "Geez grandpa, you do know that I practically had to run here after completing a surgery this morning, right?"

"Ah. I thought you had to drop off some random bimbo home first." The senior said with a hint of jeer.

"Tsk, harsh," the younger mumbled with a pout while taking a seat next to his grandfather. "Burger and fries?" He offered the food from his hands.

Asakura Yohmei only looked at his companion mundanely and waited for his grandson took notice of the mouth-watering selection of sushi, sashimi, and grilled Kobe beed next to them. "So, is that what you would normally bring to watch races in America?" he asked, furthering his multiple jabs at his grandson.

"To be fair, I didn't have time to watch races there," he paused, dropping the food he brought to the side and casually popping a piece of sushi into his mouth, "…because I was too busy chasing bimbos." He filled his words with sarcasm coupled with a sly smirk.

Yohmei didn't fail to notice Yoh' audacity but knew it was turning into one of their taunting contests. "I didn't send you to America to become an insolent brat, you fool."

His smile broadened upon getting his desired reaction from his grandfather. He always loved to tease the old man like this. "Missed you too, grandpa."

"Hmm. So, all these dating rumours and still no girlfriend to bring with you?" Yohmei wondered while caressing his chin.

Yoh raised an eyebrow at his grandfather's musing. "Oh, I didn't know that I can't watch a car race without a girlfriend now. Is that a new rule?" His feigned dumbfounded look grew.

The Asakura senior could only heave a sigh. "You know your mother is serious about the marriage-and-kids topic every time she asks, right?" He paused to wait for Yoh's response but continued after seeing him lost in thought. "And not only her. Yoh, your grandma and I are getting old. We would at least like to enjoy our moments with our great grandchildren before we depart from this world."

"Can you please not say it as if you're still not walking around town like you used to a decade ago? And what makes you think that I am not serious?" Yoh dared Yohmei, yet sighed in resignation when he saw the melancholia in the old man's eyes. "Look, grandpa, if anything gets serious, I promise, you will be the first to know. Alright?" It was his way of pacifying his grandfather's undying interest regarding his complicated love life, and the other sipped his tea in silence.

"Let's just enjoy the present first, shall we?" Yoh lounged further on the couch and crossed his legs. "So, who do you think will take the lead today?" He attempted a change in mood as the announcer's voice blared through the speakers, doing a final courtesy for the participants.

"It's gonna be a tough match but I'd still go for Nissan," Yohmei replied.

"You always go for Nissan," he mumbled, then shifted his gaze towards the track. "Oh boy, that Subaru sure is fire!" exclaimed Yoh who was now leaning on the railings of the elevated suite they were in. Readjusting his cap to accommodate his ponytail better, he began taking pictures of the GT autos at the pop-up race circuit before him like a rabid teenager.

It wasn't long until the race launched and the roar of engines filled the air. The first several seconds were led by Toyota, followed closely by Nissan and Honda.

Both men watched intently through the commencing laps of the supercars, not taking their eyes off from the track. Holding their breaths as the first two cars went for a pitstop, Yohmei suddenly mused, "it is quite nostalgic having you here, Yoh."

"Sorry, what was that?" The brunette side glanced briefly before returning his attention towards the show.

"I think it was five years since we last did this, if I'm not mistaken," the old man recalled suddenly seeming nostalgic.

"Six. Right before I left for America," Yoh corrected, still distracted by the cars circling around the ring like there's no tomorrow.

"Ah. Time flies. It would've been better if Hao was here."

Yoh closed his eyes before fixating his vision on the ground with a hollow smile. Not a sound escaped from his lips and the change in his aura has stirred Yohmei's attention. In the background, the cars continued to rumble at overwhelming speed. The brunette gradually went back to his seat, resting his elbows on his thighs, still looking ahead.

"You know…" Yoh started with eyeballs following the lead car in the tracks, "haven't you thought that maybe the reason why we haven't heard from him is because he doesn't want to be found?"

"That may be so, but Yoh…" the senior looked at his grandson raptly trying to evoke compassion, "do you think it's worth cutting ties with your brother just because of a wo—"

"For the win!" Yoh cheered propelling himself up with his fist in the air. "Hah! Subaru fed Nissan with dust! Sorry grandpa!" He turned his head towards Yohmei, flashing his carefree toothy smile, giggling like a child.

