Chishiya Simp

To her, having her photo taken was agony. Which was why she never did after she grew up. She did not have a single photo around her house because she did not need any to remind her just how fake her family was. 

That was until Chishiya gifted her four framed photos for Valentine’s Day. From there, four became eight, eight became sixteen, and before they knew it, she had photos hanging on almost every wall at home.

For Chishiya, the concept of taking a photo with his family was unfamiliar. 

As far as he could remember, they probably took one photo together and that was it. He did not think there were any photo albums documenting his childhood lying around either (which Kurenai was not happy about, because she wanted to see a baby Chishiya). 

While Kurenai’s father was obsessed with the idea of a perfect family, Chishiya did not think that his father would care at all. If he were to ask his father for a photo, he would not even get an answer because his father would not have the time to even answer a simple question. 

He was still rather unsure about a photoshoot, even after seeing how excited Kurenai was for it. He had no problems with just taking photos on their phones and having those printed instead. To be in a professional studio, standing in front of a professional camera and photographer, however, was an entirely different story. 

“Holy…”

Chishiya looked up when he heard Aoi’s comment. Kurenai came out from the dressing room, having changed into a red wedding dress. With her long black hair done up, and her signature red lips, she looked like a princess in those fairytale books. Even Chishiya was a little taken aback by how beautiful she looked. How in the hell did he get her to fall in love with him?

“How do I look?” Kurenai asked.

“You look perfect, Miss Kurenai. Absolutely beautiful,” Ayako answered, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. 

“I don’t think she was asking you, Ayako-san…” Aoi whispered.

“Beautiful, as always,” Chishiya smiled, taking her hand and squeezed gently. “Everyone looks like a peasant next to you.”

That earned a giggle from Kurenai, though Aoi was not quite happy.

“Excuse you, we share the same DNA,” he stated. “You’re the peasant here.”

“No, my Shuntarou is royalty too,” Kurenai said, fixing the bowtie for him. “He’s my King, after all.”

After a round of compliments for each other, the shoot was finally beginning. 

Although the original intent was for this to be a wedding shoot, Kurenai changed her mind almost last minute. She wanted photos with Chishiya, but she also wanted photos with her family. Not the fake one that Atsushi crafted, but the family who stuck by her, and was truly supportive and loving like a real family.

And so, the shoot started with some individual shots of Kurenai, Aoi, and even Ayako. 

Then, they moved on to the sibling photos. Despite seemingly not getting along with each other, when they stood in front of the camera, the Chuya siblings looked like professional models. The photos came out looking chic, and looking so good that they could possibly be used as a promotional poster for a movie about two siblings who were partners in crime. 

“I know they hate their father, but you have to admit that this family has some good looking genes,” Ayako smiled, looking at Chishiya. “When you have children with Miss Kurenai, they will be the most gorgeous babies.”

“They may not, after mixing with my peasant genes,” Chishiya joked. 

While he was joking about it, Chishiya was feeling quite the opposite on the inside.

Children?

It was a subject he never thought about, simply because he never thought he would get this far in a relationship. Hell, he never even thought he would ever get into a relationship to begin with. Kurenai never mentioned anything about children either, nor did she ever talk about how she felt about them in general. 

Could two people as broken as they were have children?

Once the siblings had a couple of photos with Ayako, it was finally the headliner’s turn. 

“Could you turn this way? Other way.”

“Smile more.”

“Be more sincere with your smile.”

“Hold her by the waist.”

“Pull her closer.”

“Look her in the eyes.”

It felt unnatural to be standing there and prompted to do this and that by someone else. Chishiya felt like a marionette, moving only when someone would move him. And his awkwardness and uncomfortableness was showing through the photos. Even the photographer was getting a little frustrated by the fact that he did not get a single good photo in the last twenty minutes.

While they took a small break so the photographer could figure out how to solve this problem, Kurenai undid Chishiya’s bowtie and did it up for him again. It was a small moment, but it was an intimate one. The way she was smiling so gently, and the way Chishiya was looking down at her with so much love in his eyes. 

