A/N: Hi everyone! As mentioned, here's Part 4.6 of my Dr. Watanabe x Nurse Kashiwagi series! We are finally going to find out what happens to Ren and Jun! I hope you will enjoy this update!
sakura_drop_: There's no need to apologise. No one is obliged to comment in the first place
Anyway, thank you for still keeping up with this story! I had a huge laugh when I wrote the face-in-the-crotch moment because I was imagining poor Mayu's guilty face
What if I told you Itano is Jun's boyfriend?
Hahaha I really need to get out of my trolling mode
Note: This is a genderbend story.---
To Mend a Broken SoulMatsui Jun kept his dark eyes trained on the slow-moving pair in the distance. From the way the rubber soles of Ren’s sneakers jerked along the royal blue carpet, it was plain to see that his legs had already given way and the drunken man was practically being dragged by the stranger. The pair stopped before a door after brushing past a chambermaid who did not even bat an eyelid at what was probably a common sight in the hotel. Squinting his eyes from behind a wall, Jun managed to make out the number ‘2513’ on the well-polished door plate.
“Where’s your key?” the smooth voice asked.
Ren swayed a little as he dug his hand into his pants’ left pocket, fumbling around futilely.
“Let me help you,” the man’s hand delved into Ren’s pocket and Jun detected the doctor flinching in shock when the intruding hand went a wee too deep.
“W-What are you doing?” Ren sputtered and staggered away only to have his knees buckle from the sudden loss of support. The tall stranger quickly reached out a muscular arm to steady him before his rump could hit the floor.
“Sorry, you were moving and my hand slipped.”
Ren glared suspiciously at the man but in his inebriated state, his mind was simply too hazy to protest. He desperately yearned to crash the bed so that his world would stop spinning. Leaning against the wall next to the wooden door, he waited impatiently as the man unlocked and pushed the door open. Grunting a word of thanks, he received his hotel key and slid himself along the wall to enter the room.
“I can handle myself from here,” Ren insisted when he sensed the man was following him into the room. However, the man did not budge and slammed the door behind him instead. Ren froze.
“What are you-”
Before he could complete his question, he was swung over the man’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes and then dumped onto the bed. Suddenly, Ren felt more awake than ever as alarm bells rattled his brain to life. The man loomed over him, licking his lips.
Damn it! I can’t move!The heavy intruder had Ren pinned under his burly frame as he straddled him. Large hands tore at his brown leather belt, almost ripping the buckle off. Burdened with an alcohol-infused system that had rendered his limbs useless, he found it impossible to muster any strength to fight back. His mind flashed back to Officer Maeda’s warning about a male rapist on the loose.
This can’t be happening to me! Just like back at the beach when Jun approached him, Ren’s throat tightened and his breathing became ragged to the point where his face turned blue. His vision doubled, spiking the oppressive feeling in his gut as it now appeared to be two voracious men riding on him. Unwelcome body heat was pooling at where their bodies met. As Ren’s heartbeats thumped loudly in his ears, cold sweat poured down from his forehead and his hands trembled as though struck by Parkinson’s disease.
Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!The aggressor ceased wrestling with Ren’s stubborn belt and spun towards the incessant rapping on the door, frowning deeply.
“Anybody inside? There’s a fire down the corridor! Escape now!” a frantic voice called out from the other side.
“Of all times…” the man growled in frustration. Casting a longing glance at the gasping and pale-faced man under him, he clicked his tongue and clambered off the bed, scrambling towards the room’s exit. The moment he swung open the door, a fist flew into his nose, snapping his head back.
“Ugh!” the man stumbled and before he could regain his bearings, he fell back from a sharp kick to his chest. The new arrival pounced onto him like a wild panther and sat on his stomach.
“Police!” Jun proudly shoved his police badge in the man’s face. The young officer grinned inwardly when the man’s features froze in shock. However, his joy was short-lived when the stocky man broke into a ravenous grin.
“You don’t look half bad, Officer Boy,” he stroked Jun’s smooth face, making the younger man blanch from the intimate action. “Since I’m going to get arrested anyway, I should add a police officer to my list of victims. That way I’ll go down in history, right, boy?”
With a sudden burst of hidden strength, the man flipped their positions, causing Jun to smack the back of his head against the ground. Although the floor was carpeted, the huge impact still knocked the wind out of him, making him see dancing stars.
