Kei glanced sideways at Ayaka as they walked, clearly still confused. "So… are you going to tell me what's really going on? Why are you actually here?"
Ayaka crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks. "I came to eat lunch with you. What, I can't miss my big brother?"
Kei blinked, then burst into laughter. "Seriously? You came all the way here just to eat hospital food with me?"
Ayaka lifted her chin dramatically. "I-I heard the cafeteria has improved."
Kei chuckled, shaking his head as they entered the cafeteria. "Alright then, Miss Sudden Sentimentality, my treat."
They sat at one of the tables near the corner, and Ayaka tried to focus on her food, but her eyes kept straying—inevitably—toward the table just a few meters away.
There sat Akihiko and Shiori.
Shiori was chattering animatedly, gesturing with her hands as if telling the most fascinating story in the world.
Akihiko, ever the composed Ice Prince, sat silently, occasionally nodding, his expression unreadable as always.
She poked at her food with her chopsticks, then suddenly straightened and mimicked Shiori's voice in an exaggerated, airy tone.
"He's so amazing, isn't he? He's like, perfect in every way… oh my gosh, Dr. Nakamuraaaaaa~" She even fluttered her eyelashes and wobbled her head like a cartoon character, making faces between bites of rice.
Kei choked on his soup. "Pffft—Ayaka! What are you doing?!"
Ayaka chewed dramatically, eyes wide in mock innocence. "What? I'm just admiring your hospital's top doctor like everyone else."
Kei laughed, leaning on one hand. "Wow. You're not even trying to be subtle."
"I am not jealous." she declared through a mouthful of rice, glaring down at her tray.
"Mmmhmm." Kei gave her a look. "Just so you know, I was the one who assigned Nishida under Akihiko's wing."
Ayaka looked up, startled. "Wait, what? Why?"
Kei shrugged. "Because she's the slowest among the interns. She needs discipline. And no one's more strict and thorough than Dr. Nakamura. He'll whip her into shape—or scare her into transferring."
Ayaka gawked at him. "So it's your fault?!"
Kei smirked. "You just admitted it."
"What?"
"That you're jealous."
Her face flushed. "I—You—Ugh!"
Ayaka shoveled the rest of her food into her mouth in record time, chewing furiously, and then slammed her chopsticks down with dramatic finality.
"I'm going home."
Kei raised a brow. "You don't want dessert?"
"Nope. Full. Done. Goodbye." She grabbed her bag and stormed off, mumbling under her breath.
From across the cafeteria, Akihiko's gaze lifted the moment Ayaka stood up.
His eyes followed her retreating figure, his posture subtly shifting as something unreadable flickered across his face.
Without a word to Shiori, he stood up and followed.
Shiori blinked in confusion, calling out, "Dr. Nakamura?"
But he was already gone, weaving swiftly through the cafeteria crowd, his long strides catching up to the girl who was trying way too hard to pretend she wasn't running away.
"Ayaka."
Ayaka stormed down the hallway, her pace brisk, eyes locked on the double doors ahead that led to the garden.
She could hear Akihiko following behind her, the quiet rhythm of his footsteps like a shadow she couldn't outrun.
But she didn't look back.
She didn't even flinch when he called her name again.
"Ayaka."
Still, she pushed open the glass doors and stepped into the quiet garden behind the hospital, hoping the chill in the spring air would cool her racing thoughts.
But before she could take another step—
He grabbed her wrist.
"Where are you going?" Akihiko's low voice came from behind her, far too close.
Ayaka tried to tug her hand away, avoiding his eyes. "Home. Is that a crime now?"
Akihiko didn't let go.
Instead, he pulled her around to face him, closing the distance between them with that same casual dominance that always made her heart skip a beat.
"Strange." he said, tilting his head slightly.
"Most people don't storm out of a cafeteria looking like a walking tomato unless something's seriously bothering them."
Ayaka scowled. "Let go, Akihiko."
But he only grinned—grinned—with that annoying, knowing smirk of his.
"You didn't like the food?" he asked mockingly.
"Or maybe you were overwhelmed by Nishida's fangirling. Should I get you a cold towel?"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Ayaka snapped, cheeks flushing even deeper.
"I mean, she was pretty flattering, wasn't she?" he continued, eyes glinting with amusement.
"What was it again? 'So composed, so brilliant… watching him is like a real-life drama~'" He chuckled.
Ayaka's jaw dropped. "You heard that?!"
"Oh, I hear everything." He leaned closer, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Including your… very convincing imitation of her."
She smacked his arm. "You're impossible!"