This was the raw emotion the photographer had been looking for.

And he grabbed his camera before he missed it, taking several pictures without the couple knowing. 

“Ayako-san was telling me just now about how good looking you and Aoi are.”

“She’s not wrong,” Kurenai grinned.

“And I was thinking how lucky I am to be the person you said yes to.”

Every so often, Chishiya would slip into affectionate mode, and he would say things that were moving or sweet. Or both. And even to this day, Kurenai could never get used to it. Every time he would say things like that, it melted her heart and it would bring tears to her eyes.

“Well, don’t cry,” he laughed, wiping the one rogue tear for her. “I love you.”

“I love you too. But I think I love you a little less if I have to stand here for another thirty minutes in these heels.”

“I thought you lived in heels?”

“Actually, we’re done,” the photographer said. “I’ve got quite a few good pictures.”

They gathered around the computer and the photographer was scrolling through the photos. Neither of them was aware that they were secretly being photographed, but that was the main reason why the photos came out so good. They were natural. 

“I’m tempted to use your photos as advertisement for my business,” the photographer laughed. “It’s been a while since I took pictures of such genuine emotions from both parties. You guys must really love each other.”

“Eh, only sometimes,” Kurenai commented. 

“Yeah, I don’t particularly love her when she’s with the cat.”

What really changed your attitude, however, were the friends you made. 

On the first day of your first year, you thought high school would be no different to middle school. You walked onto the campus thinking that you would be an outcast for another three years. But that was not the case at all. 

“Hey, what are you doing?”

As you walked into your classroom, the first thing you saw was almost all your classmates gathering around the windows. Including your deskmate: Chuya Kurenai. 

When you first met Kurenai, you were intimidated to be sat next to her. Anyone would. Everyone knew Chuya Group, the multi-billion corporation, and no one dared to associate themselves with her just in case they accidentally did or say something wrong; they would never be able to handle the lawsuits. You were unfortunate enough to be assigned as her deskmate.

Kurenai was far from the first impression you got, however.

You thought she would be stuck-up and difficult to deal with, but surprisingly she was rather down-to-earth and easy to get along. Though, she could be quite blunt sometimes. To the point where it would hurt a little. 

She was, however, not the type to gossip nor poke her nose into anybody else’s business. Which was why you were a little surprised to see her standing by the window with everyone else.

“New first years,” she said, looking down at the field where the new first year students had gathered. “Apparently there’s a really good looking one this year, and everybody’s dying to catch a glimpse.”

“Huh...which one?” Now you were intrigued too. How good looking would one have to be to have the attention of so many people? 

“Blonde hair.” 

Looking to where Kurenai was pointing, you spotted the first year student in question. He definitely stuck out with his blonde hair, and he was immaculately dressed. Every other boy tried to look cool for their first day, with their upturned collars, loose ties, and rolled up sleeves. And when he finally looked up, you could see his face. 

“Cute. Not my type though,” you said, now scanning the faces of the other students. “He seems more like your type. Maybe if he was a little taller.”

“That’s because your type is a nerd. Specifically, that nerd in class-”

Before she could spill your secret, you slapped your hand onto Kurenai’s mouth to stop her from speaking. In the spur of the moment, however, you underestimated your own strength and basically knocked her back. 

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean that!”

“You totally did,” Kurenai frowned, rubbing where you hit her. “Revenge.”

She flicked you on the forehead before you could react. Hard. 

“Do you have steel for fingers?!”

--

According to Borderland Academy’s tradition, the first day of school was mainly orientation for the first years. Second and third year students were to set up club booths, and take on groups of new students to take them on a campus tour. And to answer any question they might have but were too afraid to ask faculty. 

As the first years were attending assembly and listening to the same crazy speech Principal Danma would make every year, you were sitting in the student council meeting room in between Kurenai and Usagi. 

