Your hair is messy (18)
Naoki travels to a parallel universe where Kotoko doesn't love him. (2013 Japanese TV series)
36
Irie had been in Kobe for two months and hadn't received a single call from Kotoko. He could imagine how free and happy Kotoko must have been without him. She must have forgotten her boyfriend who was far away in Kobe.
The call from her younger brother Yuki also confirmed Irie's guess. Ever since Irie left, Kotoko has been extremely happy, and has been criticized by her friends for this - "Irie-kun has gone out to fight alone, and as a girlfriend, you should at least show more concern for him, not to mention taking care of him." But every time, Kotoko would brush it off with words like "That's the omnipotent Irie-kun, he can take care of himself, I'll only cause him trouble."
Yuki was furious. In his eyes, Kotoko had long been a delinquent, treating his brother, whom he regarded as a role model, as an insignificant toy that could be easily discarded. The only good thing Kotoko had done was bringing Haomei to him, but her merits were not worth the trouble. Moreover, her and her brother's troubled love story left a certain degree of sequelae on Yuki, who always had an inexplicable fear of love.
Yuuki was afraid that one day Omi would become like Kotoko, and would suddenly say to him, "If Irie-kun wants to be angry, there's nothing I can do about it." Then he would drift away from him until he completely disappeared from his life.
Nightmare, absolutely a nightmare.
This nightmare is happening over and over again to Irie and Kotoko.
Although Kotoko's friends always say that she is going too far, just like Hao Mei does not approve of some of Kotoko's words and deeds, they are undoubtedly in Kotoko's camp. No matter how Kotoko treats Irie, it will not affect their relationship with Kotoko. They have said it once, twice, and three times, but there is no effect, so they simply stopped saying it. They have no relationship with Irie and really don't care about his feelings that much.
Only Yuuki, the only one who would feel sad, worried, and unfair for his brother, was Yuuki.
But what could Yuuki do? Under his parents' watchful eyes, he couldn't even confront Kotoko directly. He could only pour out all his emotions to his brother on the other end of the phone.
His brother Irie always remained silent because he anticipated what would happen after he left, so when it actually happened, Irie was not surprised.
But he also didn't want to see Kotoko having an easy time. Since Kotoko didn't call him, he would take the initiative to call his mother. When his mother heard his voice, she would happily call Kotoko over and let them talk alone. "The young couple haven't seen each other for so long, they will have a lot to say." Irie's mother would definitely think so.
Since Irie's mother was involved in the contact process, Kotoko could not deliberately ignore Irie's call, nor could she find an excuse to hang up. She had to listen to Irie's nonsense chatter.
Listening to Kotoko's listless voice when she responded to him, Irie was unable to feel any emotion, just like when he heard Yuki's endless accusations against Kotoko, Irie's heart was numb. He could not feel pleasure from the process of revenge on Kotoko because their pain was never equal.
Kotoko's pain comes from Irie. As long as she doesn't stay with Irie, her pain is limited. Irie's pain is more pure. It is an incurable terminal illness that consumes his vitality bit by bit.
He thought he had become numb, accustomed to it, able to face it calmly and even fight back. But Kotoko was too lazy to even pretend to be indifferent, and it was still easy to hurt him. Irie was aimlessly hating Kotoko and this time travel that could not be explained by science.
But they were not like this from the beginning. Irie thought about the day when Kotoko took the initiative to ask him out, and the day when she decided to let go of Sano for Irie. She had never thought that the relationship they had both looked forward to would turn into a disaster in the future.
So Irie hated himself even more. He had many secrets in his heart and was unwilling to tell others directly, but he also longed for Kotoko, whom he cared about, to understand. Kotoko's patience was exhausted by his struggle and awkwardness day after day. He clearly had the chance to defeat Sano, but why didn't he cherish it, but wasted it all on a meaningless cold war.
He clearly had her, and no matter how willful he was, he would still love Kotoko unconditionally. Why didn't he cherish her?
Irie was shattered by the questions in his heart, and the torment days and nights seemed to have no end in sight.
Irie, constantly torturing himself, threw himself into a busy work schedule that consumed both his body and his mind. He was exhausted, bordering on weakness, yet he felt nothing. His mind would briefly blank out after being overdrawn, and he needed the peace it brought, wanting to sink into a deep sleep and never wake up again. Perhaps he had died in this world, only to awaken in another? Who knew?
