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When Irie Naoki first came to Kobe Hospital, he was the talk of the whole healthcare team. Female nurses and doctors were all fangirling over him. Well, after all, he is Irie Naoki.
In the nurses office,
“Hey, did you see the new intern?! めっちゃイケメンだ." (He's very handsome)
“I know right. Not only is he exceptional at his work, he’s handsome and crazy smart too. I heard he always placed number one during university.”
“Do you think he has a girlfriend?”
“Well, it’s hard for someone like that to not be taken, right?”
“Sighs, but I never heard him mention a girlfriend or anything. He’s so private, no one really knows anything about him.”
“Then, does that mean I still have a chance?”
“Stop joking. We’re talking about Irie-san right now. He never even glances at any of the girls at the hospital and he only calls them to discuss work.”
“That just means he’s serious, no?”
“I heard a nurse asked him out before, but he blatantly rejected her, saying he wasn’t interested.”
“Does that mean we’ll never stand a chance?”
“Let’s just get back to work, this is depressing.”
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1 year later…
The day after Kotoko came to Kobe and told Naoki she passed the nursing exam, Naoki suddenly knocked on the administrative office’s door.
He stepped into the office and asked the lady sitting closest to the door,
“Good morning.”
“Irie-san? What brings you here to the office?”
“I wanted to ask if there are any job vacancies for nurses at this hospital?”
“Job vacancies? Why?”
“Nothing. I was just wondering.”
“Hmmm, not at the moment. I heard one of the nurses is planning on transferring but I don’t think it’ll be anytime soon.”
“Well then thank you.”
After Naoki left and shut the door behind him, the office went into an uproar.
“Why did Irie-san suddenly ask if there were places for nurses?!”
“Don’t tell me he’s asking for a girl???”
“信じられない！！！あの入江さん？！” (I can't believe it! That Irie-san?!)
“Let’s calm down first. Nurses could be males too. Maybe he was asking for his male friend?”
“AHHHHH, please let that be the case. If not, I don't think I can take it.”
It seems it wasn’t just her who couldn’t take it, it was almost every female staff at the hospital. The news travelled to every nook and cranny of the hospital like a wildfire. All the ladies were freaking out about how Irie-san was asking about nurse vacancies. That day, the hospital didn’t have a single moment of silence.
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
4 months later…
The male doctors were talking at the coffee station.
“Did you guys see the new nurse? She’s a crazy cutie.”
“Oh you mean the new girl at the surgery unit? She’s a total klutz but that’s what makes her so adorable.”
“I had a shift with her yesterday and she was so bubbly and clumsy, but energetic and determined.”
“It’s refreshing to see someone so young and cute at the hospital. Do you think I should make a pass at her?”
“It doesn’t seem like she’s got a boyfriend or anything. Try shooting your shot.”
“I heard a nurse already asked her out but was rejected.”
“They say she’s always glancing at the doctors’ office. Maybe she was looking for me?”
“What a high ego.”
“Hey, Irie-san, what do you think of the new girl?”
“Not interested. I’ve been in the operating room all week, I’ve never even seen her.”
“Well, I doubt she’s even your type. She’s all cute and bubbly after all.”
“...”
The description certainly reminded Naoki of someone.
“I’m gonna go now. I have a surgery scheduled later.”
Naoki left the coffee station and went into op.
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
After the surgery was finished, Naoki was completely exhausted. However, it was still the middle of the day, which means he still has more work to get done before he can rest. He walked down the hallway and that’s when he saw one of the doctors cornering a nurse. He couldn’t see who the girl was because her back was facing him, but he recognised that back, that height, and that hairclip he saw every morning at his desk at home. He started picking up pace and walking towards the girl.
On the other hand, the doctor that was pressuring the cute new nurse kept pushing forward. The nurse started backing up, after refusing multiple times but he just wouldn’t give up. That’s when she accidentally bumped into a cart and started falling down. She was in such a haze that she started imagining things. She closed her eyes and thought she heard the words “Kotoko!” in Irie-kun’s voice.
As she was nearing her fall, someone swiftly caught her and pulled her tightly into their arms. When she looked up, it was none other than her precious Irie-kun. She could feel his heavy breathing as his chest moved up and down. Naoki was so surprised at seeing her in the hospital, and combined with the incident just now, he was still in a bit of shock. After reassuring Kotoko, he wrapped one of his hands around her waist and another holding her head towards his chest.
Everyone was peeking out of their rooms and staring at this unbelievable sight. The Irie Naoki who has never shown any interest in girls is now holding the new nurse in his embrace while stroking her head gently.
“Geez, why are you always so clumsy.”
“Sorry…” Kotoko drooped her head and hugged him back.
The doctor who was hitting on Kotoko just now walked over to Naoki and said,
“I thought you weren’t interested.”
Naoki stared at the doctor with an icy gaze while pulling Kotoko even tighter than before.
That’s when he dropped the most shocking fact to the whole hospital staff:
“She’s my wife.”
Everyone was rendered speechless. The nurse in room 503 dropped her syringe. The doctor who just came out of the op dropped his clipboard. And the head of nursing who’s been pining for Naoki the whole year spilled her coffee all over the floor.
“EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
The hospital was in an uproar again.
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
The next day, everyone seemed especially gloomy.
“I can’t believe Irie-san is married.. Ahhhhh this is the worst day of my life.”
“Neither can I. TT”
“Is that why he asked for vacancies in nursing? So that his wife could transfer here and he could see her at work everyday?”
“No wayyyy, I can’t accept this. The cold and serious Irie-san actually has a wife…”
“It doesn’t seem real, doesn’t it…”
“We should’ve noticed sooner. The new girl’s called ‘Irie Kotoko’ after all.”
“But never would I have thought they were married.”
“Did you see how he hugged her so tenderly yesterday? Never have I ever seen Irie-san show any affection. He was always putting on his stone cold face.”
“I know right… TT And don’t get me started on how shocked he looked when he was catching Irie-chan (Kotoko). He looked like his heart stopped for a second.”
“He even shouted ‘Kotoko!’... It must be nice having Irie-san as her husband.”
“I never would’ve guessed Irie-san was into the cute type. I saw them leaving work together and Irie-chan was chatting and hopping, while Irie-san was just quietly nodding his head. He even held her hand and stuffed it into his large pocket.”
“TT…”
On the other hand, the doctors were also chatting away.
“Wow. Irie-san. I never took you to be the type to like bubbly girls, a clumsy one at that.”
“You know it was a total shock to all of us. You never said you were married.”
“You guys never asked.”
“...”
“Well, it’s such a shame. I thought that cutie was single too.’
Naoki scoffed.
“You’ll never stand a chance against me.”
Then he left.
Meanwhile, the doctors were all dazed.