Chapter Text
"Can you please just let me pick up one shift? Just one," Kuroo is practically begging but he doesn't care anymore. He needs this. He needs to feel like he's actually making a difference and isn't a luxury service for some rich person to purchase.
"No, we need you in the private rooms," Daishou shakes his head, not even sparing a glance to Kuroo as he continues swiping on his stupid tablet. "You know... you should be happy. It's easy work. The clinic is a mess. People will cough on you."
"I think you're making a mistake," Kuroo continues. "I could help ten people in the time it takes me to see after one your private patients."
"The answer is no," Daishou finally looks up, his eyes narrowing.
Kuroo has a lot he would like to say to Daishou right now but doing so would get him immediately fired. And he kind of needs his job. He purses his lips closed together tightly and Daishou smirks briefly before his gaze is back on the tablet, walking away from Kuroo like he doesn't keep ruining his life daily. Kuroo turns to look at the nurses behind the front desk, not even surprised when he sees them giving him pitying looks.
"We're with you..." one of them says, her voice soft.
"Yes, you would be great with the patients in the free clinic," the other chimes in, offering Kuroo what he thinks is an encouraging smile.
"Thanks," Kuroo sighs, giving them a small smile. "Alright. Lay it on me, what room number this time?"
After reviewing his list of patients Kuroo wanders to the free clinic, glancing inside, his bottom lip trembling just a bit when he sees the full waiting room. Iwaizumi is helping an elderly woman to the examination room and he glances up just as Kuroo is letting his shoulders droop. He mouths a question and Kuroo shakes his head. Iwaizumi gives him a small pitiful smile but he goes back to guiding the woman inside.
The day drags on. His patients complain about ailments Kuroo has already ruled out but he indulges them anyway and runs as many scans as they request. Daishou checks in on him throughout the day and the micromanaging is driving Kuroo insane but he holds it together. When he's finally free to go for the night he runs into Iwaizumi locking up the clinic.
"Hey, rough day?" Iwaizumi asks.
"I just think I could be doing more," Kuroo sighs, rubbing his eyes. "What about you? Long day?"
"Yes, but, it's rewarding," Iwaizumi continues, shrugging his shoulder.
"Stop bragging," Kuroo pouts. "I'm going to start looking into nonprofits."
"Oh that's a great idea," Iwaizumi is nodding, his fingers on his phone. "I think... if you're serious, I might just know of the perfect place."
"Seriously?" Kuroo snorts, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans as they step out the doors.
"You'd have to open your own clinic but it shouldn't be too expensive there," Iwazumi continues, his thumbs already flying over the keyboard on his phone. "A lot of elderly people from what I heard."
"Even if it's not that expensive my savings aren't too impressive," Kuroo mutters, tucking his chin into the collar of his jacket.
"You can always ask Kenma to invest," Iwaizumi is tucking his phone into his pocket. "Think about it. I'll send you my friend's information tomorrow. Make a trip out of it, go visit the town."
"Mm," Kuroo hums, blinking a few times and nodding at Iwaizumi when they part ways to take their respective buses home.
He's certain that Iwaizumi just threw that out there as small talk while they walked together but something is slowly blooming in Kuroo's chest at the thought of putting his degree to good use, at helping the people of a small town feel healthy and safe. He's thinking about it as he showers, as he brushes his teeth, as he tucks into bed, his feet aching from another day of standing around feeling useless. He thinks about the room full of patients out of his reach because Daishou is selfish and without thinking about it any longer he grabs his phone to ask Iwaizumi for the information despite the late hour.
A few days later Kuroo is getting on a train and riding six hours away from Tokyo to a small seashore town. When he steps out of the train he can smell the salt in the air, the breeze is pleasant, and there's an energy buzzing on his fingertips. Kenma had promised to back him up completely if Kuroo wanted to open the clinic and promised he could pay Kenma back slowly without any interest. Kuroo glances down at his phone and looks at the directions Iwaizumi's friend had given him for the cafe they were meeting at.
"Alright, alright, you got this," Kuroo mutters to himself, tugging on the straps of his backpack, following the signs to the exit.
The town charms Kuroo almost immediately. The homes are traditional and well taken care of. Kuroo spots many elderly people walking, gardening, and carrying baskets with produce back to their homes. He eventually reaches the small market area and spots children running, adults working, and teenagers crowded around a takoyaki stand. It feels lively and homey. It kind of feels right.
