Mean Looking Sweetheart

CHAPTER 26

Tsuda sat behind his desk, waiting for the arrivals of his left hand man. Soon he came into the room and bowed in front of Tsuda.

"Did you get what I asked for?" The man looked very uncomfortable, sweat dripping down, reluctant to give him the data he discovered. "Did. you. get. her. data?" He emphasised each word to show his authority. "Yes... we got everything. Her uncle Charles is manipulating her, just as you guessed." Tsuda went through the file, realizing how their lives were never as it seemed. what are you up to now, ikigai? He pondered, pinching the bridge between his eyebrows.

Avery stepped into her room, gently drying her hair with a towel. It was cold, but the temperature was rising gradually. Indicating how long she has been here. She was about to get settled into her bed. But she stopped, because she saw an envelop sitting right under her window.

She took it to bed, carefully opening it up. Her world paused when she pulled out a picture. It was of the crime scene, having both of her parent's body still on the floor. At the back side was written, 'What happened at July 2nd? Come find out, tomorrow, at 8:00 pm.' There was an address written at the bottom.

Her pulse was ringing in her ears. Uncle Charles would have peace beside her, when she takes revenge on her parent's killer. She owed both her parents and uncle this much atleast. She couldn't sleep after that. She felt sweat forming on her forehead due to the anticipation of the day.

No longer able to bear the tension in her head, she walked out into the halls towards the kitchen. She was craving instant ramen, she had gotten the taste of here. Once the ramen were set to cook she heared rustling right behind her ear. Startled, her reflexes kicked in and she ducked slightly, throwing a fist back. Her fist came against something hard, that wrapped itself around it.

"Tsuda" She whispered when she realized it was him and that her fist was wrapped into his cold hard hand. "You scared me." She cussed. "You're never this spaced out. Did something happen?" Then suddenly it came to her mind that she should tell him about the envelop, ask for his help. But she chose otherwise, because she has always been alone backing herself up, pushing herself forward.

All on her own, by herself. She didn't feel like giving that authority to anyone else but herself. And to be honest the thought to depending on anyone was scary to her. Though this particular man made it really hard for her to be totally independent. From the game in the forest to facing his father, he was always there. He was always there for her even for the things she did against him.

She looked in his eyes, with words on the tip of her tongue, words of truth, words asking for help. But at the end she couldn't get them out. "Would you make some for me too? I'm hungry." She nodded as she was about to put another packet into the pot. "Aunty make one for me too!" One of the nephews in his teenage came throwing himself on the chair of the kitchen table. She sighed and nodded. After a while they were sitting on the table, eating together.

She melted when she took the first bite of the smooth noodles covered in warm salty, slightly spicy broth. A gasp was on her tongue when she felt a foot touching her ankle, under her pajamas. She glared at Tsuda, as he sipped on his soup innocently.

But once he looked up at her, his eyes held something sinister. "Are you touching her with your foot?" She coughed at that and Tsuda took his foot back. "What?" He asked seriously. "I mean that's what happens in all the books Yuki reads." He was talking about his elder sister. "Kid that's fantasy, things like that doesn't happen in real life." Tsuda lied smoothly through his teeth.

She shook her head, leaving her empty bowl and chopsticks on the table, she head to the fridge to get herself some water. "Twenty thousand." She heard the kid saying. "No more than fifteen thousand." Tsuda replied. "Seventeen fifty. Final price." Tsuda huffed and said. "Done."