The automatic doors slid open.
Akira stepped inside.
The apartment lobby was warm compared to the cold night outside.
A receptionist sat behind a desk.
Several residents walked through the building carrying groceries and shopping bags.
To everyone else, it was just another ordinary evening.
To Akira— it felt like the most important night of his life.
His eyes scanned the room.
No Hanoka.
No Rin.
Nothing.
He approached the reception desk.
Receptionist: “Good evening, sir.”
Akira nodded politely.
Akira: “I know this sounds strange, but I’m looking for someone.”
The receptionist smiled professionally.
Receptionist: “Unfortunately, we cannot provide resident information.”
Akira sighed.
He expected that answer.
Then another voice suddenly came from behind.
Rin: “Akira?”
Akira froze.
Slowly— he turned around.
Standing near the elevators was a girl carrying a grocery bag.
Blonde hair
Wearing black t-shirt and black trousers
Surprised expression.
Rin Minato.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Rin’s eyes widened.
Rin: “…You actually found us.”
Akira immediately stepped forward.
Akira: “Where’s Hanoka?”
The question came out faster than intended.
Rin stared at him.
Then folded her arms.
Rin: “Before I answer that.”
Her expression became serious.
Rin: “Did you make her cry?”
Silence.
Akira lowered his eyes.
That answer alone told Rin everything.
Rin: “…Idiot.”
Akira: “I know.”
Rin: “She cried herself to sleep.”
The words hit harder than expected.
Akira felt his chest tighten.
Rin: “She spent the entire day blaming herself.”
Another blow.
Rin: “And somehow she’s convinced you hate her.”
Akira looked up immediately.
Akira: “I don’t.”
Rin: “Good.”
Rin pointed toward the elevator.
Rin: “Then tell her yourself.”
The elevator doors opened.
Akira stepped inside.
His heartbeat became louder.
Floor 8.
The elevator climbed slowly.
Each passing floor felt like an eternity.
Floor 4.
Floor 5.
Floor 6.
Floor 7.
Ding.
Floor 8.
The doors opened.
Akira stepped out.
The hallway stretched before him.
Apartment 812.
That was the number Rin had given him.
Akira slowly walked forward.
Each step echoed softly.
His palms were sweating.
He had acted before thousands of people.
Appeared on television.
Performed in front of massive crowds.
Yet somehow— this was more terrifying.
Eventually— he stopped in front of apartment 812.
Silence.
The wooden door stood before him.
Just one knock.
That was all it would take.
Yet his hand hesitated.
What if she refused to see him?
What if he was already too late?
Akira closed his eyes.
Then remembered the photograph.
The childhood memories.
The tears in her eyes.
The empty room.
The note that simply said:
“Sorry.”
No.
He wasn’t running away again.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Silence.
Several seconds passed.
Then footsteps.
Slow footsteps.
The handle slowly turned.
The door opened.
Hanoka stood there.
For a moment— time itself seemed to freeze.
Neither of them spoke.
Neither of them moved.
Hanoka’s eyes widened.
Akira stood before her.
But he didn’t look like the Akira she knew.
His hair was messy.
Dark circles rested beneath his eyes.
His clothes were wrinkled.
His breathing was uneven.
His face looked pale.
Exhausted.
As if he hadn’t rested for even a second.
As if he had been running all day.
As if he had been holding himself together through sheer willpower alone.
Hanoka felt her heart stop.
The image before her didn’t look like a famous actor.
It didn’t look like the calm Akira she knew.
It looked like someone who had completely worn himself out searching for something important.
Searching for her.
Tears immediately began forming in her eyes.
She couldn’t understand it.
Why would he push himself this far?
Why would he look this broken?
The silence stretched between them.
Neither moved.
Then Hanoka finally broke first.
Her voice trembled.
Barely audible.
Hanoka: “Akira…”
More tears rolled down her cheeks.
She stared at his exhausted face.
Hanoka: “What have you done to yourself…?”
Akira looked at her quietly.
Then gave a weak smile.
A tired smile.