People greet Kuroo curiously and he gives everyone the best smile he can muster. He needs to make a good impression if he's going to win over their trust and become their doctor. Kuroo spots the cafe finally and he tries to peek through the windows, taking a few deep breaths, pushing open the heavy wooden door. It creaks and a bell jingles over his head, he glances up at it, the scent of espresso shots overpowering his senses. There's a barista behind the counter, his short sleeves rolled up, an apron around his waist, and Kuroo watches as he slowly pours frothed milk into a cup. He's handsome, Kuroo can't help but notice it as he carefully sets the cup down on a tray with a pastry.
He spots Kita sitting by a wall covered in old album posters and he walks over, sparing a brief glance to the barista who makes eye contact with him before he's looking back down at the cup he's stirring with a long spoon.
"Kita-san," Kuroo greets him as he stops in front of the table, giving him a small smile. "Thank you for meeting with me. I'm Kuroo Tetsuro."
"Kuroo-san," Kita stands, bowing his head politely. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance in person. Would you like to order something? I waited just in case."
Kuroo nods, setting his backpack down next to his chair. They approach the counter together and Kita steps forward, clearing his throat once to get the baristas attention. When he looks up he glances between Kuroo and Kita, wiping his hands dry on a towel. He sets it down and smiles.
Woah. He's really handsome, Kuroo thinks to himself, blinking once.
"How can I help you?" he asks and Kuroo glances down hoping to see a name tag but no luck.
"A latte for me please, Sawamura-san," Kita murmurs quietly and Kuroo repeats the name in his head a few times so he won't forget.
"And for you?" Sawamura looks to Kuroo, his eyebrow raised.
"Uh..."
Okay. Kuroo can either save face in front of hot barista Sawamura or he can just be himself and indulge in the sweetest drink the menu has to offer. He glances at the menu and makes his choice.
"One iced mocha with lots of syrup and whipped cream if you have it," Kuroo finally says. "Oh, and one of those." He gestures at the display of cakes with his palm and Sawamura nods and gets to work.
Kita guides them back to their table and they take their seats as they wait for their order. Kuroo isn't exactly sure on how the conversation will go, Kita after all isn't in the medical field as far as Kuroo knows but he knows the town.
"Iwaizumi-san mentioned you might be interested in opening a medical clinic here," Kita finally murmurs, his hands folded on his lap. "I have to admit that would be very helpful to everyone in our little village. The nearest doctor is a forty-five minute drive away and many people don't have transportation."
"That's awful," Kuroo frowns, biting his lip. "I believe everyone deserves the care they need. At my current job I feel like my efforts are being wasted. If there is something I can do to help the people of this town I want to."
A tray is set down on the table between them and Kuroo looks up to Sawamura, nodding his thanks as he reaches for his drink.
"Enjoy," Sawamura says before he takes his leave and Kuroo takes a sip of his drink. It's as sweet as he was hoping it would be.
"I am glad you decided to visit us," Kita continues, cupping his mug with both hands. "I can show you around the village if you would like, but I find that exploring it on your own would make it shine more. At the end of your visit, if you think this is the place for you, give me a call. I can introduce you to a realtor that can show you an office space nearby."
"That sounds great," Kuroo nods. "Where would you recommend I start?"
Kuroo starts right where he is. When he steps out of the cafe, his sweet tooth sated for the time being, he looks around the market. The teenagers from earlier are gone and Kuroo approaches the takoyaki stand, bowing his head as he greets the elderly woman behind it, asking for a small portion. She gives Kuroo the small paper plate and Kuroo gives her the money, noticing how her hands tremble and she winces when they curl around the cash. He feels his heart sink at the sight of someone in pain when he's literally right here and could help her but he doesn't overstep. There's more he needs to see before he makes a decision.
He makes small talk with every stall he comes across, buying a bag of yuzu tea so he can give it to Kenma in case he gets sick this winter, and little snacks that he can't say no to when his mind is definitely on vacation mode.
"Young man!" he hears someone call while he's studying a display of fresh raw fish and crab. He looks up, just in case it's him being called, and sees a group of elderly women cleaning squid. "Yes you! Come here!"
He can't help but grin as he approaches them, bowing his head politely to all three of them in greeting.
"We haven't seen you here before, are you visiting your grandmother?" the one in the middle asks, her hands working on the squid even as she keeps eye contact with him.
"Ah," Kuroo chuckles to himself, shaking his head. "No, auntie, I am visiting for the first time. I wanted to be by the sea today."
