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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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDT5IzMr5qi
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,376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI714JQprOF
and was now also enrolled in business management courses at Orinthmus University.
He had never forgotten that moment years ago—376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8TljWzYp3T
the day he was pulled from the shadows and given salvation:376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlsDMcjd2Bi
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,376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXXPmWs7wv
he wanted to be strong enough to carry it without faltering.
As for Suzuran—born into a prestigious household,376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgg6jRfUiQ
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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbfirll2FVM
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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLtZDpZAOX
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,376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm264sJlEan
watching nurses come and go, doctors passing in white coats—376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFlDo7eHdzJ
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,376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozuoC908E6
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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNljuo7yJiY
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—376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgF80p05WYO
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,376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHnXVAI1rQ
looking like a cat reaching out its paw for attention.
Kimijima Kouichi didn’t even look up.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlEwdqPIZ9I
His tone was as calm as breathing:
“Still writing like a disaster, I see.”
“Aw, come on~ Just help me fix it a little!”376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogsuFXJzXS
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:376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCosURSfK44
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,376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9kquskhr7
as she twirled her finger around the ends of her hair.
Kouichi looked at her for a moment… then finally took the tablet.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuopfKXCrTm
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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOOE0mHaxBA
His pen glided smoothly over the screen.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHlSXcywckF
The atmosphere was calm—until:
“Hey, Kouichi,” Suzuran leaned in casually,376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTuSPBxWO6c
her tone light, almost too light.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCKKyVUPe8
“Yuzuka told me… a cute girl confessed to you again this morning?”
Kouichi paused mid-mark,376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdarFXLe4g3
but his voice remained steady:
“Yes. I turned her down.”
“Sigh…”
Suzuran tilted her head and leaned on the edge of his desk.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTc4ANJWXy
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.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsPWiKM62c
Are you really not interested at all?”
He didn’t look up.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2KTMlu53Fs
Eyes still on the screen, voice calm:
“I’m busy serving you, studying, and thinking about how to repay the master’s kindness.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnzqPwbMBH5
There’s no room in my head for anything else.”
“Hmm…”
She was completely blocked by the seriousness of his response—376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhunnc6p6F7
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—376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ4WVF1vomN
his peripheral gaze had long since drifted376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4UiVINE0g
to her lowered lashes and those softly blushing ears.376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ68ebclsnQg
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You made it this far—you're seriously the sweetest! 🥹💗376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pGpoiTKlI
If you liked it, don’t forget to like 👍, bookmark ⭐, and drop a little comment 📝~376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKNGzLSz90
Your support keeps me going—and keeps the characters falling deeper in love 💞💭376Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3iZwsUSeEG
and then Add to home screen.