On the bed, Ren groaned as he forced his uncooperative body up. His jet-black hair stuck to his sweat-drenched forehead in dripping clumps. Shaking his head, he was painfully aware of the racket in the room that was making his head throb even more. With the man off him and his personal bubble back, he was able to slowly stabilise his senses.
That voice sounds familiar… Looking up, he did a double take when he spotted Jun struggling with his attacker on the floor. The officer appeared to be fighting a losing battle. Whenever Jun was about to get up, the man would shove him back down. An unexpected wave of dread struck Ren.
“No, don’t hit him…” Ren whispered subconsciously. Realising what he had just said, he almost bit his tongue.
Wasn’t I afraid of him earlier? Why do I…? No, it’s just because he’s a good person. That’s all.There was a sharp yell of pain from Jun and Ren cursed himself for getting so pissed drunk.
I need to help him.Jun tasted blood on his lips after being delivered a vigorous wallop to his jaw. As he blocked off more punches aimed at his face, he regretted not informing his colleagues of his whereabouts.
Itano-senpai is so gonna scold me after this. If I make it out alive, that is.A fraction of a second’s distraction was all it took for the man to sneak a punch through Jun’s defense. Immense pain exploded in his left eye and the officer was out cold from the impact, his arms dropping to his sides limply. Smirking, the man gripped Jun’s shirt collar.
“Time for my prize,” his eyes gleamed in anticipation.
Ren clumsily rolled off the bed when he noticed the danger Jun was in.
“Don’t touch him!” he shouted, or attempted to with his hoarse voice.
Fingers tightening on the denim shirt, the man ripped it apart as though it was paper. The buttons popped audibly and scattered all over the carpet.
“What the hell is this!” the man cried out in confusion as he recoiled from the sight presented before him. Covering Jun’s chest was none other than a woman’s black chest binder.
While the predator was still in a state of shock, Jun’s eyes shot open and she whispered, “Gotcha.”
The officer sat up and headbutted him, breaking the hindering sunglasses with a satisfying crack. With a gleeful kung fu shout, she kneed him in a man’s most vulnerable region. His voice went from deep and manly to shrill and girly in a split second.
Ren’s jaw dropped at the sight. He blinked multiple times to make sure his eyes were not playing tricks on him. Nope, the binder was still there.
Jun is a woman.Relief washed over him.
Wait, why am I feeling glad?He watched in dumb admiration as Jun expertly whipped out a pair of handcuffs from her pocket and locked the weakened man’s wrists behind his back. She stomped on his struggling back, pressing her foot down hard as she called someone on her mobile phone.
“Itano-senpai, I’ve just subdued Homo Rapist in Room 2513. Can you and Atsuko-san come over to help me bring him to the station?” There was a pause before she continued, “You are on the way to catch another offender? Alright, alright. I’ll wait for you here. No, no, I won’t let him escape. Please trust my abilities, senpai.”
Ending the call, she scowled dramatically at her phone as if it was her disbelieving senior. Drawn by the comical action, Ren accidentally let out a soft chuckle, instantly earning her attention.
“Ren-san…” Jun stared at the handsome man, suddenly feeling extremely self-conscious like a starstruck teenage girl. Slapping her flaming cheeks, she muttered something audible only to herself before she focused on him again. “Are you alright?”
Ren ruffled his hair sheepishly. “Yeah, thanks to you.”
An awkward silence fell over them.
“What is this? An idol drama?” the man jeered from the floor and was promptly delivered another kick to his nuts.
“Shut up!” Jun snapped. “Do you want me to gag you?”
“If you are capable of it, girlie,” came the strained yet taunting reply.
Jun clenched her fists. “You asked for it.”
The next thing Ren knew, the young female officer had singlehandedly bundled the man up in a thick blanket and stuffed a face towel in his blabbering mouth. She patted her hands with a satisfied huff while Ren observed her high nose bridge and the feminine curve of her rosy lips, wondering how he could have missed the signs that she was a woman.
“Erm… Ren-san…”
Ren jolted at being called. “Y-Yes?”
“Do you have a shirt that I can borrow? Mine is kind of ruined,” Jun flapped her open blue shirt carelessly. Feeling a surge of heat to his face, Ren averted his eyes from her flat bound chest and slim stomach, clearing his throat as he walked to his luggage and rummaged through its contents to dig out a plain black T-shirt.
