It started with a smile.
Not Dr. Hayashi's — no, his version of a smile was more like a war declaration. This one came from someone entirely new.
"Nurse Aoi, right?" The voice was warm. Playful.
I turned, startled, to see a young intern standing beside me with a tray of blood samples and a grin that made him look like a friendly golden retriever in scrubs.
"Uh… yes?"
"I'm Kazuki. Interning here for the next three months," he said, offering a slight bow. "Just wanted to say— your composure last night during the Code Red was seriously impressive."
I blinked. "Wait… you were there?"
He laughed. "Was in the back watching everything. You looked like a total pro."
That was… unexpected. And flattering.
"Well," I chuckled nervously, "that's generous. I was mostly trying not to knock over the ECG machine again."
"Still counts," he said, and added, "I hope we get paired on a shift soon."
Behind us, a voice slid in — cool, unmistakable.
"She's already paired."
I turned to see Dr. Hayashi standing just a little too close, arms crossed, eyes fixed not on me… but squarely on Kazuki.
Kazuki straightened slightly. "Of course, Dr. Hayashi. Just saying hi."
"Mmh," was all he said before walking off, white coat flaring dramatically behind him.
I stared after him, baffled.
"Is… is he always like that?" Kazuki whispered.
"Only when he's breathing," I muttered, but my heart thumped in a way it shouldn't have.
Later that afternoon, I was sorting inventory in the supply room when Kazuki appeared again — this time holding two cans of coffee from the vending machine.
"For the warrior nurse," he said with a grin, handing one to me.
"Careful," I joked, "if you keep calling me that, the nickname might actually stick."
"Hey, I think it already has," he said. "You're sort of famous on this floor now. Everyone's talking about how you kept your cool during that emergency."
I opened the can and sipped, slightly embarrassed. "I think they're mostly talking about how I almost tripped over the crash cart."
He laughed. "That too. But hey, both are memorable."
A comfortable silence settled for a moment.
Then he scratched the back of his neck, suddenly shy. "Hey, Aoi… would you maybe wanna grab a proper coffee sometime? Like—after shift?"
My brain stuttered.
Wait, was he… asking me out?
"Oh, um—" I began, just as the door creaked open behind us.
A clipboard smacked onto the table.
"Try not to turn the supply room into a café," came Dr. Hayashi's unmistakable voice, icy and clipped.
Both of us froze.
He didn't even look at me—just scribbled something on a chart and turned to leave.
Kazuki cleared his throat. "We were just—"
"I'm sure you were," Dr. Hayashi said, walking out without another word.
The door shut with a crisp click.
Kazuki let out a breath. "Wow. Does he always walk in like that? Like he's the final boss of the hospital?"
I tried to laugh, but I couldn't ignore the strange flutter in my stomach.
Was that… irritation in Dr. Hayashi's voice?
No. Couldn't be.