Ayaka woke up with a weight in her chest, an unbearable dread pressing down on her ribs.
Today was supposed to be different.
Today, she had a purpose. Even though exhaustion clung to her limbs, she forced herself to sit up, pushing aside the tangled sheets.
She wanted to get up. She needed to.
Because today, she would retrace every place she and Akihiko had been together.
"Maybe... Just maybe... I'll find him in those places."
The thought barely whispered through her mind, fragile as a candle in the wind. It was foolish, almost desperate, but she had nothing else to cling to. 7 days.
7 agonizing days had passed since Akihiko vanished without a trace, leaving behind nothing but silence.
She hadn't told Yuki, Keiko, Kazumi, Kei, or Kai about her plan. She already knew what they would say.
"You need to rest."
"You should stop torturing yourself, Ayaka."
"He wouldn't want you running yourself ragged like this."
They didn't understand.
So instead, she called Takeshi.
He was the only one who had seen through her when she hadn't told a soul about her feelings for Akihiko.
The only one who had noticed the slight tremor in her hands when she realized Akihiko hadn't come to her book signing at Tokyo Medical Center during their book signing tour.
Takeshi was observant. If anyone had picked up on something strange that night, it was him.
The sharp chime of her doorbell pulled her from her thoughts.
She hurried to the door, her heart pounding, and opened it to see Takeshi standing there, hands stuffed in the pockets of his coat.
He tilted his head slightly, studying her with sharp eyes.
"Ready to go?" he asked.
Ayaka nodded, grabbing her coat and stepping outside.
She followed Takeshi down the hallway, her steps quiet against the cold floor.
Neither of them spoke much as they reached his car.
The silence stretched between them as they pulled onto the road, Ayaka staring blankly out the window, watching Tokyo blur past.
After a long pause, Takeshi finally spoke.
"I never thought that Dr. Nakamura would just suddenly disappear like that. It isn't his character." he said, his tone thoughtful.
Ayaka turned to him, her fingers gripping the hem of her sweater. "Did you notice anything strange about how he acted on my birthday?" she asked.
Takeshi frowned slightly, keeping his focus on the road. "Not really. He seemed the same as always."
Ayaka exhaled shakily. "I don't know... I just—I feel like this is hopeless."
Takeshi shot her a quick glance before returning his eyes to the road. "Relax, Ms. Midnight. This is only the beginning of our search!" he said, his voice light but firm, as if trying to keep her from sinking into despair.
There was a beat of silence before Takeshi chuckled.
"I can see how much you love him."
Ayaka stiffened.
"Is it that obvious?" she muttered, almost afraid of the answer.
Takeshi hummed, amused. "Since the day he showed up at the company just to see you, I already knew something was going on between you two."
She turned her gaze back to the window, her fingers curling into her sleeves. "Is that why you agreed to help me look for him?"
Takeshi shrugged. "Well, Azrael Emberlight loves good endings, doesn't he?"
Ayaka blinked before a small, tired smile touched her lips. "I guess he does."
"Then we better give him one." Takeshi said, determination, lacing his voice.
Their first destination was the beach.
The same place where the waves had once lapped at their feet, where the salty breeze had tangled in Ayaka's hair as Akihiko stood beside her, watching the horizon.
Maybe, just maybe, he had come here before leaving.
As soon as they arrived, Ayaka stepped out of the car, her eyes scanning the stretch of sand as if she would see his silhouette standing there, waiting for her.
But the beach was empty.
Only the soft lull of the tide and the cries of distant seagulls greeted her.
Still, she searched.
She walked along the shoreline, eyes darting to every footprint, every sign that someone had been here recently.
Takeshi, meanwhile, asked around—locals, shop owners, anyone who might have noticed a man with silver hair passing through.
But no one had seen him.
Ayaka's chest tightened. She knew it wouldn't be that easy, but the disappointment still crushed her.
Takeshi walked back to her, shaking his head. "No luck. No one's seen him."
She swallowed hard, nodding. "Okay... Then we keep going."
Takeshi sighed. "Ayaka, Tokyo has an infinite number of hospitals. This beach alone took us two hours to get to. You realize how exhausting this will be, right?"
Ayaka turned to him, her expression unwavering. "I don't mind."
Because no matter how long it took—no matter how much it hurt—she had to find him.
The drive back to the city was silent.
Takeshi occasionally glanced at Ayaka, but she remained quiet, her fingers curled in her lap, lost in thought.
The weight of uncertainty pressed on her chest like a heavy stone, making it difficult to breathe.
She wasn't ready to give up.
Not yet.