“Thanks,” Jun removed her shirt and tossed it aside casually before pulling Ren’s tee over her head, taking a brisk whiff of the fresh scent unconsciously. After adjusting her short black wig, she stepped up to him and stuck her hand out with a megawatt smile.
Ren frowned questioningly at the abrupt action.
“Matsui Jurina. That’s my real name,” she said. “Nice to meet you.”
Ren blinked.
Jurina nudged her hand forward, still beaming.
A small but heartfelt smile finally graced Ren’s dry lips and he grasped the proffered hand. The moment their hands made contact, he was overwhelmed by how ladylike hers was. It was a little rough, probably a result of her police training, but it was certainly smoother and smaller than an average man’s hand.
“Matsui Ren. Nice to meet you too.”
As they waited for the other officers to arrive, Jurina took his statement as she sat unceremoniously on the restrained rapist while Ren rested on the edge of his bed. When that was done, they moved on to idle talk and Ren found out an astonishing fact about Jurina: the young lady had barely turned twenty, making her seven years his junior.
“That’s really young,” Ren remarked, not quite knowing what else to say.
“I joined the academy once I graduated high school because I wanted to be like my dad. He was always so cool when fighting the bad guys! But now he’s an instructor for the new cadets. He really gave me hell when I was under him,” Jurina pouted at the memory.
Ren laughed softly at how excited she sounded when she talked about her dream job. “It’s for your own good that he was tough on you.”
Jurina nodded, pressing her lips together, “Hmm… That’s right. He always says the criminals won’t go easy on me.”
The doctor could not help but chuckle again.
This girl is really quite innocent in her thinking.“What about you, Ren-san? Why did you become a doctor?” With the tables suddenly turned on him, Ren was at a loss for words. He had made it a point not to rake up the past which never failed to make his heart ache but when he saw the large doe-like eyes staring expectantly at him, his resolve crumbled.
Closing his fists over his knees, he slowly revealed, “My childhood friend and I always played doctor and nurse when we were young. As we grew older, she realised she truly wanted to become a nurse while I, being a prideful teenage boy, boasted that I’d be a doctor so that we could work together. And we studied really hard in high school but…”
He sighed.
“But?” Jurina peered inquisitively at the hesitant doctor.
“She left our hometown to further her studies in a university in Tokyo. My family didn’t have the money to send me to the big city so I was left to work hard on my own in Nagoya.”
“Is your friend Mayu-san’s girlfriend?”
Ren nearly choked on his saliva when she posed that question.
I was wrong. She is definitely not naïve at all!Biting his lip, he nodded solemnly.
“And you like her, don’t you?” Jurina probed again, giving him another shock to the heart.
I may be a heart specialist but at this rate, even I can’t save myself.With a wry smile, he responded, “You are quite sharp.”
To his surprise, the officer burst into peals of sheepish laughter. Scratching the back of her head in a rather boyish manner, she dismissed his claim, “No, no. You’ve just been very obvious, Ren-san!” Somehow, she liked the way his name rolled off her tongue.
Before they could continue the conversation, there were three firm knocks on the door.
“Ah, that must be Itano-senpai and Atsuko-san!” Jumping up, Jurina bounced over to the door. Ren was a little startled that he was disappointed at the interruption.
What is this feeling?He did not have time to wallow in self-pity because in walked Atsuko with a rather tall and fashionable man with short slicked-back blonde hair and multiple ear piercings. Trailing behind the no-nonsense-looking man whom Ren deduced was probably ‘Itano-senpai’ was his colleague Kojima Haruna.
“Kojima-san, why are you with them?” Ren asked.
“It’s a long story…” Haruna trailed off, tapping her chin as she pondered over her reply. “Let’s just say Kashiwagi-chan got kidnapped-”
“What?!” If not for the fact that Haruna was a woman, Ren would have grabbed her shoulders and shaken her like a rag doll.
“Calm down. As I was saying, Kashiwagi-chan was kidnapped but Watanabe-kun and the two officers here saved her. They are on their way to the hospital as we speak.”
“Yuki-chan is hurt?”
Haruna nodded absentmindedly. “Not as bad as Watanabe-kun though. She only suffered a cut on her arm and some bruises.”
Ren exhaled in relief upon hearing that Yuki was not in critical condition. Without realising it, he sighed a second time at how useless he had been.
