A middle-aged man in a white coat rushed into the emergency department, breathless. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his pulse pounding in his ears. His dark brown hair, now streaked with gray, stuck to his forehead from the humid hospital air.
A paramedic—a longtime friend—had called him directly.
"I'm Ren Suzuki, Sakura's father," he said to the receptionist, his voice clipped with urgency. "Can you please tell me which room she's in?"
The receptionist quickly typed on her computer before giving him the room number. Ren barely heard the words before he took off, his pulse hammering in his ears.
Just as he reached Sakura's door, it swung open, and Kei stood there. His face was pale, his lips parted as if he had something to say but couldn't bring himself to utter the words. His fingers twitched at his sides, his entire body tense with barely contained turmoil.
"I'm sorry, sir." Kei's voice was low, almost hoarse, as he stepped aside. His eyes flickered to the floor, unable to meet Ren's gaze.
Ren moved to enter but paused, studying the young man before him.
"Are you one of my daughter's friends?"
Kei froze. His hands clenched into tight fists. Friend? The word stung. Could he even call himself that after everything he had done?
"Are you Sakura's father?" Kei asked instead, his voice quieter now.
"Yes."
Kei swallowed hard. "Sakura is about to have a therapy session now, Mr. Suzuki—uh—Dr. Suzuki. The doctor said that all guests should clear the room."
Ren's eyes lingered on Kei for a beat longer before nodding in understanding. With a small sigh, he stepped back and gently closed the door.
"Thank you for letting me know," Ren said.
Kei only nodded. He wanted to leave—needed to leave. But just as he turned—
"Young man," Ren's voice called after him. "Can I speak with you?"
Kei stopped in his tracks. His entire body went rigid.
For a second, he considered refusing. But then, with a slow breath, he nodded, following Ren to the waiting room.
It was eerily quiet, save for the occasional beeping of a heart monitor down the hall. Kei sat stiffly in his chair, staring at the floor as if it held all the answers to his guilt.
Ren sat across from him, resting his elbows on his knees, rubbing his temples.
"Is Sakura alright?" he asked, his voice carrying the exhaustion of a worried father.
Kei exhaled shakily. "They had to inject her with a sedative again. Her blood pressure and heart rate spiked from fear…" He paused, his voice thick. "She'll be awake in a few minutes, and then the therapist will speak with her."
Ren ran a hand over his face. The lines on his forehead deepened.
"And Haru?" he asked suddenly.
Kei felt his heart clench. "He collapsed a few days ago. He's still in the hospital."
Ren straightened. "Collapsed? Good heavens, what happened?"
Kei felt something sharp twist inside him. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his skin. The weight of his actions bore down on him like a crushing tide.
It's all my fault. It's all my fault. It's all my fault.
The words repeated in his mind like a never-ending echo. Before he even realised it, tears had begun to spill onto his lap.
Ren observed him quietly, his expression unreadable.
Kei bit his lip, trying to force himself to stop crying.
Stop crying. Stop crying. Stop—
A firm but gentle hand landed on his shoulder. Kei flinched at the touch, looking up through tear-blurred vision.
Ren's face was calm, understanding. "It must be difficult for you," he said softly. "Having both of your friends in the hospital. You've been very brave."
The words only made the lump in Kei's throat worse.
"I'm not brave," Kei choked out, shaking his head. "I'm a coward. I—I lied to them. I triggered Sakura's trauma. I even hurt her. I—I made Haru collapse! This is all my fault!" His voice broke, and the flood of guilt came pouring out with it.
Ren handed him a pack of tissues, his gaze steady. "We all make mistakes," he said. "That is how we learn. But in order to learn from our mistakes, we must first admit them."
Kei trembled, staring down at the tissues in his hands.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "You should be angry. I hurt Sakura. She's in the hospital because of me."
Ren chuckled lightly, though there was no humour in it. "I just can't bring myself to hate you," he admitted. "What's your name?"
"Kei Kimura."
"I'm Ren Suzuki. Now, Kei," Ren said, leaning forward slightly, "whatever it is you did, I can tell it's been weighing on you for a long time. If you explain it to Haru and Sakura, they'll forgive you."
