A/N: Hi everyone! The weekend is here and as promised, here's the next part of my Dr. Watanabe x Nurse Kashiwagi series! Thank you for waiting! I'm setting myself up for a lot of things with this Part 4.1
Hope you enjoy the update!
TakaNyan: Hi TakaNyan! Thank you for loving my stories!
I squeal internally while writing about this overly-sweet couple too... I will definitely be churning out more MaYuki stuff! Actually, how can I stop?
Note: This is a genderbend story.---
Cut It Like ButterMiyazawa Sae cut a tall, strapping figure as he hung around the departure hall of Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. Decked in a blinding yellow Hawaiian shirt and maroon bermuda shorts with a pair of aviator shades sitting atop his head, he clearly stood out from the listless crowd. It was after all, barely five in the morning.
In the distance, he spied the sleepy-looking Oshima Yuko and Matsui Ren trudging towards him. The petite woman was dragging a trolley luggage bag behind her while Ren had a navy duffel bag slung across his slouching torso. Sae broke into a broad grin and waved wildly at the pair.
“Oi! Over here!” his energetic voice boomed, startling the people around him. When the duo finally reached him, he remarked, “Man, you guys are slow!”
Yuko shot a glare at the loud man through half-lidded eyes. “Look at the time, you overgrown Duracell bunny. We are early!”
Next to her, Ren nodded in agreement as he stifled a yawn. Sae checked his watch and discovered it was still ten minutes before the group’s meeting time.
“Oops,” he let out a sheepish laugh, scratching the back of his head. “Anyway, you two look horrible.”
“Easy for you to say, Captain Obvious,” Yuko grumbled. “You aren’t the one who had to do overtime till 3am,” the grouchy woman leant against the pillar beside her, allowing her dishevelled hair to fall over her face.
“Looks like someone can’t enjoy the vacation,” an all-too-familiar haughty voice from behind invaded Yuko’s ears, making her skin crawl in annoyance.
“Shut up, you stick!” she spun around and snapped only to bolt upright when she noticed the woman beside Shinoda Mario. “N-Nyannyan!” Yuko hastily smoothed her messy hair back and straightened her pink hooded sweater.
“Mario!” Sae’s face lit up at the sight of his long-time colleague in the Department of Neurosurgery. “And a very good morning to you, Haruna-chan!” he greeted the gorgeous woman with luscious, wavy brown hair and alluring feminine curves. Kojima Haruna, a gynaecologist at Akiba Hospital smiled and returned his greeting.
“Why are the two of you together?” Yuko questioned. Mario smirked at the displeased look on her face. Putting his arm around Haruna’s shoulders, he replied, “I gave Haruna-chan a ride here. Any problem?”
Clenching her fists, Yuko suppressed a low growl and forced a smile onto her face, “No. No problem at all.” The blush that was spreading across Haruna’s cheeks irked her to no end.
Just you wait, you stick.“Ah, Yuki-chan is here!” Sae’s excited yell broke the rising tension in the air…
Until Ren’s brow twitched at the way he addressed Yuki.
What Yuki-chan? I’m the only one who calls her that. Ren narrowed his eyes at the oblivious neurosurgeon who was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet, trying to gain the attention of the nurse who had just entered the hall with her boyfriend. Ren’s irritation did not go unnoticed by Mario whose smirk widened at his new discovery.
“Good morning, everyone! Sorry we are a little late,” Yuki bowed apologetically. The bright-eyed lady appeared fresh-faced in her white sundress with yellow daisies print while Mayu went with his usual fuss-free look with a simple white short-sleeved shirt and khaki pants.
“Oh no, you aren’t late!” Sae blurted, flashing his famous charming smile. “Our watches are just faster than the actual time, right guys?” he turned and winked at the rest, hoping that they would play along but they either looked away or rolled their eyes as in Yuko and Ren’s case, obviously miffed at the double standard treatment. Feeling betrayed and embarrassed by the lack of support, the tanned doctor tried to change the subject. “Er… ah… Yuki-chan, have you had breakfast? I have some snacks here in case you are hungry,” he slipped his backpack to the front and rummaged through its contents.
“It’s okay,” Yuki interrupted him before he overturned his entire bag. “Mayu has prepared sandwiches for me,” she hugged the waist of her boyfriend who had been observing the exchange with an amused smile all this while.
“I’m hungry too! Did you make my share?” Yuko looked at Mayu with pleading eyes.
“No.”
“What? How could you?” the female doctor whined loudly, tugging his sleeve like a spoilt child.
