𝑽𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂 [M.Kaiser x reader]

• Chapter 48 •

"This isn't the way to fix things. Take a break. Regroup."
-The manager

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The city lights blurred into streaks of color as Sae drove through the quiet streets, his hands gripping the wheel tighter than necessary. He hadn't slept in days and the weight of exhaustion pressed heavily on his chest. Yet, he couldn't stop.

He wouldn't stop. Rin was out there somewhere and every passing moment felt like another second lost, another chance slipping through his fingers.

He rubbed his tired eyes, hallucinations of his brother flashing in and out of his mind like cruel little taunts.

Sae could still see Rin's face that night, purely distress and streaked with horror. He had turned away, suitcase in hand, brushing off the confrontation with a coldness he didn't know he possessed until that moment.

Now, he hated himself for it.

"D*mn it," he muttered under his breath, slamming his fist against the steering wheel.

His phone buzzed on the passenger seat. He glanced at it, hesitating, before finally picking it up. It was his manager, again.

"What?" Sae snapped, his voice hoarse from shouting into empty streets the previous night.

There was a pause on the other end before his manager sighed heavily. "Sae, you need to stop this. Please. You're going to destroy yourself."

Sae's jaw clenched. "I can't stop," he said firmly, his voice low but dangerous. "Not until I find him."

"You're sleep-deprived. You're not thinking clearly!" the manager argued, his tone pleading. "If you keep going like this, you'll crash, physically and emotionally. And then what? How will you help Rin if you're out of commission?"

Sae gritted his teeth, gripping the wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white. "I'll rest when I find him."

His manager groaned in frustration. "Sae, listen to yourself. You're driving around aimlessly! You don't even know where Rin is. You've barely eaten. You haven't slept. This isn't helping, this is self-destruction!"

"I don't care!" Sae yelled, his voice breaking slightly. He could feel the tears threatening to spill, but he forced them down, his pride barely holding together. "You don't understand. I need to find him. Not anyone else, just me."

His manager's tone softened, though it was still laced with desperation. "I understand that you're hurting, Sae. I do. But this isn't the way to fix things. Take a break. Regroup. Please just let someone else help. You can't carry this burden alone."

"I said I'm fine," Sae hissed through gritted teeth.

"No, you're not!" his manager shot back. "You're spiraling, Sae. Please, just pull over. Find a place to rest. I'll find more people and we can continue tomorrow. But if you keep pushing yourself like this...."