The head of the Asakura family could only stare at the man before him and couldn't help but notice the tinge of melancholy in his grandson's orbs. He knew that this was his form of defence mechanism. He knew it all too well. Yoh almost always presented avoidance whenever someone brought up a touchy part of his past; but what hurt the most for the people around him was to watch the boy try to maintain an untroubled facade while he suffered in silence. And with Yohmei being the closest family member to him, apart from his twin, the senior could clearly see through his front. He avoided talking to Yoh about his brother as much as possible, but it also pained him to see his grandsons like this— divided during crucial times ahead of them.

Perceiving his grandfather's persistent gaze, Yoh approached him to pluck a piece of beef and devoured it after he spoke. "When he's finally ready and decides to come back for good, I'll deal with it when the time comes." His countenance was genuine.

Yohmei could only have his orbs widen to the size of eggs. He never expected Yoh to make such a courageous declaration, not in years, no. Somehow, he attributed it as a product of his grandson's maturing, and that alone, was enough to make him proud.

Yoh straightened up. "Alright grandpa, thanks for today but it's time to run again. Oh, can I take these?" he asked while lifting a tray of Takoyaki from the table as he motioned to leave. "What? I'll trade you my burger and fries!" he playfully replied when he saw his grandfather's disbelieving stare.

"Where are you going?"

"Err, picking up a random bimbo off the streets?" Yoh dared to tease further, not until a shoe went flying towards his direction, which he successfully evaded by using the door as a shield. "I have consultations scheduled this afternoon! Geez! Calm down. Remember your blood pressure, 'kay?"

"Yoh," Yohmei changed into a serious expression after having a vein practically throbbing on his forehead due to his grandson's antics. "Don't forget, we have an important family dinner on Sunday." The younger Asakura opened his mouth to counter, but the senior beat him to it. "And I won't take 'no' for an answer."

Yoh's words turned into an awkward sigh, yet he grinned. "Sure thing."

Yohmei never had such a satisfied smirk on his face after hearing Yoh agree to his invitation.

. . . . . . . . . . .

She produced an exasperated groan out of pure exhaustion. Releasing her long hair from her ponytail, she leaned back on the armchair as far as she can, with both eyes firmly shut and a hand kneading her sore shoulder.

Her companion observed her display of displeasure and decided to intervene despite the uncertainty in his voice. "You—you look tired."

"No, shit." She has spoken her reply in an overly sarcastic manner that even she caught herself. She opened an eye to peek through HoroHoro's reaction, who surprisingly seemed unfazed. "Look, I'm sorry I—"

"No, it's fine!" the Intern countered hurriedly. He was too stunned to process the information that the great Kyoyama Anna just apologised to him for her feisty behaviour.

'Was the world about to end?' he wondered, but his mouth was faster than his brain, so he ended up blurting out something else. "I mean… look," Horo gathered his courage and approached Anna to stand behind her seat.

"What are you doing?" she reacted with her guard immediately back up.

"Just… trust me, okay? Relax. Loosen up."

Anna gave him a quick suspicious glare before repositioning herself comfortably in the chair. She felt his trembling palms on her shoulders, and she was oh, so ready to give him a hard smack in case he dared to act funny. However, she decided to ease up and give him a chance.

"First of all, you gotta remember to fix your posture every now and then," HoroHoro started, placing firm pressure on the tip of her shoulders to pull them backwards. This action prompted her to align her back.

"Usui, if this hurts, I swear I'm gonna kill you." Anna threatened her colleague with eyes still closed.

The blue-haired doctor could only chuckle in response saying that while what he was about to do may hurt a bit, he promised that she will feel better afterwards. He was thankful that Anna actually bought his reassurance because he knew for himself that he was getting nervous as hell.

He carefully slid his hands towards the base of Anna's neck and using his thumbs, he applied a firm pressure onto specific points on her body part.

Anna moaned unconsciously.

Horo sweat dropped for he was used to this kind of reaction from his patients, though not from the female doctor before him. He didn't stop his actions, though.

"Mmhm, ah, OW!" The blonde woman jumped but didn't leave her seat.

This made Horo pause with panic. "Oof! Sorry! Did I hurt you?"

"No, no, it's okay," she muttered. "That spot was just sore. Please continue."

Horhoro stared dumbfoundedly at how Anna seemed like an open book in front of him, but he followed her request, anyway. He continue hitting her pressure points and smoothing the muscles on her shoulders with a relaxing massage. After retrieving a tube of warm heat lotion from his bag, he asked permission if she could loosen her top and expose her shoulders so he could have better access to her tensed muscles. The Intern gulped in surprise when his impromptu client obliged.

"Where did you learn to do all this?" Anna asked, but not after stifling another moan.

