Chapter 42. The Collapse of Her Composure

Within minutes, they arrived at the consultation wing of the hospital.

The sterile scent of antiseptic lingered faintly in the air, mingling with the soft hum of fluorescent lights.

Almost immediately, a nurse glanced up from her station and recognized them, her expression lighting up.

"Miss Yamamoto, Dr. Hasegawa's expecting you." she called out, gesturing toward a set of frosted glass doors. "You can head in now."

Kai gave Ayaka a gentle nudge on the shoulder. "Go on. I'll be right here."

Swallowing the lingering unease in her throat, Ayaka offered him a small nod before stepping through the doors.

Inside, the consultation room felt oddly cozy, despite its clinical white walls and polished surfaces.

The scent of hand sanitizer was faint, but not overpowering.

Behind the desk stood a man with striking red hair that shimmered under the overhead lights—an unusual color for a doctor, but unmistakably intentional.

His white coat contrasted sharply with the vivid hue.

"There's my favorite patient!" Dr. Toru Hasegawa greeted her with a grin that felt far too familiar, as if they were long-time friends rather than doctor and patient.

Ayaka managed a weak smile. "I'm not feeling too great lately, Dr. Hasegawa…"

Toru's playful demeanor shifted instantly, his brow furrowing. He folded his arms across his chest, assessing her. "You're sleeping late again, aren't you? I've told you before, with anemia, that's not something you can get away with."

Ayaka shook her head slightly. "It's not that… I've been eating normally, but I've had this persistent stomach pain. It's not going away."

His sharp gaze softened slightly, though concern flickered behind his eyes. He leaned forward, tapping his pen thoughtfully against his clipboard.

"Alright. Let's not jump to conclusions," he finally said. "We'll run a full set of lab tests first. Let's see what's going on inside before we worry."

Relieved, Ayaka simply nodded.

------

Some time later, after the laboratory work-ups were complete, Toru sat back in his chair, flipping through the printed results. His lips pressed into a thin line.

"Well…" He looked up at her. "Your lab results are all within normal ranges. Nothing alarming shows up here."

Ayaka let out a small breath of relief, but Toru's gaze didn't soften.

"But..." he continued, setting the papers down carefully, "You're clearly still in pain. And persistent abdominal pain isn't something I want to dismiss casually."

He studied her face intently before deciding, "I think it's safer if we admit you for observation—just overnight. It'll give us a chance to monitor things, make sure there's nothing serious, brewing."

Ayaka's eyes widened slightly. She shook her head almost immediately. "No… I really can't. It's just one of those things, right? Can't you prescribe something for the pain instead? I promise I'll take it."

Toru sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, clearly torn.

He had known Ayaka long enough to recognize her stubborn streak, but also the subtle exhaustion in her eyes. "You're always like this…" he muttered, half-scolding.

Finally, he relented. "Fine. I'll prescribe you a pain reliever, but I need you back here for a follow-up in three days. No excuses."

Ayaka smiled faintly, her voice lighter. "Roger that, Doctor."

He scribbled the prescription, handing it to her, then added, "Your brother's waiting outside. I'll go over the lab results with him."

Ayaka simply nodded.

When they stepped back into the waiting area, they were met with a surprise. Kei had already arrived, standing next to Kai, his brows furrowed in concern.

Toru explained the findings, his tone professional but tinged with worry. Kei and Kai exchanged glances before turning to Ayaka.

"Are you sure you don't want to be admitted?" Kai asked gently. "It's just one night."

Ayaka shook her head, her voice soft but firm. "I'll be fine. Dr. Hasegawa gave me something for the pain—it's already helping."

Kei sighed, clearly unconvinced but choosing not to press further.

As they stood there, exchanging quiet words, Ayaka's eyes flickered toward the corridor.

Her heart gave an unexpected jolt—there, casually strolling toward them, was a familiar tall figure with silver hair and an unreadable expression.

Before she could say anything, Toru's eyes lit up, and he called out.

"Akihiko!"

The silver-haired doctor glanced over, raising a brow.

"It's rare to see you down here!" Toru grinned, striding toward him. "By the way, did you bring the book back? Azrael Emberlight's signing is tomorrow, remember?"

Akihiko gave a half-shrug, his tone as cool as ever. "Ahhh... I forgot it."

Toru's face immediately contorted in mock outrage. "What?! I've been reminding you for weeks!"