They all oooh at his explanation, nodding their heads and talking amongst each other briefly before the one to Kuroo's left says, "Are you married yet? What do you do for a living? I have a granddaughter around your age, she's pretty."
"How do you know he wants a girlfriend," the one in the middle complains and the one to the right laughs to herself. "I have a very handsome grandson, you know? He's very important here in town, he's the chief."
Kuroo can't help chuckling, covering his mouth, bowing his head a bit to hide how amused he is at the conversation he's found himself in. Aunties never miss their chance of shooting their shot for their single family members, if Kuroo reveals he's a doctor they will both insist on a blind date.
"Next time, I would love to meet both," Kuroo finally cuts in when the two that offered start bickering with each other, throwing jabs Kuroo is certain would have had him swinging but these ladies have heard it all before and just bite back with something harsher. They don't need to know that he technically has someone back home waiting for him though Kuroo has been feeling exhausted with Oikawa lately. He's too focused on his socialite events lately and just hums when Kuroo is talking to him.
"Both?" the one in the middle cuts off and turns to look at him. "Mmm, you can have him Nanako. I don't need a player around my grandson. He looks like one too."
"Ah..." Kuroo flushes and his shoulders slump, he pouts a bit but tries to shake it off. "Auntie, I just meant I wouldn't mind meeting a man as well..."
"Mhmp," she grunts and looks back down at her squid, the one to the right giggling to herself again.
"So what do you do for a living?" Nanako to the left asks him again, her eyes shimmering with delight.
"I'm a doctor," Kuroo tells her, hoping it will get him back on the good graces of the woman in the middle again.
"A doctor in the family," the woman wiggles happily and Kuroo laughs. "You come find me here when you're back in town."
"Well my grandson is the chief, the chief," the one in the middle continues. "Everyone in town loves him. He's done more than a doctor ever will!"
"I'm sorry if I offended you, auntie," Kuroo sighs, crouching down to their level on their stools, pursing his lips together. "I really didn't mean to. I just meant, I wouldn't mind a boyfriend. If you can forgive me I'll definitely meet your grandson."
She lifts her gaze from her work then, squinting at Kuroo, her lip pulling back just a bit as she lets out a scoff. She doesn't seem as mad anymore though and Kuroo gives her a pitiful pout that she rolls her eyes to but then she's smiling just a bit too.
"Go on, then," she mutters, waving her hand. "Enjoy the sea."
"I will," he nods, standing again, glancing around for a moment before he starts his way down an alley with shops. He spots a small convenience store, stepping inside to grab a chocolate milk, and picking up a packet of chips for later when he gets peckish. When he sets it down on the counter he looks up and tilts his head when he sees the barista from the cafe behind it.
"Do you need anything else?" Sawamura asks, counting with his fingers.
"That's it," Kuroo mumbles, reaching for his wallet.
"One thousand," Sawamura holds out his hand and Kuroo places the bill on his palm, grabbing his milk and bag of chips.
"Thank you," he mutters, giving Sawamura a quick glance before stepping away. It wasn't that late into the afternoon. Not enough time had passed for Sawamura to have dropped his post at the cafe. Kuroo scratches at his chin thoughtfully before he sticks his straw into his milk, sipping at it slowly as he continues on his stroll.
His eyes stick to window displays and he observes the people around him with curiosity. There's a certain type of charm to the people as well as the town. Everyone seems to know each other and stop for short chats before continuing on their way. He finds finally spots an entrance to the beach and he stops short of it to take off his shoes and socks, rolling up the legs of his jeans. When he steps into the sand it's still a little bit warm from the sunlight but Kuroo can tell it will be freezing in the coming days as winter settles in.
He steps closer to the shoreline, watching the push and pull of the waves. He touches at it with his toes and shivers, taking a few steps back carefully. He's sure he'll get hungry before long but for now he decides to move back just a few more steps, sitting down, hugging at his knees as he gazes at the clouds moving on the horizon. He can see someone surfing just ahead of him and he can't imagine how someone could handle that freezing water. The guy is good though. The suit he's wearing is tight on him and Kuroo really hopes it helps retain some heat. Maybe he should stick around and recommend him to drink a lot of citrus and warm up as soon as he's done surfing.
When his stomach starts rumbling Kuroo stands, looking towards where the surfer had been and he's shocked when he sees Sawamura shaking water droplets from his hair. Kuroo crumples the bag of chips he had finished earlier and stomps his way over, his toes digging into the sand. Something about running into Sawamura everywhere he's going is making him angry.
