Red Strings ¦¦ Chishiya Shuntarou x OC

Thirty-Third String

Last night was one of the best sleep Kurenai ever had.

She fell asleep in Chishiya's arms on the sofa, listening to his heartbeat like it was a lullaby. Almost instantly, she was in deep sleep and she did not wake, not even for a second to roll over, until the next morning.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself in her bed, looking up at the ceiling in her room. She definitely remembered falling asleep on the sofa. Did Chishiya carry her up here? Wait, where was Chishiya?

The other side of the bed was empty, but there was a note left on the pillow.

Going to work. I love you.

It was a simple note, but it was more than enough to bring a smile to her face. She was bummed that she did not get to see him first thing in the morning, but just knowing that Chishiya loved her was enough to get her through the day.

And she was going to need it.

Pulling herself out of bed, Kurenai got ready for the day and found herself sitting in front of her computer for half the day. She decided last night to push her plan forward, and there was a lot more work to be done.

--

Ever since Kurenai moved out, Atsushi never visited her apartment. He never sent a housewarming gift, nor did he care enough to know where exactly she lived. He knew, however, that Aoi would often visit her so that afternoon, he made Aoi bring him there.

After she left with the doctor last night, Atsushi was bombarded by the press. They were having a field day with how the event turned out, and only hours later this morning, all the headlines were out.

-

Chuya and Morita Relationship Cracking! What Does This Mean For The Future Of Their Companies?

Chuya Kurenai Dating Doctor On The Side!

How To Nab Yourself A Billionaire Daughter: Be A Doctor!

-

To say he was pissed was an understatement.

Arriving at Kurenai's apartment, Atsushi waited for Aoi to enter the code before shoving him aside, entering the apartment.

Ayako was surprised to see Chuya Atsushi himself in the apartment, and stopped cooking, wiping her hands. She walked up to the man to greet him but Aoi grabbed her by the elbow before shaking his head. This was not a good time to talk to his father.

Hearing the commotion, Kurenai was coming down the stairs to see who it was. She met her father at the bottom of the stairs and Atsushi raised his hand, about to slap her hard across the face when Kurenai simply went up the stairs another two steps, avoiding the slap.

"Good morning, father."

She was staring straight into Atsushi's eyes, but he could not see a single hint of fear in her eyes. Instead, he saw confidence. Confidence and determination. It was then he realised that she was no longer that little girl who would do anything he said because she was scared of him.

"Do you know what you've done?"

"What did I do?" Kurenai asked. "Weren't you the one who insisted on the engagement party despite me telling you that Morita Ichiro is not a good choice? Weren't you the one who told your secretary to invite every news outlet possible to this party? I only showed up like you told me to."

Infuriated, Atsushi raised his hand once again but this time, he was interrupted by his own phone ringing. As much as he would like to discipline his own child, this was his work phone. And work always came before anyone and anything else.

"What?"

He answered the call, stepping aside. Almost immediately, his expression darkened even more. He did not say a word, simply listening to whoever it was on the other end. He ended the call a few minutes later and glared at Kurenai. Something more important came up, and he would have to talk to her another time.

"Goodbye, father!" Kurenai called out to him, smiling as he left.

Kurenai's behaviour puzzled Aoi. She had always been so obedient. Whenever their father got mad, she would be quiet and listen to his lecture, and then she would continue to do as he said. Not only did she defy him last night, she was now blatantly antagonising him.

"Ask your question," Kurenai said, coming down the stairs and headed for the kitchen where Ayako made lunch. "I can see the confusion on your face."

"Are you crazy?" Aoi asked. "Not only did you leave the engagement party last night, but what the hell was that? I thought you said we had to be discreet? What happened to your plan?"

"My plan is still in motion. Full throttle now, actually." She grabbed a plate and went to sit at the dining table, Aoi following suit. "After what happened last night, I don't need to hide anymore. And my plan is working, so I don't have to endure his abuse any longer. Neither do you."

"And Chishiya?"

"What about him?"

"Are you guys...back together?"

She nodded.

Aoi did not know how to respond, however. He still felt skeptical about Chishiya. He had never seen his sister cry before and the first time he did, it was because Chishiya broke her heart. Now she was telling him that just because Chishiya appeared at the party to take her away, it was fine and dainty? What happened to the money their father offered him?

"He took father's offer."

"He rejected the offer," Kurenai corrected him. "A little stupid, in my opinion. Shuntarou should have taken the money and continued dating me. That way, he would have me and possibly a hospital of his own."

That did not reassure Aoi, however. He would definitely have to keep an eye on Chishiya for now.

"What do you think that phone call was about?" Whatever it was, it managed to stop Atsushi mid-abuse. "It must have been quite important if he was willing to let you go."

"I know what it was about."

Since she was eighteen, Kurenai had been planning her revenge. It was a long process, but she was starting to see the end of it. She worked by herself all these years, building the plan from scraps to what it was now. She had to lick plenty of boots to get to where she was, and even slept with one person in order to get what she wanted.

So afraid that she would be found out, she had to work in the shadows.

Though, it also meant she had the upper hand because not in a million years would Atsushi see this coming.

"Remember when I said I'd need your help?" Kurenai smiled, putting a spoonful of food in her mouth. She took her time chewing, and swallowed before she spoke again. "I'm going to need your help now."

All Aoi knew was that Kurenai had something up her sleeve. He did not know what that something was, nor would she tell him. But he had a feeling he would be finding out soon.