A smile crept on the HoroHoro's face. "Well, just so you know, Dr. Kyoyama, I was a Physiotherapist first before I decided to take Medicine." He continued when she just nodded, "technically, I still am practising as Physio."

Anna turned her head towards her companion with arched brows. "Don't tell me you—"

"Yep! And I am proud to be still surviving up to this point," he replied with a smirk.

"How do you even rest, you dummy? No wonder you're focus is so off at times!" Of course, Anna thought of giving him a reprimand.

"Anna, out of all the people around us, I believe that you'd be the best to understand me when I say, 'there's no rest for the poor'," Horohoro stated with a poignant smile whilst he guided her to gently stretch her neck. "Pirika wants to be a doctor too, someday. That's why I'm working double to maybe help her with the fees in the future." Anna, in return, relaxed into his hold and mustered an empathic smile. Horo saw this and he knew she appreciated his views in her own way.

Peace and quiet passed between them as Dr. Usui just carried on with pampering the blonde, earning more cries of relief from stretching her sore muscles in the process. She apologised for the unprofessional noises that she kept making, and he told her it was normal and that he was used to it with his patients.

It didn't take long after Anna eased up and started enjoying the conversation. In turn, Horohoro couldn't help but be amazed upon getting a glimpse at Anna's softer side. He knew she wasn't always the heartless ice queen that everybody else kept complaining about. He was aware that there was way more to her than her pretty face and gutsy attitude, and that was the reason why one of his best friends, Yoh, ended up falling madly in love with her in the past.

Horohoro got side-tracked by his deep musings that he didn't notice the increased pressure he was applying on Anna's trapezius muscle. He was brought back to reality when she flinched and yelped at the same time. He was about to say his frantic apologies but someone else came barging through the room.

The intern paled when he found himself eye-to-eye with a pair of golden eyes, then with another pair of chestnut ones. The two sets of orbs then moved and Horohoro's deep blue orbs followed their line of sight, only to find Anna's pair of amber eyes staring back impassively at the newcomers A.K.A. Dr. Asakura Yoh and Dr. Tao Ren.

The air turned awkward when Horohoro noticed how Yoh and Ren's eyes bounced like Ping Pong balls between him, Anna and at his hands that were still conveniently placed on Anna's semi-bare shoulders. Seconds passed before Anna stood abruptly to fix her blouse.

The Intern felt his cheeks heat up upon realising the tricky scenario they were all in, so he opened his mouth to mutter his explanations. "Hey guys! I uh—we were just uh—" Yes, his face looked so guilty as if he has committed a crime.

"Oh my! Look at me being forgetful. Sorry guys, I think I left something in my office. Maybe go ahead to lunch and I'll catch-up, yeah?" Yoh spoke in lightning speed with an uneasy chuckle before sprinting out of the room.

"Yoh." Both Anna and Horo mumbled simultaneously but they were left unheard.

"Uh, I guess I'll see you two at lunch?" said an unsure Ren who still appeared surprised with what he witnessed not long ago.

Horohoro's mobile beeped, and he reached for it to read the message. "Oh, I don't think I can go. They're requesting for a doctor to insert an IDC to room 237.B due to condition is quite complex."

Anna could only hurl a sigh. "You go and eat. I'll do it."

"But Anna—" Horo protested.

"The poor can sometimes rest," the blonde mumbled, intently staring at HoroHoro's eyes, "you just gotta learn how to grab the opportunities." She plastered a charming smile as her statement came out like an inside joke between them.

Weirdly enough, Horohoro seemed to understand Anna and a foolish smirk unconsciously crept on his mouth. Both him and Ren could only watch the woman exit the room like a pair of starstruck teenager boys.

. . . . . . . . . . .

"What the hell was that?" asked Ren with an intense glare.

Throwing an innocent countenance as his defence, HoroHoro replied casually while they queued to order food for their overly late lunch at the hospital diner. "What do you mean, 'that'?"

"I mean, THAT… with Anna, idiot." Ren turned his head sideways to throw his friend a doubtful glare while stressing out his words.

Horo took his time staring at the floor before letting out a sigh. "There— it's nothing, okay? She looked really stressed so I intervened. You just happened to pop-in out of nowhere at the most opportune moment."

The two have reached the counter and muttered their usual simple orders for their quick bites. They wanted to try the full meal specials of the day but the woman who was manning the cashier already seemed pissed, mumbling about stupid bosses and unfair shift-loads due to being overworked.

Red did not reply to Horo's statement and even narrowed his eyes further. His senses did not fail to notice the hint of pink which was starting to graze his companion's cheeks while he spoke of the blonde.