"Hey, are you following me?" Kuroo asks as he finally stands in front of Sawamura who's drying the back of his hair with a towel.
"Me?" Sawamura asks, raising an eyebrow, glancing around and behind him, one hand to his chest. "Who are you again?"
"Are you kidding?" Kuroo scoffs. "You... at the cafe and the convenience store and now here?"
"Coincidence," Sawamura shrugs, wrapping the towel around his shoulders.
"Do you work there?" Kuroo asks.
"Where?"
"The convenience store. Or did you steal my money?"
"I didn't steal your money," Sawamura shakes his head. "I don't even remember you."
"You're lying," Kuroo clenches his fists, his pride wounded.
"Alright," Sawamura shrugs, walking away from Kuroo.
Kuroo stands there for a moment, watching Sawamura walk away, his eyes running over his neck, back, and legs. He takes a deep breath because he really can't help but notice every time he sees the guy how attractive he is. He turns away when Sawamura is nothing but a spot in the distance, grabbing his shoes, and climbing his way back to the beach entrance he came through. Once he has his shoes on he stomps back towards the restaurant he spotted on his way to the beach. He looks up at the crab on top of the sign and his stomach grumbles again.
"God this town makes me hungry," Kuroo grumbles, opening the door and walking in. He takes a seat and glances at the menu on the board across the restaurant.
"What can I get for you?" a familiar voice asks and Kuroo looks up, shocked.
"Is this a joke?" Kuroo asks, raising his eyebrows. "You work here too?"
"Sometimes," Sawamura grins at him, most likely eating up how angry he's making Kuroo. "What would you like to order?"
"What do you recommend?" Kuroo asks, crossing his arms.
"You know what? I'll surprise you," Sawamura says with a nod, tucking away the small notebook into the second apron Kuroo has seen him wear today. "Wait here."
"He must be a quintuplet," Kuroo murmurs to himself, covering his mouth as he tries to think. There's no way this Sawamura would have been able to work so many jobs in the first half of the day. He looks at his phone and sees a text message from Kenma asking about the town and one from Iwaizumi complaining about having to pick up on one of Kuroo's problem patients.
He looks up when a plate is set down in front of him and then side dishes are spread around it, Kuroo looks at the grilled fish, and then his eyes dart to the bowl of steamed white rice. He looks up at Sawamura and wonders exactly how he knew what Kuroo's favorite type of food was. Sawamura sets down a cup after and fills it with water, taking one step back to look over his work.
"Well, what do you think?" Sawamura asks Kuroo. "Up to your standards?"
"It's... yeah," Kuroo nods, glancing back down at his plate and reaching for the chopsticks. "Thanks."
When Kuroo walks to the front to pay Sawamura isn't anywhere to be seen. He steps outside and finds a bench to sit down and takes some notes about the type of people he has seen around town. He answers Kenma with a screenshot of his findings and Kenma immediately asks how much money he should wire Kuroo so he can secure an office space for his clinic. Kuroo isn't decided yet but he thinks Kenma's confidence in him is pushing him more and more into that direction.
He snaps out of his note taking when hears the wail of a child. He glances around and spots a two children down the road, one on the floor, gripping his wrist. Kuroo jumps into action, walking over to the children and approaching them slowly with his hands raised.
"Hey," Kuroo crouches down to the level of the little boy, looking at his cradled hand to his chest. "What's wrong?"
"I pushed him," the little girl standing behind the boy says and she's sniffling and there's tears pooling in her eyes. "It was an accident."
Kuroo purses his lips together and then reaches out with a hand slowly, making eye contact with the boy.
"May I? I'm a doctor, I can check if it's hurt bad," Kuroo tells him and the boy hesitates for a second but then slowly pulls his hand from his chest, offering it to Kuroo. Kuroo takes the boy's wrist in in gently with his fingertips, pressing lightly to the tender skin. It's a little bit red and swollen but Kuroo doesn't think it's broken, maybe just a sprain. He bends it back and forth and the boy only winces and let's out a quiet whimper so Kuroo is even more confident then.
"Come on, let me help you stand," Kuroo stands straight slowly, giving the boy time to get to his feet. "There we go. Let's go find some bandages, yeah? I'll wrap it up and your parents can take you to the doctor tomorrow if the swelling doesn't go down."