“You need to cut down on your food intake,” Mayu replied flatly. Yuko snorted in response and mumbled, “Ungrateful brat.”
“I have Pocky if you want,” Haruna offered, taking pity on her. Yuko’s eyes shot open with glee and she launched herself at the taller woman, “I love you, Nyannyan! Thank you!” and planted a resounding wet smooch on her face, earning a surprised yelp from Haruna.
Score! Yuko did a victorious fist pump and stuck her tongue out at Mario who inhaled sharply and promptly turned the other way.
On the side, Yuki was studying Mayu’s face for any sign of discomfort.
“What is it?” he asked, feeling perturbed at how she was looking at him as if he was some sort of rare virus specimen.
“You sure you are okay? Do you feel pain anywhere?”
Ruffling her hair, he chided goodnaturedly, “Stop worrying. You should be enjoying this holiday, not stressing yourself out over me.”
She pouted, “It’s your first time leaving the house on a long trip after your surgery. Of course I’m worried.”
Enveloping her hands in his, he played with her smooth fingers, noting the missing presence of a certain diamond ring which was tucked away in his pocket. “I’m on a mission to get Mrs Watanabe so I won’t go down so easily. Trust me, alright? I’ll let you know if I’m not feeling well.”
Smiling shyly at his words, she nodded and wrapped her arms around her dearest doctor, hiding her blushing face in his shoulder. She was having butterflies in her stomach just thinking about being formally proposed to. A few steps away, Ren and Sae stared wistfully at the loving yet gut-wrenching scene.
Hurried footsteps approached the group and the notorious gossiping trio of Mocchi, Rie and Akicha arrived at the meeting point, breathing heavily amidst messy gasps from their run.
“Morning guys! Sorry we are late! Mocchi over…” Rie’s voice trailed off when she noticed no one was paying them any heed. Yuki and Mayu were in their own world. Sae and Ren bore pensive looks. Haruna was absorbed in smashing buttons on her PlayStation Portable despite being in the line of fire of Mario and Yuko’s heated staring contest.
“…slept?” Rie finished with a tiny squeak. She cast a helpless glance at her buddies who had become aware of the awkward situation too. Mocchi shrugged, making a don’t-ask-me face.
“Ah,” Akicha pounded her fist against her palm, suddenly struck by a brilliant idea, “we need a knife!”
“Why?” Mocchi frowned at her airheaded friend’s odd suggestion.
“To cut the tension in the air!”
The other two ladies facepalmed and sighed.
“It’s going to be a looong trip.”
---
The moment the group boarded the plane, Yuko shoved her way past everyone to snag the seat beside Haruna, even going to the extent of throwing Mario’s sling bag to the seat behind her although there were three seats on each side of the aisle.
“Excuse me Oshima, that seat belongs to me,” Mario who had been preoccupied with storing Haruna’s carry-on luggage in the overhead compartment returned to find a rude shock in the form of a perverted lesbian in his seat.
“Can’t you see that there are six ladies in our group? Shouldn’t you be a gentleman and let us sit together inside of being the thorn among the roses?”
Mario mentally gagged at the uncouth woman referring to herself as a rose. “I already spot a thorn in the flesh in front of me,” he countered, folding his arms.
“Yuki-chan!” Yuko stood and shouted at the younger woman who was still making her way to the group’s allocated seats. “Come and sit with me and Nyannyan! Shinoda is going to take your seat!”
“I don’t want! I’m sitting with Mayu!”
“Traitor,” Yuko muttered under her breath.
With a triumphant smile, Mario fished out his boarding pass and brandished it before Yuko’s face.
“Look at this. It clearly states that I’m sitting in J58 which is the seat that you are occupying.”
“So? It doesn’t mean that we have to stick strictly to what’s printed on the tickets,” Yuko argued stubbornly.
“Mou!” Haruna slammed her PSP down on her lap, unable to take their squabbling anymore. “I can’t focus on my game!”
Mario and Yuko stiffened at Haruna’s unexpected outburst.
“Yuuchan, you give Mario-kun his seat back.”
“B-but…”
“I’m not done talking,” Haruna cut Yuko off. “Yuuchan, you take the window seat and Mario-kun, you take this aisle seat. Now no more complaints, if not I’m going to change seats!”
Even Mario the master of comebacks was stunned beyond words by the easy-going woman’s rare display of rage. Swallowing their pride, the two rivals buried their hatchet for the time being and obediently followed Haruna’s instructions. When they had finally settled down, the gynaecologist relaxed into her seat and went back to her game while Mario and Yuko sighed at playing second fiddle to some cutesy virtual characters.