Akihiko brushed past him with a casual wave. "I'm just here to check on a patient."

But as his gaze swept the room, it landed on Ayaka—then shifted briefly to Kai and Kei standing beside her.

His brows drew together. "Ayaka? Dr. Yamamoto? Professor Yamamoto?"

Ayaka gave him a faint smile. "Oh, Akihiko… You're still here? I thought you were on a night shift last night."

"I was. I'm heading home after rounds," he replied. His sharp eyes flicked back to her, narrowing slightly. "What are you doing here?"

"The stomach pain wouldn't go away, so I asked Dr. Hasegawa to check."

Akihiko's gaze shifted to Toru, who was already grinning like a mischievous child.

"You two know each other?" Toru piped up. "Ayaka's been my patient for over a year! Wait… Akihiko, is she the one you—"

Before he could finish, Akihiko swiftly reached out, smacking Toru lightly but pointedly on the face.

"Don't mind him." Akihiko said coolly, his eyes briefly flickering toward her brothers.

Ayaka blinked, caught between surprise and confusion, unsure what Toru had almost blurted out.

"W-Well, I should head home and rest," she muttered awkwardly. "Let's go, Kai."

She offered a quick wave to Kei, Toru, and Akihiko before slipping away with her brother.

Once they'd gone, Kei excused himself and returned to work, leaving Toru and Akihiko lingering in the hallway.

Toru rubbed his nose with a grimace. "What the hell, man? You hit me hard!"

Akihiko pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated. "You were really going to talk about that in front of her brothers? And her?"

Toru chuckled sheepishly but quickly sobered. "Anyway… She's a tough one. I wanted her to stay overnight to rule out appendicitis or anything serious, but she refused."

Akihiko's expression darkened, a rare crack in his usual calm facade. "Diagnosis?"

"Acute gastritis, most likely. But observation would've been safer." Toru replied, crossing his arms. "She's too used to brushing off her health."

Akihiko said nothing for a moment, his jaw tight. Then, quietly, as if already forming a plan, he murmured, "I'll try to talk to her later."

Toru watched him walk away, knowing smirk tugging at his lips.

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Absolutely! Here's a much longer, more intense, vivid, and engaging version of the scene, with deeper description, emotional pull, and corrected grammar:

---

The afternoon sunlight filtered weakly through the sheer curtains of Ayaka's room, casting delicate patterns across the wooden floor.

Outside, the distant sound of cicadas buzzed faintly in the warm air. But inside, the atmosphere felt heavy and stifling.

Ayaka lay curled on her bed, her skin slick with sweat, strands of her dark hair clinging damply to her forehead. Her breaths came shallow, uneven.

She had kicked off the blanket long ago, yet still felt as though heat clung to her like a suffocating weight. Her eyes fluttered open briefly, but everything around her seemed blurred, distant—as if she were underwater.

The door creaked open gently.

"Ayaka?" Kai's voice was soft but laced with worry. He stepped inside, carrying a small tray with a bowl of steaming porridge and a glass of water. "I made you something. You should try to eat… even a little."

He set the tray down on her nightstand and sat beside her, eyes narrowing as he took in her flushed face. His fingers brushed against her forehead—and his stomach dropped.

She was burning up.

"Ayaka… You're burning," he muttered, his voice now tight with concern. Without hesitation, he grabbed the thermometer from her desk and slipped it under her arm, waiting anxiously as the seconds ticked by.

The beep came far too soon.

Kai glanced down at the reading, and his chest tightened.

Fever. High.

"Ayaka, hey—" He turned back to her, only to see her eyes unfocused, her lips trembling as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

Then, without warning, she lurched forward, her body convulsing as she threw up violently onto the floor beside the bed.

"Ayaka—!"

Kai's heart slammed in his chest, panic roaring through him. He reached out to steady her, but her entire frame sagged limply in his arms. Her eyes fluttered shut. She had fainted.

For one terrible second, he just froze.

Then instinct took over.

"Damn it. That's it." His voice shook as he quickly gathered her fragile, sweat-drenched body in his arms. "We're going back to the hospital."

Without wasting another moment, Kai bolted out of the room, practically sprinting down the hallway.

The bowl of untouched porridge lay forgotten, the curtains fluttering softly in the breeze, as he carried her out into the blinding afternoon sun.