Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Prologue:

Akihito who has been sitting alone in the tiny office space, waiting for the doctor to come.

He scratched his head and pondered on what had happened over the last 5 years that he was in a coma. The last thing he remembered was running with his camera and covering a dangerous case. He remembered saving and evacuating a kid out of the area and suddenly there was an explosion.

He learnt that during the explosion a piece of debris went flying and hit him in the head and he was knocked out cold. Remembering that he gave a big sigh and the doctor finally walked into the room. He touched his forehead and felt the little scar from the explosion.

He looked to the right and saw the doctor walking in

“Hello Mr. Takaba, how are you feeling? We’re glad you finally woke up”

“Thanks doc, I think I’m okay. I seemed to remembered things”

“That’s good to hear. But let me show these brain scans we have studied over the last five years you’ve been here.”

An hour later Akihito was escorted to his room, so he could rest. He finally had his belongings again, the first thing he reached out was his phone and finally was able to contact his friends and family. When his friends and family found out that was finally awake, they all rushed to him and were thrilled to see Akihito. They cried and stayed with him for a while treasuring the precious moment.
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“Ah, earlier I was trying to reach Daichi but I couldn’t get a hold of him. It seems like his contact number is not working anymore. Does he know that I’m awake?” Akihito asked curiously and earnestly.

Kou and Takato looked at each other worriedly, their pupils seemed to be shaken up a little. It seems as if they didn’t know how to tell or approach the topic of Daichi to Akihito. They took a deep breath and finally told him.

When they got done telling Akihito that Daichi had moved on and found a partner. He felt like the world had crumbled down and his chest felt throbbing aches stabbing directly at his heart.

“That can’t be…..We...we have been with each other for so long….how can he….He shouldn’t have moved on that fast? right???” Akihito choked up on his words and a few tears dropped from his blue hazel eyes.

“Akihito...don’t cry...you’re still not well..calm down first...” Said Kou and Takato.

Akihito’s jaw tightened, biting down trying to hold his tears and sniffles, but that didn’t seem to be doing anything to heal his heartaches.

He was still in denial of what he heard and that was too much of a blow to him. He thought after waking up he would be reuniting with his lover, but that didn’t seem to be the case. He felt his heart shattered to many pieces and the aching pain in his chest was too overwhelming for him to handle. He just kept hitting his chest while he still shed tears.
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After a week had passed, Akihito was back to his own town located in Tokyo. He was able to find Daichi contact, he had been meaning to call and meet up with him. He was scared that if he did contact him out of the blue, how would he react...will he still come back to him and continue where they both left.

He was taking a stroll but happened to come across Daichi with another person alongside him. Akihito's eyes widened and look at Daichi directly…..

“Dai...Daichi??...”

“Akihito….”

Akihito who had a shocked face kept staring at the two couples…..he lowered his head and didn’t speak…..the noise of the city and the silence between them took up the whole space…. And finally….Daichi’s partner suggested that they should sit down and talk.

“Akihito….This is Yuu….Sorry, that you have to find out this way….It was very hard for me when you were in a coma...as you can tell, I had moved.” Daichi said while holding on tightly and firmly at Yuu’s hands.

Akihito looks at their interlocked fingers, the longing they both have for each other sent more pain to his heart.

“So...it’s going to end like this? Am I nothing to you now? What happened to the years we have spent with each other? You’re just throwing it away like that?”

Akihito, who's trying to hold his feelings together. Trying not to sound weak and hurt in front of Daichi and his new lover.

Daichi looked at Akihito's sadden face, he clenched his fist into a ball and Yuu noticed this and started patting his hands and his shoulder to cool him.

“Akihito...I’m sorry, I know this all suddenly to you but we have been dating for a while now, and I hope you understand…...” Yuu said apologetically.

Hearing that from Yuu's mouth, Akihito’s heart ached more….he inhaled and exhaled silently and closed his eyes trying to process what’s happening in front of him. He didn’t know what else to say...he felt like Daichi and the world had failed him….he just kept looking at them comforting each other's hands.

And finally he got up from his seat and looked at the lovebird one last time. He felt his eyes are starting to swell up, he looked away from them and started walking.

The two couples look at Akihito's back. Daichi who's heart trembled seeing his back toward them. He felt bad but couldn't let go of his currently relationship as well.

