Dumped by One, Chased by Another? My Ex's Sister Is a Gal and She's Coming for Me - Chapter 68

“Kengorōu-kun, if you’re interested, would you like to come see our hospital?”

“Huh?”

It was just the other day that Tokishirōu-san said that to me.

He happened to call when I visited the Ayase family’s annex for a tutoring session. Well—”happened” might be too generous. I’m pretty sure he planned it.

As a side note, Tokishirōu-san is rarely home during the day. Not only is he a practicing physician, but he’s also deeply involved in managing the hospital, which means he leaves early in the morning and often

doesn’t return until late at night.

“Kengorōu-kun, are you interested in hospital management?”

“Honestly, I’ve thought about it.”

It would be a lie to say the idea had never crossed my mind.

After all, I was once in a relationship with Fuyumi. While Tokishirōu-san never explicitly asked me to take over the hospital, I could sense that he had certain expectations. It wasn’t overt, but it was there.

When you’re dating the eldest daughter of a family with something to inherit, you naturally understand the responsibilities that come with it. If I were in his position, I probably would’ve felt the same.

“But I’m not sure I’m cut out for it.”

“That’s fair. As someone in the field myself, I can say that not everyone is suited to management. But I believe you have the potential.”

Tokishirōu-san’s expression remained calm and composed. But his eyes told a different story—a quiet, unwavering confidence in me.

“Why me, though? It’s not just because I’m dating Haruki, is it?”

“Of course not. In fact, I never intended to pass the hospital down to my children.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Think about it—children are incredibly sensitive to their parents’ expectations. If I had even hinted that I wanted them to take over the hospital, what do you think would have happened?”

“One of them would’ve had to become a doctor?”

“Or at the very least, marry one. Either way, it would’ve robbed them of their freedom. And that’s something I, as a father, could never allow. It’s simply not right.”

“Tokishirōu-san.”

I’d heard as much from Haruki herself. She told me he never once pushed her to become a doctor or a nurse. It was a form of deep, genuine love in its own right.

“I wanted them to choose their own paths freely, without being bound by me or the hospital. I wanted them to live their own lives.”

I wondered about Tokishirōu-san’s own past.

Maybe he didn’t have the same freedom of choice. Maybe that’s why he wanted his daughters to find their own happiness, in their own way.

“But then Haruki said she wanted to become a doctor. I think it was around sixth grade.”

“I remember that clearly.”

Back when I first met Haruki, she trusted me almost instantly. After I walked her home, she wanted to know more about me—what I was aiming for, what kind of doctor I wanted to become. I didn’t feel the need to

hide any of it.

And I still don’t.

When she heard that, she said—

“‘I want to be a doctor too.’ That’s what she told me. Then she said she wanted to take the junior high entrance exam. I was shocked—but more than that, I was moved. She didn’t say it because of me. She made that

decision on her own, and I was proud of her for that.”

“That makes sense.”

“And you were the one who inspired her.”

“Well, I.”

“You have the qualities of a leader, Kengorōu-kun. I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it.”

His words carried a quiet strength, and I had no response.