Present day

(naoki's POV)

That day, we started with rounds, we got to go around and meet the patients that were assigned to us. I can't help but feel a little bit awkward since the girl from class F, that lived with my family for a while, and even wrote me a love letter, the girl that used to be so in love with me, was now my resident.

It feels weird seeing her in a white robe, but what was even weirder was that i thought it suited her. I couldn't get a good look at her yesterday since i was so in shock, but now watching her discuss the situation of the patient, i can't help but be in awe of how different she looks.

I can tell just by the way she was talking, that she knew what she was saying, she knew what the diagnosis was and was confident with her conclusion, she seemed so sure of herself that i could barely recognize her, where was the bubbly, stupid and obsessed girl that i teased everyday? She seems so lifeless now it makes me slightly guilty.

As we finish, she gives us our assigned tasks for the day. I was assigned in trauma along with the other girl in our batch, she looked quite nervous from afar, i can tell since she didn't really talk much.

A few hours went by and only a few

Minor injuries were treated as me and the other intern both helped. I yawned a bit, thinking of how uneventful this shift has been, i let my mind wander as i pretend to read the papers in the clipboard since there was no new patients coming, slightly bored, i wondered where kotoko was and what she was doing, i really can't picture her as a doctor, she is just too clumsy and stupid. This must be a joke right? This is probably one of those long dreams i have when i sleep for a whole 12 hours.

Before i could even think about anything else, one of the nurses sprints and grabs me by my scrubs "come, now!" She quickly grabs and motions for the other intern to come to as we both head out of the entrance way where the ambulance's drop off new patients, "whats going on?"

"There was a bus accident a few blocks away, the accident involves 2 busses and a truck, so be prepared" she warns us.

I glanced at the other girl as she waits in terror, the sound of the ambulance can be heard from afar and i brace myself for what's about to come...

Everything went by so fast. Just a few minutes ago i was bored out of my mind thinking about kotoko but now i'm frantically rushing to help out.

The ambulance unloads patients and i get assigned to this young boy who was covered in so much blood, i can't help but get cold feet, children are not the same as adults when it comes to medicine, but the head nurse tells me to go as the paramedic explains the situation, "10 year old healthy boy who was inside the bus when the accident happened, he was shattered with alot of broken glass and he is unconscious"

I take a deep breath "okay, get him settled in trauma 2 with an EKG and a pan scan" i instructed the nurses.

They both obliged and after helping another patient, i was called into the operating room and was told that one of my patients was in surgery and that as the intern, i was allowed to watch.

It was my first time going into the operating room, washing my hands thoroughly was a long process but it felt therapeutic, i took a few short breaths before going inside and when i got in, the surgery was already starting.

Kotoko was there working on the boy. She still had that same look of determination in her eyes, just like before when we were younger. I was told not to make a sound or touch anything, i was merely just there to observe and learn. Though i couldn't help but admire how efficient and graceful she worked, it still hasn't clicked into my head that kotoko was a surgeon, a really good one in fact. Comparing her to the other residents in the hospital, in her batch she was the youngest and she was also the only female. I couldn't help but be in awe, everyone was, i can tell how much the nurses respect her, and i honestly can't blame them.

The surgery ended without any complications, not like i was expecting anything anyway, he was healthy and young. Children recover faster than adults do so i'm confident he will be okay.

My break finally arrived and i had my lunch in the lunch cafeteria beside the same group i was with, i don't even know why i'm sitting with them. I was here first and they just followed. Not like i care though, i just minded my own business as they continued with their useless conversations

(end of naoki's POV)

.

"Aihara-sensei was so cool today, i got to see her in action in trauma today"

"What happened? I heard it was so busy, i was jealous" kou asked

"There was a accident downtown, i'm so jealous of irie-san! He got to watch during his patients surgery! No fair"

Naoki held a couple of breaths, before swallowing the bread he was chewing.

"Woah really!? How was it?! Is she really what everyone says she is!? What was it like?!" kou insisted as all eyes turned to naoki

"You got to observe during surgery!? On the first week!?" funatsu asked full of anger and jealousy

Nami came in closer with curious eyes and a big smile "she's great isn't she irie-san?! I want to be just like her someday! pretty , smart and fully capable of anything and everything!" she said with a proud grin

Naoki thought about how kotoko used to be like that, always dreaming of becoming something bigger than herself and accomplishing incredible things, this was just beyond his expectations of her, he was still in shock and thinks that this is all a dream

"Yeah…" he finally managed to answer without any emotions

"She was great, i can tell she has so much potential"

Kou sighed as he leaned back on his chair "she's pretty too, what a catch"

"Do you think she has a boyfriend?" nami questioned the group

"I wouldn't be surprised"

"Hmm… i want to know" nami looks around the break room and spots a group of nurses adjacent to their table

"Hey you nurses over there!" she waved in a friendly manner

"Us?" a girl with short hair pointed a finger at herself

"Yeah! Sorry were new interns here, i'm nami, this is kou-chan, funatsu-san and irie-san it's nice to meet you!"

The man who looked like a woman lit up he smiled politely "oh new interns! So nice to meet you all, i'm kikyou, but you can call me motoki-san, this quiet one is tomoko-san, and the one with big boobs is marina-san, oh and this is keita"

Marina gave him a 'cut it out' look

"were all single and ready to mingle just in case anyone needs to know" motoki winked.

"Just you guys" keita added

Nami giggled in delight "we just wanted to know some things about some of the staff here, since you know… it's hard being new and all"

"Sure! What do you guys want to know? All the nurses here are super cute"

"No it's not the nurses we wanted to ask about… we actually wanted to know if aihara-sensei is seeing anyone?"

The nurses looked at each other

And naoki couldn't help but stop sipping on his drink, he too was curious about kotoko.

"Why? By any chance….are you guys admirers of hers!?"

"Eh?"

"She's so popular, even among us nurses! We even have a fan club dedicated to her! I heard it was some otaku kids from her old university who started it"

"Koto-um, aihara has a fanclub?" naoki couldn't believe this nonsense, sure she was a good surgeon, but no way was she the popular type. She was from class F! With no fashion sense, and her two only friends were both loud and annoying.

"Of course! All the guys in this hospital admire here! Even us females, she is such a good role model! And such a pleasure to work with!" marina added in

This dream is getting weirder and weirder naoki thought to himself.

"But as of now she's single, and we all plan to keep it that way, she is too good for anybody!" motoki stated

"Rumor has it that she loved a man for years! Only for her to reject her because she wasn't smart or pretty enough back then!"

Naoki rolled his eyes, as if that was exactly what happened, these people have no clue

What they were talking about

"What!? Really!? A girl like her!?"

Naoki couldn't stand to hear another word about kotoko, nobody in this room really know her the way he does, or what really happened. He then got up and left leaving the two group who was still conversating.

"What's his problem?" keita eyed naoki's walking figure

"Most likely fatigue, i heard they work you guys like dogs"

"He's just like that"

"Maybe he has a thing for her" kou said playfully

"Eh? That guy? He doesn't stand a chance" motoki sighed

"Sure he's good looking, but his personality seems cold, i know aihara-sensei must be hard on you guys cause your her interns, but she's really really nice if you get to know her as a person, out of all the doctors, she really gives us nurses the credit we deserve, and she's so compassionate towards her patients. that friend of yours doesn't really come to par with aihara-san, he should give it up"