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Six years later, Suzuran was now a second-year nursing student at Orinthmus University.
Her daily life was filled with memorizing medical terminology and preparing for clinical rotations.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpZfH10aCh
More often than not, she ended up pouring the wrong sugar into her coffee while flipping through an anatomy atlas.
Meanwhile, Kimijima Kouichi remained a butler for the Hanazono family,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO0QoDFCrvM
and was now also enrolled in business management courses at Orinthmus University.
He had never forgotten that moment years ago—18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbLvoXHw4Ag
the day he was pulled from the shadows and given salvation:18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQRICiyov81
a name, an identity, and dignity by the Hanazono family.
If one day he could shoulder even a fraction of the family’s business burden,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa73rOSvdCj
he wanted to be strong enough to carry it without faltering.
As for Suzuran—born into a prestigious household,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dsFoQP8Rn
she was like a greenhouse flower, never forced to bloom anywhere in particular.
Her parents had always been gentle with her, even overly indulgent at times.
“As long as it’s something Suzuran wants to learn, let her learn it.”
She had studied piano, painting, floral design—even taken noble etiquette lessons.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWp7CqKHxSl
But she never truly committed to any of them, nor did she excel particularly in any field.
Politics and business held no interest for her.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIs8U4tYHAQ
It wasn’t fear—just a sense that those worlds were too cold, too far removed. Not hers.
What made her decide on her path was the long-standing instability of her mother’s health.
Since childhood, she had stood outside hospital rooms,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuNQCn4tro
watching nurses come and go, doctors passing in white coats—18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15Kyy03qqv
while she could do nothing but smile weakly and cry silently.
Maybe, one day, she thought—she could be someone who actually did something.
When she submitted her application and chose nursing,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr86KrntdP1
the entire family fell into stunned silence.
This wasn’t the path for a sheltered young lady—too exhausting, too painful, full of night shifts and encounters with death.
But she simply said, softly:
“I don’t want to be someone who can only cry beside a hospital bed anymore.”
She had no grand ideals.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvvLXUEvUf
Just one quiet hope:
“If one day, Papa, Mama, or Kouichi gets sick… I want to be able to help with my own hands.”
It was a modest, simple wish—18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinni4nSmRK
but so sincere it ached.
In the end, her parents just smiled and nodded:
“If this is your choice, then we’ll support you.”
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIauChcACIg
18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPflkXYm5j
“Kouichi~ Can you help me check this report?”
Suzuran hugged her tablet and shuffled over to his desk,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrsmdRZALYy
looking like a cat reaching out its paw for attention.
Kimijima Kouichi didn’t even look up.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMmtl6Nulo
His tone was as calm as breathing:
“Still writing like a disaster, I see.”
“Aw, come on~ Just help me fix it a little!”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNDSIUE03s
She pouted and pushed the tablet into his hands.
“I have my own coursework too, you know?”
He finally looked up at her, voice caught between a sigh and resigned sarcasm:
“Do you think I divide my day like this:18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS5QjNdZlyY
half for serving you, and the other half for cleaning up the messes you leave behind?”
“But you’ve always been smarter than me…”
Her voice grew smaller and smaller, tinged with guilt and playfulness,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnNHh3NdKuS
as she twirled her finger around the ends of her hair.
Kouichi looked at her for a moment… then finally took the tablet.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡle06s1DfKD
The corner of his mouth twitched, like he was trying hard not to smile.
“…You really are impossible, my lady.”
He opened the report and began reading.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAbJnKz1zB
His pen glided smoothly over the screen.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAztcVpaVi
The atmosphere was calm—until:
“Hey, Kouichi,” Suzuran leaned in casually,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx3FgLC83Rn
her tone light, almost too light.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFuT6lYSM0
“Yuzuka told me… a cute girl confessed to you again this morning?”
Kouichi paused mid-mark,18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNlfWEBkDW
but his voice remained steady:
“Yes. I turned her down.”
“Sigh…”
Suzuran tilted her head and leaned on the edge of his desk.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOu1TKBGRkg
Her long hair slid gently over her shoulder.
Her tone was faint, almost teasing:
“You’re eighteen now… It’s the perfect age to fall in love.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogbLSAjjCy
Are you really not interested at all?”
He didn’t look up.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQ014nS4nI
Eyes still on the screen, voice calm:
“I’m busy serving you, studying, and thinking about how to repay the master’s kindness.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxrDC5vDosL
There’s no room in my head for anything else.”
“Hmm…”
She was completely blocked by the seriousness of his response—18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBgTB0joxH
like he was answering a teacher in class.
One second. Two seconds.
She looked down at her toes, voice barely a whisper:
“…So those rejections were just… polite excuses after all.”
She didn’t realize her cheeks had turned a faint shade of red.
And though Kouichi kept his eyes on her report—18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5bRQfggTR
his peripheral gaze had long since drifted18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNyVLinqAtO
to her lowered lashes and those softly blushing ears.
