The next day, Ayaka was sitting upright in her hospital bed, chatting animatedly with Yuki and Keiko, who had just come to visit, bringing snacks and flowers.
"You know..." Ayaka began, twirling a strand of her hair absentmindedly, "I had the strangest dream last night. There was a prince... but I couldn't see his face clearly. He leaned down and gave me a kiss." Her voice trailed off, cheeks tinged pink as she confessed.
Keiko's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Maybe you're still hung up because the Ice Prince himself was your surgeon." she teased, nudging Yuki with her elbow.
Yuki smirked, catching on immediately. "Oh, definitely. Maybe he already saw everything underneath that hospital gown~ You know, intimately~"
Ayaka's face flushed deep red. "O-of course not!" she stammered, waving her hands defensively. "They only exposed the area where I was operated on!"
"Sure, sure~" Yuki chuckled, exchanging knowing glances with Keiko, both of them clearly enjoying watching Ayaka squirm.
Ayaka groaned, rubbing her temples as they laughed, silently cursing her friends' wild imaginations.
Suddenly, the door slid open. All laughter died down as the tall, composed figure of Dr. Akihiko Nakamura entered, clad in his pristine white coat, clipboard in hand, eyes sharp yet unreadable.
Keiko leaned toward Yuki, whispering as if witnessing something monumental. "Whoa... Dr. Nakamura in a white coat. It's my first time seeing him like this… He actually looks like a proper doctor."
"Yeah." Yuki murmured, equally fascinated. "Kinda surreal. Like watching a celebrity step out of a drama."
"He's always been a doctor, you two!" Ayaka hissed under her breath, trying to compose herself as they snickered.
But Akihiko barely spared them a glance.
His piercing blue eyes zeroed in on Ayaka, his expression unreadable, professional… but his gaze lingered for a moment too long, softening imperceptibly.
He hadn't forgotten the ghost of her lips against his from the night before—though.
"How are you feeling today, Ms. Yamamoto?" Akihiko's cool, smooth voice cut through the air.
Ayaka blinked, slightly caught off guard. "Ms. Yamamoto?" she repeated.
He adjusted the clipboard without looking at her directly. "I'm your attending physician right now." he answered curtly, voice impassive.
Before she could respond, Akihiko leaned in slightly, bringing the stethoscope to her chest. The proximity made her breath hitch.
"Your heartbeat is unusually fast, Ms. Yamamoto." he remarked, gaze flicking up to meet hers, a glint of something unreadable flashing through his eyes.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Ayaka squeaked, turning her face away as the blush bloomed deeper.
"Is that so?" His lips quirked faintly. "Then, please raise your shirt."
Her eyes widened. "W-what?! No way!"
Keiko and Yuki had to bury their faces into their hands to muffle their giggles.
Akihiko chuckled softly, eyes narrowing just slightly. "Relax. I only need to see if the stitches are healing properly. What exactly are you thinking about, Ms. Yamamoto?"
Her friends burst into silent laughter in the background, and Ayaka's ears turned scarlet.
Reluctantly, she raised her shirt enough to reveal the faint stitches on her abdomen, heart hammering.
Akihiko's gaze softened minutely as he crouched down, inspecting the healing incision with an intensity that felt far too personal.
His fingers hovered close, the warmth of his touch barely grazing her skin, making her pulse thrum wildly.
"It's healing well." he murmured, voice low, but his gaze flicked up just as the door opened again.
Dr. Hasegawa strode in, cheerful as ever. "Morning! Just thought I'd check on you, Ms. Yamamoto."
Before Ayaka could react, Akihiko's hand shot out instinctively, pulling her shirt back down with deliberate care—as though shielding her from prying eyes. His jaw clenched subtly.
"Toru." Akihiko greeted coolly, eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
"Your hemoglobin levels have improved nicely." Hasegawa said with a bright grin, oblivious—or perhaps not—to the charged air. "At this rate, you might be ready to go home tomorrow."
"Really?" Ayaka's eyes lit up, hopeful. "That's great news!"
"Well, I'd say yes." Toru replied casually, "But it's up to Dr. Nakamura here. He's your main attending physician, after all."
Ayaka turned to Akihiko, her gaze hopeful.
Akihiko's lips curved in that familiar, unreadable smile. "As long as you rest properly, I'll allow it."
"Yay!" she grinned, completely missing the way his eyes darkened slightly when she smiled so brightly at Toru.
"Let me do a check up first just to make sure there's no sign of paleness." Toru stepped closer, about to check her pallor, but before he could touch her face, Akihiko shifted smoothly between them, blocking the path like a wall.
"I'll check her myself." Akihiko said evenly, leaving no room for argument.
Without hesitation, his hand cradled Ayaka's chin, tilting her face gently but firmly towards him.
His thumb brushed her lower lip briefly as he examined her complexion, his touch lingering longer than strictly necessary.
Then, his fingers slid down to check her pulse, his hand wrapping around her wrist securely.
