The ride back to Shirogawa was silent.
Different.
The lightness from earlier was gone.
Takashi couldn’t hide his emotions. His jaw was tight, his gaze distant.
Sota said nothing. He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t ease this kind of pain.
“Tonight you’ll stay at my place.”
Takashi’s elbow rested against the window frame, his hand supporting his cheek as he stared outside. The world passed by in a blur.
Sota lowered his head slightly.
“If that will make you feel better… I’ll stay.”
His voice was quiet.
“But at some point… I’ll have to go back.”
“I told you before,”
Sota said quietly.
“If we’re doing this, there’s no backing up. No emotions… no fear.”
He lifted his head, searching for Takashi’s eyes.
Takashi turned toward him sharply.
“You sound just like Kenta,”
he snapped.
A few passengers glanced their way.
Takashi noticed and lowered his voice.
“I can’t just turn off my feelings.”
He looked back out the window, his hand pressed against his face.
“I can’t just let you go back there.”
“Why not?”
Sota snapped.
“It’s not like I’m not used to it.”
His jaw tightened.
“I consciously accepted this. I knew what I was doing.”
He held Takashi’s gaze.
“You’re using me. I agreed to that.”
His voice lowered, but it didn’t soften.
“So why are you backing up now?”
Takashi exhaled deeply, staring out the window, avoiding Sota’s eyes.
“Because I genuinely care about you,” he said quietly.
“I’m worried. That’s why.”
He lowered his head.
“In these ten years… you’re the only bright thing I’ve been able to hold on to.”
Sota let out a quiet, almost bitter laugh at the irony.
“You really picked the right person to hold on to,” he said softly.
“That’s not funny, Sota.”
Takashi turned toward him.
“I’m not backing up. I just need to know it’s safe for you to go back.”
Sota smiled again but there was no warmth in it.
“It was never safe for me to be there,” he said quietly.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“But that’s who I am.”
“You’re not them,” Takashi shot back
“You’re staying at my place tonight. End of discussion.”
Sota let out a quiet laugh.
“Alright… however you say.”
They didn’t speak again until they reached Takashi’s apartment.
The moment the door closed behind them, Takashi turned to him.
“Stay here. Take whatever you need from the closet.”
He was already reaching for his keys.
“I’m going to the hospital. I need to see Kenta… and find out what really happened to Ryo.”
He walked toward the window and pulled the curtain aside slightly, peeking through.
An uneasy feeling had followed him since that morning at the train station like someone had been watching him.
And now, when they arrived at the building, he had noticed unfamiliar cars parked nearby.
Maybe I’m just being paranoid, he thought, forcing a faint smile.
“Takashi.”
Sota’s voice stopped him just before he opened the door.
“Wait a minute.”
Takashi turned back.
“What is it?”
Sota stepped a little closer.
“Thank you for Tokyo.”
He smiled... and there it was again, that quiet shine in his eyes.
Takashi nodded softly
“I didn’t get the chance to tell you earlier… but we need to continue what we started.”
Sota said quietly
“Kawara Medical Distribution, owned by Daichi Moriyama. Officially, they handle pharmaceutical logistics. Unofficially… it’s been moving illegal substances for years.”
He stopped for a moment
“You know what to do with this information,” Sota said quietly.
“And you need to move fast.”
“I’ll handle it,” Takashi said quietly.
“Right after the hospital.”
He didn’t wait for an answer. He opened the door and disappeared into the hallway.
As he stepped outside, he glanced toward the spot where those cars had been parked earlier.
They were gone.
He exhaled slowly.
It was probably a false alarm.
He got into the car, closing the door behind him.
Only then did he realize he had forgotten to show Sota Kenji’s photo.
His hand paused over the ignition.
For a second, he considered going back upstairs.
But he didn’t.
I’ll show him when I get back, he thought, starting the engine.
It was going to be another sleepless night.
His mind was racing again.
Kenta must be broken right now.
Everything was happening one after another.
Ryo’s accident.
The warehouse.
Kawara Medical Distribution.
He needed to speak with the Chief as soon as possible.
The circle around him felt like it was getting smaller and smaller.
Like something was closing in.
Like he was starting to suffocate.
He loosened the button on his shirt while driving, trying to ease the pressure in his chest.
He adjusted his seat, but it didn’t help.
At least he knew Sota was safe in his apartment.
That thought was the only thing keeping him steady.
His hands tightened around the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
He hated this feeling.
It was the same as that night when he had been wounded.
Like the world was shrinking around him.
Getting smaller and smaller.
Ready to swallow him whole.
Takashi rushed toward the hospital reception desk.
“Good evening, sir,”
the receptionist greeted him politely.
“Good evening,” Takashi replied quickly, barely catching his breath.
“I’m here for Mr. Ryo Ishida. Can you tell me where I can find him?”
“I’ll take you there, sir. Follow me,”
the receptionist said, leading him down the hallway.
“Are you family?”
she asked as they walked.
