One for Three

Chapter 38

Why does the alarm clock always have to throw you out of bed so rudely in the morning? I blinked tiredly at Seiya, who still held me tightly in his arms. Slowly, I stretched upwards and gave him a kiss on the lips. "Good morning," I laughed. He gave me a loving smile. "Good morning, my sweetheart." I had absolutely no motivation to leave the warm bed today. But both Sato and Motoki would be waiting for me to arrive.

"Do you have to get up too?" I asked him as I slowly dragged myself out of bed.

"No, I just have to pick Taiki up from the airport at 1 p.m. We don't have any appointments today."

Great, so he could continue lying there. I was brushing my teeth when he suddenly hugged me from behind and whispered, "By the way, should we bring your things back here later?"

He was really serious about picking up where we left off.

"I can bring some things with me on the way back. Oh, I almost forgot... We received an invitation to the Winter Gala from work. Would you like to accompany me?"

At first, there was a certain surprise on his face, but it quickly turned into a broad grin. "Of course."

I gave Seiya another kiss and made my way to work. There wasn't much to do today. So, I could calmly focus on selecting the outfits for the Winter Gala and tackle my paperwork pile.

I wanted to call Minako tonight. It had been too long since we last saw each other, but first, I would stop by Motoki's and then see Mamoru. When Hotaru and I finished work, she turned her head towards the lantern again, which made me smile. "He's not coming today."

"Uh... Who's supposed to come?" she asked, caught off guard, and we both started laughing. I had really grown fond of Hotaru. It was a shame that her internship would end at the end of the year.

I stopped at the door of the Crown and tried to peer through the window to see if Mamoru was there. Unfortunately, I didn't have a good view. Speculating or, as Motoki would say, wasting time wouldn't do any good.

A warm breeze greeted me as I entered. Motoki was wiping the counter with a cloth, but there was no one in front of him. Motoki's expression was tense, and he didn't even realize I was standing in front of him.

"Toki? Are you alone?"

He looked up and let out an annoyed snort.

"He's in the kitchen. Do you want to go to him right away, or do you need something to eat first?"

I tossed my bag and coat onto the counter and shook my head. Into the fray, I wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible.

I swung the door open with determination. Mamoru was sitting at a table in the corner, his head supported by his hands, his gaze lowered. He looked even worse than yesterday or the day before. His face appeared hollow and pale due to lack of sleep.

I pulled a chair opposite him and sat on it straddling. I crossed my arms on the backrest and then waited... Eventually, I started drumming my fingers on the table as he continued to ignore me.

"That's annoying," he grumbled.

"I know."

"Then stop it."

"Not until you look at me."

If looks could kill, I would have probably dropped dead on the spot.

"What do you want, Usako?"

Usako... he hadn't called me that in ages. That was my nickname when he was really mad at me. Even though it was probably a stupid idea, it was my only ray of hope. I had to provoke him even more. Hopefully, it would eventually break the ice, just like the last time. Back then, he was still considering becoming a surgeon, but within a few days, several of his patients died. He was in a similar low point like today and was considering quitting his job. So, let's get started.