Irie, who had sunk into a slump, was in a continuously poor state, so much so that when he was sitting on a bench with Nami's mother discussing Nami's condition, Kotoko suddenly appeared in front of him. He felt as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight, and the result of excessive fright was that his eyes went dark, and he almost fainted on the spot.
Kotoko thought he was tormenting himself into this state purely for work. Being a doctor, how many people don't have to be tired? So she didn't think much about it. She stared at Nami's mother curiously: "Um, may I ask what's going on? Is this lady a friend of Irie-kun?"
Nami's mother quickly explained, "I'm Dr. Irie's patient. May I ask who you are?"
Kotoko heard Nami's mother's answer. She didn't look happy or relieved. She said calmly, "Hello, I'm Irie-kun's girlfriend."
"Stop joking!"
Before Nami's mother could say anything, a thunderclap sounded behind her. It was Nami, who had been observing her mother and Dr. Irie from the side, who jumped out. She walked up to Kotoko with an imposing manner, looked her up from head to toe, her eyes full of disdain: "Dr. Irie is going to marry my mother, how could he... choose someone like you as his girlfriend."
Kotoko had heard so many questions about her identity that she spread her hands nonchalantly, as if to say, "This is the truth, what can I do?"
With Irie's instigation, she directly admitted Kotoko's statement: "It's true, she is indeed my girlfriend, and we have been dating for many years."
The young couple had been separated for several months, and as soon as they reunited, they joined forces to break down little Nami's defenses. She couldn't bear the blow and ran away crying.
A necessary skill of a naughty child is to cause trouble to the people around him. Kotoko, Irie and Nami's mother searched the park for an entire afternoon before they caught Nami who was hiding deliberately. Her tears were almost dried up, but fortunately, she was not seriously ill. After expressing her gratitude again and again, Nami's mother took her daughter, who was still crying, back home.
Irie brought Kotoko back to his house. It was already late, but Kotoko was still full of energy. She kept telling Irie that she almost took the wrong bus on her way here, that the complicated route made her dizzy, and that Kobe was really too far away. Once inside, she looked around, from Irie's sofa to the cup he had placed on the table, and couldn't help but sigh, "As expected of Irie-kun, you keep everything so clean!"
She was making a lot of noise, and Irie was in a complicated mood. He asked her, "Why are you here?"
"Didn't I say I would come to see you?"
Irie thought about what she had said before, and suddenly he was furious again. He knew being angry was bad, that it would only push Kotoko away, but he couldn't help it. If she hadn't become a nurse for him, if she'd always talked about studying, if she'd missed his graduation ceremony to attend a lecture, if she'd insisted on living apart from him and striving separately, why was she pulling all this strings now?
"Oh, you came to see me." Irie said with a sullen expression, "Is summer vacation already in Tokyo? Or did you sacrifice your precious study time to take time off just to come see me? How can you become a good nurse like this?"
Being angry with Kotoko would be fruitless and would come at a price. Irie should have taken a cigarette and inhaled it, taking it as his motto in life and keeping it in mind at all times. He hadn't done that today, and so retribution had arrived.
Sensing the danger signal, Kotoko tactfully stopped nagging: "If Irie-kun wants me to focus on my studies, we can agree to meet again during the summer vacation."
She looked at her watch and was pleasantly surprised: "I can just catch the last Shinkansen!"
Irie kept telling himself to give in and take back what he had just said, but with his emotions surging, he couldn't lower his head. His body felt as if it were frozen inch by inch by ice. He gritted his teeth and finally said only one sentence: "Then, be careful on the road."
"Okay!" Kotoko replied with full energy: "Irie-kun, take good care of yourself too. Goodbye."
She swiftly picked up her schoolbag and walked out the door without hesitation. The sound of the door opening and closing lasted only a moment, and then the house fell into silence. Kotoko had already left.
37
Irie wondered what he was doing. Wasn't he craving Kotoko's attention? Wasn't he regretting not cherishing the past, wishing he could turn back time and have a chance to mend the rift between them? Now that his chance had come, Kotoko, who hadn't even bothered to call him, had traveled thousands of miles to see him. Why hadn't he seized it?
Irie had a severe headache. The fatigue that had accumulated over the past few days finally began to take its toll on him. He covered his face in unbearable pain, with only one thought left in his mind.
Kotoko will never come back.
She'd been frustrated by Irie. Although she'd agreed to see him over the summer, that verbal agreement didn't count. She could always make an excuse, saying she was busy studying or attending lectures and didn't have time to come to Kobe. In reality, she was thinking, "Irie-kun is so annoying! I don't want to see him."
