イタズラな KISS ~3 ✔

INK3-14

Epilogue Fourteen: Secret (Part Three)

"Oy, Irie-sensei. There's an emergency patient! We should have to go and check it out there."

Funatsu reminded him. Naoki didn't want to go with him but seeing Kotoko shooing him off, he was a bit mad.

"Kotoko, I'm gonna steal your husband for a bit."

"Of course, you two should have to check it out."

Kotoko just smiled as nothing happened.

When he can't find the answers by staring at her, he decided.

"I'm coming."

At lunch, Naoki was trying to find Kotoko. He has called home but her mother said that she was still in the hospital. He wondered why it took her long. After finishing things in the emergency room, he couldn't think straight but he was really worried about his wife.

He went to the Nurse Station to ask if any of them has found Kotoko. Motoki answered him that he has seen Kotoko in the Maternity ward so Naoki quickly took himself there.

When he got there, a different atmosphere surprised him. Kotoko was smiling happily with the new Doctor in America. He should have been so relieved to know a fact that Kotoko doesn't speak English but when he heard that the new doctor speak fluently in Japanese, a familiar feeling swamped his heart.

"What is this? I have felt this before. This is what Kinnosuke has lectured me. I hate to admit this but why I am feeling jealous? Kotoko didn't smile at me this morning... she didn't meet my eyes... but why did she have to smile like that to that new doctor the way she usually smiles at me?"

"Uhm, Kotoko-chan. Are you really going home right now?"

"Kotoko-chan? Did he just call her by her name the moment that they first meet each other?"

"Yes. I am," she replied.

"Well, I have so many things to know about you. You know we could have lunch together and tell me about yourself."

"It's my pleasure, Sensei. I don't have things to do, so I might as well use my time rather than wasting it." and then she smiled again.

"I'm glad," the new doctor smiled, "Are you really sure that we have to keep this as a secret?"

"Yes, I am asking you for a favor. Please don't tell anyone that I have been secretly meeting you, Sensei. I don't want things to get worse. As far as possible, I will keep this as a secret to my family. They are all going to be mad at me. I don't want..."

"She's secretly meeting him? What the hell? Is she having an affair with that American Doctor? How could she cheat on me! I know now the reason why she ran away last night! She knew that the Doctor is coming here so she thought she could elope with him! But how did she meet that Doctor? How did they communicate? How long did she keep on doing this behind my back?"

Naoki's vision was blocked with infuriating thoughts. He can't stop thinking that way. It makes him mad.

"I understand your reason, Kotoko-chan," he held her hands firmly and Naoki was so angry to see it like that, "I hope you have the confidence to say this to everyone. It is the best thing if they know about this... about us."

"I will, Sensei. But right now, I don't think it's right to tell them. I will tell them soon if I am ready. Thank you for understanding. I was really happy that I happened to meet you, Sensei."