I hate to admit this but you made the right choice, Yuki-chan. Mayu-san is the one who can protect you with his life. He is always there whenever you need help while I just know how to get drunk and get into trouble myself. I guess I’m just not… not good enough.“Ren-san, are you okay?” Jurina waved her hand before his unblinking eyes, looking very concerned. Snapping out of his thoughts, he gave a forced smile and nodded a bit too quickly.
“I’ll be going now. See you around?” Jurina said with a hopeful tone in her voice.
“Ah, hang on,” Ren stopped her. She watched him curiously as he took some ice cubes from the mini fridge and wrapped them with a small towel.
“Use this on your eye. It’s looking pretty bad,” he advised. “This is the least I can do in return for your help.”
Her chest warmed at his thoughtfulness and she gladly received the impromptu ice pack.
“Thank you, Ren-san,” with a sincere smile and butterflies in her stomach, she left.
When it was just Ren and Haruna alone in the room, the gynaecologist made an unexpected request.
“Can I sleep in your room tonight?”
“Eh?” Ren gaped at her. “Aren’t you sharing a room with Yuko-san?”
“I don’t know where she is and I left my room key with her. She and Mario-kun were already gone from the club when I went back just now. So were the others and I don’t want to disturb them,” Haruna answered matter-of-factly.
“I guess that should be fine then. Knowing Miyazawa, he is probably not coming back tonight. You can take Mario-san’s clothes to change and take his bed. I believe he wouldn’t mind,” Ren suggested and proceeded to get ready for bed. Before he succumbed to exhaustion, his thoughts drifted to the new friend he had made and he fell asleep a little more easily for the first time in years.
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It was already four in the morning when Yuki and Mayu returned to the holiday resort. On the way back to the hotel, Mayu had received a message from Haruna saying that Ren was fine and the rapist had been arrested. With their minds finally at ease, the doctor had insisted that he did not need to stay for observation in the hospital as he trusted Yuki to nurse his wounds properly. There was another reason which he kept to himself: he did not want to leave Yuki alone after all that had happened.
“So much for a holiday trip,” huffed Yuki as she helped Mayu into their hotel room. “You sustained new injuries instead of recovering from your old ones.”
Forgetting the large wound on his shoulder, Mayu shrugged and hissed loudly in pain. His anxious companion was on him in a second, ushering him to the edge of their bed.
“It’s time to change the dressing. It’s all soaked,” Yuki diverted his attention to the piece of dressing on his right shoulder that was wet with semi-dried blood. With the skilful hands of an experienced nurse, she removed the dressing carefully and dabbed at the sticky stitched up wound with a moist cloth. Mayu found himself enthralled by the way long locks of her soft raven hair fell over the right side of her face as she tilted her head in deep concentration. Her angelic features, though marred by traces of dirt, were still as alluring as ever. He smiled to himself, feeling like the most fortunate man in the world to have protected the purity of this wonderful woman before him.
“Is it very painful?” Yuki asked when her boyfriend winced.
“A little,” he flashed a feeble and somewhat forced smile. Noticing the worried crease on her brow, he quickly added in a joking manner, “Doesn’t it look like my body has become a living canvas?”
She smiled girlishly at his attempt to cheer her up. “Whoever the artist is, I would love to take away his license for drawing scars all over my boyfriend. But…” her voice trailed off as she leant back and admired his lean physique basking in the warm glow of the room.
“But?” he returned a puzzled look.
“… I must admit you look sexy with them,” she continued softly as a bright blush conquered her visage. A light chortle sounded from the amused man before her.
“Did I not look sexy previously?” he teased, enjoying the way her cheeks bloomed like cherry blossoms in spring.
Eyelids fluttering downwards, she shyly placed a hand on his bare chest and drew small circles at where his heart emitted steady beats. “You were more… boyish.”
She felt a rumble under her palm as he let out a low chuckle. Lightly callused fingers tipped her chin up and she found herself staring into the mesmerizing windows to his soul.
“I have to match up to my very sexy girlfriend, right?”
The unabashed compliment raised the corners of her mouth even as she tried to bite back a smile. “Hmph… sweet talker,” she smacked him lightly. “You were already very manly when I started working with you.”
“Really? That’s new.”