Horohoro must have noticed this and reacted nervously. "What?" he retorted, trying to look calm and collected but finally gave in to the pressure when Ren only continued with giving him the passive stare which spoke volumes. They were now walking along an aisle of occupied dining tables and chairs, their food trays in their hands. "Argh! Fine! Maybe I do have a little crush on her. But come on, man. I mean, it's Anna! Even the professors in our university had a crush on her!" The intern blurted it all out in a hushed tone.

"Exactly! It's Anna! Our friend's ex!" Ren exclaimed in an equally downplayed voice while he sat his tray atop their chosen table. By this time, some nosy bodies were already giving them suspicious looks. One person from a nearby table even spat out his drink from eavesdropping. "I knew there was a reason you were following her religiously on social media," Tao continued chastising.

HoroHoro was almost docking his head under the table to hide his embarrassment while his friend drank his milk nonchalantly. "Look," Horo began after sighing in resignation, "Anna's a great woman. Yes, she's scary, bossy, and is a walking torturer most of the time but the more I work with her, the more I see these bits and pieces of that extra ordinary woman under her façade. Only an idiot will not be amazed after seeing that breath-taking part of her. Yes, I think she is beautiful. Yes, she is damn fine; but besides her being out of my league, I am not that kind of guy who's willing to burn bridges just to bag my friend's girl—well, ex, for that matter. Don't compare me to that idiot's brother!"

"Whose brother?" asked a newcomer who approached them from behind.

"Yoh!" Ren and HoroHoro squeaked at the same time after seeing the person who joined-in on the conversation.

The brunette placed his cup of what they assumed was coffee, then boyishly sat on the chair next to Ren. An uncomfortable silence passed over the trio while HoroHoro and Ren watched Yoh sip his drink in odd serenity. The latter felt the uneasy glances that he was receiving and peeked from behind his cup to throw them an eyebrow which was angled upwards.

"H-hey, man. We good?" HoroHoro finally spoke.

Yoh gave them multiple blinks in confusion. "Uhh, yeah? Why wouldn't we be?"

"I just thought you— err— I mean, earlier—"

"We're just checking. Did you get whatever it was that you forgot from your office?" Ren interrupted, earning a puzzled glare from Horohoro.

"I forgot something in my office?" Yoh absent-mindedly wondered as he bit into his sandwich but mentally slapped himself for being too careless after seeing the wariness in the other two's faces. "No, I mean, I thought I forgot another thing from my office."

Too late.

Now he felt he was busted for pretending that he wasn't the least bit butthurt about witnessing the scenario between his friend and his ex. He projected a nervous laugh, anyway. He was thankful they didn't come up with a comment on that.

"Wait, where's Anna?" Yoh asked, trying not to look guilty while struggling to swallow his food.

"Oh, I was supposed to catheterise a patient in Room 237.B but she offered to do it instead so I could grab lunch." Horohoro replied, dazed, with a stuffed mouth, oblivious to Yoh's shift in mood.

Ren stealthily kicked Horo's leg from beneath the table which made him choke on his food. He wanted the Intern to realise his insensitive comment that made it sound like him and Anna were now giving favours to each other like new lovers of some sorts.

"Hang on, isn't that the gangster boss's room?" Yoh remarked, sounding alarmed, ignoring the fact that HoroHoro was actively aspirating from his meal.

Ren exhaled in relief but raised a brow. "He's still here?"

"Yeah, *cough* he was supposed to *cough cough* get discharged tomorrow *cough cough* but he failed the *cough* T.O.V. *cough*," the intern blabbered between drinking water to flush it all down and trying to stay alive.

Out of the blue, Yoh took one good swing at his cappuccino before he shot up from his seat, looking utterly anxious. He sprinted off to exit the cafeteria after muttering some incomprehensible words, telling his friends to go on ahead with lunch and not to wait for him.

HoroHoro and Ren could only throw bewildered looks at each other.

"What's wrong with him? Did you hear him say where he was going?" The young Cardiologist mumbled as he chugged his milk.

"Who knows? Maybe he forgot something from his office again."

. . . . . . . . . . .

"It must be my lucky day."

A man with brawny built and an outdated hairstyle spoke as his tongue darted out to lick his lips at the sight in front of him.

This was followed by some frantic shriek that came from several other men that echoed across the four-bedded ward that they were in, attracting attention from other people.

Dr. Anna Kyoyama groaned when she found herself surrounded by eight men who all looked familiar due to a previous incident. And even though the nurse accompanying her appeared as if she was about to pee her pants along with the dressing trolley that trembled due to her shaking hand, Anna maintained her mighty composure, which seemed to have an agonizing effect on the men that stood nervously around their boss's bed. She looked to her sides and noticed that the other visitors and patients from the other three beds cowered in fear behind their privacy curtains because of the group's presence.

