Fragments Of Past - Forgotten Promises

chapter 14 - The unraveling

Dr. Nakamura let go of the doorknob and turned fully toward me. His expression shifted slightly—still calm, but more focused, like he knew I was about to say something important. He walked back over to the bed, pulling the chair closer. His eyes were steady, and for a moment, I hesitated. But then the words tumbled out, faster than I expected.

“I think... there’s a kidnapper on the loose.”

His expression didn’t change right away, but I could see the way his eyebrows twitched, just slightly, as if trying to make sense of my words. I felt like a dam had broken, and now everything I had been holding in was rushing out, faster than I could control.

“And I think—no, I suspect—Nakano might be involved.”

There. I’d said it. The moment the words left my mouth, I wanted to take them back. It felt ridiculous, accusing someone like Nakano, who was always shy and quiet, who barely interacted with anyone. But something deep inside me, something I couldn’t ignore, kept pushing me toward that conclusion.

Dr. Nakamura leaned back slightly, his eyes still on me, measuring my words carefully. “A kidnapper?” he asked slowly, his voice calm but probing. “And Nakano...?”

I nodded, but I couldn’t look him in the eye. “I saw him today,” I continued, my voice shaky. “He was at the café with a girl. They were talking, and it seemed... strange. I’ve never seen him with anyone before.”

Dr. Nakamura’s expression softened slightly. “The girl you saw, that’s probably his neighbor. Nakano’s been helping her with her studies. They’ve known each other for years, Yuki. I’m not sure where you’re getting this idea from.”

I felt a lump form in my throat. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I was letting my imagination run wild, but something about Nakano being there today didn’t sit right with me.
“But... it was more than that,” I insisted, my voice barely above a whisper now.
“He was acting... different. Like he was planning something. He’s been too quiet lately, keeping to himself even more than usual.”

Dr. Nakamura didn’t dismiss me outright. He didn’t laugh or brush it off. Instead, he leaned in, his voice more serious. “Yuki, I need you to be clear with me. What makes you think there’s a kidnapper involved? Where did you get this idea?”

I froze. I can’t tell him everything. I couldn’t tell him about the time loops, about the things I’d seen and felt. He wouldn’t believe me, and even if he did, it would only make things worse. I had to be careful, choose my words wisely.

“I... overheard some things,” I said cautiously. “There’s been talk around the city. People going missing. There’s something happening, and I just—I don’t know, it doesn’t feel right.”

Dr. Nakamura’s face was unreadable now. He was quiet for a long moment, the silence stretching between us. Finally, he spoke again, his voice calm but firm. “Yuki, it’s important to be careful about what we assume. Just because Nakano is acting strange, it doesn’t mean he’s involved in something dangerous. People have their own lives, their own reasons for doing things.”

I nodded, but inside, I still felt the tension building. “I know, I know it sounds crazy,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. “But I can’t shake the feeling that something’s wrong. Nakano... he’s hiding something. I’m sure of it.”

The doctor sighed, standing up slowly. He placed a hand on my shoulder, and I flinched slightly at the contact. “Yuki, I’m not saying you’re wrong to be concerned. But you need to be careful about accusing people. If something feels off, then it’s good that you’re paying attention. But jumping to conclusions can be dangerous too.”