"If it were Sano, you wouldn't treat me like this."
"Irie-kun is indeed no match for Sano."
It’s not that Kotoko can’t do it. She has a kind of innocent cruelty that is enough to kill people without bloodshed.
She won't be coming back.
Irie hurriedly chased down the stairs. He didn't think about anything, didn't feel anything. His rapid running seemed to lead him through time again. He wanted to find the Kotoko in his heart, even if it was just the same face as hers. He wanted to do his best to grab a piece of fragment related to her.
Kotoko had almost stopped a car, but before she could take a step, she was suddenly hugged from behind. She was terrified and smelled Irie's scent. His hands and face were cold, but his embrace was warm. His heavy breathing was against her ear, and there seemed to be a little warm liquid dripping onto her shoulders and neck.
Kotoko couldn't see Irie's expression, so she couldn't tell if he was crying. But something was wrong with him, more wrong than usual. She couldn't help but worry, "Irie-kun, what's wrong with you?"
"...Aren't you here to see me?"
Kotoko was completely bewildered. Hadn't she seen it? Hadn't Irie told her to prioritize her studies and come back during the summer?
"I was just talking nonsense." There was no emotion in Irie's voice.
Qinzi: "?"
"Don't go."
The time and attention you've given me are already very little. Since you've shown your concern for me for once, please continue to care for me a little longer. Please lend me the Qinzi that I miss so much for a short while. Don't go, don't leave me.
Somehow, Kotoko could feel Irie's sadness and struggle. She always thought he was very strong. Because he was so strong that he was indestructible, he didn't need to care about other people's feelings and was not afraid of losing anyone. His strength gave him the rightful indifference, which was what Kotoko hated most about him.
She couldn't say that Irie was fragile at the moment, but at least the person who was holding her tightly had no possibility of attacking her. She didn't understand why Irie needed her, but she felt soft-hearted for such a person. Irie's weakness made it impossible for her to be tough anymore.
They eventually returned home together.
After washing up, Irie told Kotoko about Nami. Nami had a congenital heart disease and could only be completely cured through surgery. Irie and the attending physician both believed that now was the right time, but Nami's father passed away two years ago. Nami, who had faced death, was afraid that if the surgery failed, she would also say goodbye to this world. Her mother was also anxious about this, so she came to Irie to discuss it.
When Nami said, "Dr. Irie is going to marry my mother," she probably meant that she wanted to get the fatherly love she was missing from Irie, and there was no other meaning.
In fact, there was no need for Irie to explain. Kotoko didn't think much about it. Before she came, her friends often told her that when a man's wife is not around, he is no different from being single. With Irie's physique that attracts bees and butterflies, there are countless beautiful girls lining up to pursue him in Kobe. What's more, Kotoko is not Irie's wife. A girlfriend can break up at any time. She must have a sense of crisis and stop looking indifferent every day!
But Kotoko didn't care. No matter how many beautiful girls he had, how many could surpass Matsumoto? Irie, a man who didn't even want Oizumi Sahoko, wouldn't be attracted to ordinary bees and butterflies. Besides, why did everyone distrust Irie's character? After all these years, he still insisted on hanging himself on her tree. This single-mindedness and persistence earned Kotoko's respect.
Even if we take a step back and say that one day Irie-kun really meets the right person and wants to break up with Kotoko, it is nothing more than the destiny of fate. He can just accept it calmly. There is nothing to be afraid of.
Kotoko was lost in thought. Irie noticed her absent-mindedness and didn't know how to continue the conversation. He took a sip of water and put it down, his right hand drooping weakly. "I'm sorry, I've told you so much about work, but you probably aren't interested."
"No, I was just thinking, Irie-kun is really amazing."
Kotoko has the ability to distinguish between nonsense and heartfelt words. She usually doesn't like to talk to Irie because he is always sarcastic and always talks nonsense when he calls her. He calls her just for the sake of calling, wasting her time. Irie probably doesn't even know what he is talking about. Irie is teasing her, and Kotoko can also sense it.
She didn't hate Irie for opening his heart to her, but she hated him for hiding himself and turning into an unpredictable hedgehog, which would prick her hands and make her bleed from time to time, making her mental illness flare up. She always wanted to roll him up in her hands and throw him far away like a discus.
The Irie in front of her is pretty good. He would hug her to keep her, say "sorry" to her, and care about her feelings when chatting.