Anna pondered how these not-so-gentle men were still allowed to roam free within the hospital grounds after what they did, but that was the least of her concerns. For despite all the other seven gang members being terrified of her presence, their leader, who laid crassly in his hospital bed, seemed oblivious to the hell she is capable of bringing if he dared to continue being vulgar with her.

She didn't have a choice.

The patient's condition was quite complicated to be handled by a single RN. The Continence CNC's on duty were all preoccupied, which is why the job was escalated to a doctor, hence HoroHoro's role as a first-year resident. She didn't quite fully understand the reason why she blindly offered him a hand to fulfill the task, but she figured it must be out of sheer pity for the hard-working idiot.

Seeing her patient's face that was now gawking at her like a loose pervert, she was slowly regretting her decision. She inhaled to keep herself calm. She didn't want the inconvenience of having another trip to the Human Resources' office. HoroHoro will just have to pay her with his life later.

"Umemiya-san, we will need to insert a urinary catheter again for you." Anna declared confidently after browsing the patient's file held-up by the nurse. The others winced as if they have experienced the pain that came with the procedure.

"B-b-but Kyoyama-sensei, didn't they just remove it yesterday? Why are you putting in another one?" one of the gang members inquired but flinched when Anna threw him a side glance.

"Ah, ano, we will have to re-insert the catheter since Umemiya-san has failed the trial of void," muttered timidly by the nurse. The men just gaped at her blankly.

Anna exhaled loudly. This was taking more of her time than she imagined, and she was beginning to lose her patience.

"Has anyone of you seen your boss pee for the past 20 hours?" she challenged, which earned her a number of thoughtful expressions and some headshaking, confirming that her patient really hasn't urinated for the day.

"It's okay, Muscle Punch. I have no problem showcasing 'the goods' to our pretty doctor. Hehehe!" The impertinent patient laughed crudely, which in turn, made the other sweat buckets after noticing the Senior Resident's murderous glare. They were surprised that she still managed to ask everyone to exit the room in a calm manner.

Before leaving, another man named Ball Boy carefully approached their leader to indirectly warn him about the impending doom that was about to hit if he didn't stop his nasty comments.

"Boss Ryu, we'll just be outside in case… you need us," he started in a whisper, "please be nice to the doctor. We don't think it's wise to provoke her given the procedure she is about to do involves touching your… 'goods', you know."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Ball Boy. You really know nothing about women. See? She wants you all out of the room. It means pretty doc wants some alone time with me. Who am I to refuse? Hohoho!"

Ball Boy could only hang his head in resignation. Maybe their Boss Ryu needed a good bashing to learn.

Once the visitors were out, Anna began by rubbing her hand with disinfectant before donning her sterile gloves, while the nurse drew the privacy curtains close, and carefully laid the items on the trolley. Anna busied herself with the preparation, ignoring her patient's inappropriate commentaries about continuing what they started when they first met, and a bunch of other randomness.

"We will now start the procedure," Anna began. "It will take less than ten minutes depending on your cooperation and…" she trailed while looking Ryu straight in the eye, "if no complications arise."

The gang leader gulped. "P-please, pretty doc, call me Ryu. And oh, aren't you in a hurry? Maybe we could—"

"Nurse Lee, please help the patient undress so we can start," interrupted the blonde in a monotonous tone. The nurse obeyed straight away, but as she lowered Ryu's boxers, his male organ sprung up as if doing a military salute.

The nurse blinked with the look of uncertainty towards Ryu.

Ryu bit his lower lip as he uneasily glanced at Anna.

Anna only rolled her eyes after exhaling frustratedly for the nth time.

"Umemiya-san, please be informed that we are unable to fulfill the task if you're having an erection." Anna asserted with no hesitation, and it made the nurse and the man turn red as a beet.

"I don't think I can help it when you're there, pretty doc. If you want, maybe you can help 'relieve' me from my hard-on first, if you know what I mean." The guy cackled so hard at his own words that his pompadour hairstyle wiggled with his every movement.

The nurse gasped as Anna grabbed the nearest object she could take from the trolley, which was a pair of clamping forceps, but was halted by a comforting presence that emerged from the her back.

Anna paused for a few seconds, trying to process the situation before asking, "what are you doing here?"

Dr. Asakura emerged fully from behind the curtains with a charming smile. Ryu panicked and scrambled to cover his manhood in the process.