Kei let out a bitter laugh. "How? I can't even forgive myself. Why would they?"
"It may take time, but I know they will," Ren said firmly. "After all, I didn't raise my daughter to harbour grudges."
Before Kei could respond, a voice suddenly rang through the hallway.
"Kei!"
Kei and Ren both turned their heads sharply.
Mia.
She rushed toward them, her eyes darting around frantically. But she wasn't looking for Sakura. She wasn't even looking at Ren.
She was looking for Haru.
Ren stood up, his expression hardening. "Mia," he greeted, his voice polite but firm. "Wonderful to see you. I haven't seen you in quite a while. I assume you're here to see Sakura?"
Mia barely spared him a glance. "Sakura? Why? Is something wrong with her?" she asked, her voice devoid of concern.
Ren frowned. A strange feeling settled in his chest.
Who is this girl? She is not the Mia I remember.
"I heard that something happened between you two," Ren continued, his tone calm but probing. "Care to elaborate?"
Mia's fake smile stretched across her lips. "I'm sorry, Mr. Suzuki, but I have to see Haru right away."
She tried to brush past him, but Ren swiftly blocked her path. His usually warm gaze turned sharp.
"Why have you come to see Sakura's boyfriend, but not Sakura herself?"
Mia hesitated. For a brief second, her mask slipped.
Agitated, she forced another smile. "I didn't know Sakura was in the hospital until now."
"Well, now that you do," Ren said smoothly, "shouldn't you see her instead? After all, you never did come to visit us after… the incident with Sakura."
Mia tensed. "I… I have to see Haru right away."
"Do you not wish to see Sakura?"
Mia forced a laugh, but it was thin, unnatural.
"I do. I just—"
"More importantly," Ren pressed, "why are you so desperate to see Haru?"
Mia stiffened. "He's… my friend."
Kei scoffed. "No, he's not."
Mia's breath hitched.
Kei stood, his eyes cold. "Haru despises you. He loathes you for what you did to Sakura."
Mia stepped back, her face paling.
Kei continued. "You're nothing but a pathetic girl obsessed with him. You don't care about Aoi, do you? You're just using him to get closer to Haru."
Mia's fists clenched.
Ren's gaze flickered between them. "Kei," he said, his voice suddenly sharp. "What do you mean by 'what Mia did to Sakura'?"
Kei stepped forward, his jaw clenched. He was done holding back.
"At a mixer Mia and Sakura went to—or shall I say a setup Mia planned—Sakura was feeling extremely uncomfortable and even cried, and Mia couldn't care less."
"That's not true." Mia's voice was sharp, hurried.
"If it's not true," Kei pressed, "then why did Sakura call Haru crying in the bathroom? I was there when Haru answered the phone, so don't try to deny it. We even ruined your little plan for Kenji to do something indecent to Sakura when her drink was spiked."
Mia's face paled, her lips parting in shock. She took a shaky step back, her hands trembling.
Ren's expression darkened, his gaze shifting between Mia and Kei.
"My drink was also spiked," Mia blurted out.
Kei wasn't finished. Not yet.
"You spiked your own drink to make it look like you were a victim too," he continued coldly, "but in truth, you were planning to sell Sakura to Kenji all along just so you could get a picture of her with him and send it to the entire university."
Ren stiffened. His heart pounded painfully in his chest.
"I-I don't what you're talking about. I didn't spike my drink."
"But I found the powder in your handbag," Kei shot back. "And I heard the phone call with Ryo, planning the entire thing. Sakura was assaulted and sexually harassed because of you!"
Ren sank down onto the chair, his hand clutching his chest. His mind reeled. His stomach turned.
Mia's eyes darted wildly between them. "He's—he's lying! Mr. Suzuki, you've known me for years! You can't believe this!" she stammered.
Ren's gaze fell on her trembling hands.
"Does Sakura know about this?" he asked, his voice low and hoarse.
"I finally told her the truth today" Kei answered.
Ren's cold glare settled on Mia.
Her entire body was shaking.
Ren couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew Mia. She would never do something so callous.
"I need to hear what happened directly from Sakura herself," Ren said. "Then, I will handle it from there."