The glow of neon lights bounced off the walls of the private karaoke room, casting a kaleidoscope of colors across the plush seats and half-finished drinks.
Kazumi was currently belting out a dramatic J-pop ballad with way too much passion, making exaggerated gestures like he was performing on a grand stage instead of just singing to a group of close friends.
Yuki, sprawled on the couch with a soft drink in hand, leaned toward Keiko and spoke over the music, her voice dry but curious. "It's been months since that Miura guy showed up."
Keiko, perched neatly beside her, raised an eyebrow and gave Ayaka a playful nudge. "Yeah, seriously. When are we finally going to meet him, Ayaka?"
Ayaka, who had been quietly flipping through the karaoke catalog, looked up in alarm. "You're making it sound like we're dating." she said with a groan, her cheeks tinting just slightly.
"Oooh~" Keiko teased with a smirk. "She blushed! That's suspicious."
Ayaka quickly stood up, clearly eager to redirect the conversation. "Kazumi! My turn!" she called out, marching over and trying to wrestle the microphone from him.
"Hey, hey—at least let me finish the last chorus!" Kazumi protested dramatically, clinging to the mic like it was a lifeline. "This is my moment!"
The girls burst into laughter as Ayaka yanked the mic away mid-note, earning a half-hearted pout from Kazumi as he flopped onto the couch, out of breath.
Yuki checked her phone and frowned. "Where's Mori, anyway? He's usually early. He's late tonight."
"He probably got caught up in one of his rabbit hole investigations again." Keiko muttered, shaking her head. "You know how he is when something piques his curiosity."
"Anyway..." Yuki said, turning back to the real topic at hand with narrowed eyes. "Back to Miura. What's his deal?"
"What's he really up to?" Keiko echoed, her tone more thoughtful now. "I mean… he just kind of appeared out of nowhere, didn't he?"
Kazumi, still catching his breath, lifted lazily. "I like Miura better."
Yuki blinked in surprise. "Wait—you met him?"
Kazumi nodded. "Yeah. He's always at the publishing house. Super polite, gets along with everyone. And he's ridiculously gentle with Ayaka."
He paused for dramatic effect, then added with a regal air, "He's like a radiant prince from some sparkly fantasy anime."
Ayaka groaned again in the background as she queued up her song. "Kazumi, stop making things weird."
Keiko clapped once, grinning. "Oh, so now you're calling him a prince? That's funny—coming from the same Kazumi who, at the beach, said the only man he'd ever approve of dating Ayaka was Nakamura."
Kazumi sat up straighter, his tone shifting to something more serious. "I meant that. I really did. But… things change, Keiko."
There was a pause. Yuki and Keiko glanced at each other, their amusement fading.
Kazumi continued, softer this time. "He hurt her. A lot. You all know that. Next month... it'll be a year since he left. And Ayaka... she's still not over it. She pretends she's okay, but she's not. She still flinches when someone asks about him."
Yuki glanced toward Ayaka, who was now quietly singing into the mic. Her voice was soft, a little shaky.
The way she held herself—tense shoulders, distant eyes—it was clear she wasn't as 'normal' as she tried to appear.
"Mori's still looking." Yuki said after a moment, the voice was lower. "He hasn't given up, even when the trail's practically gone cold."
"Yeah… and maybe he shouldn't." Keiko murmured. "Ayaka does seem a little more like herself now, ever since Miura started hanging around. Just a little. Like she's breathing again."
"Still..." Kazumi sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I can't help but feel bad for the guy. Miura clearly likes her. A lot. But Ayaka… I think she only sees him as a friend. Her heart's still stuck with the Ice Prince."
"Maybe that's why Mori should stop digging." Kazumi added more firmly. "What if he does find something? What if it just gives Ayaka false hope that Nakamura's coming back, when he's not?"
"No one knows what happened, Kazumi." Yuki snapped. "You can't just assume Nakamura is the kind of guy who'd disappear without a reason. You saw how he treated her. How much he cared."
"But what if that was the lie?" Kazumi shot back. "What if he's not who we thought he was?"
A heavy silence settled over the group. Even Keiko, who always had something to say, looked uncertain now.
Then the door burst open.
"What are you all whispering about like a bunch of conspirators?" Takeshi strolled in with a stack of snacks and drinks in hand, his usual grin in place. "Miss me?"
Kazumi, Keiko, and Yuki suddenly stiffened like kids caught gossiping.
"Takeshi! You're late!" Ayaka said, lowering the mic and rushing over to help him with the drinks.
"I blame Kazumi!" Takeshi declared. "Your order was so complicated, the poor chef had to redo it three times! Do you know how many sauces were involved in that combo?!"
"That's the trending order, okay? It's gourmet!" Kazumi defended, crossing his arms.
"You and your weird food obsessions. I won't be surprised if one day you have a terrible stomachache." Yuki said, massaging her temples like she'd heard this one too many times.
"Classic Kazumi." Keiko laughed. "No karaoke night is complete without his eccentric taste buds."
As laughter rippled through the room, the earlier tension melted—at least on the surface.
But even as Ayaka handed out drinks and Takeshi began his enthusiastic karaoke rendition of an old rock song, Yuki's eyes wandered back to her friend.
There was still something missing in her smile.
