The 67th episode of the NHK Asadora drama series "Kaze,Kaoru " (NHK General, Monday-Saturday 8:00 AM, etc.), starring Ai Mikami and Juri Kosaka , aired on June 30th, and viewers were captivated by the "change" in Kotaro (Toranosuke Kobayashi).
Rin is depressed when nursing student Hide (Akana Ikeda) quits. Naomi (Uesaka) is also worried about her, when Kotaro, who has come to the hospital for work, speaks to Rin.
Kotaro, who works for a pharmaceutical company, explained, "I had left the responsibility for Teito Medical University Hospital to my subordinates, but I came to say hello today." When Rin asked, "Subordinates?", Kotaro revealed, "Yeah. I've just got five people under me..."
Kotaro was worried about Rin, who seemed downcast. When Rin confided, "I was put in charge of supervising the surgical nurses, but some of them have quit...", Kotaro replied, "That can't be helped. Sooner or later, those who are going to quit will quit anyway. If you're not getting results, it's because you're not capable. Those who work hard will rise in proportion to their efforts. It's a free world like that now."
When Rin retorted, "There are some things that can't be fixed no matter how hard you try...", Kotaro encouraged her, saying, "I'm telling you, it's not your fault." As they parted ways, Kotaro said, "Good luck," to which Rin replied with a smile, "You too, Kotaro." After Rin left, Kotaro wore a complex expression, as if he was feeling frustrated.
Kotaro looks completely different from when he lived in Tochigi, prompting comments on social media such as, "Kotaro has changed somehow," "Has his character changed?", "He's completely been influenced by city life," "What happened to him between leaving the village and now?", "Kotaro's words don't resonate with Rin... people's perspectives change depending on their environment," "It's sad when someone changes after living in the countryside," "He's such a different person that you almost forget they're childhood friends from the same hometown," and "The misunderstanding between him and Rin is heartbreaking."