She giggled at the genuine surprise he was displaying. “Yes,” she resumed drawing random shapes on his uneven scars. “It was the way you carried yourself. Ever heard of ‘a serious man is a sexy man’?”
He shook his head and she could not help but pinch his nose playfully.
“You might have been the medical prodigy and Dr. Cool to everyone but I felt your kindness during our very first meeting,” she caressed his swollen left cheek gingerly. “And I’m glad my instincts were right.”
Turning his head, he kissed her palm. “I’m thankful that you were so patient. I mean, it took me almost three years to tell you how I felt.”
“Good that you know,” she poked the raw bruise on his jaw, effectively making him reel in pain.
“Yuki!”
Her melodious laughter rang in the quiet room. “That’s punishment for making me wait so long.” However, her heart melted upon seeing the pitiful puppy-like drooping brows on his injured face and she pulled him in for a soothing peck on the lips.
“Mayu… I’m tired. Can you hug me to sleep?”
He raised an eyebrow at her unusual request. “You don’t even need to ask. Don’t I do that every night?”
Gripping the crumpled fabric of her dress, she bit her lower lip nervously. That was when Mayu detected fear in her fidgety brown eyes. Laying his hands over hers, he spoke in the gentlest tone he could muster, afraid to shatter her delicate soul. “Sure, would you like to change out of your dress first?”
“Can you take it off for me?”
It was another odd request but he complied without a second word. Lifting her dress that was stained with blood and grime, he was careful not to agitate the bandaged wound on her right arm. He silently thanked the heavens that her cut did not require stitches like his. When he laid eyes on the deep red bruises on her thighs, he mentally stabbed himself for allowing another man the chance to touch his beloved inappropriately.
“I’ll get your sleepwear,” he stood up but was instantly held back by a shaky hand.
“Don’t leave me,” her voice came out as a desperate plea. The frightened gaze in her glistening eyes as she peered up at him dressed only in her lacy white lingerie made her look extremely vulnerable. Mayu suddenly found his throat very dry. Sucking in a deep breath, he counted to six in his head before plopping back down. He set his glasses on the bedside table and drew her into his arms, allowing her weight to rest upon him as he lay on the fluffy pillow. With her head tucked under his chin, he felt her burying her face in his chest as feathery strands of her hair tickled his unclothed skin.
“Thank you, Mayu,” she murmured, finding solace in the comforting warmth of his embrace. He pulled the covers over their bodies and pressed his lips against the top of her head.
“Sleep your worries away, my dear. I will always be here.”
Soon, he sensed the tension seeping away from her as quiet, steady breathing drifted into his ears. If he could see her face, he would have noticed her peaceful smile as she slept soundly in his arms…
The next morning, he was awakened by the pleasant feeling of familiar fingers playing with his fringe. Blinking his bleary eyes open, he was greeted by the beautiful serene face of his angel. The sight warmed his heart and he returned a lazy smile.
“Had a good sleep?” he asked, voice somewhat husky.
She nodded and replied, “Thanks to you.”
“Anything for you,” he rubbed his eye and pouted at the thought of leaving the indulging arms of sleep. The adorable unguarded action brought a loving grin to Yuki’s face. It never failed to amaze her how mature he can be yet in their private moments together, he would sometimes let his child-like side slip through.
“You are so cute,” she poked his nose.
“No one is looking,” he drawled, allowing his heavy eyelids to fall again.
“I am.”
“Not counted,” he pulled her closer, savouring the warmth of her body.
“Shouldn’t we be getting up for breakfast?”
“I’m tired.”
“Sleepyhead.” Despite her remark, she made no move to ease out of his hug. Instead, she gazed dotingly at his resting face.
You’ve been through a lot too last night. I’ll let you sleep in today.Inching forward, she planted a tender kiss on his swollen cheek before closing her eyes and joining her favourite doctor in his dreamland.
Meanwhile, things were not so peaceful in Room 2515. A distinct high-pitched shriek pierced through all the walls despite how soundproof they were advertised to be and it was soon joined by a lower but equally anguished male scream. All occupants in nearby rooms save for a certain snoozing doctor and nurse, were jolted wide awake.
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To be continued...Thank you very much for reading! As always, reviews are greatly appreciated
I had wanted to wrap up this vacation arc in this update but there are still some loose ends to be tied up and dun-dun-dun, Mayu still hasn't proposed to Yuki!