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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.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyN3J6Efj99
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,38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQA0buCpHcX
and was now also enrolled in business management courses at Orinthmus University.
He had never forgotten that moment years ago—38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLT64fmAuly
the day he was pulled from the shadows and given salvation:38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2pLsiyEQn
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,38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaWOgLaPIX4
he wanted to be strong enough to carry it without faltering.
As for Suzuran—born into a prestigious household,38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GeU1u9eH7
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.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ecEhsSycV
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.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXccdlxbzSN
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,38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvw3xciRCkz
watching nurses come and go, doctors passing in white coats—38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8YckAFHQw
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,38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBFxDtU6K2
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.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhiPIYNx42
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—38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0TMgRLJZf
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,38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GU98Hwutw
looking like a cat reaching out its paw for attention.
Kimijima Kouichi didn’t even look up.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7rk8YCR21O
His tone was as calm as breathing:
“Still writing like a disaster, I see.”
“Aw, come on~ Just help me fix it a little!”38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCl84eLe1WB
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:38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdL2xIljdxN
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,38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6eXa4JuLSI
as she twirled her finger around the ends of her hair.
Kouichi looked at her for a moment… then finally took the tablet.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡper8BUG3Cs
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.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJ26iQxcjc
His pen glided smoothly over the screen.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4oztV6wmd
The atmosphere was calm—until:
“Hey, Kouichi,” Suzuran leaned in casually,38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6oG1L15aWX
her tone light, almost too light.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJBebdbDFo
“Yuzuka told me… a cute girl confessed to you again this morning?”
Kouichi paused mid-mark,38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYPSVf3jVB
but his voice remained steady:
“Yes. I turned her down.”
“Sigh…”
Suzuran tilted her head and leaned on the edge of his desk.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYW2rOHqeFE
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.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ig3eY7mxT
Are you really not interested at all?”
He didn’t look up.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiE3qODnfEX
Eyes still on the screen, voice calm:
“I’m busy serving you, studying, and thinking about how to repay the master’s kindness.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0qKsVWVjP
There’s no room in my head for anything else.”
“Hmm…”
She was completely blocked by the seriousness of his response—38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnh0Q6cj4fh
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—38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1DA0BVOeQh
his peripheral gaze had long since drifted38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTLHhO65IrB
to her lowered lashes and those softly blushing ears.38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbWvLgpm1n
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You made it this far—you're seriously the sweetest! 🥹💗38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrTyBODkNH
If you liked it, don’t forget to like 👍, bookmark ⭐, and drop a little comment 📝~38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoC1tB25HMI
Your support keeps me going—and keeps the characters falling deeper in love 💞💭38Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzGLnbU5AH
and then Add to home screen.