"Admit it." he said, stepping even closer, cornering her gently near the garden wall. "You were jealous."
"I was not—!"
"Admit it." he repeated, almost sing-song now. "Green is not a good color on you, Ayaka."
She huffed and crossed her arms. "Fine. If you're going to keep teasing me, then maybe I will sign that collaboration contract with Makoto."
The teasing in Akihiko's expression vanished in an instant.
His eyes narrowed slightly. "No, you're not."
Ayaka raised her chin defiantly. "Why not? You don't get to decide that for me."
A beat of silence.
Then slowly—calmly—he reached into his coat pocket.
Her breath caught.
Akihiko pulled out a slightly worn folder and opened it.
Inside was the contract they had made years ago—the original one that bound them and the stories they were going to write.
He held it up like evidence in a courtroom.
"You already signed something, remember?" he said quietly, voice lower now. "This comes first."
Ayaka's eyes widened. "You… you kept that?!"
Akihiko stepped even closer, the air between them crackling with tension. "Of course I did. A contract is a contract, Ayaka. And as long as it stands…"
He leaned in, voice barely above a whisper.
"You're mine."
Ayaka's heart slammed against her ribs, her words catching in her throat.
This was no longer just teasing.
"W-why the hell do you carry this around?!" She said in a flustered way.
"Why not? I mean it's my lucky charm." He asked.
"Y-you're crazy!" She blushed while Akihiko stood there, watching her as he was smiling.
"W-Why the hell do you carry this around?!" Ayaka sputtered, her eyes wide as saucers.
Without thinking, she reached out and snatched the contract from his hand like it was a cursed object, gripping the paper tightly against her chest as if it might burst into flames.
Akihiko merely raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Why not?" he said, calm and casual. "I mean… it's my lucky charm."
"L-Lucky charm?!" she nearly shrieked. "You're joking, right?!"
Her voice cracked slightly, half from panic, half from disbelief.
The paper trembled in her grasp as she stared down at the familiar words, the signature that tied them together.
This wasn't some meaningless sheet anymore—it was a symbol of everything that had spiraled out of her control: the book they wrote together, the real feelings, their fire and ice relationship, the sleepless nights thinking about him, the ache in her chest she couldn't explain when he disappeared.
And now she found out he'd been carrying it this whole time?
He stepped forward leisurely, closing the distance between them with the ease of someone who had never once chased anything… because everything always came to him.
"You act surprised." Akihiko murmured.
His eyes flicked to the contract in her hand. "That piece of paper started everything. Of course I'd keep it."
"That was years ago!" she protested, still flustered. "People throw away old movie tickets, not cling to outdated contracts!"
Akihiko raised a brow. "Outdated? You wound me. I thought we had something special."
Ayaka flushed. "You're unbelievable."
He tilted his head slightly, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "And yet you're the one clutching that contract like it's a love letter."
Ayaka yelped and thrust it back at him, shoving it awkwardly against his chest.
Her fingertips brushed the firm line of muscle beneath his coat, and for a moment, her breath caught. 'Why is he always so warm?!'
She quickly looked away, muttering, "Y-you're crazy!" Her cheeks were burning now—fiery hot and impossible to hide.
Akihiko didn't budge.
He took the contract slowly, eyes still locked on hers. "Maybe." he said softly, "but I'm crazy about the things I don't want to lose."
"You've really gone mad!" she stammered, face burning a fierce crimson. "Y-you're absolutely, completely—insane!"
Her hands fumbled as she tried to shove the contract back at him, but Akihiko didn't move.
He just looked at her with that infuriatingly unreadable smile, the kind that made it impossible to tell whether he was teasing, serious, or both at once.
He still didn't move.
His smile deepened ever so slightly, like he was savoring every second of her meltdown.
"I—! Ugh!" Ayaka gave up, thrust the contract into his coat, and turned on her heel. "I'm leaving!"
She took off, practically sprinting across the garden path, her boots crunching against the gravel as she ran—fled—from the scene.
Her face was on fire, her thoughts an incoherent whirlwind.
Behind her, she could feel his gaze, heavy and unshakable, like a phantom touch at her back.
But he didn't follow.
He just stood there in the garden, hands in his pockets, the wind tousling his silver hair.
And then, very quietly…
He smiled.
A real one.
The kind no one else ever got to see.
The smile he only shows to Ayaka.
And no matter how fast Ayaka ran, she had no idea—
She was already tangled too deep in the web he wasn't planning to let go of anytime soon.
And that contract?
Oh, it wasn't just paper anymore.
It was a promise.
A beginning.
A silent war.
And Akihiko Nakamura always finished what he started.