Chapter 9. Ink vs. Ice: The Reckless Writer and the Cold Surgeon

The morning sun barely warmed Ayaka's scowling face as she stormed into her apartment, slamming the door shut behind her.

Her bag hit the couch with a loud thud as she marched to her desk, her mind replaying the events of the meeting with Akihiko.

She threw herself into her chair, gripping her head in frustration.

"I only have four days left, and that Ice Prince jerk is torturing me!" she yelled to no one in particular, her fingers flying over the keyboard.

The clack of the keys mirrored her fury. "How does he expect me to finish this by tonight?! I have to change the entire flow of the story. It's impossible!"

Her rant was interrupted by the sharp ping of her phone.

She snatched it off the table, the glow of the screen revealing a new message. She groaned, already knowing who it was.

"Buy the groceries on this list. I'm coming home late, but I still expect results. Don't delay the draft."

Ayaka's jaw dropped. "Tch! That guy..." she stammered, her voice rising an octave. "He's making me run errands while I work on this stupid chapter!"

She stomped to grab her bag, muttering curses under her breath.

Bound by contract and already sleep-deprived, Ayaka had no choice but to obey.

She rushed through the aisles of the grocery store, barely aware of what she was tossing into her cart.

By the time she returned home at 3 p.m, she dumped the groceries onto the kitchen table and immediately turned her attention back to her draft.

Hours blurred together as Ayaka typed furiously, her eyes darting between her notes and the screen.

The clock's hands raced forward, unrelenting. By 11:55 p.m., Ayaka exhaled deeply, holding the freshly printed draft in her hands.

"I don't know what I'll do if he rejects this one." she muttered, neatly tucking the pages into a folder. The sharp chime of her doorbell startled her.

"Coming!" she called out, rushing to the door.

When she opened it, Akihiko stood there, his white coat still draped over his shoulder.

Despite his exhaustion, his sharp features and piercing gaze were just as striking as ever.

"Come in." Ayaka said begrudgingly, stepping aside.

Akihiko strode in with his usual air of authority.

"I've prepared the manuscript. It's on the table. Do you want something to drink while reading?" she asked, her voice tight as she busied herself in the kitchen.

"I'm fine..." he replied, picking up the draft.

"Just hand me the groceries. I'll read this while I'm here."

Ayaka placed the groceries on the coffee table, watching him from the corner of her eye.

His brows furrowed as he flipped through the pages, his dissatisfaction radiating off him in waves.

"What now?" she asked, already bracing for criticism.

"You've made the male lead a playboy." he said coldly, placing the papers down with a heavy hand.

"A playboy who softens when the female lead enters his life!" Ayaka countered sharply.

"No. Revise it." Akihiko said flatly.

"Email it to me tomorrow."

Ayaka's frustration boiled over. "Revise again?! Do you even realize I have three days left to submit this draft?!"

Akihiko's lips curled into a mischievous grin, his eyes narrowing at her. "Are you talking back at me?" he asked, his voice low and edged with amusement.

Before she could retort, he stepped closer.

Instinctively, Ayaka backed away until her spine met the cold surface of the wall.

Akihiko closed the distance, one hand pressing beside her head while the other gently pinned her wrists.

"L-let me go!" Ayaka stammered, her face flushing a deep red.

Leaning in, his breath warm against her ear, Akihiko whispered, "I'm quite possessive, Ms. Yamamoto. When something piques my interest, I want it to be mine—exclusively. Does that sound like a playboy to you?"

Her breath hitched, her heart racing. He lingered for a moment longer before stepping back, leaving her flustered and breathless.

"Although..." he added with a smirk, picking up the groceries, "If I were to have a girlfriend, I'd spoil her endlessly."

He walked to the door, his tone returning to its icy demeanor. "Finish the revisions by tomorrow morning."

The door clicked shut behind him, leaving Ayaka standing frozen in place.

Her thoughts raced as she stared at the empty room, her cheeks burning with both anger and embarrassment.

"I didn't ask for a monologue on what kind of boyfriend you'd be!" she yelled after him, her voice echoing uselessly.

Turning back to her desk, Ayaka glared at her computer.

The draft awaited her attention, but her mind was far too scattered.

"AHHHH! I'M SO ANGRY!" she screamed, slamming her computer shut.

Grabbing her coat and bag, Ayaka bolted out of the apartment.

A late-night escape was the only cure for her frustration.

------

At the 24-hour gamer's café, the warm glow of computer screens and the familiar scent of coffee greeted her.

"Ah, peace and quiet..." Ayaka sighed as she stepped inside.

"Ms. Yamamoto, you're here late again?" Taichi Tanaka, the café's owner, greeted her with a knowing smile.

"You know me, Mr. Tanaka. Just need a gaming binge to clear my head." Ayaka replied, heading to her usual spot.

"I'll get the coffee started." Taichi said, already familiar with her routine.

Settling into her chair, Ayaka booted up her favorite game and shut her phone off, her lips curving into a small smile.

"Time to forget that Ice Prince for a while!" she murmured as the game loaded, ready to immerse herself in a world far removed from Akihiko's infuriating presence.

------

At 7 a.m., Akihiko stepped out of his apartment for his usual morning jog, the crisp air brushing against his face.

On a whim, he decided to stop by Ayaka's apartment next door.

It wasn't unusual for her to be awake by now, bustling about or already working on her manuscript.

He rang the doorbell.

No answer.

"That's odd..." Akihiko murmured, his brow furrowing.

He dialed her number, but the call went straight to voicemail.

"She's not answering either?" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

Shrugging it off, he decided not to overthink it.

Perhaps she was sleeping in—a rare but plausible occurrence for the workaholic writer.

With that, he headed out for his jog, the rhythmic pounding of his sneakers against the pavement doing little to ease his unease.