“Alright, let’s start the meeting,” Rizuna An, the president, said, sitting down with her notebook. 

An was another friend of yours, whom you met through Kurenai. Apparently the two bonded over a game of chess, and An asked Kurenai to help her run for student council president. She won by a huge landslide, and she became the only first year in the history of Borderland Academy to win president. As a friend, she liked to go with the flow, and in general was rather chill. As president, however, she was quite the opposite.

“As members of the student council, I expect all of you to be doing an exceptional job welcoming the new students this year. In the folder in front of you, you will see who your tour buddy is, and which group of first years you will be taking care of. Usagi, I paired you with Karube this year. Please do your best to control him. I do not need a repeat of last year.”

You felt a little sorry for Usagi, though you could not help the little jealousy too. 

Karube Daikichi was a fellow third year, and arguably the most popular guy in school. He was not particularly good with his studies but he was, however, good at sports. And he was a fun person to be around, always so cheerful and full of ideas. An was not a fan of his though, especially what happened on orientation day last year. It ended with the school having to replace the basketball hoop and several windows because he led a rather intense game of dodgeball.

Pairing him with Usagi was the best choice. Usagi Yuzuha, the student council vice president (and the last member of your little friend group), was a no-nonsense person through and through. She was smart, she was athletic, and she had leadership skills. Usagi was actually your friend first, having met on the track team, and you later introduced her to the other two. Kurenai did not particularly like her, stating that Usagi had the personality of bread (to which Usagi said “which one, because there’s a thousand different types of bread”). 

The meeting went on, and An was simply running through the day. 

“Also,” she said, just as the meeting was coming to an end. “May I remind our treasurer that we do have a budget this year, and it’s for the entire year. Please don’t blow the entire budget on getting new uniforms for the basketball team. They do not, and will never, need Michael Kors for their uniform.”

“Hey, you said get them new uniforms. You never said where,” Kurenai argued.

“Rich people…”

“Did you say something, little bunny?”

“Guys, don’t start,” you said, sensing an argument.

Before they could, though, An knocked twice on the table and gave them each a glare. “Meeting dismissed. Take a look through your folder. Principal Danma should be almost done with the assembly. Let’s go and welcome the new students.”

Each of the council members opened the folder in front of them, reading through the names of which first years they were taking care of for the day. You did the same, but you were more interested to see who your partner was. 

Niragi Suguru.

You felt your heart skip a beat.

Of all people, you were paired with him.

Your folder was taken from you, and Kurenai was looking through to compare to her own when she saw who your partner was. She elbowed you with a grin, but you tried not to react. She kept nudging you until you finally looked at her.

“Congratulations, you got paired with your nerd.”

“He’s not a nerd, and he’s not mine.”

“Hm, so does that mean I can go for him?” Kurenai teased.

“He’s not even your type!”

“I can make him my type. I’ll swap with you.”

“Man, I can’t believe you’re getting married,” Colleague No. 1 said. “You don’t seem like the type to want to settle with anyone.”

“You don’t seem like a doctor either yet here we are.”

“Okay, I take it back. You don’t seem like the type of person anyone would like to settle with.”

Chishiya grinned.

His relationship with Kurenai had baffled many people. They were confused not because she was a multi-billionaire and he was just a doctor. They were confused because according to them, Chishiya had a pretty rotten personality and they just could not wrap their head around the fact that Kurenai would see him as loving.

“Let me give you some advice as your senior, kid,” Colleague No. 2 interrupted. “Don’t do it. Don’t get married.”

“Aren’t you married yourself? We attended your wedding last year,” No. 1 frowned.

“And I’ve regretted it ever since,” No. 2 sighed. “Trust me. All women pretend to be docile, and they treat you like a king when you’re just dating. As soon as you’re married, that’s when they show you the fangs and claws they have hidden away the entire time. You can say goodbye to your freedom and your sanity.”

“Then why did you get married in the first place?”

“I got her pregnant, what else? Kid, I had no choice because she was carrying my child. You have a choice and you still chose to dig your own grave? Get out while you can, man.”

