Chapter 23

It didn't take half an hour, and Minako stormed into my hospital room. "Oh, Usa, you have no idea how worried we were. How are you feeling?" she greeted me and sat down on my bed.

"Mina, I'm doing okay for now, but what did you tell Seiya?"

"Well, he called me yesterday because he couldn't reach you. So, I tried calling you too since I couldn't reach you either... I called Motoki, and he had just heard about it from Mamoru..." Then Minako's eyes widened as she realized her mistake. Right, Mamoru was back, and she hadn't thought about it when she passed on the information about the accident to Seiya. "Shit," she whispered softly.

Yes, she could say that out loud. "Do you know when he's landing?"

Minako pulled out her phone and scrolled through a chat conversation, and her face turned slightly paler. "They're landing any moment now."

Tick, tock. Tick, tock. I had to think of something quickly, or the bomb would explode in no time. But even if I were to discharge myself, I had no chance of escaping the situation. Mamoru wouldn't let me out of his sight until I was absolutely fine again, and Seiya would also seek my presence. He had even canceled the tour to be with me. Fuck. No matter how I turned it, I couldn't find a way out of this.

There were two soft knocks on the door, and as it opened, a bed came into my view, closely followed by Mamoru in a white coat. What was he planning now?

"Oh, hello Minako. Nice to see you again," he greeted her and pushed the bed next to mine with practiced hands.

"Um... Mamo, what's going on?" I asked, confused.

He took off his coat, hung it over the back of a chair, and lay lengthwise on the bed, folding his arms behind his head as he looked over at me. "Another night on the chair, and they can admit me to Ortho. It has its advantages when you work here. You're only getting discharged tomorrow."

Great, so he was moving in here. That didn't make my situation any easier. On the contrary.

"Mamo, I'm already feeling better. You can sleep at home. The bed there is much more comfortable. It's just my arm that's a bit sore. My head is already much better."

I turned to Mina, seeking help. Her brain was also working overtime, searching for a way out.

"Oh, it doesn't bother me. This way, we can be together, and these beds are much more comfortable than the ones in the on-call rooms."

It's nice that it doesn't bother you, but it might bother me. No, wait. He meant well, he wanted to show me how much I meant to him, and that was really great. If I didn't have to expect Seiya every second, I would have already cuddled up in his arms.

Minako suddenly jumped up. "Well then, I'll leave you lovebirds alone. I have to pick up Yaten from the airport," she said, winking at me and spinning out of the room. For Mamoru, this wink was probably an innuendo, but for me, it was a small relief. She had a plan. What kind of plan? I had no idea. I just hoped it would work.

Mamoru grinned mischievously at me. "Yaten? Oh man, I must have missed a lot. So, Mina finally found someone?"

Feeling slightly unsure, I scooted closer to him and rested my head on his chest. "Yes, Yaten is a musician. You've probably heard of the band: Three Lights. They're everywhere in the media right now."

Mamoru stroked his arm across my back. "Aren't those the three guys with the ponytails?"

"Yes... exactly," I murmured softly. I had to change the subject somehow. I couldn't talk to Mamoru about Three Lights now. Not when one of them was probably on their way here.

"And how did she manage to get him?"

Why on earth did Mamoru suddenly become so curious? I couldn't exactly tell him that they met through me. "I'm not exactly sure. They haven't been dating for long, only a few weeks."

He stopped stroking my back. "It was fine."

So, he didn't want to talk about it. I could only imagine how bad it must have been. I wrapped my casted arm around his chest and hugged him. When he was ready, he would open up to me. We cuddled together for a while, enjoying the closeness. Neither of us said a word. I was afraid that speaking would ruin this precious moment. Eventually, my phone rang. Awkwardly, I turned back and reached for it. It was Minako. "I need to take this."

Mamoru nodded, stood up, and put on his coat. "I'll check on my patient. See you in a bit." Little butterflies fluttered in my upper abdomen as he gave me a kiss before leaving. We were definitely getting closer again. When the door closed, I answered the call.

"Yes?"

"I tried everything, no chance of keeping him waiting. He should be there any moment now. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I guess I'll have to go through this on my own. Thanks anyway."

It actually took only a few minutes, and Seiya walked in. In that moment, a slight panic filled me. I couldn't let it show and made an effort to give him a smile.

"Darling, what have you been up to?"

"You didn't have to cancel the tour. I'm fine, I just broke my arm," I said, waving my cast at him.

"Of course, I'm here for you when you need me," he said, winking. "Can't cook much with one arm, can you?"

I burst into laughter instantly. The images of his rice disaster were still vivid in my mind. His lightheartedness filled me once again. "If you cook rice for me now, I'll have more than enough to eat until your tour is over."

A grin appeared on his lips too. Then something seemed to catch his attention. His gaze shifted slightly to the side. "By the way, were you expecting me? How did you manage to get me a bed too?"

And just like that, he was already in the empty bed where Mamoru had been lying just moments ago. He propped himself up on his forearm and grinned. Mamoru. Damn it. Seiya slowly pulled me into his arms. "Never do something like this again. Do you hear me? I was really worried about you. When Mina called me and said you had a car accident... I... I thought it was over." Then he kissed my forehead. I had to hold back tears.

"I have no intention of repeating that, I promise," I whispered and leaned up to him. I placed my lips on his and gave him a gentle kiss.

"I love you, Seiya Kou." It was the first time I said it out loud, but it felt right in that moment. Seiya beamed, and he pulled me close again. With this kiss, I forgot everything around me. He had never kissed me like this before. No one had. I felt like I was floating on clouds and wished it would never end.

As Seiya slowly broke the kiss, he still had a grin on his face. "I know."

"Idiot," I replied and threw my pillow at him.

My mistake was that I had my back to the door. In that second, my life shattered into pieces.

"Darling, behave, your doctor is here," Seiya continued jokingly, and I froze. No. I didn't have a doctor. My attending physician was Setsuna. Without turning around, I knew who was standing in the doorway. Mamoru. Panic spread through me, my throat tightened, and my stomach churned. No!

I couldn't react fast enough, as Seiya was already on his feet. "Seiya Kou, I'm glad you've taken such good care of my girlfriend. When do you think she can be discharged?"

I covered my face with my hands. It had come to this. The bomb had exploded. It took a lot of effort to turn around. My mind was a chaotic mix of emotions and fears. I felt paralyzed as I looked at the two men. The two most important men in my life, who could never find out about each other, were now face to face. Mamoru had lost everything, and his face reflected sheer horror.

"Bunny? What did he just say?" Mamoru asked me in disbelief.

I swallowed.

"Mamo, I can explain!"

Seiya also looked puzzled now, glancing between Mamoru and me.

"I think what I just saw was pretty clear," he snorted. Mamoru had regained some composure and was angry. Rightfully so. He spun on his heel, swung the door open, and quickly disappeared from my sight.

I jumped up, rushed to the door, and saw his white coat whisking down the hallway. "Mamo, please let's talk!" I desperately shouted down the corridor, but there was no chance, he just kept walking. Hot tears streamed down my cheeks. I had had this nightmare so many times, I had seen it over and over again. Why did I let it go this far in the first place? Mamoru was gone. Would he ever speak to me again? I had no idea, but his absence left a painful void within me. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. Seiya.