𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘 𝐈𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐎𝐋, 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄! ×𝐀𝐋𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐌

002 // RULES

"Thanks for letting me stay at your place for the week." Masumi threw an empty water bottle at the redhead sitting on her couch, who dodged it with ease.

"Aren't you supposed to be going to work today?" She asked, taking off her apron as she set the pan in the dish drainer.

Diluc looked over his shoulder at the girl, a lazy look resting in his eyes. "I could ask you the same thing."

"It's my day off."

"Then it's mine too."

Masumi let out a small scream, feeling her patience levels going down to zero with the redhead in the house. Diluc hardly ever stayed at her place during the five years they've known each other, but when he did it was because of his adoptive brother.

Though she only knew about his brother because of that fateful day when she walked into Little Angel's Share for her interview and found Diluc and Charles sitting in the café. Had she come around five minutes later, she would have just been a regular worker at the café. Though for some reason she decided to be early that day for the interview to leave an impression. But she didn't think she would that kind of an impression.

Since Masumi walked in on the two and discovered the true owner, it became a little secret for the three. Though because of what she did, Masumi ended up getting a job that she didn't sign up for. She even had to sign a contract, promising not to leak or spread who the true owner of the place was in exchange for becoming management. At the time she felt anger towards the two because even if she declined, she knew there was no backing out of it at the time.

Diluc and Charles had watched her from afar at first, debating if the choice they made was good or not. Diluc would stop in with disguises, but Masumi had always seen through them and always gave him a hard time. Eventually, his hidden appearances dwindled down and the morning meetings would start to occur. Masumi would catch on whenever Diluc would come if Charles mentioned something about a fun time happening. Though he would start addressing these as strategic business meetings between the two, and it always seem to throw Masumi off her game when Diluc would appear.

About maybe a year and a half into knowing the two, Diluc had left Masumi speechless. The redhead had told his coworkers about having a sister to attend to get out of going to a small party, saying she was sick. It was quite an interesting morning meeting to say, as Masumi had Diluc hostage by holding onto his ponytail for nearly an hour. She lectured the redhead for doing something stupid and after cooling down, that was the day she learned about the brother's falling out.

And the reason why he decided to use her as a scapegoat.

Maybe if he had just come to her with the idea and not jumped the hurdle without her, she wouldn't have had to make his precious ponytail a hostage.

"Just because it's your birthday in three days doesn't mean you get to act all pampered." Masumi huffed as she observed the redhead get up from the couch.

"Which is exactly why I'm staying here. My security cameras caught Kaeya's car waiting outside my place last night. He only makes his appearance near my birthday or when he decides to visit our father." He sighed, walking to his bedroom to get in his change of clothes.

The relationship between Kaeya and Diluc used to be a good one. Charles would tell the girl stories about the two brothers at times. When the two were in school they always looked out for one another and were known as a merciless brother duo. Simply because the two wouldn't put up with any shit thrown their way.

While the two were in early grade school, they were both recruited into Freedom Harbers, known as Mondstadt's first big agency. Within the agency, there were multiple departments one could go into, such as acting, modeling, reporting, and more. Pretty much the same thing as STAR A.D.E.M.A., though that company came a few years later into the picture.