"Nothing. I happen to be just passing by when I heard a bit of commotion coming from here, so I decided to take a peek." Yoh widened his smirk innocently as he glanced at Anna. The blonde, in return, narrowed her eyes at him, apparently not believing a single word he said.

"Anyway, looks like Mister…" Yoh turned his head towards Nurse Lee who blushed profusely.

"Mr. Ryunosuke Umemiya, doctor," muttered the nurse.

"Right, right, Umemiya-san. Nice meeting you again, by the way. There seems to be trouble going on between you and Dr. Kyoyama," the brunette doctor addressed the patient in a jolly tone while grabbing a pair of gloves which he casually drawn from the trolley. "Oh, where are my manners? Let me introduce myself first. I am Dr. Asakura Yoh. My specialty does not normally involve patients of your age, but I have performed hundreds of male catheterisations. So, I guess you wouldn't mind if I do the procedure on you instead of our 'pretty doc' here… right?" He finished by purposely letting go of the latex gloves that he stretched against his raised hand, creating an elastic-slapping-on-skin noise. A grin still curved on his mouth as he stared at Ryu meaningfully. Anna could only arch a brow at his last sentence.

On the other hand, the patient who was once cocky and rude swallowed nervously. There was something odd about the male doctor that made him uneasy. Ryu could sense that this Dr. Asakura was not trying to be hostile, quite the opposite, actually, but there was something about him that gnawed at his insides. All he could do was to nod in response to all of the doctor's words.

"Great!" remarked Yoh with clasped gloved hands. He noticed that Ryu's erection has diminished. "Oh, look. Seems like you're ready for the procedure, too." Yoh smirked once again but turned his back against Ryu and faced Anna. "This means Nurse Lee can assist me with the procedure and 'pretty doctor' Kyoyama here can go and enjoy a super late lunch with Dr. Tao and Dr. Usui."

Anna opened her mouth to protest because one, she didn't like how Yoh put emphasis on HoroHoro's surname; and second, she wasn't just going to let him steal all her patients like that. However, she saw the way Yoh looked at her with dead serious eyes, pleading for her to go, to escape the situation, and it warmed her insides like a princess being rescued by her knight in a white lab gown.

The female doctor left the room, walking past Ryu's worried friends just outside the ward. Yoh faced his temporary patient once again with a never-ending smile.

"Now, where were we?"

. . . . . . . . . . .

It was already past eight in the evening when Dr. Asakura Yoh has seen his last patient and decided to call it a day. He was strolling just beside the hospital's main building, on his way to the parking lot. He breathed in the fresh outdoor air and noticed the stars that were extra bright as he craned his head up.

'It's been a while since I last stargazed,' he contemplated.

His cellphone beeped and a notification came up on the screen, telling him that a random girl named 'Mira' texted and was asking him if he was free tonight. A sigh escaped his mouth while he put his phone back in his pockets, not bothering to reply. His mind started to wander, and he couldn't help but recall the rather intimate-looking scenario between his friend and his ex-girlfriend—fiancée, from earlier that day.

He couldn't quite understand, but he kept asking why he felt a slight pang in his heart when he saw Anna with another guy, and with his friend at that. More than six years have passed since the day they last saw each other. Both of them must have personally gone through a lot during that period, but why did he still feel so bothered?

He tried to act normal, attempted to hide it from his closest friends whom he could almost call his brothers, but he could never deny to himself that somewhere deep down, there was a part of him that hurt. And besides, what was she doing with HoroHoro anyway? Wasn't she supposed to be taken? Engaged? Married?

Yoh brought a hand to smooth his scalp and he chuckled to himself upon realising how deep his thoughts were becoming. "Aargh, Yoh, you—"

"Come on, you piece of shit!" A woman yelled out of nowhere followed by a loud thud.

The brunette's eyes searched his surroundings after hearing the noise.

"Seriously, are we doing *thud* this *thud* right now!? *louder thud*"

"Anna!"

The blonde was caught in a mid-kick pose, a bottle of water in one hand, with a thin layer of smoke coming from the front of her car. When she turned her face towards the source of the voice, a groan escaped her lips forcefully at the sight of Yoh. "For real, are you stalking me?"

"Err, it's kinda hard to miss all the noise you were making out here." Yoh approached her with a pout. He noticed that the blonde still had the same car back in the day when they were still together. A good ol' 14-year old Toyota Corolla Hatch. "Whoah! Let me guess, your car broke down? You do know that's now how you fix it, right?" he continued, on the verge of laughter.

