The heavy steel door unlocked with a loud click before slowly swinging inward. Kaito stepped inside with a file tucked beneath his arm, his eyes quietly taking in the nearly empty room. A bed sat against one wall, a desk in the corner, and beside the narrow window she was sitting on the floor, her knees drawn to her chest as she watched the rain slide down the glass. She didn’t even spare him a glance.

He quietly closed the door behind him and pulled a wooden chair a few feet away from her, deliberately leaving enough space so she wouldn’t feel cornered. Sitting down, he rested the file on his lap before speaking in a calm voice.

“…Good afternoon.”

Nothing.

Not even the slightest reaction.

Kaito smiled to himself before closing the file without opening it. “I’m Kaito Tsukishiro. I was sent here to inspect the hospital.” His voice remained relaxed, almost conversational. “I’m also a psychiatrist, although I’d rather you think of me as someone who’s just here to meet you.”

She continued staring at the rain as though he hadn’t spoken at all.

“I won’t ask you questions today,” he continued after a moment. “You don’t have to speak if you don’t want to. We can just sit here.”

Silence settled between them. Nearly five minutes passed with nothing but the sound of rain tapping against the window. Kaito didn’t seem bothered by it. He simply watched the rain with her, as if he’d come here for the exact same reason.

Finally, he pushed himself to his feet. “Well… I suppose I’ll leave you al—”

Before he could finish, she suddenly sprang up.

Her movements were so fast they caught even him by surprise. She closed the distance in two quick steps, raising her hand to strike him across the face. Kaito reacted instinctively, his fingers wrapping gently but firmly around her wrist before her hand could reach him.

The room fell completely silent.

For a second, neither of them moved.

Her breathing grew uneven as she struggled against his grip, glaring at him with eyes full of fear and anger. She expected him to shout… or hit her back.

Instead, he simply looked at her.

“…That would’ve hurt,” he said quietly.

She blinked.

There wasn’t a trace of anger on his face.

Only curiosity.

Realizing she had stopped struggling, Kaito slowly loosened his grip and let go first, taking a small step backward to give her space. “I’m sorry,” he said with a faint smile. “Grabbing your wrist wasn’t polite… but letting you hit me wouldn’t have helped either.”

She immediately pulled her hand back against her chest, retreating several steps until her back touched the wall. Her eyes never left him, watching every movement as though he might suddenly attack.

Kaito noticed.

So he stayed exactly where he was.

“I’m not going to come any closer.”

She still didn’t answer.

After another quiet moment, he picked up the chair and placed it back where it had been. “I’ll come again tomorrow,” he said as he walked toward the door. Just before leaving, he glanced over his shoulder with the same calm smile. “You don’t have to like me. Just don’t punch me next time.”

The heavy door closed behind him.

She stood there for a long time, staring at the empty doorway.

⸻

The next afternoon, the door opened again.

She looked up immediately.

It was him.

He carried two paper cups this time, setting one on the small table before taking the other for himself. Without saying anything, he sat in the same chair as yesterday and quietly sipped his coffee.

She frowned.

“…”

Was he seriously back?

For the next thirty minutes, neither of them exchanged a single word. When visiting hours ended, Kaito stood, threw the empty cup into the bin, and smiled politely.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He left.

The day after that…

He came again.

And the day after that…

Again.

No matter how cold she was, no matter how pointedly she ignored him, the door always opened at the same hour, and Kaito Tsukishiro always walked in wearing the same calm smile—as if her silence had never once bothered him.