“No. I’m a close friend,” Takashi replied quickly.
As they turned the corner, he spotted Kenta sitting alone in the hallway.
Takashi rushed toward him.
Kenta stood up immediately. His eyes were red.
Without saying a word, Takashi pulled him into a tight embrace, gently patting his back.
“How is he?”
he asked softly, still holding him.
Kenta stepped back, brushing his eyes with the back of his hand.
“He’s stable for now… but he hasn’t woken up.”
His voice cracked.
“And they’re not sure if he will.”
Takashi slowly sat down on the chair, staring at the floor.
“What happened?” he asked quietly.
Kenta sat beside him.
“They said he drove off a cliff,”
he whispered.
“They think he was speeding. There’s no evidence of anything suspicious.”
His hands tightened into fists.
“But I know Ryo,”
Kenta added, his voice breaking again.
“He doesn’t drive like that.”
Kenta looked completely devastated.
Takashi stayed silent for a moment.
Maybe it’s just a false alarm, he thought.
Just like that feeling earlier… that someone was watching him.
He gently placed his hand on Kenta’s shoulder.
“Ryo is tough,” he said quietly.
“He’s going to wake up. You’ll see. Everything’s going to be all right.”
For a brief moment, he actually felt relieved.
Maybe it really was just an accident.
At least Kenta wouldn’t blame himself for this.
“Good evening, Mr. Mori.”
Dr. Akiyama’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
“Good evening, Doctor,”
Takashi replied quietly.
She sat down beside Kenta, and to Takashi’s surprise, she gently took Kenta’s hand.
“He’s going to be all right. You’ll see,”
she said softly, trying to comfort him.
Takashi didn’t know what to think about what he was witnessing.
“You should go home,”
she continued gently.
“Your parents are with him. Go and get some rest. If anything happens, I’ll call you.”
Kenta seemed calmer now, and strangely, not surprised by her touch.
Dr. Akiyama stood up, slipping her hands into the pockets of her coat.
“I need to check on another patient,”
she said.
“Please. Go home and rest.”
Kenta nodded, looking straight into her eyes.
“Goodbye, Mr. Mori,”
she added politely before walking away.
Takashi remained silent for a long moment. Then, out of nowhere, he spoke.
“Do you want to go outside for a smoke?”
He didn’t question anything. He didn’t mention Dr. Akiyama.
Kenta stood up without a word, and they walked toward the exit together.
Outside, Takashi handed him a cigarette and lit it.
“Why were you in Tokyo?” Kenta asked after a moment.
“I was there with Sota,” Takashi said casually.
Kenta turned his head slightly.
“Why?”
“He’s never been there,”
Takashi replied.
“A long time ago, my father promised he’d take him.”
“I see…”
Kenta inhaled deeply, holding the smoke in for a second before letting it out slowly.
“What was that about?”
Takashi asked, staring into the distance.
“You and Dr. Akiyama?”
Kenta exhaled a cloud of smoke.
“We ran into each other a few days ago,”
he said casually.
“And we decided to have dinner together.”
He sounded almost too unbothered.
“Accidentally?”
Takashi smiled faintly.
“Well… not exactly accidentally,”
Kenta admitted, still staring ahead and avoiding Takashi’s eyes.
“But we can say it was.”
“And you didn’t tell me anything about that, Mr. Ishida?”
Takashi leaned closer, trying to catch Kenta’s eyes.
Kenta pushed him away gently.
“Well, Mr. Mori… you were busy with your new friend. I didn’t want to bother you.”
Takashi bumped his shoulder lightly against Kenta’s.
“No friend could ever take your place. And now, seriously… why didn’t you tell me?”
Kenta smiled faintly.
“We’ve been busy these days. I guess I just forgot to tell you.”
He took another drag from his cigarette.
“Yeah…” Takashi looked off into the distance.
“What a few days it’s been…”
“How’s Sota, by the way?
Did he tell you anything else?”
Kenta asked casually.
“I left him at my place,”
Takashi replied, trying to sound unbothered
.
“Oh?” Kenta raised an eyebrow.
“This is getting serious.”
He smirked.
“That’s the second time he’s stayed over.”
Takashi nudged him lightly with his shoulder
“When I heard about Ryo, I panicked. I couldn’t let him go back there until we’re sure it was just an accident.”
He tossed the cigarette to the ground and crushed it under his shoe.
“I’m sure it wasn’t,”
Kenta said quietly, his jaw tightening.
“I know they did it.”
The phone vibrated in Takashi’s pocket.
He pulled it out and saw a message from Sota.
"They called a meeting early this morning. I need to go back. Don’t call me while I’m there. The doors are locked.
I hope Ryo will be fine."
Takashi dialed his number immediately.
No answer.
A cold chill ran down his spine. Kenta’s words echoed in his mind.
They did it.
He dialed again.
“What is it?”
Kenta asked, noticing the change in his face.
“He went back,”
Takashi said quietly, lowering the phone.
The line was still silent.