Tears started falling down on Akihito’s cheeks and to the ground……Each tear was a huge drop of the pain he felt on his heart.

Chapter Text

Akihito opened the nicely polished glass door and entered, he peeped out to see if there was anyone, the whole office floor was wide and fancy. There were a lot of desks neatly aligned with the perfect view of the city of Tokyo. He steps his feet inside and slowly and carefully walks around the first part of the floor, he still don’t see anyone on the floor.

“.....so quiet and where’s everyone?”

Was it because he was late and everyone had already gone to a meeting or lunch? He looked around briefly again and gave a sigh and turned around to leave. When he was about to leave, he suddenly heard someone opening a door and a voice spoke out.

“Being late is one thing, but leaving as soon as you get here is another. You’re quite something”

The voice was low, cold, yet sweet to the ears. Akihito turned his head to the direction of the voice and there, stood a neatly dressed and suited man in front of him. His deep brown golden eyes shine brightly staring directly straight at him. His presence was so powerful.

He blinked a couple of times and processed what the man meant.

“Ah, I’m sorry.” He bowed apologetically

“I didn’t mean to..”

The other man just chuckled under his breath slightly

“It seems like you have forgotten me.”

Akihito on the other side, his mind went blank for a second and gave the other man a confused look.

“...eh?..” Akihito scratched his head.

The man casually sat down on the corner of the desk and crossed his arms in front of his chest. His gestures and motions are just perfect.

“We met one time at an event…..you were with your friend….Daichi right? .”

Hearing Daichi’s name again, Akihito felt a huge amount of sadness slowly spreading through his chest. His facial expressions seemed to be changing fast, and the man noticed this.

The man kept staring at Akihito and studying his expressions. His eyebrows raised slightly because the guy in front of him was making a sad and depressed face.

Akihito finally come back to reality and change his attitude and reply back to man

“Ha, I’m sorry for being rude, it’s been so long, I don’t remember.” twisting his fingers around.

“Forgive me” Akihito looking back at the man who is still casually sitting on the desk.

The man smiled slightly and got up and stood in front of Akihito

“...I am Asami, that name should be familiar to you.” his words hinting at him somewhat.

When he said that, Akihito was saying his name over and over again under his breath and it finally hit him.

“Ah! Asami! Yes! I remembered now! Aren’t you the direct and Ceo of this business?”

Asami chuckled and the corner of his lips raised a little and nodded at Akihito.

“Now that you said that, I was curious as to how I got in...?” Akihito looked at Asami with a slight pouty face, that he wasn’t aware that he’s doing it naturally.

“I liked your work for a long time, my people couldn’t reach out to you so I reached out and scouted you personally...surprisingly, you finally responded back.”

When Asami finished speaking, Akihito who seemed be making the same sad face again while staring back at him.

“......I went through something during that time…. so I couldn’t respond back to you…....” Akihito said with a sorry face.

He’s making that face again…. Asami thought.

Asami who looked at his watch for a second and turn back to look at Akihito

“I’m busy.”

“Huh, sorry?”

“I will call and talk to you next time. But get here on time next time. Today, you can go back.” said with a slight cold toned. As he was walking away, Akihito just followed him.

“...yes..”

Akihito quietly followed him until they reached the lobby area and the turn to go to the parking lots. Asami suddenly stop walking and turned to him
“I was told you were unconscious for a couple of years, were you hurt?”

Akihito was surprised that he knew about….and he somehow felt weird.

“..yeah...something like that….”

Asami didn’t ask anymore questions and continue to lecture Akihito

“Normally, you’d be out, but it seems like you deserve another chance.”

Akihito was happy to hear that but still felt sorry for being late…..

“So, get your head back in the game and get here on time, that's my last warning.”

“Ah...yes…” Akihito said as he lowered his eyes trying to avoid meeting him.

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Akihito came back home and went straight to bedroom. He flopped on the bed right aways and lay there for a while. He replayed the conversation he had with Asami. He thought that now Asami had hired him, he was late for work and starting his somewhat-new-life is already going bad. Thinking about this he felt arrows stabbing his heart.

“Ugh…” He groaned and exhaled a big breath and put a pillow over his face and just lay like that for a good moment until he finally got over it. He finally put the pillow down beside his head and lay on it and slowly drifted into a slumber.