If this conversation happened many years ago, Chishiya would most likely agree.

Marriage always seemed like a hassle. He did not understand why you had to put on such an extravagant show for others to see that you loved each other. All for what? A piece of paper that said you were legally bound to another person? He never saw himself getting married, or into any kind of relationship.

But that was back then. Before he met Kurenai.

While he still stuck by the idea that a wedding was just a show, he could not wait to marry Kurenai. He could not wait to sign that piece of paper dictating her as his, and him as hers. What he did not understand now, were people like No. 2. 

Ever since the announcement of his engagement, so many people would approach him telling him that he was making a mistake, that he was ‘digging his own grave’. He was told that he would lose his freedom, his friends, and anything else remotely meaningful to him because his wife would try to control him and ruin his life.

Which seemed rather amusing to Chishiya seeing as he did not have any friends, and the only thing meaningful in his life was Kurenai. He could not see how she could ruin herself for him.

“Kurenai’s not like that.”

“Bullshit,” No. 2 retorted. “They are all the same, kid, trust me. I thought my wife was a gentle and very docile woman too. She was a nightmare when she started planning the wedding, and she’s still a nightmare now. We got into a fight because I got the wrong shade of pink for the napkins. She wanted baby pink, and I got coral pink.”

“What’s the difference?” No. 1 asked.

“There is absolutely no difference! And just last night, she yelled at me because I didn’t get face wipes for her on my way home. She started crying, saying that I don’t love her and I don’t care about her. Really? I’ve been working my ass off for thirty-six hours and you’re telling me I don’t love you because I didn’t get face wipes?”

“So why didn’t you?” Chishiya asked. “If you really love someone, you’d remember everything they tell you. And you wouldn’t complain about getting face wipes.”

“Kid, you really don’t know what you’re talking about. You see your girl as an angel now, but there’s a devil living inside her. I’ll prove it to you. Text her right now, and tell her that you don’t like any of the vendors she just sent you.”

Although Chishiya knew what the outcome would be, he decided to text Kurenai just to entertain No. 2. And to prove him wrong. 

He clicked into the messages Kurenai sent him, and it was a long list. She had at least five different choices for each aspect, i.e. flowers, DJ, invitations, etc. He felt a little bad to ban the entire list because she must have done a thorough research to pick the top five for each vendor. He made a mental note to explain the situation to her later.

Within seconds, Kurenai replied to his response.

“Let’s see.”

-

[My King]: Just went through the list, don’t really like any of them.

[My Queen]: What don’t you like?

[My King]: Don’t know. Just don’t like.

[My Queen]: Okay, I’ll look for others then.

-

As No. 2 read through the messages, he was in disbelief. Chishiya smirked at his victory, taking his phone back and told Kurenai to forget what he just said, that he would talk to her when he got home so she should not look up other vendors just yet. 

“I told you, Kurenai is not like that.”

“Yeah well...it’s still early in the relationship. Just you wait, I know I’m right.”

--

After much persuasion from Kurenai, Chishiya finally agreed to tell Niragi about their engagement. He never really considered Niragi as his friend, but according to Kurenai, they were best friends. If wanting to kill Niragi because he kept stealing food from his cupboard meant that they were best friends then of course, they were the bestest of all best friends.

They agreed to meet up for a meal after work, and Chishiya arrived at the restaurant first. It was not long after when Niragi arrived too.

“I’m getting married,” Chishiya said.

He wasted no time, and straight after they ordered their food, he told Niragi what he asked to meet for. He was sure Niragi would appreciate it too, since neither of them was the type to enjoy small talk.

“...to Kurenai?” 

“Of course to Kurenai. Who else would I marry?”

“How should I know? Kids these days change partners like they change underwear. Actually, they probably change partners more often than they do underwear.”

“It’s Kurenai I’m marrying.”

“Congratulations, nerd.”

