It was already two o’clock in the afternoon.
Ordinarily, at this hour, everyone would either be taking a midday break or preparing for the afternoon’s surgeries.
But today was different.
Starting in the afternoon, virtually all clinical work would be suspended. Aside from those on emergency duty, everyone else would begin the annual deep cleaning.
In Japanese workplace culture, this was not merely a matter of hygiene, but a ritual.
It meant sweeping away the year’s bad luck and welcoming the New Year with a fresh face.
“All right, everyone, put down what you’re doing!”
Mizutani Mitsumasa stood in the middle of the medical office and clapped his hands, his voice loud and full of vigor.
“Today is goyo-osame. We’re going to sweep out all the bad luck from this past year.”
“Everyone, get moving. The deep cleaning begins!”
The doctors who had been bent over medical records or organizing data all put down their pens, their faces showing expressions that said they had expected this all along.
It was an annual tradition.
The residents were assigned the dirtiest and most exhausting tasks.
Wiping windows, mopping floors, cleaning dust-covered filing cabinets, and moving the old journals that had piled up over the year into the storage room.
Kiryu Kazusuke was just about to go clear out the old newspapers in the professor’s office.
But Mizutani Mitsumasa suddenly appeared and blocked his way.
“You go do something else.”
“I’ll clean the professor’s office myself.”
“There are some important documents inside. You lot are careless with your hands; it’d be bad if you messed them up.”
After saying that, he ignored everyone else’s reactions and went straight to the professor’s office door, opened it, stepped inside, and locked the door behind him.
Click.
The crisp sound of the latch snapping into place.
Tanaka Kenji curled his lip and lowered his voice. “See? That’s the awareness of a loyal dog.”
“Isn’t that fine?” Kiryu Kazusuke smiled. “Saves us the trouble.”
He picked up a rag, soaked it, wrung it dry, then walked over to his own desk and began wiping away the dust that had accumulated on its surface.
Everyone knew exactly what Mizutani Mitsumasa was thinking.
The professor’s office contained not only documents, but also the “tokens of appreciation” sent through various channels over the past year.
Envelopes, gift certificates, and “oseibo” year-end gifts that had not yet been dealt with.
Before the professor returned, Mizutani Mitsumasa needed to sort everything out neatly, hiding what ought to be hidden and arranging what ought to be displayed.
This was his duty as the “chief steward,” and also his means of consolidating his position.
Four o’clock in the afternoon.
The deep cleaning was finally over.
The entire medical office looked brand new. The windows were bright, the desks were clean, and the air was filled with the faint scent of cleaning solution.
Though this cleanliness would not last many days—the first emergency surgery after the New Year would bring fresh blood and chaos—at least for now, it looked quite presentable.
Mizutani Mitsumasa finally emerged from the professor’s office as well.
He undid the buttons at his cuffs, a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead, but his expression was one of deep satisfaction.
It seemed he had settled everything inside properly.
“Everyone, thank you for your hard work.”
He glanced around the refreshed medical office and nodded in satisfaction.
“Ahem.”
Professor Nishimura had appeared at the doorway at some point.
She had taken off her usual white coat and put on a dark overcoat, with a cashmere scarf wrapped around her neck.
“Professor!”
Everyone immediately straightened and greeted her in unison.
“Thank you all for your hard work.”
Professor Nishimura looked around, then walked to the center of the medical office.
Everyone consciously arranged themselves into several rows according to seniority.
“This year, everyone worked very hard.”
“…”
“I hope that in the coming year, you will continue to maintain this momentum, strive for constant improvement, and provide better medical services for our patients.”
“That is all.”
Professor Nishimura briefly reviewed the year’s achievements and looked ahead to next year’s plans.
It was all boilerplate, without any substantive content.
“Thank you, Professor!”
Everyone bowed in unison.
Professor Nishimura raised her wrist and glanced at her watch.
“It’s about time.”
“Tonight’s banquet is a kind gesture from Assemblyman Okawara, and also our department’s bonenkai.”
“Everyone, relax and enjoy yourselves.”
“Of course, don’t drink too much. Those of you on duty tomorrow, take care.”
With that, she turned and headed toward the elevator.
Mizutani Mitsumasa immediately followed close behind, matching her every step.
The atmosphere in the medical office suddenly relaxed.
“Whew—finally over!”
Tanaka Kenji plopped himself down on the freshly wiped desk and let out a long breath.
“Hurry up and get ready. We’re about to leave!”
“I heard there’ll be a geisha performance at Matsunoya tonight!”
“Seriously? Then I need to change clothes right away!”
The doctors, who had been lifeless moments ago, now seemed to have been injected with adrenaline. One after another, they took off their white coats and changed into their own clothes.
Even Tanaka Kenji pulled a suit out of his locker that looked like something he would only wear at his own wedding.
Kiryu Kazusuke also took off his white coat and hung it on the rack.
Underneath, he wore a deep black turtleneck sweater, over which he put on a gray wool coat.
Simple, sharp, and still respectable.
Tanaka Kenji was tying his necktie in front of the mirror. When he saw Kiryu’s outfit, he looked somewhat surprised.
“Kiryu-kun, you’re going dressed like that?”
“We’re only going to be sitting in the lower seats anyway. No one will care, so I might as well wear something comfortable.”
Kiryu Kazusuke straightened his collar and spoke calmly.
On occasions like this, residents were nothing more than backdrop scenery, the atmosphere crew responsible for pouring drinks, lighting cigarettes, and smiling ingratiatingly.
No matter how flashy they dressed, they would never become the main characters.
On the contrary, if they dressed too formally and stole the spotlight from the senior doctors, that would truly be asking for trouble.
“That’s true.”
Tanaka Kenji thought about it and found it reasonable, but he still could not bear to take off his suit.
He had to consider whether this might be the only chance in his life to wear it.
……
Matsunoya, a high-end restaurant in Maebashi City.
It was a typical sukiya-zukuri building, hidden behind a bamboo grove in the suburbs, with several black pines pruned in an extremely Zen-like fashion planted at the entrance.
There were no garish neon lights, only a few dim yellow stone lanterns.
This was the venue Assemblyman Okawara had arranged for the bonenkai.
Several nakai in kimono knelt respectfully, welcoming each distinguished guest.
The doctors from First Surgery had covered up their usual disinfectant smell with cologne, swapping their white coats for dark formalwear. One by one, they looked almost respectable.
The crowd filed in.
Kiryu Kazusuke followed at the very back of the line.
“Welcome.”
Several nakai led everyone through the stone-paved courtyard and into a spacious banquet hall.
Long, low tables were arranged on the tatami mats, already set with exquisite kaiseki appetizers and aperitifs.
At the front of the room was an alcove, where a hanging scroll of “red plum blossoms,” uncommon for the season, was displayed. The flower arrangement was also seasonally appropriate narcissus.
Every detail burned money.
Assemblyman Okawara had not come in person. Attending in his place was his chief secretary, Kobayashi Eiichiro.
He appeared to be around fifty, thin, with high cheekbones and skin that had the pallor of someone long deprived of sunlight.
“Professor Nishimura.”
Secretary Kobayashi immediately stood and hurried over to greet her, giving her ample face in his manner.
“Thank you for taking the trouble.”
Professor Nishimura Sumika also quickened her steps, a smile on her face.