Chapter 216 Assistant Manager
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
"It's been a while, Yoshimi-chan," Haruto said with a warm smile.
"Doctor! I've been waiting for you!" Yoshimi called out, waving energetically.
Haruto stood in front of Yoshimi's family home. During his residency, he had been assigned to a remote region—one so isolated, it was said that someone living there had the rarest blood type in the world.
Rh-null…
Only about fifty people across the entire globe are known to have it.
"Please take good care of Yoshimi," her mother said, bowing lightly.
"Make sure to listen to what the teacher says, alright?" her grandmother added with a gentle pat on Yoshimi's shoulder.
"If you so much as touch her, I'll kill you!" her father barked, face twisted in fury.
Then—thud—he keeled over from a solid punch delivered by his own wife.
"They haven't changed a bit," Haruto muttered with a chuckle.
"Yoshimi, just ignore that idiot and stay safe, okay?" her mother said, brushing her daughter's hair one last time.
"Yup! Then, I'm heading out!" Yoshimi replied cheerfully.
Even though they all knew she wouldn't be coming back for a while, Yoshimi waved goodbye as if it were nothing. Her bigger luggage had already been sent ahead, so she only carried a small bag as she climbed into the car.
Originally, Haruto had planned for Yoshimi to come to him on her own.
But after something she mentioned in a phone call last year, he'd changed his mind. He came to pick her up instead.
"Alright then, let's hit the road," Haruto said, gripping the wheel.
"Yeah!" Yoshimi nodded brightly.
The car's autopilot was already set to their destination, but there was one stop Haruto wanted to make—so he drove manually at first. After a short drive, a familiar building appeared ahead.
"This is kinda exciting!" Yoshimi said, leaning toward the window. "If we had better timing, it would've been perfect."
"It's fine! I got lots of nice photos from you, Yoshimi-chan," Yoshimi said with a proud grin.
They parked in front of the building and stepped out. Before heading inside, Haruto glanced at the front and called out.
"Excuse me," he said at the entrance.
"…What do you want?" a voice answered from inside.
"Would it be alright if I took a look at the tree outside?" Haruto asked.
"The tree? Do whatever you want," the voice grumbled.
As the rumors said, the staff at this clinic really were unpleasant. Still, Haruto got the answer he needed.
"Alright! I got permission. Let's go," he said, walking around to the side.
"Doctor, why'd you want to come all the way here just to look at a tree?" Yoshimi asked, tilting her head.
She thought maybe he'd discovered some secret massage technique. She didn't know about Haruto's ability—he'd kept that part of his life hidden from her.
"It looked like it was dying," Haruto said, kneeling beside the trunk. "So I sprayed a really effective medicine on it. I didn't expect it to actually bloom, though."
"That's what happened? So that's why it suddenly started flowering, after staying bare for so long!"
If it had just been some old, dried-up tree that suddenly blossomed, Haruto wouldn't have come all this way.
This tree was something special to him.
Haruto reached out and gently placed a hand on its bark.
(It's much stronger than it was back then…)
Because of this tree, Haruto learned something important—that plants are living things too.
Because of this tree, he discovered that plants, like people, can have blood types.
And it was thanks to this tree that he eventually figured out how to identify blood types in humans as well.
The fragrant sweet osmanthus before him was the first plant Haruto ever healed.
That's why he'd come all the way here—to see it again.
"Since we're here… should we dig it up and take it with us?" he asked with a mischievous grin.
"Aha… dig it up?" Yoshimi giggled, eyes wide.
"Huh? Did I say something weird?" Haruto asked, laughing so hard his eyes started to water.
Her reaction was too much, and he couldn't stop laughing. But as the laughter died down, her words echoed again in his mind.
"…Maybe taking it back isn't such a bad idea," he said, more serious this time.
"Good thing I sent my luggage by courier!" Yoshimi said with a wink.
Since Yoshimi's bags were already gone, and the tree wasn't too big yet, it might actually work.
It hadn't been long since it came back to life, so it was still manageable.
"I'll go ask," Haruto said, heading back into the clinic.
He politely asked again if he could take the tree.
Maybe because it was the second time, the reply came even more gruff than before.
"The tree? Do whatever you want. I don't care!" the person snapped.
"Thank you very much!" Haruto replied with a grateful bow.
And so, Haruto brought back three kinmokusei saplings.
One would be planted at his own clinic, Miyoshi Medical.
Another at Rin's gym.
And the third… well, maybe that one was just for himself.
Notes:
• Yoshimi – Female. A high school girl who guides Haruto to her grandmother’s house. She is wary of doctors due to past experiences and becomes agitated when Haruto reveals her grandmother’s condition. Her relationship with Haruto is tense, and she sides with her family in distrusting him.
• Rin – Second-year member of the swimming club; currently experiencing a physical problem that Haruto may help solve.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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