Chishiya stared at Niragi, not saying a word. He had a little frown on his face, but it soon turned into a smile.

“What?” Niragi asked.

“Nothing. Just...I was expecting you to tell me that I made a mistake. Like everyone else did when I told them I’m getting married.”

“But you’re not making a mistake. You marry someone when you love them, and you two love each other. A lot. And that’s coming from me. I knew you were gonna get married one day, it’s just a matter of when.”

“Would you like to be my best man?”

They were spread out evenly in the booth, looking from one to the other, not knowing what to say or do as they were all waiting for Kurenai awkwardly.

“So...are you a friend of Kurenai’s?” Aoi asked, looking at Usagi.

“I’m not sure if I could be considered her friend, but I do know her,” Usagi said. “I’m Usagi Yuzuha, it’s nice to meet you.”

“I’m Chuya Aoi.” He was used to the reaction Usagi gave, the little eye widening. “Yeah, I’m Kurenai’s brother.”

“Huh...you guys don’t look alike.”

They were always told they did not look alike for siblings, but it was not something that Aoi took notice of, to be honest. Kurenai was Kurenai, and he was himself.

“So where’s the one who asked us here?” Kuina asked, looking over to the entrance.

“No idea. I texted her but she hasn’t even seen the message yet.”

It would be another twenty minutes before Kurenai finally showed up. By that time, Aoi had finished a cup of coffee along with a piece of cake. Kuina and Usagi were chatting, and he was sitting awkwardly just listening to them. 

As he watched them, however, he could not help but wonder how Kurenai came to know them. She did not have many friends, that was just the way it had been since she was young. Even in school, Kurenai kept to herself. She had plenty of followers, but none she would call her friends. Not that Kurenai minded either. She actually preferred to be alone.

“Finally,” Kuina sighed. “How are you late when you’re the one who asked to meet?”

“Because I have to run a multi-billion company.” 

Kurenai plopped down on the booth, flipping through the menu before signalling for the waitress, ordering a cup of coffee. As she did, however, Kuina caught sight of something.

Something that was gleaming in her eyes. 

“Is this what I think it is?” Kuina asked, grabbing Kurenai’s hand. “Is this an engagement ring?”

Now, Aoi was grabbing her hand too, trying to get a better look at the ring.

Wiggling her hand free, Kurenai took the ring off to show them. Kuina took the ring, examining it. She moved it under the light, then held it up to the window to see it under natural light. When she was done, Aoi would take the ring and started examining it himself. Usagi was the only one who kept calm the whole time.

“Tell me everything!” Kuina said, hitting Kurenai on the arm. “When did he propose? Where did he propose? Was it romantic? When are you guys getting married? When are you dress shopping? Spill!”

Before she answered any question, Kurenai snatched the ring back from Aoi. She was not afraid that he would lose it or damage it in any way, but she felt much better to have it on her finger than with someone else.

“He proposed two nights ago at home. It was super romantic, but no I will not provide details. That’s a story for just me and Shuntarou,” Kurenai grinned. “We don’t have a date set yet, it’s still all new to us. I’ll probably have my dress custom designed.”

“So you called us out just to tell us you’re engaged?” Aoi asked.

“Actually, I call you out because you guys will be my bridal party.”

All three of them were staring at her, all with different expressions, but all gave off the same ‘I cannot believe this’ energy. After what felt like forever of silence, Usagi slowly raised her hand. Kurenai nodded at her, waiting for her to speak.

“Um...why am I here? I didn’t think we were at that level of friendship.”

“I am hurt,” Kurenai gasped, dramatically. She then returned to her usual self in the next second. “I guess we’re not exactly the bestest of friends, but I don’t have a lot of friends. This is all my friends here, actually. Well, there’s An too but she’s busy at work.”

Usagi looked at Kuina, then to Aoi. She was not sure if she should feel honoured to be considered Kurenai’s friend, or feel sorry for the woman that only three people (plus another not present) were her friends. One of them was her brother too. 

