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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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvaEtz7wpb
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,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzkZ9dpFF2
and was now also enrolled in business management courses at Orinthmus University.
He had never forgotten that moment years ago—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFloRCEibsQ
the day he was pulled from the shadows and given salvation:20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7BLoX1v4q
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,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDa0AsXPyF
he wanted to be strong enough to carry it without faltering.
As for Suzuran—born into a prestigious household,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyH6akzMR0
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJDDbUi0Gq
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVVtd8UOoKh
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,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FSp71f0UH
watching nurses come and go, doctors passing in white coats—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdK9DtFShL
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,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnWUwnlg4Fs
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN5ie2rl4tr
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—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hVw5RSSXK
but so sincere it ached.
In the end, her parents just smiled and nodded:
“If this is your choice, then we’ll support you.”
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“Kouichi~ Can you help me check this report?”
Suzuran hugged her tablet and shuffled over to his desk,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb5CcNSYMUI
looking like a cat reaching out its paw for attention.
Kimijima Kouichi didn’t even look up.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwvfXKm3EP
His tone was as calm as breathing:
“Still writing like a disaster, I see.”
“Aw, come on~ Just help me fix it a little!”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcISXpczkFh
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:20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFQc07tjqQ
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,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmYU2QiTnq8
as she twirled her finger around the ends of her hair.
Kouichi looked at her for a moment… then finally took the tablet.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEg53IvkWFs
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgA3W6rNExo
His pen glided smoothly over the screen.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CC04On2YQ
The atmosphere was calm—until:
“Hey, Kouichi,” Suzuran leaned in casually,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7x4ZBLc5yN
her tone light, almost too light.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2cQSPMk1d
“Yuzuka told me… a cute girl confessed to you again this morning?”
Kouichi paused mid-mark,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUfnBLENEt
but his voice remained steady:
“Yes. I turned her down.”
“Sigh…”
Suzuran tilted her head and leaned on the edge of his desk.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLT9GDjlZTT
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTST9x0CUKP
Are you really not interested at all?”
He didn’t look up.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjU5pdImw1
Eyes still on the screen, voice calm:
“I’m busy serving you, studying, and thinking about how to repay the master’s kindness.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmH80jDvQ7m
There’s no room in my head for anything else.”
“Hmm…”
She was completely blocked by the seriousness of his response—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIAworEJPvx
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—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVey4jY4GD
his peripheral gaze had long since drifted20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYMSTbAJW9v
to her lowered lashes and those softly blushing ears.
and then Add to home screen.