In pure frustration, she shouted furiously:
"Security! SecuRITYYY! SECURITYYYYYYY!"
.
.
.
The security guard rushed toward her, panic evident in his every step. As he reached Yui, his eyes darted to the number plate of the black Mercedes parked in her reserved spot. The terror on his face was unmistakable, but he quickly composed himself.
"I'm really sorry, Ma'am," he said nervously. "I... I can't do anything about this. The driver didn't leave the keys at the desk."
Yui frowned in frustration. Her parking space being stolen on an already clumsy morning wasn't exactly helping her mood. Still, before leaving the lot, she made sure to snap a picture of the car and its number plate. The security guard, still apologizing profusely, offered to park her car elsewhere.
"Fine," she sighed, handing him the keys.
By the time she reached the reception desk at her clinic, her irritation was bubbling at the surface.
"Morning," she muttered through gritted teeth and made a beeline for her cabin without waiting for a reply.
Once inside, she took a few deep breaths and tried to shake it off. After cooling down, she buzzed the reception.
"Can you send in the first patient's details, please?" she asked.
"The patient is already seated in the operatory room, Doctor," the receptionist replied.
Amused by the rare punctuality, Yui threw on her scrubs, dental glasses, and mask before walking to the operatory room. As she neared the chair, she tried to get a sense of who was sitting there, but the silhouette was unfamiliar—dark, motionless, and unreadable.
"Good mornin—" Yui's voice faltered as she came face-to-face with the man in the chair.
It was him.
The white-haired stranger. The one from the café. He sat with an eerily blank expression and eyes that seemed to conceal storms. Her breath hitched slightly, though she tried not to show it.
Shaking it off, she began the routine checks, adjusting her gloves and avoiding lingering eye contact. She checked her routine sheet and saw the name of the patient "Mikey".
"So Mikey, when did the pain begin?" she asked, trying to sound casual.
"A few weeks ago," came a voice—not his.
Startled, Yui turned toward the sound and saw a man with a pink mullet standing in the corner of the room. She hadn't even noticed him enter.
"Wait—Sir, this is a sterilized area. You can't be in here," Yui said firmly.
"Sorry, Miss," he replied with a polite smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "We can't let anyone get too close to the Boss."
Yui raised an eyebrow but didn't push it. The tension in the room was palpable, and she had no interest in escalating the situation. She continued examining the white-haired man aka Mikey's teeth carefully.
"Miss Shiori," she called out to her intern, "we'll need a full mouth X-ray."
"Yes, Doctor," Shiori replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
Yui gave her a reassuring look. The poor thing was clearly rattled.
After the X-ray, Yui and Shiori stood together examining the results on the lightboard.
"The pulp's damaged," Shiori informed.
"Yes," Yui confirmed. "This is advanced pulpitis, likely from prolonged infection. A root canal will be necessary."
Shiori looked up, wide-eyed. "So... will this patient be coming back again, Doctor?"
Yui let out a soft chuckle before turning to the patient.
"We'll need to schedule a root canal. The decay has spread too far to leave untreated. Will that be okay with you, Sir?"
"Yes. Thank you, Doctor," said the pink-haired man again.
As the men stood to leave, Yui raised a hand. "One more thing—no sweets or alcohol until the treatment is complete."
They left without responding. Yui muttered under her breath, "Rude."
As soon as the door shut, Shiori let out an exaggerated sigh.
"Were you holding your breath the entire time?" Yui laughed, shaking her head.
Removing her gloves and mask, Yui checked the time—it was lunchtime. She left the clinic and headed to the parking lot, where her car was now properly parked. She waved at the guard with a more relaxed expression.
On the drive to her favorite café, she had a sudden idea.
"I'll buy donuts for everyone I snapped at this morning," she smiled. "And maybe another coffee for myself."
—
At the Café Parking Lot
As Yui stepped out of her car, her eyes locked on something too familiar.
The black Mercedes. AGAIN!!!
She fished out her phone, zooming in on the number plate. It was the same one. This time, she was determined to find the driver. Fueled by a strange mix of curiosity and rage, she hid nearby, concealing herself behind another car.
Minutes passed.
Then, footsteps.
A female figure approached the car. Yui sprung from her hiding spot, startling the woman standing near the car.
"NO! Please! Don't hurt us—I'm begging you, don't murder us!" the woman shrieked in terror.
Yui froze, mortified. "Ma'am! Please don't panic—I'm not a serial killer, I swear! I just wanted to ask… is this your Mercedes?"
The woman's panic turned to outrage in seconds.
"Miss, do you even realize what you just did? You practically assaulted someone in a public parking lot! What were you even doing, hiding behind cars like that?"
Yui bowed deeply, her voice trembling. "I'm so sorry. Please don't call the police. I just wanted to know who owns this black Mercedes."
The woman didn't reply. She sat in her car—parked next to the Mercedes—and drove off without another word.
Yui stood there in stunned silence. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. But her curiosity still hadn't been satisfied.
So she waited.
A few more minutes passed before another silhouette appeared.
A man.
But this time, instead of confronting him, she crouched lower behind the car and simply watched. As he approached the Mercedes, Yui's heart skipped a beat.
It was him again.
The white-haired stranger.
"Mikey-" Yui gasped inaudibly.
He moved with calm precision, unlocking the car silently. But for a brief moment—just before getting in—he paused.
Did he sense her?
Yui ducked further behind the car, her pulse hammering in her ears. As his car pulled away, she was left clutching her phone, the blurred photo of the license plate still open on her screen.
Something told her that this man's toothache was the least mysterious thing about him.
And for the first time in a long while, she wasn't sure if she was scared...
...or intrigued.