Chapter 34. A Doctor's Burden

The soft hum of the city outside was a distant lullaby as Ayaka drifted in and out of sleep, cocooned in the warmth of her blanket. The night had been long, and exhaustion had finally claimed her. 

*Ding-dong.* 

Her brows furrowed. 

*Ding-dong. Ding-dong. Ding-dong.* 

The persistent ringing shattered the tranquility of her half-conscious state. Ayaka groaned, rolling over in bed and burying her face into the pillow. 

"Who the hell is ringing my doorbell at this hour?"

With an annoyed sigh, she threw off the covers and trudged to the door, her footsteps sluggish against the wooden floor.

She barely glanced at the peephole before unlocking it, muttering under her breath, "It's the middle of the night... Who—" 

The words died in her throat the moment she swung the door open. 

A familiar figure stood there, slightly swaying, his usually composed posture betraying exhaustion. The dim hallway light cast soft shadows over his sharp features, his usual icy blue eyes dulled with fatigue. 

"Akihiko?" Ayaka gasped. 

Before she could fully process his presence, he leaned forward, resting his head against her shoulder.

The unexpected weight made her stumble slightly, her hands instinctively reaching up to steady him. 

"A-Akihiko!" she stammered, feeling her heartbeat quicken. "What happened? Are you alright?!" 

A heavy sigh left his lips, his voice barely above a whisper. "Rest... I need rest..." 

She blinked in disbelief. "Are you so exhausted that you don't even realize you passed by your own apartment?" she teased, attempting to lighten the mood. 

But Akihiko didn't reply. Instead, his hand found hers, his grip firm yet gentle as he guided her inside, closing the door behind them with a quiet *click*. 

Before she could protest, he led her to the couch and, without hesitation, pulled her down beside him.

In one fluid motion, he laid his head on her lap, sighing in relief as if he had just found the most comfortable place in the world. 

Ayaka froze. 

Her entire body went stiff as the warmth of his presence enveloped her. The soft strands of his midnight-black hair tickled her fingers as his head rested against her thighs, his breathing steady but heavy. 

"Seriously... W-what's wrong with you?" she whispered, her voice softer this time. She hesitated before her fingers instinctively moved, gently running through his hair. 

He didn't answer right away. Instead, a moment of silence stretched between them. Then, just as her heartbeat began to settle, his voice broke the quiet. 

"...I'm sorry I couldn't watch your performance." 

Ayaka's fingers paused mid-stroke. 

She sucked in a quiet breath. 

Takeshi was right.

There really must have been an emergency. He wasn't avoiding her. He wasn't uninterested. He simply… couldn't be there. 

And yet, here he was, before even resting, before anything else—he came straight to her. 

Her chest tightened. 

By the time she gathered the courage to respond, his breathing had already slowed. His grip on her wrist loosened slightly. He had fallen asleep. 

Ayaka gazed down at him, her heart hammering against her ribs. Even in exhaustion, even in vulnerability, he looked effortlessly elegant—his long lashes resting against his cheeks, his usually furrowed brows finally relaxed. 

"That's not fair…" she murmured, her lips curling into a small smile. "You're just sleeping… and my heart is already pounding like crazy." 

Slowly, she shifted, careful not to wake him. She gently lifted his head and placed it on the couch cushion before slipping away. Retrieving a blanket from her room, she returned and draped it over him, tucking him in with quiet care. 

With one last glance at his sleeping face, she turned to leave. 

But just as she took a step— 

A hand grabbed her wrist. 

She gasped, whipping her head back. 

"…Ayaka…" Akihiko murmured, still half-asleep. His grip was loose, yet firm enough to keep her from pulling away. His brows furrowed slightly, his lips parting ever so slightly as he muttered, "You're my pillow…" 

Ayaka's breath hitched. 

Her face turned an impossible shade of red. 

'How is he so effortlessly unfair?!'

Letting out a resigned sigh, she sat back down, allowing him to rest his head on her lap once more. Her fingers unconsciously found his hair again, brushing through it with the gentlest of touches. 

"It's a good thing you're sleep-talking..." she whispered, her gaze softening, "because if you were awake, I might actually die of embarrassment after what I said earlier..." 

The weight of the night settled over her again, but this time, it wasn't exhaustion that made her eyes heavy—it was warmth. Comfort. 

Her fingers slowed. 

Her blinks became longer. 

And before she realized it, Ayaka, too, had drifted into sleep, the two of them tangled in a quiet moment of peace, beneath the soft glow of the city lights.

------

The next morning, Akihiko stirred awake to the gentle warmth of a blanket draped over him.

His body felt surprisingly at ease, and as his blue eyes fluttered open, the first thing he saw was Ayaka standing by the kitchen, her figure bathed in the soft morning light.

The aroma of freshly cooked food filled the air, wrapping around him like an invisible embrace. 

Without a word, he rose to his feet and quietly approached her. In one swift motion, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin lightly on her shoulder. 

Ayaka stiffened instantly, her entire body frozen as if time had stopped. 

"T-that smells good..." Akihiko whispered against her ear, his voice low and husky. 

A deep blush bloomed on Ayaka's cheeks. "W-what are you doing?!" she stammered, her voice nearly breaking. 

Akihiko smirked but, after a moment, finally released her, moving to sit at the table. Ayaka let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, pressing a hand against her chest as if trying to calm her racing heart. 