Kotoko thought, it would be great if Irie could always stay like this.
The next morning, Kotoko made Irie a horrible breakfast, but Irie ate it all without commenting.
Kotoko understood the meaning of his silence and said with shame that she would practice her cooking skills after returning home and make something delicious or edible for Irie next time.
Then she sent Irie to work and ran into Nami from yesterday. Nami ignored Kotoko and ran up to Irie, raised her little face, and asked him expectantly: "Doctor Irie just has a girlfriend, but a girlfriend is not a wife, so after you break up, Doctor Irie can still marry my mother, right?"
Irie thought for a moment and said, "If nothing unexpected happens, my girlfriend and I will not break up. We may even get married soon. So, I'm sorry, Nami, but I can't agree to your request."
Qinzi:? ? ?
Not surprising? She had no idea she'd be marrying Irie-kun soon. This was way beyond her expectations! Are you kidding? You must be!
Irie used a big move and made the child collapse again. This time, Nami's heart attack came faster than her tears. She covered her chest and suddenly fell to the ground, which scared Kotoko to death.
Although the whole thing had nothing to do with Kotoko, she had a flash of inspiration and realized that this was a perfect opportunity to test her. She had spent too much time on paper, learning a lot of theoretical knowledge, but very little real practice. Perhaps saving Nami would be the first milestone in her journey to becoming a good nurse! She would stay in Kobe and not return to Tokyo until Nami agreed to the surgery.
Irie told her not to get involved. Nami's condition for undergoing the surgery was that Irie must marry her mother, which was simply unreasonable. Kotoko was Nami's first target to be eliminated and her most obvious enemy. She would never listen to Kotoko, and Kotoko didn't have to endure her anger.
But it was Kotoko's own decision to stay. It didn't matter what Irie thought, because he couldn't influence her anyway.
During Kotoko's stay in Kobe, her relationship with Irie showed signs of warming. They did not mention Sano, nor did they mention their future apart pursuing their respective dreams. They lived a simple and warm life in a small rental house like an ordinary couple, and all the old grudges of the past disappeared like smoke.
In addition to the love storyline, Kotoko also completed the main mission in Kobe quite well. She visited Nami every day, appealed to her emotions and reason, and with the temptation of delicious food, she really got along well with Nami. In the end, Nami agreed to undergo surgery.
Irie felt incredible. He suspected that Kotoko had promised Nami that as long as Nami underwent surgery, she would break up with him and match him with Nami's mother.
It's no wonder Irie thinks this way. He has always been the smallest part of Kotoko's life, and he can be abandoned at any time and make way for other things at any time. How can he be sure that Kotoko will not give up him, who is not important to her, for the life of a little girl she has only known for a few days?
But Nami told Irie that Kotoko did not agree to her request.
"That idiot Kotoko said that even if she and Dr. Irie broke up, it's not up to her or me to decide who Dr. Irie should marry. Since I like Dr. Irie, I should let him choose. After all, this is Dr. Irie's life."
Nami didn't come to Irie to ask for a choice because she already knew Irie's choice. Before she had a heart attack, Irie told her very clearly that he did not want to break up with Kotoko, and if nothing unexpected happened, they would get married.
"Since you knew I wouldn't break up with Kotoko, how could you let her convince you?"
Nami couldn't answer. Kotoko gave her too much chicken soup, such as she also had crucial choices in her life and only by surviving could she meet her own Irie. Nami didn't buy into Kotoko's big promises, but she still agreed to the operation. Maybe the reason was not complicated. She just didn't want to die.
Threatening Irie with her own life is one thing, but since the threat doesn't work, Nami can't really give up her life. She wants to live, accompany her mother, and then go through countless choices in life to find her destined "Dr. Irie". Even the stupid Kotoko can find him, so she can do it too. So she suddenly became full of confidence.
Irie walked out of the ward and stood in the hallway for a long time. He was thinking about what Kotoko had said to Nami: should we give the right to choose our own life to the master of our life? Kotoko probably didn't choose herself in her life, but they were still together. It seemed that Kotoko was waiting, waiting for Irie to make the next choice for her. No matter what it was, she would accept it completely.
In that case, why not get married?
Anyway, he couldn't lose Kotoko again.
Tbc
Irie enters forced marriage mode
Kotoko: Did I ask you to choose this?! Do you have any emotional intelligence?!
Irie: You deserve it because you made me choose.
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