"Did he break it?" the little girl asks and she's still crying. Kuroo can't help but be endeared by her.
"No, I don't think he broke it. Just a little sprain," Kuroo tells both of them, guiding them back to the pharmacy he had spotted down the road. He asks the children to wait outside for him and when he comes back outside he makes quick work of wrapping up the boy's injury, writing down a note on a piece of paper for him to give his mother when he gets home. "Make sure not to pick up heavy things until your mom takes you to the doctor, okay?"
"Okay," the boy finally speaks for the first time and Kuroo watches as he hesitates before making up his mind. "Thank you."
Both children give Kuroo a quick bow before they're walking away towards the neighborhood and Kuroo finally lets himself feel the rush of happiness at having helped someone who actually needed him. He digs his phone out of his pocket again and texts Kenma that he'll start looking at office spaces during the week and prepare for his move. Kenma sends back a thumbs up and Kuroo snorts as he tucks the phone back into his pocket. He saw a real state office near the cafe earlier so he makes his way back to the center of the town. He's on a mission now.
He means to head straight to the real estate office, he really does, but he gets sidetracked by a stand with parfaits. He orders one with strawberries and licks at the whipped cream on top before digging into it with his spoon. It's sweet and refreshing as the sun starts to move to it's peak.
"You have a sweet tooth, huh?"
Kuroo looks up from his parfait and blinks when he sees Sawamura. He swallows the bite he was working on and licks at the corner of his lips to catch the whipped cream he felt on it earlier.
"I guess," Kuroo nods sheepishly, glancing away.
"Too much sugar isn't good for you, you know?" Sawamura continues and Kuroo frowns, digging his spoon into the parfait again and opening his mouth wide for the giant scoop he manages to pull out, chewing almost aggressively out of spite.
"I'm on vacation," Kuroo tilts his head. "Sugar intake doesn't matter when you're on vacation."
"Well, that's not true," Sawamura grins and Kuroo is momentarily blinded by his bright smile, feeling his heart thump in his chest. "Can I ask where you're visiting from?"
"Tokyo," Kuroo answers quickly, mentally kicking himself for just offering information without a second thought but he isn't sure if he can hold his tongue against this particular individual.
"What brings you to our little town?" Sawamura continues, leaning against the wall next to Kuroo.
"I'm... thinking about opening a business," Kuroo mumbles, eating another scoop of his parfait. Sawamura raises his eyebrows and looks at Kuroo expectantly. "I'm a doctor. I want to open a clinic. I thought starting small would be easier than trying to open a place in Tokyo... there's too many clinics there really, we don't need one more."
"I see," Sawamura nods. "How many others towns have you visited? Have we made the cut to be a finalist?"
"This is... the only place I've visited," Kuroo blinks, surprised at the fact that he hadn't even thought about looking into other towns, maybe some nearer to Tokyo where he wouldn't have to uproot his entire life and move hours away from his friends.
"Oh," Sawamura nods and then he's laughing. "Well... I hope we've made a good impression. Having a doctor in town would be great."
"Yeah?" Kuroo glances at Sawamura and looks him up and down. "You have an interest in the community?"
"Well... we all do, it's a small town, but for me... you could say that I have the biggest interest in it."
"Why's that?" Kuroo scoops out the last piece of strawberry at the bottom of his cup.
"Well, I'm the chief."
The chief.
The chief as in the chief the grandson of the auntie cleaning the squid chief.
Kuroo swallows the strawberry and coughs a bit as it nearly slides down the wrong pipe. Sawamura reaches out with hand but Kuroo holds out his palm to stop him from coming any closer. He looks away to wipe the tears that gathered in the corner of his eyes and then swivels to look at Sawamura again.
"So... do you just like volunteer your time around the businesses as the chief?" Kuroo asks, his voice scratchy.
"You're really stuck in all of that aren't you?" Sawamura asks and he's chuckling, folding his arms over his chest and Kuroo can't help but eye the sudden bulging muscles of his arms. "Can I make a case for you to choose our town?"
"Sure?" Kuroo can't really wrap his mind around what's happening.
"Come with me," Sawamura says, gesturing with his head and walking before Kuroo has the chance to agree. He sets down his cup back on the stand and nods his thanks to the man behind the counter, taking long steps to catch up with Sawamura.