A hollow edge to her laughter.
Miura might be here. Nakamura might be gone. But one thing was painfully clear.
Ayaka's heart was frozen in time, still.
------
After the karaoke session, the girls went ahead, straight home while Kazumi and Takeshi decided to stop by the bar and have some drinks.
The buzz of the bar sign lit up the pavement outside in a soft, flickering blue.
Inside, the place was dimly lit and low on patrons—just the way they liked it after a noisy night of karaoke.
Kazumi and Takeshi sat at the far end of the counter, the two of them nursing drinks and leaning over the polished wood as jazz music hummed low from the speakers.
Kazumi took a sip of his whiskey and sighed, breaking the silence. "You know... I've been thinking."
"That's always dangerous." Takeshi muttered with a smirk, raising an eyebrow over the rim of his glass.
Kazumi shot him a look but didn't rise to the bait. "Miura."
Takeshi leaned back slightly, his expression neutral. "What about him?"
"We should invite him out. Just us. Get to know the guy better. I mean, if he's gonna be sticking around Ayaka like this, I think it's only fair we see what he's really made of."
Takeshi tilted his head thoughtfully. "That doesn't sound like the usual overprotective Kazumi who used to glare daggers at any guy within ten feet of her."
Kazumi swirled the amber liquid in his glass. "Things change."
Takeshi narrowed his eyes, but didn't press. "So, you like him?"
"I respect him." Kazumi said after a pause. "He's gentle. Consistent. He never crosses boundaries, never pushes her too far. Ayaka seems… steadier when he's around."
Takeshi gave a slow nod. "He's certainly different from Nakamura."
Kazumi frowned at the name. "That's actually something I wanted to talk to you about."
Takeshi glanced at him.
Kazumi shifted in his seat, folding his arms. "You need to stop."
"Stop what?"
"Looking for Nakamura. It's been almost a year, Takeshi. Ayaka's starting to heal. She laughs again. She's writing again. You saw her tonight—she wasn't avoiding everyone. She sang, she joked around. That wasn't happening even a few months ago."
Takeshi didn't answer right away.
He leaned forward, resting both arms on the counter. His voice dropped low. "You think that's healing?"
Kazumi looked confused. "Yeah. I do."
"You're seeing what she wants you to see." Takeshi said, his tone calm but edged. "But you're not really looking at her. Her smile doesn't reach her eyes. Her voice still falters whenever someone mentions his name. She still hesitates before saying certain words, like she's afraid they'll crack her open."
Kazumi frowned, lips pressed tightly together.
"You think Miura's presence is what's helping her? Maybe it is." Takeshi continued. "But that's all it is. She's still bleeding, Kazumi. She's just gotten better at hiding it."
Kazumi sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "I don't want her to keep living in the past."
"Neither do I." Takeshi said, his voice firmer now. "But we don't get to decide when she stops hurting. And we definitely don't get to decide that the truth isn't worth knowing just because it's easier."
Kazumi looked away, jaw tightening. "You're saying you still don't believe Hasegawa's story?"
"Not for a damn second." Takeshi said without hesitation. "The guy's too smooth. Too rehearsed. Every answer he gave about Nakamura felt like it had been prepared in advance. And there were things he wouldn't talk about. He deflected. Lied, maybe."
"You're jumping to conclusions—"
"No, I'm following instincts. Big difference." Takeshi interrupted. "And I've been quietly digging. Some things don't add up."
Kazumi's eyes narrowed. "Like what?"
Takeshi glanced around the bar before lowering his voice. "I pulled Nakamura's old shift logs."
Takeshi continued. "He was clocked in for three days after his supposed 'last day' at Tokyo Medical Center. Three days, Kazumi. If he'd really quit, why would he still be logging hours? It seems like he's hesitant to leave."
Kazumi leaned back in his seat, staring at the ceiling for a moment. "Come to think of it, I heard from Dr. Yamamoto that Nakamura specifically told the director to not tell him, his reason for resigning."
"Man... this is becoming more and more twisted. I don't think his disappearance is work related." Takeshi admitted. "But I know that Ayaka deserves answers. Real ones. Not polished lies from a man who clearly knows more than he's saying."
Kazumi looked down at his drink, conflicted. "She's finally getting better, Takeshi. I just… I don't want to see her break again."
"And I don't want her to build her future on a lie." Takeshi said softly. "If Nakamura really abandoned her, if he's really that kind of person—then fine. Let her hate him. Let her move on for real. But if he didn't… if something happened and he's out there somewhere…"
Takeshi paused, his eyes dark and resolute. "Then she has the right to know."
Kazumi didn't argue after that. He sat in silence, chewing on his bottom lip, clearly torn.
They stayed that way for a while—two friends, the hum of jazz surrounding them, glasses half-full and hearts weighed down with secrets.
"I'll reach out to Miura." Kazumi finally muttered. "Set up a hangout. Casual. No pressure."
Takeshi nodded.
"But promise me one thing." Kazumi said, turning to face him. "If you find something… anything solid… tell me first. I want to be the one to prepare her."
Takeshi raised his glass. "Deal."
The two clinked glasses, the sound small but resolute.
Outside, the city moved on, unaware of the quiet war between truth and healing that raged in the hearts of those left behind.