"Chief Surgeon!" All the Caesarean-section surgeons bowed as Ayano was wheeled in a room, followed closely by an anxious Budo.

"I'm not the Chief Surgeon now," remarked Ayano, smiling.

"You'll always be a Chief Surgeon in our heart," said one of the doctors. "We've missed you."

And thus the surgery began.

"You must be excited to meet your child!" chimed in a doctor, armed with a needle of anaesthetics.

"Very much so," replied Ayano calmly. "Oh, Aoi? Will you be kind enough to let me supervise the surgery from my view?" She addressed the head surgeon for the c-section.

Aoi smiled. "Of course, Chief!" Then, she tore down a thin paper curtain that separated her from her bump.

As the surgery progressed, the surgeons all made small talk with Ayano.

"How did you decorate the nursery, Chief?"

"Are you hoping for a boy or girl?"

"Will you be coming back to the Hasipeta?"

"You should try Pompom nappies. They're really soft!"

"Focus," chided Ayano gently. The surgeons laughed and got back to work.

Crash!

A heartbeat monitor that was at the back of the room was toppled on the ground. Thankfully it was off.

Ayano sighed. "Budo Masuta, if you continue to break hospital equipment I'll throw you out myself."

Budo stood up under the glare of the surgeons and dipped his head. "Sorry! Sorry, um, I'll..."

"Come here and hold her hand, sir," suggested Aoi kindly. He gladly agreed and scrambled into position.

Before long, Ayano was going to give birth. As Aoi took the baby out, there wasn't a single dry eye in the theatre.

"It's a girl, Chief! Well done!"

"A girl?" cried Budo. "Oh my god, we have a girl! Yan, we—"

"Yes, we do." Despite herself, Ayano had to smile. She peered as her little girl got her cord cut, was weighted and was cleaned, before being handed in a bundle towards her.

"Oh, look at her," she whispered softly, stroking her tiny fingers. "She's simply perfect."

Budo was sniffing uncontrollably. "W-what should we name her, Yan?"

"Sakura." She said decisively. He nodded proudly. "Yes, a beautiful name."

As Ayano cradled her daughter, her heart welled with overwhelming love that chased the hollow hunger for revenge away. It filled every nook and cranny of her, and she decided to spare Osana for now. Her daughter was more important.

"Welcome to the world, Sakura Masuta," she whispered softly, so that no one else heard. "One day, you'll win your own senpai's heart."