The kind of smile someone makes after finally reaching their destination.
Akira: “I searched the entire city for you.”
Hanoka froze.
Her eyes widened even further.
The tears wouldn’t stop.
Hanoka: “W-Why…?”
Her voice shook.
Hanoka: “Akira…
why?”
For a moment—
Akira simply looked at her.
Then he took a step forward.
Then another.
And before Hanoka could react— he wrapped his arms around her.
Hanoka froze completely.
Akira held her tightly.
Not wanting to let go.
Not wanting her to disappear again.
His voice trembled against her shoulder.
Akira: “Because I thought I lost you.”
Hanoka’s eyes widened.
More tears streamed down her face.
Akira tightened his embrace.
As if letting go would allow her to vanish.
As if he never wanted to experience that fear again.
Then he spoke.
The words came straight from his heart.
Without hesitation.
Without pride.
Without holding anything back.
Akira: “I will never let you go.”
Hanoka’s breath caught.
Her body trembled.
Akira buried his face against her shoulder.
His voice cracked.
Akira: “So never try to run away from me again.”
Silence followed.
A long silence.
The kind that carried every emotion words couldn’t express.
Slowly—
Hanoka raised her trembling arms.
And hugged him back.
Tightly.
As if she was afraid he might disappear too.
The tears she had been holding back finally broke free.
She cried into his shoulder.
Not out of sadness.
Not out of fear.
But because for the first time since leaving— she finally understood.
Akira never hated her.
Not even once.
And Akira finally understood something too.
No matter how much they hurt each other.
No matter how many misunderstandings stood between them.
There was one thing neither of them could deny.
They never wanted to lose each other.
For several moments, neither of them moved.
The hallway remained completely silent.
Only the faint hum of the apartment lights could be heard.
Hanoka continued crying into Akira’s shoulder.
And Akira simply held her.
Tightly.
As if he was making up for every second they had spent apart.
Eventually—
Hanoka spoke.
Her voice was small.
Broken.
Hanoka: “You really searched the whole city?”
Akira nodded.
Akira: “Yeah.”
Hanoka: “Idiot.”
Akira: “I know.”
Hanoka: “You should’ve rested.”
Akira: “Couldn’t.”
Hanoka slowly lifted her head.
Her eyes were red.
Hanoka: “Why?”
Akira looked at her quietly.
Then answered honestly.
Akira: “Because every time I closed my eyes…”
He lowered his gaze.
Akira: “I kept seeing that note.”
Hanoka froze.
The note.
“Sorry.”
Akira let out a weak laugh.
Akira: “Do you know how many terrible things I imagined after reading that?”
Hanoka immediately looked guilty.
Akira: “I thought maybe you never wanted to see me again.”
Akira: “I thought maybe you regretted moving in with me.”
Akira: “I thought maybe I destroyed everything.”
The final sentence came out quietly.
Almost like a confession.
Hanoka felt her chest tighten.
She never imagined he had been hurting this much.
Slowly— she reached forward and grabbed the front of his shirt.
Hanoka: “You idiot.”
Akira blinked.
Hanoka: “Do you really think I would leave because of one argument?”
Akira: “…”
Hanoka: “I’ve known you for years.”
Tears gathered in her eyes again.
Hanoka: “Longer than you can even remember.”
A painful silence followed.
Then Akira lowered his head.
Akira: “I’m sorry.”
Hanoka froze.
Akira: “I should’ve listened.”
Akira: “I should’ve let you explain.”
Akira: “Instead I got angry.”
He clenched his fists.
Akira: “I made you cry.”
For a moment, Hanoka simply stared at him.
Then— she stepped forward.
And flicked his forehead.
Akira: “Ow.”
Hanoka: “Good.”
Hanoka: “For making me cry.”
Akira couldn’t argue with that.
A tiny smile appeared on Hanoka’s face.
The first genuine smile since she left home.
Seeing it made Akira feel relief wash through his body.
Then— his knees suddenly gave out.
Hanoka: “AKIRA!”