Their next destination was every hospital Akihiko had been affiliated with for surgeries.
It was an impossible task—Tokyo was massive, and Akihiko was well-known in the medical field.
He had worked in multiple hospitals, taken emergency surgical cases in others, and even had colleagues in places she had never heard of.
But none of that mattered.
She had to try.
The first hospital was Tokyo Medical Center—where everything began.
As they walked into the lobby, Ayaka's heart clenched.
Everything about this place reminded her of him.
The scent of antiseptic in the air, the faint beeping of machines in the background, the doctors walking briskly in their white coats—she had seen Akihiko move through these halls so many times, his presence almost untouchable, like a ghost among the living.
But now, he was the ghost.
She approached the reception desk, gripping the edge tightly.
"Excuse me." she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Dr. Akihiko Nakamura… has he been seen here recently?"
The receptionist blinked in surprise before shaking her head. "Dr. Nakamura? No. The last time we saw him was the day he filed for an emergency resignation."
Ayaka's fingers dug into the counter. It's been a week since the day he disappeared.
Takeshi stepped forward. "Is there anyone we can ask? A colleague, maybe?"
The receptionist hesitated, then glanced toward a passing doctor. "Dr. Hasegawa, do you have a moment?"
Ayaka turned sharply.
Toru Hasegawa strode toward them, his red hair, his white coat loosely draped over his shoulders.
When he saw her, his eyes widened in recognition.
"Ms. Yamamoto? What are you doing here?"
Ayaka took a step closer. "Dr. Hasegawa… You and Akihiko are friends right? Have you seen him?"
Toru looked at her and just frowned.
Her stomach dropped. "So you haven't seen him?"
Toru shook his head, concerned flickering in his gaze. "No. I've been trying to call and text him nonstop but nothing... And to be honest… it's strange. Akihiko doesn't just disappear like this..."
He sighed. "No one seems to know where he went."
Ayaka clenched her fists. 'That meant Kei was also searching.'
She wasn't the only one who was worried.
Toru studied her carefully, his usual teasing demeanor absent. "Are you okay? You look… exhausted."
Ayaka forced a small smile. "I'm fine."
Toru didn't look convinced. "Listen, if I hear anything, I'll let you know, alright?"
"Thanks, Dr. Hasegawa." she murmured.
As they left the hospital, Ayaka felt the weight of hopelessness creeping in again.
One hospital down. Too many more to go.
------
The hours blurred together.
Hospital after hospital. Clinic after clinic.
At some places, the nurses recognized
Akihiko's name instantly, nodding with admiration as they spoke about him.
At others, they merely shook their heads, unaware of his disappearance.
But the answer was always the same.
"No, he hasn't been here."
"No, we haven't seen him."
"No, there haven't been any emergency cases under his name."
Each time, Ayaka's hope chipped away, little by little.
Takeshi watched her closely.
He could see the exhaustion in her eyes, the way her hands trembled when she thought no one was looking. But she refused to stop.
"Ayaka." he finally said as they got back into the car. "We've been driving around for ten hours."
"I don't care." she said stubbornly.
"You haven't eaten."
"I'm not hungry."
Takeshi sighed, rubbing his temples. "Listen, I get it. You want to find him. But running yourself into the ground won't help either."
She turned to him, her voice sharp. "Then what do you suggest I do? Sit around and do nothing? I can't, Takeshi. I just can't."
He studied her for a long moment before exhaling. "Fine. But at least take a break. Five minutes. That's all I'm asking."
Ayaka pressed her lips together but didn't argue.
They pulled into a small cafe, and Takeshi ordered two cups of coffee and a meal while she sat in silence, staring blankly at the table.
Her hands curled into fists. 'Where are you, Akihiko?'
She didn't realize she had said it out loud until Takeshi spoke.
"He wouldn't just disappear without a reason."
She looked up.
Takeshi leaned back, sipping his coffee. "Akihiko is a surgeon. He's not the type to drop everything and vanish. Whatever happened… it must be something serious."
Ayaka swallowed. "I know."
"Then think." Takeshi said. "If it were you, where would you go?"
She opened her mouth, then paused.
If it were her…
If she were in pain, if she were running from something—where would she go?
The answer struck her like lightning.
"Somewhere no one can find me."
Her breath caught.
Takeshi saw the change in her expression and straightened. "What is it?"
She grabbed her phone, scrolling through her messages.
There was one place she hadn't checked.
"There's a big chance he's there."
She suddenly recalled Akihiko saying. "This is my favorite spot."
Her fingers clenched around her phone.
"Takeshi. I think I know where he is."