Ayaka rubbed her eyes, the ghost story long forgotten, replaced with something much more pressing—the soft ache in her chest that always seemed to follow Akihiko around like a shadow.
She sat up slowly from the couch, glancing at the clock.
It was nearly 1 a.m.
Akihiko was still in the same spot, legs stretched out under the blanket, arms folded, head tilted back slightly.
His eyes were closed, but he wasn't asleep—she could tell by the faint twitch at the corner of his mouth when she stood.
"Hey." she murmured, her voice hesitant.
Akihiko cracked one eye open. "Hm?"
"I think I'm gonna head to bed…"
"Go ahead." he said simply. "I'll stay up for a while."
She hesitated, biting her lip.
Then, quietly, "Can you… sleep in my room?"
His eyes opened fully now.
"…Excuse me?"
Ayaka flushed. "Not with me! I mean—on the floor! Just on the floor!"
Akihiko blinked.
"I just—" she clutched the pillow to her chest. "I know it's stupid, but I can't stop thinking about that damn ghost and if I sleep alone I might—ugh, never mind, just forget I said anything."
She turned to march back toward her room in embarrassment, but his voice stopped her.
"Okay."
She turned. "What?"
He stood and shrugged, stretching his arms overhead. "You're scared. It's fine. Lead the way."
Ayaka stared at him for a bit too long.
He was always like this—cool, unreadable, but there were moments, like now, where he just showed up for her without hesitation.
No teasing, no smug remarks.
Just a quiet presence.
"…Bring your own blanket." she muttered, cheeks warm.
"Yes, ma'am."
She laid on her bed, facing the wall, while Akihiko settled himself on a futon mattress on the floor a few feet away.
She'd given him a spare pillow and a thick quilt, and he lay on his back, arms behind his head, staring up at her ceiling like it had the answers to all of life's questions.
The silence was almost too loud.
Ayaka peeked over her shoulder. "You asleep?"
"No."
"…You tired?"
"No."
She sighed. "I don't think I can sleep."
"Want me to sing you a lullaby?"
She grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. "That's not funny."
The pillow landed on his chest with a soft *thud*.
He laughed under his breath, a rare and warm sound that made something flutter in Ayaka's stomach.
A beat of silence passed again. Then—
"Hey… Akihiko?"
"Mm?"
"Do you really believe in ghosts?"
He shifted slightly. "Yeah."
"Seriously?"
He nodded. "Hospitals are full of them. Especially the ones where you work the night shift. It gets cold in places it shouldn't, monitors glitch for no reason, and sometimes… you hear people talking when no one's around."
Ayaka groaned and buried herself deeper under the blanket. "You're not helping."
"You asked."
"Ugh. Next time I'm calling Kai."
"Go ahead. He'd probably bring holy water."
Ayaka peeked at him again.
His face was relaxed now, his voice lower in the dark—calmer.
Somehow it made her feel safe, even with all the ghost talk.
She exhaled. "Thanks for staying."
Akihiko rolled to his side, facing her, though the darkness shielded the way his expression softened.
"Kei told me to."
She smiled faintly. "Liar."
A pause.
Then, a reply: "Yeah. I am."
Ayaka's eyes drifted shut. "Don't disappear again, okay?"
"I won't."
She wasn't sure if she dreamed it, or if he really whispered it—but as her consciousness slipped, she could've sworn she heard him say:
"So don't sign that contract..."
------
The next day, Ayaka woke up and to her surprise when she went to the kitchen, Akihiko was already there.
He stood in the doorway, wearing yesterday's clothes and that annoyingly calm expression—as if he hadn't just shaken her entire world with a few words last night.
"You're up early." she managed, turning back toward the counter, trying to ignore the way her pulse raced.
"I couldn't sleep." He said casually, walking over to her side. "Your floor's lumpy."
She rolled her eyes. "It's not a five-star hotel."
He leaned a hip against the counter, watching her. "You were talking in your sleep."
Her hands froze. "I was?"
He nodded, lips twitching. "You said my name."
Ayaka whipped around. "No, I didn't."
"I'm pretty sure you did."
"And I'm pretty sure you're lying."
Akihiko reached past her and plucked a second cup from the cabinet. "I'm pretty sure I'm not."
She scowled, grabbing another tea bag for him with more force than necessary. "Did I say anything else?"
"Nope." His gaze lingered on her face, unreadable. "Just my name softly. Like you didn't want me to go."
Her breath caught.
He took the cup from her, his fingers brushing hers.
And just like that, her kitchen was filled with too much tension for a space so small.
Ayaka turned away, staring hard at the kettle. "I guess I was still scared of the ghost."
Akihiko didn't answer.
Instead, he set his tea down gently and said, "Ayaka."
She looked up.
His expression was serious now—guarded, but not cold.
"You're not going to sign that contract, are you?"
"I won't." Ayaka assured him.
"Good." he replied with effortless calm, his voice low and composed as always.
Then, after a brief pause, he added, "I'll head home now. I've got work to get to."
Without waiting for her response, Akihiko leaned in closer—so close she could feel the faint brush of his breath against her forehead.
His hand rose gently, fingers weaving through her hair with a familiarity that made her heart skip.
He gave her a soft pat on the head, his touch lingering for a fraction of a second longer than necessary, as if reluctant to pull away.
Ayaka blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected tenderness, and before she could say anything, he was already turning on his heel, his footsteps quiet and measured as he moved toward the door.
She watched him go, her gaze following his tall frame until it disappeared around the corner.