In the row behind them sat Mayu, Yuki and Ren, another tension-filled combination. Ren took the window seat, giving the excuse that he wanted minimum distraction to catch up on his sleep whereas Mayu sat in the middle to reduce the chances of any awkward occurrences between the two childhood friends.
The gossiping trio and Sae sat on the opposite side of the aisle. Although he was not seated with his colleagues, the ladies’ man was far from lonely as his neighbour happened to be a ravishing Caucasian lady who looked like she had just catwalked out of a fashion magazine. Before the plane even took off, he was already actively chatting her up with a smattering of broken English. Everyone else felt like digging a hole for him but the playboy was oblivious to the forced pleasantries shown by the American. As much as Yuki could not stand his womanising tendencies, she was secretly grateful his attention was occupied by the blonde so that he would not bother her. She unwrapped the sandwiches that Mayu made for her and began munching on one.
“If you eat these now, you won’t have enough room for the in-flight breakfast later,” Mayu reminded.
“I will feel queasy if I eat when the plane is flying, so I’m skipping that. Besides,” she wore a blissful smile on her face, “I’d rather have your cooking than the food they serve here.”
Mayu’s brows furrowed in thought, “Now where did I hear that before? It sounds familiar.”
“You forgetful boy, you said that of my cooking the day you returned from the hospital.”
“Oh yes,” he grinned at the memory, “and I regretted my words the very next day because you almost burnt down the kitchen.”
“Hey!” she smacked his arm but he merely laughed it off.
“I’m just glad you didn’t get burnt in the process,” he brought his hand up to wipe a spot of mayonnaise on her lips and then licked it off his thumb. Next to him, a dejected Ren groaned inwardly and slumped his head against the window.
---
It was late morning when the group of doctors and nurses arrived at the beach resort located at the southern tip of Okinawa Island. They now sat around the one of the coffee tables at the lobby with four room keys splayed out on the wooden surface. The cosy waiting area was lit by warm tungsten lighting and meticulously pruned palm trees lined the hall, taking advantage of the awe-inspiring high ceiling. Relaxing lounge music played in the background, calming the senses and allowing holidaymakers to forget about the tiresome reality waiting for them back home.
“So how should we do this?” Sae asked. “We have two twin rooms and two triple rooms.”
“That’s easy!” Yuko piped. “Nyannyan and I will take one twin. Mocchi, Akicha and Rie-chan take one triple. You three guys take the other triple then lovebirds here will take the other twin.”
“I object,” Mario voiced out. “I don’t trust you with Haruna-chan.”
“It’s not like I’m going to do anything to Nyannyan,” Yuko defended herself with innocent batting of the eyelids.
Suddenly, the background music seemed to blare as the group fell silent.
Mario cleared his throat, breaking the stunned stares of his colleagues. “As much as I hate being associated with you in the same category, you are equivalent to a man in this sense,” he paused, rethinking what he just said. “No, you are worse. You should stay with Matsui and Watanabe. Haruna-chan will be with one of the ladies.”
Yuko gasped dramatically, “What if they rape me?” and hugged herself with a horrified face, aghast at the suggestion.
Across her, Ren, Mayu and Yuki shot her unamused glares.
Yuko blew her fringe, rolling her eyes, “Gee, you guys can’t take a joke. Anyway, I wouldn’t want to be in the same room as Mayu or Yuki-chan lest they decide to crash in and make out on one of the beds.”
“Yuko-san!” the couple protested.
“Oh, drop the pure and innocent act! Sheesh! Didn’t you two do it after what I said that time?” Yuko stared questioningly at the couple who simply shook their heads. Unable to contain her disappointment, she smacked her forehead and pointed at Mayu. “You! I’m cutting off all ties with you. Do not, I repeat, do not tell anyone I was your mentor. You are a disgrace!”
The poor innocent doctor blinked.
Seeing this, Yuki linked her arm with Mayu’s, “It’s alright. I still want you.” And the man broke into a smile.
“Hey! Don’t just ignore me!”
Yuki bit back the playful grin threatening to spread across her face and cleared her throat. “But I agree with Yuko-san. I want to make sure Mayu’s injuries don’t act up so it’s better that we share the same room.”
Yuko’s face brightened at her support. “Yeah, yeah. Yuki-chan will worry if she’s not with Mayu twenty-four seven.”
Sae raised his hand to get everyone’s attention. “Why don’t we ask Haruna-chan for her opinion?”