Once breakfast was ready, Ayaka carefully placed the dishes on the table and took a seat across from him. Her eyes softened as she took in his tired expression. 

"You should eat a lot. You look exhausted…" she said, worry laced in her voice. 

Akihiko picked up his chopsticks and sighed. "Sorry for the intrusion... and thank you for cooking for me..." he murmured, his usual composed demeanor laced with quiet gratitude. 

A heavy silence settled between them as they ate. Just as Ayaka was about to speak, Akihiko suddenly broke the stillness. 

"My patient died..." he said, his voice as cold and distant as ice. Yet his eyes—his normally unreadable, stoic eyes—betrayed him, clouded with a pain he couldn't conceal. 

Ayaka remained silent, choosing instead to listen, to give him the space he needed. 

Placing his bowl and chopsticks down, Akihiko inhaled deeply before continuing. 

"The night before my patient's surgery, I did my rounds. He was a nine-year-old boy with kidney failure, scheduled for a transplant the next day. We talked for a while… he was so excited about getting his new kidney. He even told me that once he got better, he wanted to run around outside and play soccer with his friends again." 

Akihiko paused, his hands tightening into fists. 

"Around 4:38 a.m., while I was resting in my office, I got a call. My patient had suddenly deteriorated. By the time I reached his room, he was already unresponsive. We intubated him, fought to stabilize him… but in the middle of it all, his mother found a letter he had written. In it, he said that if he didn't make it, he wanted to donate his organs—to help others live longer." 

Ayaka swallowed hard, her chest tightening as she watched Akihiko's expression darken. 

"We gave his parents time to decide, all while trying to keep him stable… By 6 a.m., they chose to honor his final wish." His voice grew softer, tinged with sorrow. "I called Dr. Yamamoto, and we prepared for the surgery immediately." 

He let out a long breath. "At 8 a.m., while you were performing at the book signing event, I was in the operating room. We didn't finish until 4 p.m. The procedure was successful, but..." He trailed off, his fingers running through his hair. "I still couldn't save him." 

Ayaka bit her lip, seeing the burden he carried so heavily on his shoulders. 

"Akihiko..." she said softly, her voice filled with warmth. "You did everything you could." 

Akihiko didn't respond. His gaze was lowered, shadows cast over his usually sharp features. 

"I know it hurts..." she continued, choosing her words carefully. "I know that no matter how many lives a doctor saves, the ones they lose always weigh the heaviest. But you were there for that boy. You gave him hope, and even though he didn't make it, I'm sure he was grateful to you." 

Akihiko clenched his jaw. Ayaka reached across the table, placing her hand gently over his. "You carried out his final wish, Akihiko. He wanted to help others live, and because of you, he was able to do that. That's not a failure… that's a miracle." 

For a moment, Akihiko just stared at her, as if trying to absorb her words. His fingers twitched beneath hers, and for the first time that morning, his expression softened. 

"You had a rough time, didn't you?" Ayaka whispered, leaning forward and ruffling his hair. 

Akihiko stilled at her touch, then slowly lifted his gaze to meet hers. For a long moment, he simply looked at her—searching, feeling.

Then, to Ayaka's utter shock, he took her hand in his own, his grip firm yet gentle. 

"Sing me to sleep tonight." His voice was soft, but his gaze was unwavering, intense. 

Ayaka's face immediately turned scarlet. She quickly yanked her hand back. "A-are you crazy?! I can't even sing! B-besides, why are you sleeping here again?! You have your own h-house!" she blurted out, scrambling to gather the dishes as an excuse to look anywhere but at him. 

Akihiko, unfazed, watched her with an almost amused expression. "I feel calm when I'm with you..." he admitted. "I slept well last night… But after everything that happened, I still feel afraid. Or maybe… guilty. Maybe I just don't want to be alone right now." 

Ayaka's hands trembled slightly as she set the dishes into the sink. Her heart pounded at his words—words she never thought she'd hear from the ever-distant "Ice Prince." 

She took a deep breath and turned to him with a small, gentle smile. "Fine… You can stay. But don't tell my brothers. They'll kill both of us." 

Akihiko's lips curled into a smirk. "Alright, alright~ But I really do want to hear you sing. I'm jealous of the people who got to hear you at the event." His voice took on a playful, almost boyish tone. 

"I-I'll think about it!" Ayaka huffed, her cheeks still flushed. 

Akihiko chuckled and stood up. "Well then, I'll take a shower first." 

Ayaka froze. 

Her bathroom—her bathroom was filled with her clothes. Including her undergarments. 

"W-wait! Here?!" she yelped, moving at lightning speed to block his path. 

"L-let me clean the bathroom first!" she stammered, her eyes darting around as if searching for an excuse. 

Akihiko watched her for a moment before a slow grin spread across his face. He leaned in, his face mere inches from hers.

"Relax. In my apartment, silly." he murmured with a teasing smirk. 

Ayaka blinked. "Oh." 

He turned towards the door, his movements casual. "I'll be back later. Don't miss me too much, okay?" he called out, flashing a playful glance over his shoulder. 

"A-as if!" Ayaka yelled, but the door had already closed behind him. 

She stood there, staring at the door, her heart pounding wildly against her chest.

Slowly, she pressed a hand against her lips, as if trying to ground herself. 

She had to remind herself—this was temporary. There were only a few chapters left in her novel, and soon, the contract between her and Akihiko would come to an end. 

But why… did that thought make her heart ache?