He weaves Kuroo through the neighborhood and Kuroo has the brief thought that Sawamura could be taking him to a secluded location to murder him but for some reason he can't bring himself to walk away. They arrive to a slightly run down building and Kuroo watches as Sawamura opens the door with a key he plucks from the ring of keys that had been jingling against his hip. The murder theory is slowly starting to gain more traction but the door swings open and Sawamura steps inside.
"Come on," he calls out to Kuroo and if Kuroo ends up in the national news tomorrow he'll have no one to blame but himself.
When he steps in he sees a waiting room, a nurse desk, and doors leading into what he can only imagine to be examination rooms. He walks to the center of the room, the lights flicker on, and Kuroo turns slowly. It's dusty, it definitely will need renovations, and it smells a little bit but he can picture himself here. He walks past Sawamura who's leaning against the nurses desk and opens the doors to the examination rooms, looking inside, noting that they're a pretty good size, and then comes across what he could use as his personal office.
"What is this?" he asks when he goes back to the front lobby and Sawamura is still lingering there, cleaning his nails.
"A clinic," Sawamura mumbles. "It's been out of commission for a long time. I can't even remember ever coming here as a child. What do you think of it?"
"It needs some work," Kuroo says.
"Obviously."
"It's nice... it's a great starter."
"I know the owner."
"What... what's the asking price?"
"Glad you asked," Sawamura finally looks up from his nails and gives Kuroo one of those killer smiles again.
Kuroo shouldn't be surprised anymore but he can't help it when Sawamura pulls out a real estate license from his wallet and hands it to Kuroo along with his business card. He names the price, walks Kuroo outside, and tells him to give him a call.
"Seriously man," Kuroo runs a hand through his hair. "What do you actually do?"
Sawamura snorts and Kuroo wants to claw off his face in frustration.
"Once we close the deal I can do all the remodeling for you too," he says, pulling out a card holder from his other pocket and letting it drop open. Kuroo's eyes nearly bulge out of his skull when he sees the amounts of certifications Sawamura has.
"You do plumbing too?" Sawamura shrugs. "What's your rate?"
Kuroo doesn't really know Sawamura but with what little he has learned today he could probably trust him with his life which means he can trust him with his clinic. Sawamura walks away after explaining to Kuroo that he only charges the minimum wage per hour and that he will eagerly await his call. Kuroo watches him again until he's just a speck in the distance and calls Kenma. There's a lot of work and difficult conversations ahead of him.
An angel, Daichi thinks to himself when he first spots the newcomer at the cafe. He makes his drink extra sweet and cuts a piece of the cake a bit bigger than he’s supposed to. He glances to Kita and the newcomer over and over trying to figure out if it’s a date but they’re overly polite and a little bit awkward so Daichi has a hard time believing it. He’s relieved from his duties by Ennoshita before he has a chance to learn his name.
He spots him again when he’s walking to his grandmother with lunch for her and the aunties cleaning the squid and he lingers from a distance, watching as they laugh with him and probably tease him about his good looks. He watches as his grandma starts to give him the stink eye and he thinks about stepping in but the newcomer seems to talk his way out of it with a pout and what he hopes are sincere words. When he walks away Daichi feels a tug on his chest.
When he’s passing by the convenience store he gets waved inside by the teenager tending to the counter and takes over while the teen rushes to the bathroom. He can’t believe his luck when the newcomer wanders inside and browses around before picking out his snacks. Daichi notices how confused he looks through the entire transaction. He could have used the time to introduce himself but he loses his wit just as he starts to walk away.
To cheer himself up he decides to jump into the sea to ride a few waves and as luck would have it he meets the newcomer once more. Daichi is completely amused by their entire conversation and he can’t help but pat himself in the back for the teasing he’s managing to put him through. Maybe some of it can come across as flirting as he lies through his teeth and pretends not to remember him.
He serves him a meal at the restaurant next and he likes the way the newcomer isn’t afraid to question him and the places he’s seen Daichi today. Daichi seems to earn his forgiveness with the meal he brings to the table.
Later on he watches as he helps Yuki with what Daichi suspects to be a sprained wrist and he’s building up the courage to speak to him once and for all but he misses his chance. When he spots him at the parfait stand he finally takes his shot and asks the questions that have been burning in his mind. He finds out that he’s a doctor and wants to open a clinic in a small town. Daichi takes him to his grandmothers clinic space she inherited, finally they can put some use to it and his grandmother can earn some money if the doctor is willing and interested in renting the space.
It’s as he’s walking away from their interactions that he realizes he never asked the doctor for his name. Daichi really hopes he calls.