All eyes turned to look at the woman who was busy levelling up on her PSP.
“Erm… Haruna-chan, do you know what we are discussing about?” Sae asked. Haruna paused her game and looked up with a blank expression, tilting her head.
“I guess not.”
“Nyannyan, let’s share a room together!” Yuko peered at the object of her affections with large puppy eyes. Without a second thought, Haruna nodded and returned to her game. Mario’s shoulders visibly sagged.
Score again! Yuko fist-pumped and shot a smug grin in the disappointed man’s direction.
“Now that was easy to settle,” noted Mocchi. “Shall we go to our rooms now?” She was getting tired of the delay caused by the love triangle and could not wait to hit the famed beaches and clear blue waters.
---
Mayu and Yuki strolled hand in hand to the white sandy beach that was situated at the edge of the resort premises. The afternoon sun was shining brightly, making it a prime time for avid sunbathers. The comely doctor was still clad in his white button shirt but had changed into a pair of black boardshorts with one turquoise stripe running down each side. His attractive partner was modestly covered up in a matching oversized white shirt that looked suspiciously like it was stolen from his wardrobe. However, she had rolled it up and tied a knot at the hem, baring her flat stomach and showing off the peachy pink bikini bottom that she was wearing.
“Over here!” Rie waved from her spot beside a large white beach umbrella. The pair looked over and found the rest of the gang already assembled along the shore. A colourful beach ball flew in Yuki’s direction and Mayu immediately let go of her hand, swatting the ball away effortlessly.
“Good reflexes, boy!” Yuko’s voice called out. “That was punishment for being the last one to reach!”
A smirk crawled onto Mayu’s lips as he scooped up the ball and propelled it towards the senior doctor who noticed it at the last second and dodged it albeit barely. Unfortunately for Sae, it smacked him in the back of his head as he was busy ogling at two bikini babes frolicking in the distance.
“Ouch! Who was that?” Sae turned around sharply, hoping to catch the culprit. However, his mouth went slack when he laid his eyes on the very beautiful nurse beside Mayu, instantly forgetting about the ball. “Yu-Yu-Yuki-chan!” he kicked up some sand as he jogged towards her. He was dressed only in a pair of blue camouflage-print boardshorts, baring his evenly tanned and buff upper body that captured the attention of many hormonally charged female beachgoers. The sporty man was known to hit the gym thrice a week to keep his body in Hollywood leading man-worthy shape.
“Wow… you look great,” the tall doctor remarked, his eyes trailing down to her creamy thighs, causing her to shift her legs uncomfortably.
“Thank you,” she smiled politely, feeling uneasy at the close proximity with the topless man. She inched a little closer to Mayu who wrapped a protective arm around her small waist.
Yuko snickered at the scene and said in an intentionally loud voice, “You drool is gonna drip, Miyazawa!”
Sae slapped a hand to his gaping mouth to wipe at the said drool but realised there was none, “Hey! I’m not drooling!”
Annoying cackling sounded from the female doctor who was holding her stomach as she laughed mercilessly. “I was being kind to warn you!” Her statement drew amused giggles from Yuki, embarrassing the red-faced Sae further.
“I-I’m going to swim!” Sae stuttered and scurried off towards the waters. Yuko grinned at his retreating back before turning to the couple.
“How long are the two of you going to stay covered? You are at a beach so take those damn shirts off,” she tugged at Yuki’s top but the nurse flinched and quickly clutched the shirt closer to her body. Yuko raised an eyebrow at her baffling action.
“I’m not… confident of my body…” Yuki muttered meekly, her eyes darting around the sand at her feet. Yuko snorted and slung an arm around the self-conscious nurse in a sisterly fashion. “My dear Yuki-chan, you have a body that would make other women think twice about letting their horny husbands or boyfriends near you. There’s no need to be shy.”
“It’s not that… It’s the scar. It’s ugly,” the younger woman confessed quietly. Next to her, Mayu’s lips pressed into a thin line.
“Oh come on, it’s been so many years. I’m sure it has faded,” Yuko nudged her encouragingly. “You’ve come all the way here. Aren’t you being cruel to yourself if you don’t let yourself have fun?”
At this moment, merry laughter reached their ears and Mocchi and Akicha pranced up to Yuki from the shoreline, squeezing Yuko to the side. Both decked in vibrant bikinis, they were dripping wet from having just taken a dip in the soothing clear waters.
“Yukirin! Let’s swim!” each of them grabbed one side of her shirt and pulled, exposing her shoulders to the sun. Yuki shrieked and wrapped her arms around herself, shaking her head.