“I want you to be my bridesmaid, if you don’t mind. Kuina will be my maid of honour.”

“Hell yeah, I am!”

“What about me?” Aoi frowned. “I’m your brother.”

“Yeah, and you’re my bridesmaid along with Usagi and An.”

--

She was exhausted by the time she got home. More so than when she had a full day of work.

Kicking her shoes off, Kurenai walked over to the sofa and threw herself on it, laying on the cushion before letting out a deep sigh.

When she called them out, she only intended it to be a quick coffee date so she could let them know that she was now engaged, and that they were in her bridal party. That was it. That was all she planned to do. Somehow, Kuina and Aoi got a little too excited. Even Usagi seemed happy to be participating as the other two were already planning the wedding for her. 

They were throwing ideas here and there, suggesting themes that Kurenai might like, locations that they could hold the wedding at. 

It was energy draining but it brought a smile to her face.

Years ago, she never dreamed of marrying someone. She knew eventually she would be forced into a marriage, but she also knew that she would not be planning her wedding like it was the biggest event of her life. She was all prepared for planning it as if it were her funeral.

Now, not only was she set to marry the love of her life, she had friends to be excited with. Friends who were genuinely happy to see her marrying someone she loved. Friends who were more than happy to be helping out.

“Hey, you’re home.”

Without moving her body, Kurenai lifted her head a little and smiled at Chishiya. He was already in his home clothes, which meant he was home before she was.

He leaned down, kissing her on the forehead. “Is something wrong?” he asked.

Her arms went up in the air, asking for a hug. Chishiya moved to sit on the sofa instead, pulling her onto his lap. Kurenai closed her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder and buried her face in his neck. And just for five minutes, they sat like that.

“Did they not take the news well?”

“Hm? Oh no, they took it very well. They were very excited about it, even Usagi. I’m just tired from being out all day. It’s an excuse to have you hold me like this.”

“When we’re married, I can hold you like this everyday.”

“Why can’t you do it now?”

“Some perks are for wife only.”

Kurenai frowned a little, biting down on his shoulder as punishment. 

To be honest, to hear Chishiya say the word ‘wife’ felt off.

Little did he know, however, what Kurenai had prepared for him.

As soon as he walked into the room, Chishiya froze by the door. This was a lot more changes than he was expecting. Where she used to have her clothes in about 90% of the room, Kurenai had somehow managed to put everything of hers to the left half of the room. The right half was his, and she already had it stocked with new clothes and shoes. But he could not help but feel something was amiss. So he stayed by the door, surveying the room to try and figure out what it was.

“Are you alright, Mr. Chishiya?” Ayako asked, coming up the stairs.

“Something doesn’t feel right…”

Ayako walked into the room too, looking around. A few seconds later, she realised what felt wrong to Chishiya. Before renovation started, Kurenai told Ayako what she would be changing around the apartment, so she would know what to keep an eye out for when she was overseeing the project. 

With a knowing smile, Ayako pointed at the end of the room.

Chishiya stared at the opposite wall, still not understanding. Then he realised. Kurenai’s wall of shoes was gone. What used to cover the entire wall had now shrunk to just half the size, and it seemed like she had gotten rid of half of the shoes she owned too.

“Miss Kurenai wanted to make sure that you have enough space too,” Ayako said. “She said it’s not fair if she took up an entire wall just for her shoes.”

“What happened to the shoes?”

“She donated them. She said she’s fine with getting rid of them but it hurts her a little, I think.”

Hearing Ayako, Chishiya felt a tug at his heart.

He knew how much the shoes meant to her. Everyone had something they loved and obsessed over, and that was shoes for Kurenai. She never cared what brand her dresses were, or what kind of bag she would carry around for the day. She would, instead, match her outfit to her shoes. She had a few favourite pairs, but she tried to wear a different pair each day because ‘they all need to be loved’. 

For her to get rid of her beloved shoes because of him, just how much did she love him?