"Shut up. I know that judgemental look on your face. You don't need to say it."

"What? You're the one who called it a 'piece of shit'." Yoh was now full-on simpering.

"Tsk. Fine. Now go away." Anna chided him.

"Can I… take a look?" he offered.

"Weren't you on your way home?"

"I wasn't in a hurry," the young Pediatrician reassured, already approaching the vehicle. "Hey could you bring me the light?" he added, as his head disappeared from under the hood. Anna used her phone's light. She could hear him tinker with some of the car parts and she sat halfway on her vehicle's bumper as Yoh continued with his work.

"I can't believe this thing's still running."

"Well, not right now, it isn't." Looking up, the female doctor also got mesmerized by the beautiful sky. "It's been a while since I did this."

Yoh took a moment to quickly glimpse at the Anna from under the hood, and he couldn't help but become captivated by her beauty under the moonlight. It took all his will power to look away and he bit his lip when he finally did.

"Do what? Stargazing, or needing to fix your car?" Yoh tried his best to stop himself from chuckling once again while he continued manoeuvring.

Anna glared with a feigned murderous look and started splashing some water at him.

"Ah! Anna! Stop! What's wrong with you?" Yoh stepped away, shielding his face from the sudden attacks.

"Serves you right for making fun of my ride." She expressed it so casually, also trying her best not to giggle at Yoh's ridiculous state. When the brunette stopped hiding from behind her car, she finally asked the dreaded question. "So what's the diagnosis, doc?"

Yoh breathed in before speaking as if delivering bad news to a patient. "Sorry, madam. Looks like your radiator's busted. Transmission's not looking good either. However, your specialist," he continued, pointing to himself, "…might still have a remedy."

"Yeah? How much will the surgery cost?" The female doctor looked at her companion skeptically while joining him on his use of puns.

"Not much. Just let me bring you home tonight."

It took a moment of silence and lots of contemplation from Anna's end before she agreed to his offer. Yoh had to reassure her that her car will be fine even if she left it there overnight and that he will organise help to tow it the next day so he can assess the extent of the damage. Anna trusted Yoh with the matter, somehow. Afterall, she knew him as more than a car enthusiast from way back.

When they got inside Yoh's Camaro, he noticed that Anna was looking at him in a strange way. When he was about to ask her why, he figured that she was actually gaping at his damp and dirty white shirt. She muttered a soft 'sorry' and he was stunned by her gesture. It was rare that Anna apologised for something, and when she did, it was when she really did feel remorseful about it.

"Don't worry. Not a biggie." He said the last phrase in English with an American accent.

Anna wanted to react, at least to tease him about showing off his language skills but was caught off-guard when he abruptly pulled off his shirt, revealing his buff torso. The blonde's eyes went wide as saucers at the sight next to her, and she hurriedly diverted her eyes towards the view outside the passenger's window.

"Sorry, Anna…" Yoh began.

"Hm?" she responded, rolling her head back to face her 'personal driver' for the night.

"Uhm, I just…" he trailed, pointing to a certain spot behind her. "I just need to…" He figured he couldn't finish with words, so he just showed it and leaned forward at her, almost closing the gap between them.

If Anna's eyes were previously wide as saucers, they were now the size of dinner plates. She could have yelled or pushed him away, but her tired senses prevented that from happening. Remaining petrified like a kitten blinded with head lights in the middle of the road, the only things that entered her mind where how soothing his familiar scent was, how fast his heart was beating like hers, how chiselled his jaw was, and how hard his che—

"Got it." Yoh's declaration brought her back to reality. She watched him wave a fresh shirt at her before he wore it. "I keep my bag with spare clothes under the passenger's seat for easier access. Sorry for startling you, hehe."

The damned bastard had the audacity to chuckle like he didn't almost cause her a heart attack. She watched him punch a few settings on the screen from his dashboard.

"Here." She looked at him curiously when he gestured at the screen. "Oh, uhm, can you type your address for me?"

"R-right. Got it." Anna stammered as she entered her home address on the GPS. She wasn't sure why she downright agreed to giving her ex her address just like that, but today was an eventful day. She was spent and just wanted to get it over and done with.

Yoh sensed his companion's unusual state but he wanted her to be comfortable throughout the ride so he did not dare to comment on it. When Anna finished with her task, he started the engine and rolled out, but not before ensuring she was tucked-in safely with her seatbelt on.

. . . . . . . . . . .

The next few minutes were spent in awkward silence between the two. If any sounds were produced, it was either Yoh humming to the music, or Anna shuffling in her seat. They sneaked glances at each other from time to time, but that was when the other is not looking.