“Don’t!”
However, the duo was persistent and continued goading her.
“Don’t be a spoilsport! The water’s really great!” an excited Mocchi exclaimed.
“Yup! Let’s go!” Akicha tugged harder at Yuki’s sleeve.
Mayu’s heart clenched at how Yuki was struggling with all her might and appeared close to tears. As much as he felt the urge to tear those two insistent women away from his beloved, he also wished for her to enjoy the vacation and not be held back by an unfortunate memory from her past. The usually quick-witted doctor racked his brain for a way to reassure her.
“Don’t force me! I really don’t want to swim!” Yuki protested but her friends were determined to get her in the water and began pushing her towards the sea. She kicked fiercely at the sand, desperate to stay on dry land.
“Yuki.”
A steady and rarely raised voice cut through the commotion.
Yuki stopped struggling and so did Mocchi and Akicha as they turned back and saw Mayu taking off his shirt, revealing a lean front torso that was littered with painful-looking scars. A hideous, protruding streak cut across his chest while a shorter discoloured scar marred the side of his pale body. A final one with tiny punctures left by the stitches marked his lower abdomen, disappearing under the waistband of his boardshorts. Chucking his shirt to Yuko who whispered a proud “That’s my boy!”, he marched up to his girlfriend.
Mocchi and Akicha’s jaws dropped at the sight, not just because of the scars but also because they were not expecting to see the normally conservative Mayu shirtless and boy, did he look fine. Gulping, they let their eyes roam his toned body and arms. He might not have the magnificent muscular physique of Dr. Miyazawa but it was impossible to miss the light four-pack adorning his taut stomach. Plus, his skin was so fair that it seemed like he was glowing under the sunlight.
“He looks like Edward Cullen!” squealed Mocchi.
“With manly scars!” Akicha clasped her hands together with giddy sparkles in her eyes.
Yuki watched in a daze as Mayu stopped before her and gave a warm, comforting smile. “It’s alright, Yuki,” he took her right hand and guided it to the large jagged scar across his chest, “I’m here with you. No one will laugh at you as long as I’m around.”
Her fingers caressed the uneven pink flesh as memories of his badly bleeding body flashed through her mind. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes when she recalled how he remained unconscious no matter how many times she screamed his name, how his hand got icier as his heart almost stopped beating, and how she nearly became a self-declared widow. She had seen his scars numerous times when she was taking care of him after the incident but this was the first time she actually paid attention to them and realised how fascinating they were. To her, they were a sign that he was alive and by her side.
“Mayu…” she gazed up at his gentle face.
“No one here has an uglier body than mine,” he said as a breeze swept past, tousling his soft black fringe.
She shook her head, saying, “No, your body is beautiful. These scars… they prove that you are alive.”
“Then the same applies to yours. It’s because of it that you and I were able to meet, right?” he peered into her glistening eyes with the smile that never failed to calm her nerves. Feeling a familiar warmth spread through her chest, she nodded and wiped her tears. He took that as a sign of permission and reached forward, unbuttoning her shirt. Watching him work his way down, she shivered involuntarily whenever his fingers brushed against her exposed skin.
“The final step is your call.”
Behind his glasses, silent understanding shone in his eyes. Her insecurity was ultimately a hurdle she had to overcome by herself. Inhaling deeply, she untied the knot at the hem and slipped the shirt off, exposing her disfigured body to the world for the first time. The faint but still visible brownish long scar rested under her left breast, standing out awkwardly on her otherwise flawless milky skin. Feeling the eyes of her colleagues, she was about to block it with her hand but was stopped by Mayu.
“It’s okay,” he whispered. “You are the most beautiful woman on this island.”
Blushing a soft pink, she smiled gratefully at him, “Thank you, Mayu.”
As the doctor gathered his girlfriend in his arms, his eyes made contact with Yuko who had been observing them from the side.
I guess I don’t need to disown you after all. His mentor smirked, flashing him a thumbs up.
A short distance away, Akicha rubbed her arms.
“Why do I feel so cold?” she wondered aloud.
“Maybe we’ve been out of the water for too long,” Mocchi replied, hugging herself too.
They looked at each other, nodded and promptly ran back to the sea.
---
To be continued…Thank you very much for reading! As always, reviews are greatly appreciated!
The next update may take a while so please take the time to re-read the Dr. Watanabe x Nurse Kashiwagi series from the start. I'm joking, of course
But I apologise in advance for the possibly long wait to come
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