A warm smile slowly spread across her lips, touched with something wistful.
"Alright." she said softly, mostly to herself. "Thank you… for staying with me, Akihiko."
The door clicked shut, but the echo of his presence lingered in the room—and in her chest—far longer.
-----
Even after Akihiko left, Ayaka found herself staring at the closed door longer than she should have, the ghost of his touch still warm on her head.
"Why am I thinking about this so much?"
By noon, her restlessness won.
"I'll just… go see Kei." she muttered to herself, as if saying it aloud would make it true.
She pulled herself together, changed into something casual but neat, and tied her hair up.
A quick dab of lip tint, a light scarf, and a hat—nothing too flashy, but enough to blend in.
It wasn't like she was looking for Akihiko, right?
Tokyo Medical Center loomed ahead like a fortress of white and glass.
Ayaka's heart beat faster the moment she stepped through the sliding doors.
She kept her gaze low, slipping through the corridors like a shadow, hoping no one would recognize her.
Her official excuse was airtight: checking on Kei.
Except… her feet weren't leading her toward her brother's office.
They wandered instinctively through familiar halls until she neared the wing where Akihiko usually worked.
She slowed her steps, nerves prickling. "Just a peek." She told herself.
But as she rounded the corner, the sight that met her made her freeze.
There he was—Akihiko, standing tall in his white coat, clipboard in one hand, his silver hair catching the hallway light like frost under the sun.
He was speaking to a young woman—slim, attractive, with a playful smile and soft curls framing her face.
She was leaning in far too close, laughing softly at something, one hand flirtatiously brushing his sleeve.
Ayaka's stomach twisted before she could stop it.
She blinked, trying to look away, trying to reason with herself. "It's nothing. Maybe she's just being friendly. Maybe she's a patient..."
She stepped toward the nurses' station and cleared her throat. "Um… excuse me..." she asked one of the nurses quietly. "Do you know who that girl is?"
The nurse glanced up from her charting, following Ayaka's gaze. "Oh, her? That's Ms. Shiori Nishida. She's one of the new interns and started last week."
"Intern…" Ayaka echoed, the word heavier than it should've been.
The nurse chuckled. "She's been… enthusiastic about shadowing Dr. Nakamura. Ever since he came back he's still as popular as ever."
Ayaka forced a polite smile. "Right… of course."
But as she turned away, a cold flutter settled in her chest.
As Ayaka turned on her heel, willing herself to leave before she got caught, a familiar voice cut through the air behind her.
"Ayaka?"
Her heart jumped.
She stopped mid-step, frozen like a deer caught in headlights.
She slowly turned around to find Akihiko striding toward her, his long coat flowing behind him, brows drawn slightly together in surprise.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone calm but lined with suspicion.
Ayaka's eyes darted briefly toward the intern—Shiori—who was still watching them with interest.
She forced a smile, trying to compose herself. "Oh! I… I came to see Kei. I figured I'd drop by the hospital since I was nearby."
Akihiko arched a brow, unimpressed. "Is that so? Kei's office is in the other direction."
She inwardly winced.
Of course he'd notice.
He always noticed.
Before Ayaka could fumble for another excuse, the intern suddenly stepped in with a bright smile. "Oh! You're Ayaka Yamamoto, right? I knew I recognized you! You're Dr. Yamamoto's little sister, aren't you?"
Ayaka blinked, startled. "Y-Yes…"
"I'm Shiori Nishida!" the intern said cheerfully, brushing her hair behind her ear as she moved closer, placing herself slightly between Ayaka and Akihiko. "I'm one of the new interns, and I'll be under Dr. Nakamura's wing for the time being."
Ayaka forced an awkward smile, nodding as politely as she could. "Nice to meet you."
Shiori giggled, turning her attention to Akihiko with blatant admiration. "He's amazing, isn't he? So composed, so brilliant—I've learned so much just from watching him during rounds. Honestly, it's like watching a real-life drama. I feel lucky to be assigned to him."
Ayaka said nothing, her smile now frozen on her face, her fingers tightening slightly around the strap of her bag.
She could feel Akihiko's gaze flicker toward her, unreadable as ever.
Then, as if the moment couldn't get worse, Shiori tilted her head innocently and asked, "By the way, Dr. Nakamura… do you have a girlfriend?"
Ayaka's breath caught.
She glanced up at Akihiko sharply, the world seeming too slow for a beat.
His expression didn't change, but he hadn't answered yet.
Before he could open his mouth, a familiar voice rang down the hallway.
"Ayaka? I didn't expect to see you—"
Kei's voice was warm and surprised as he approached, but he didn't even get to finish the sentence.
Ayaka's instincts kicked in.
"Kei! There you are!" she blurted, grabbing his arm with sudden urgency. "Let's go. I need to talk to you. Right now."
Kei blinked, clearly confused. "Wait, what? But I—"
She didn't give him time to protest.
She pulled him down the corridor, away from Akihiko, away from Shiori, away from the lingering tension threatening to suffocate her.
Only when they turned the corner and were out of sight did Ayaka slow her steps, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
Kei glanced down at her, brows raised. "Okay… what was that about?"
Ayaka looked straight ahead, cheeks flushed, heart still hammering against her ribcage.
"Nothing." she mumbled. "Absolutely nothing."
But the truth echoed in her chest like a secret too loud to silence:
She had come to see Akihiko.
And now she wasn't sure what hurt more—watching someone else admire him so openly… or realizing that she had no right to feel jealous.