------

When Akihiko returned just past 9 a.m., he found himself once again standing outside Ayaka's door.

He rang the doorbell. Nothing. Another call—straight to voicemail.

"She's still not answering?" he muttered, this time with a tinge of annoyance.

By noon, boredom had fully set in. With nothing else to occupy him on his day off, Akihiko sent her a series of messages:

"Ayaka, wake up."

"Ignoring me now, are we?"

"You have the nerve to ghost me, Ms. Yamamoto?"

"Don't make me come over."

Frustration boiled within him as his texts went unanswered.

------

At 1 p.m., his phone buzzed. Akihiko glanced at the screen, hope flickering for a brief second before vanishing when he saw Kei's name. He answered anyway.

"Hello, Dr. Yamamoto..." Kei's hesitant voice greeted him.

"Dr. Nakamura..." Akihiko replied, his tone flat.

"What's this about? Something urgent?"

"Ah, well... Not exactly urgent, but... it's about Ayaka." Kei hesitantly replied.

Akihiko's brow furrowed. "What about her?"

Kei sighed. "The owner of a gaming café near the hospital called me. Apparently, Ayaka's been there all night, gaming non-stop. She's refusing to leave. He's worried about her—she hasn't slept, and with her history of anemia..."

"She's been ignoring me to play games? No wonder she hasn't been answering." Akihiko said, his voice dropping.

"I've tried calling her friends to get her out, but she's too stubborn to listen. You're my last hope. She might listen to you. If not, drag her out—whatever it takes." Kei replied in a pleading tone.

"Send me the address." Akihiko said without hesitation as he took his car keys.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you! Please let me know once she's out and resting!" Kei hung up in relief.

------

When Akihiko arrived at the café, the scene was more chaotic than he expected.

A small crowd of Ayaka's friends huddled near her station, all wearing expressions of exasperation and worry.

"Ayaka, please! Let's go home already!" Yuki pleaded, tugging at Ayaka's arm.

Ayaka, headphones blasting loud music, ignored her completely, eyes glued to the glowing screen as her fingers danced across the keyboard.

"The manager says she's had eight cups of coffee already." Kazumi muttered, rubbing her temples.

"She's hopeless!" Keiko added with a sigh. "What are we supposed to do? Drag her out kicking and screaming?"

"Excuse me." Akihiko's smooth, commanding voice cut through the commotion. The three friends turned, startled.

Yuki's eyes widened. "You're... Dr. Nakamura?"

"It's nice to meet you all." he said, offering a polite smile. "May I?"

"S-sure! She's yours!" Keiko stammered, stepping aside as Kazumi and Yuki exchanged uncertain looks.

Akihiko nodded, his expression unreadable as he strode toward Ayaka.

Without hesitation, he reached down and plucked the headphones off her head.

"Did he just...?" Yuki whispered.

"That's suicide..." Keiko murmured.

"No one touches her headphones and lives..." Kazumi added, shaking her head.

Ayaka froze mid-keystroke before slowly turning to glare at him.

Her fiery eyes locked onto his. "Excuse me?" she said with an unpleased tone.

"You're done here." Akihiko said evenly, his tone like steel.

"Who do you think you are?" Ayaka shot back, her cheeks flushing in anger.

"I'm the man who's taking you home." he replied, stepping closer.

"Are you my father? Ny brother? My long lost relative? Or my boyfriend? You don't get to tell me what to do, Mr. Ice Prince." Ayaka leaned forward as she said in a cold angry tone that felt like she's accepting a challenge.

Akihiko smirked, and in one fluid motion, he bent down and scooped her into his arms.

Ayaka yelped, her hands instinctively gripping his shoulders. "H-Hey! Put me down!"

Unfazed, Akihiko carried Ayaka out of the café, ignoring her squirming protests.

The faint scent of coffee and the warmth of her body against his made him acutely aware of how close they were.

Her friends stood frozen in shock.

"Did he just...?" Yuki trailed off.

"It's like a prince taking his stubborn princess back..." Keiko murmured, eyes wide.

Kazumi crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes. "I don't like this guy."

Despite Ayaka's protests, Akihiko carried her out of the café, completely unbothered by the stares they were attracting.

"Put me down already!" she demanded.

"Not a chance." he replied coldly.

------

In the car, the tension crackled like a live wire. Ayaka glared at him from the passenger seat, her arms crossed defiantly. "You're a control freak, you know that?"

"And you're reckles." he countered smoothly.

She huffed, turning to stare out the window. "You didn't have to carry me like some damsel in distress."

"Would you have left otherwise?" he asked, his voice low, almost a growl.

Her silence was answer enough.

------

After a short quiet drive, they finally made it back to their apartment complex.

From the entrance until reaching their flats' floor, Akihiko carried her all the way.

"Where's your key?" he asked.

"In my bag..." she muttered, her energy completely drained.

Once inside, he took her straight to her bedroom, laying her gently on the bed. Without a word, he tucked her in, smoothing the blanket over her.

Ayaka glared up at him, but the intensity in his gaze made her pulse quicken.

"You're infuriating..." he murmured, his voice softer now, but no less commanding.

"And you're overbearing..." she shot back, though her voice wavered.

"We'll talk about your punishment after you've rested. You've really tested my patience today, Ms. Yamamoto." he said, his tone now softer.

Ayaka blinked up at him, too stunned to respond.

Moments later, exhaustion took over, and she drifted off to sleep.

Sitting beside her bed, Akihiko watched her for a moment, his gaze lingering on her peaceful expression. Reaching out, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"You're so troublesome..." he whispered softly, his eyes lingering on her sleeping form.

His fingers grazed her cheek one last time before he stood and quietly left the room.