Ayaka's breath caught involuntarily at the closeness, the warmth of his hands, the subtle intensity in his gaze.
Keiko and Yuki exchanged glances, giggling silently. "Even here, the Ice Prince is seriously possessive..." Keiko whispered.
Toru only smirked to himself, amused.
"All done. She's good." Akihiko murmured finally, his expression softening ever so slightly—only for Ayaka.
Without another word, he stood up smoothly, snapping back into doctor mode. "We'll take our leave now."
He shot a glance at Toru. "Let's go."
Just before exiting, Akihiko paused at the door, looking back at Ayaka. His eyes locked onto hers for a beat too long. "You'll be discharged tomorrow." he said, voice softer this time, before vanishing into the hallway.
Toru trailed after him, waving cheerfully. "Bye, Ms. Yamamoto~!"
Outside, the two doctors stood side by side at the nurses' station, scribbling notes on Ayaka's chart. Toru glanced sideways, a smirk playing at his lips.
"Dude, you're so obvious." he drawled. "Even her friends picked up on it."
Akihiko didn't respond, continuing to write with precision, jaw tight.
Toru leaned closer. "You completely fell for it, you idiot."
Akihiko finally looked up, expression frosty. "Fell for what?"
Toru laughed, unable to contain himself. "I wanted to see how the great Dr. Nakamura acts when jealous, so I purposely tried to provoke you." He wagged his pen. "And you totally took the bait."
Akihiko's eyes narrowed. "You…" he murmured, voice dangerously low. Then, smoothly, he added, "Say goodbye to your book. I'll return it after Azrael Emberlight's signing event."
Toru's eyes widened in horror. "N-no! You wouldn't dare—! The event is today! I was kidding! Kidding!"
Akihiko's lips curled in a rare, smug smile as he walked away, leaving Toru to panic behind him.
------
After finishing his rounds, Akihiko walked calmly down the hospital corridor, white coat pristine, expression as cool and unreadable as ever.
But beneath that composed exterior, something simmered.
He could still feel the echo of his fingertips brushing against Ayaka's skin from earlier when he'd checked her stitches—too close, perhaps. But necessary.
Necessary.
His thoughts were interrupted when a familiar voice called out behind him.
"Dr. Nakamura..."
He turned smoothly to see Kei Yamamoto approaching—Ayaka's older brother, fellow doctor, and the only person who might have the right to challenge him when it came to Ayaka.
"Dr. Yamamoto." Akihiko greeted evenly, giving a polite nod.
Kei's expression was calm but tinged with worry, the kind of concern only an older brother could carry. "I just saw Ayaka." he said. "She's doing better. Thanks to you."
"She's recovering well." Akihiko replied simply. "Her vitals are stable. She should be able to go home tomorrow."
Kei walked alongside him silently for a few moments, then spoke again, voice quieter, more serious. "I've been thinking… Once she's discharged, maybe I'll try convincing her to stop working on that love story she's writing."
Akihiko's steps slowed faintly, blue eyes flicking toward Kei, but his face remained impassive.
"She's been pushing herself too hard it's not worth it if it's going to affect her health like this. She won't say anything, but it's obvious."
Akihiko paused, his lips curving into a faint, polite smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"I understand where you're coming from Dr. Yamamoto." he replied smoothly. "But stopping her now won't solve the problem."
Kei glanced at him, a bit surprised by how firm his tone had suddenly become.
"She's almost done with the manuscript." Akihiko continued, voice calm but edged with something quieter, deeper. "If you tell her to drop it now, it'll weigh heavier on her than any exhaustion."
Kei frowned, thoughtful. "But—"
"She won't let herself rest if she feels she's failed." Akihiko interrupted, his gaze sharp. "That's not who she is."
There was a subtle protectiveness in his voice, an undercurrent Kei picked up immediately. He narrowed his eyes slightly, studying Akihiko's composed profile.
"She's stubborn." Kei said after a pause. "But I don't want her sacrificing her health over something like this. I'm going out of town and Kai at the university. No one is going to look after her."
"I'll look after her." Akihiko replied without missing a beat, voice clipped but certain. "As long as she's under my care, I'll make sure she doesn't overdo it."
It wasn't a suggestion—it was a quiet declaration, a line drawn firmly.
Kei watched him carefully, catching the nuance. It wasn't just a doctor speaking; there was something else threaded beneath that smooth exterior, something personal.
"You're pretty invested. It's my first time seeing you act this way." Kei remarked, voice neutral but loaded.
Akihiko gave a faint smile, eyes cool. "I'm her attending physician after all plus she's your sister."
Kei's eyes lingered on him for a moment longer but said nothing else. There wasn't much more to say.
Akihiko glanced at his watch, straightening. "I'll finalize her discharge in the morning. And I'll take care of her while you're not around."
Kei nodded slowly, but as Akihiko walked away down the corridor, there was no mistaking the weight in his stride—the unspoken message hanging in the air.