The woman shifted from her seat again and unconsciously moaned after feeling her sore shoulder which resurfaced with movement.

"You know, you should have that checked," commented the brunette whilst eyes still focused on the road.

"I'm considering seeing a physiotherapist regularly. I didn't know I needed one until—" Anna bit her lip after realising the topic she was about to open. Yoh did not utter a word but reflexively gave out a snort.

"There's nothing going on between me and HorHoro." Anna considered her thoughts before speaking-up but ended-up blurting them out anyway.

Yoh mustered a gloomy smile before replying. "I know… And even if there was, I don't understand why you even need to clarify that with me."

"It's just weird seeing that look on your face when I was about to mention your friend."

"What look?"

"That! As if… well… as if you were disappointed," Anna dragged with a soft voice. It was replaced with indignation when she heard Yoh's taunting laugh and harsh words.

"Please, you're not the centre of the universe."

Silence.

"Stop the car." She raised her voice when he didn't follow. "Yoh, stop the car, now!"

He pulled over at a nearby service bay.

Anna immediately removed her seatbelt and grabbed the door handle to exit the vehicle, but Yoh's hand clasped on her wrist prevented her from doing so.

"I'm sorry," Yoh started. "I was a jerk for saying that. I didn't mean it. Please stay."

"Yoh, this was a mistake. Being here with you was a mistake." Anna struggled to suppress her laboured breathing caused by her emotions.

"Then let me make it right!" he had to raise his voice a tad bit to gain her attention. "Look, I admit I was somehow stunned when I saw you and HoroHoro together this morning. I guess it was just my ego, but I eventually realised that I didn't have the right to act that way. Well… not anymore."

He continued when no response came from Anna. He stole a glance at her and he swore he saw her teary-eyed. It hurt seeing her like that, so he had to look away. "It's been six years, Anna. I am aware that you now have your life without me, same as I have my own… But I just wanted to be here as a friend, at the very least."

Anna expelled air slowly through her pursed mouth when Yoh finished his speech.

Side-eyeing him, she asked, "as a friend, huh?"

Yoh gave her a reassuring smile and held out his hand. "Friends." His pearly teeth showed even more when she accepted his handshake.

It didn't take long before he and drove off the highway again. The tension between them has dissipated and all was well when Anna began objecting to Yoh's actions once more.

"Wait, where are you going? The way to my home is through the next exit, not this one."

"Well, now that we have a truce, let me seal my sincere apologies by taking you, my friend, to dinner. Actually, I am famished myself."

"What? Why do I have to go with you? I am not even hungry!" Anna attempted to reason but cursed inwardly when they both heard her stomach growl.

"See, my sources tell me that you didn't even eat one decent meal all day."

"So, you're really stalking me now?"

Yoh only replied with a hearty chuckle.

After rolling her eyes at him, Anna finally agreed. "Fine. But I don't like to go to those fancy places you are used to taking your girlfriends to."

The brunette's smirk grew further as he shook his head while he slowed down at an empty sidewalk. He nodded towards something that can be seen outside of Anna's window and she followed his line of sight. Not far from them, a modest ramen stall was visible. The lights from the hanging lanterns indicated that it was still open with no customers seated behind those red cloth banners that hung from its tiny roof.

Anna watched the scenario from her window with mixed curiosity and awe.

"Is this 'not-fancy' enough for you?"

. . . . . . . . . . .

A/N: Nope. I am not dead. I only had a 4-month hiatus, so I decided to gift you, my dear readers, with a quicker turn of events and more YohNa moments. Chapter may be shorter than the last one, but shorter chapters may make me update quicker compared to longer ones so that's a win-win, right? xD Please Show me some love and welcome me back with a nice review! ;3

The included photos are for references in case you are curious about how Yoh's car looks like (only available in Archive Of Our Own).

Medical Terminologies/ Abbreviations:

Trapezius - large, triangular, paired muscle located on the back aspect of the neck and chest, largely involved in movements of the shoulder girdle.

IDC – Indwelling urinary catheter. Athin, flexible and sterile tube that is inserted through the urethra (where the urine comes out) into the bladder (where the urine is stored), to drain urine.

TOV – Trial of void. It is a procedure done for a patient by removing the urinary catheter for a specific period to check whether the bladder functions have returned after a trauma/ surgery.

RN – Registered Nurse

CNC – Clinical Nurse Consultants. A type of advanced practice Registered Nurse which may focus on specific specialisations. In this case, a Continence CNC is an RN who specialised in continence care, bladder, and kidney functions.