She caught him before he hit the floor.
Akira looked embarrassed.
Very embarrassed.
Akira: “I may have forgotten to eat.”
Hanoka: “You WHAT?”
Akira: “In my defense, I was busy having a mental breakdown.”
Hanoka: “That is not a defense!”
A familiar voice suddenly came from the kitchen.
Rin: “I was wondering when someone would notice that.”
Both of them turned.
Rin stood there holding a bag of chips.
Rin: “The great actor Isamu Sawada almost collapsed in my hallway.”
Akira covered his face.
Akira: “Please don’t tell anyone.”
Rin: “No promises.”
Hanoka couldn’t help it.
A small laugh escaped her lips.
Then another.
Soon she was laughing properly.
And for the first time in days—
Akira heard that laugh again.
The sound alone made every hour of searching worth it.
Outside the apartment windows— the city lights continued shining beneath the night sky.
And although neither of them knew it yet— this argument would become one of those memories they would look back on years later.
Not because it hurt.
But because it taught them something important.
No matter how painful misunderstandings became— running away from each other would never be the answer.
The rest of the evening passed peacefully.
For the first time in days, neither Akira nor Hanoka felt the weight that had been pressing down on them.
Rin eventually forced both of them inside.
According to her:
“If you’re going to stand in my hallway crying for another hour, at least pay rent.”
Hanoka laughed.
Akira apologized.
Rin charged him anyway.
After sharing a simple dinner together, Akira and Hanoka finally prepared to leave.
Before they stepped into the elevator, Rin folded her arms.
Rin: “If either of you pulls something this stupid again, I’m locking both of you in a room together.”
Hanoka: “Rin!”
Akira: “That’s fair.”
Hanoka: “Akira!”
Rin smirked.
The elevator doors closed.
And for the first time in what felt like forever— everything felt normal again.
The drive home was quiet.
Not an awkward silence.
A comfortable one.
The city lights reflected against the windshield.
The black S13 moved smoothly through the sleeping streets.
Hanoka sat in the passenger seat.
Occasionally glancing toward Akira.
Just making sure he was actually there.
Eventually—
Akira noticed.
Akira: “What?”
Hanoka immediately looked away.
Hanoka: “Nothing.”
Akira: “You’re staring.”
Hanoka: “I’m not.”
Akira: “You are.”
Hanoka: “Focus on driving.”
Akira smiled.
A small smile.
The kind Hanoka had missed.
When they finally arrived home—
Hanoka froze.
The front door.
The living room.
The stairs.
Everything looked exactly the same.
Yet somehow different.
Because she had been terrified she would never return.
Akira opened the door.
Then stepped aside.
Akira: “Welcome home.”
Hanoka stood still.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Then she smiled.
A genuine smile.
Hanoka: “I’m home.”
Neither of them knew why those words felt so special.
But they did.
The next morning—
Sunlight spilled through the curtains.
Birds chirped outside.
For once— there was no argument.
No misunderstanding.
No sadness.
Only peace.
Hanoka slowly walked downstairs.
Still half asleep.
Then stopped.
The smell of food filled the house.
She blinked.
Twice.
Then entered the kitchen.
Akira stood near the stove.
Wearing an apron.
Hanoka immediately burst out laughing.
Hanoka: “You look ridiculous.”
Akira: “Good morning to you too.”
Hanoka: “Why are you wearing an apron?”
Akira: “Because apparently starving myself is unhealthy.”
Hanoka: “Very observant.”
Akira pointed toward a chair.
Akira: “Sit.”
Hanoka: “Bossy.”
Akira: “Sit.”
Hanoka obeyed.
Mostly because she wanted breakfast.
The days that followed became some of the happiest days either of them could remember.
School resumed.
Life returned to normal.
At least— as normal as life could be when one of the students was secretly a famous actor.
They still kept their relationship hidden.
Mostly.
Though several classmates had started becoming suspicious.
Especially when Hanoka and Akira accidentally walked into class carrying matching drinks.
Three separate rumors appeared within an hour.