It had been a while since Sota last dropped by the hospital to pick up Saeko. He made sure to respect her need for distance, but he couldn't back off anymore.
There was no way he was just going to stand by and lose her.
He wasn't giving up.
Mr. Fujimoto was heading out of the hospital, flashing Sota an enthusiastic smile as he noticed him.
"You are coming this weekend, aren't you?" Mr. Fujimoto asked.
"Where?" Sota frowned.
"Didn't Saeko tell you about the weekend?"
"Not really," he muttered.
"This weekend, there's a medical conference at a luxury hotel in Hakone, and a select group of employees from our hospital too has been invited as a reward for their hard work. Saeko is one of them, of course, and we're allowed to bring our partners. I just assumed you'd be..."
"Ahh…" Sota's expression went dark.
"Wait… You are not together yet?" Mr. Fujimoto gaped. "Damn, I'm sorry. I really had that impression. I mean the way she always…"
Sota snorted, clearly troubled.
"It's okay…"
"Oh man, then this is your chance!"
"What do you mean?"
"Spending a night together in a cozy hotel room? I doubt she could resist you" he chuckled.
Sota frowned. No, he wouldn't just take advantage of her attraction.
"I can't just…"
"Come on, do you want to leave her alone with Aoki?" he asked.
Sota's brow arched.
"You thought I wouldn't notice? Honestly, I suspect him making a move on her if you leave her…. 'unguarded'" he said with a sly smile.
"Can you add my name to the list too?" Sota asked.
"Already on it," Mr. Fujimoto said, typing on his phone.
At that moment, Saeko appeared, followed closely by Mr. Aoki.
Mr. Fujimoto, not even realizing they were there, kept talking.
"I can't wait for you to meet my wife," he said, grinning.
"Well, well," Mr. Aoki strolled up next to them with Saeko.
She hesitated nervously, clearly not expecting him to pick her up.
"You bringing your wife to their next gig or what?" Mr. Aoki asked.
"Of course not!" Mr. Fujimoto scoffed, as if the idea was absurd. Sota stiffened, slightly offended at his reaction. „Not really her thing, you know?" he chuckled.
"Then how do you expect them to meet?" Mr. Aoki asked.
"I meant this weekend, at the conference."
"Our team-building event?" Mr. Aoki narrowed his eyes. "I don't remember his name on the list."
"I just added him to Saeko's room," Mr. Fujimoto said smoothly.
Saeko's eyes widened.
Aoki scoffed. "Really? I didn't expect him to enjoy the kind of 'boring' things we'll be doing. Everyone else, even the other partners, are doctors of some sort."
Sota shot Mr. Aoki a knowing smirk. I see what you're doing, dickhead. It won't work. I'm not leaving Saeko alone with you, no matter what you pull.
"Sounds fun, as long as Saeko's there. Count me in," he said with a casual shrug.
But Mr. Aoki wasn't giving up that easily.
"And what about her?" he asked, his tone condescending. "Does she even want you there? You do realize this isn't just a casual getaway. Some of the most influential figures in the medical field will be there. Wouldn't want to risk making the wrong impression on them."
For a split second, Saeko caught something in Sota's expression, just a flicker of uncertainty before his usual confident mask slid back into place.
"Don't worry! He won't give me a reason to be ashamed," she said evenly, surprising all of them.
"But…"
"I'm not going without him," she cut in, her voice firm. "So it's either both of us or neither."
The three men stared at her in stunned silence by her confidence.
Truth be told, she hadn't planned on going with him. But...
This trip could be her chance to finally say what needed to be said, no matter how much she dreaded it. She made up her mind.
By the end of this weekend, it would be over.
"I need to talk to you."
The voice was calm but determined. A woman's figure emerged from the dimly lit hallway; her silhouette sharp against the glow of the corridor lights.
"I wanted to say sorry for being so high maintenance lately," She paused, folding her arms tightly across her chest. Her voice was softer now, careful. "I know I relied too much on you. It's not fair."
"Why is that?"
A beat passed. Then another.
"Because you're in love with me… aren't you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I am," he didn't hesitate.
"Well… that's why I can't let you do this anymore. I can't use you," Her eyes flickered down, as if the floor might offer some kind of refuge. "I need a break."
"A break from what?"
A brief silence fell between them.
"I decided to go on a meditation camp for a month," Yumeko said as she stepped into the light, her face finally becoming visible, framed by loose strands of dark hair.
Yasushi's gaze swept over her, his attention momentarily caught by her wearing jeans, realizing he had never seen her in anything else but dresses and skirts. Not that it mattered. She was still a heartthrob, even if she wasn't trying to impress anyone.
"Really? I didn't know you were into…"
"I'm not." Her expression was firm. "I want to use this time to completely shut myself off from social media. I feel like I need a reset."
Yasushi nodded thoughtfully. "Seems like a solid plan. When are you leaving?"
"This weekend."
"Then we'll be waiting for you to come back soon." He smiled.
"Don't speak for the others. I know you will."
Yumeko sighed, then chuckled nervously. "I feel anxious about not knowing what's happening in the world for so long. I mean, what if I miss something huge? I wonder how much will change by the time I return."
Yasushi smirked. "I don't want to disappoint you, but don't expect too much change in just a month."
"Yeah, I guess… I just hope I won't come back to find everything in ruins." She laughed, not even realizing how eerily accurate her fear would turn out to be.