Red Strings ¦¦ Chishiya Shuntarou x OC

Eighth String

At his age, it was more than acceptable for Aoi to buy his own place. Perhaps a penthouse just like Kurenai's. That was if he could get past his controlling father. Even then, the thought of having his own property scared Aoi. The stress of finding a place, going through the process of buying, and owning the place. Just thinking about it was enough to induce a panic attack. He liked it better anyway, going to Kurenai's penthouse.

He entered the passcode to her house, stepping into a blacked out apartment. Ayako was not in the kitchen, maybe she was out getting groceries. There was no sign of Kurenai anywhere either.

Keeping the lights off, Aoi took his shoes off and went to grab a drink from the fridge when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. For absolutely no reason, he started to panic and somehow ended up hiding in the pantry. Why was he acting so guilty when he had permission to be here?

Perhaps it was because of what Kurenai always said to him?

You're here again?

I'm not running a hotel here, you know?

When are you going to get your own place?

Stop eating my food.

Get your clothes out of my closet.

Her words and tone were mean, and she would usually pair that with a cold glare. But Kurenai never kicked him out. She cleared a space in her walk-in closet just for him. She asked Ayako to buy shower products that Aoi used, and to make food that he would like. She even went as far to change her very expensive sofa to a sofa bed instead.

Kurenai loved him, he knew that. She was just not good at expressing it.

"Thank you for coming." He could hear Kurenai's voice, and although he knew he should not, Aoi could not help but eavesdrop. "I appreciate your help."

"To be honest, I've always wanted to change things in the company but your father is very stuck in his old ways. Tradition or not, if we do not keep up with the modern world, the Chuya name will go down the drain pretty soon."

Another voice spoke, and Aoi frowned. He knew that voice.

Hasegawa Hideki was their current CFO, and a board member of Chuya Group. Generations of his family had worked in their company, and he was considered to be their father's right hand man. What was he doing here?

Since when did he have a relationship with Kurenai?

"Take care," Kurenai said, seeing the man off before closing the front door. "Come out now."

"How did you know I'm here?" Aoi asked, peeking out from the pantry.

"If you're going to hide yourself, then please hide your shoes too."

She had always been the smarter one, Kurenai. It was a lot of pressure for Aoi, growing up with a sister like her. She never put any effort in but she could always get the best results. It did not matter what she was learning, Kurenai would understand the concept with just one lesson and eventually master it with a few more. Her grades never faltered, not even after their mother's death.

Aoi, on the other hand, was a disaster.

It did not matter how long he stayed awake at night to study, nothing ever made sense to him. Every time he opened a book and saw the block of words on the pages, he would start to get a headache. Even now, working as an executive in the company, he did not understand the documents.

To this day, Aoi felt as if he owed everything to Kurenai. She was the one who wrote his essays and projects for him. She had to give up on her dream university so she would not outshine and pressure him further. She was called a burden to the Chuya family because she was spending the family money without contributing when she was the one who wrote the proposals and contracts that closed multiple deals for Aoi.

Kurenai should have been the one groomed to take over the company. In every way, she was the better candidate. Why should her gender stand in the way?

"Why was Uncle Hasegawa here? You said thank you for his help. What is he helping you with?"

"Nothing."

The way she avoided eye contact with him, Aoi knew that she was hiding something. Whether she was hiding because she did not want him involved, or because she felt that he was too stupid to comprehend, Aoi did not know. He had a feeling it was the latter, however.

"Don't lie to me, Kurenai. And don't brush me off either. I know I might not be able to help you but I'm your brother, you should at least let me know what is going on in your life."

"And then what?" Kurenai asked. "Hm? What's the point of telling you anything if you can't help me?"

Although the apartment was dark with all the lights off, it was dimly lit by the streetlights shining in. And when Kurenai walked past one of those spots, Aoi could see the bruising on her cheek and the busted lips. That realisation of helpness hit hard.

What could he do to help Kurenai when she was the one he ran to for help? She was his shoulder to cry on, but on whose shoulder did she cry on? It seemed like his existence was only a burden on her.

Tears were swelling in Aoi's eyes, and he was biting on his bottom lip to stop himself from whimpering out loud. He was frustrated, not at Kurenai but at himself. The pain and abuse she endured was far worse than his, yet she was the one who stood stronger. Why could he not do the same for his own sister?

"I'm sorry, what I said was harsh," Kurenai sighed, walking up to Aoi.

She pulled him into a hug, letting him hide his face in her shoulder. She stroked his hair gently while he cried. And for half an hour, that was how they stood.

When he eventually calmed down, Kurenai sat Aoi down on the sofa. She did not plan on telling him everything, though he was right in that as her brother, he should know what was going on in her life. It would ease his anxiety and burden if she shared with him what he would share with her.

"I don't want you involved in whatever I have planned," Kurenai said, though before Aoi could say anything, she stopped him. "I do need your help, just not now. I'll let you know when the time comes."

"What are you planning, Kurenai?"

"If all goes according to plan, Chuya Atsushi will be no more."

"You're going to kill father?!"

Kurenai glared and flicked him hard on the forehead. "I'm not going to kill him," she said, getting up from the sofa and walked over to the kitchen, putting the kettle on. "But what I have planned for him, I'm pretty sure he would prefer if I actually killed him."

Both of them went silent at that, and the only sound in the apartment was Kurenai making a cup of tea.

Aoi felt uneasy just knowing that Kurenai had something planned. What could possibly be worse for their father than death? What could she possibly have plotted? Perhaps Kurenai was right in not letting him know. Simply knowing that she had something in mind was already making him panic.

"You're not planning anything illegal, are you?"

"In order to fight Chuya Atsushi, one would need to do so by all means," Kurenai stated, sipping her tea. "But no, he's not worth my time and energy to spend on something illegal that could possibly backfire on me. This plan of mine, the only victor that would emerge would be me. And there would be no way for him to crawl back up."