“Miss Kurenai really loves you,” Ayako smiled, as if reading Chishiya’s mind. “She only got rid of a small corner for Mr. Aoi, but she gave you an entire half of the room. Oh, come with me.”

Beckoning him, Ayako led the way to the study room. 

Again, there were changes made to the study that Chishiya was not expecting at all. It was split in half, just like the walk-in closet. Kurenai’s side was pretty much the same as before, just on a smaller scale. His side was almost identical to hers with how it was laid out but everything was brand new and state-of-the-art. 

“Miss Kurenai shopped for these all by herself,” Ayako said. “I don’t know anything about computers but apparently this PC is very fast and the monitor is high definition. There’s blue light filter too? Whatever that means. The chair too, she picked out personally. Good for your back, apparently.”

There were times when he heard some people say that Kurenai did not love him as much because she did not do much for him. They were expecting her to show her love by building him a hospital, or something equivalent, but that was not what Chishiya wanted. Kurenai loved him with all her heart, and he could see just how much she loved him through the little things she would do for him. 

How she was willing to give up something she absolutely loved for him. How she would go out of her way to pick out only the best of the best equipment for him. 

It was then that Chishiya realised. 

Definitively.

Very firmly.

100%.

She was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. 

--

Laying on Kurenai’s lap, Chishiya was staring up at her while she was applying a facial mask on him. She was humming softly, a soft smile plastered on her face as she worked. Her touch was soft, and Chishiya felt so relaxed that he could just fall asleep.

This was the first night they got to spend together since he moved in with her, and there was something he had been itching to ask her. 

“I’ve never done these things before meeting you,” he said.

“Why not? Skincare is not exclusive to women.” She poured the remaining essence in the pack on her hand, rubbing the cold liquid on his neck. “Everyone should take care of their skin. You should know that as a doctor.”

“I’ve never done a lot of things before meeting you. I never thought I would do any of those things, actually.”

“Why are you getting all sentimental suddenly?”

He touched her cheek gently, pulling her down for a kiss. Although Kurenai obliged, she soon pulled away and made a face because some of the mask essence got into her mouth. Chishiya laughed softly, watching as she reached for a tissue, wiping her tongue down.

“Let’s get married.”

Forgetting about the weird chemical taste in her tongue, Kurenai looked down with her tongue still out. She was a little stunned, wondering if she heard Chishiya right. Did he just propose to her?

“What did you just say?”

“Let’s get married.”

Yeah, those were the three words she heard the first time round.

“Are you serious?”

“Do you not want to?”

They had only been dating for about a year, but with the right person, the length of time never mattered. He knew people who got married after just a month of dating, and they were still happily together. And he knew a long time ago that there was no one else for him; Kurenai was the only person he wanted to be with.

“I do, but this is not the proposal I was expecting. I don’t want anything fancy, but shouldn’t you at least propose with a ring?”

The subject was seemingly dropped when neither of them said anything in regards to the matter. They continued the night as normal, finishing the facial spa, enjoyed a movie together in bed, and talked a little before going to bed.

When Kurenai woke up the next morning, Chishiya’s side of the bed was empty and he had already gone to work. She turned, reaching for her phone on the nightstand when she noticed something. Or well, she felt something on her finger. 

Sitting prettily on her left ring finger was a ring. It was a simple ring, shaped like a tiara with a small emerald stone in the middle. 

As she sat up, she saw a sticky note on Chishiya’s pillow.

So what possessed Kurenai to think that Chishiya would enjoy a cat café?

Kurenai’s eyes were already twinkling when they stood by the door, listening to the barista explain the rules of the café. She was not paying the barista any attention at all, her focus the entire time was on the cats on the other side of the door. Chishiya even had to tap her on the shoulder to get her to sanitise her hands before they could enter.

Once they were let into the café, Kurenai was like a child in a toy store.

She was trying her best not to squeal out in excitement, and she went to the sleeping corner first, peeking into the cat trees and houses. It had only been two minutes, but she already snapped hundreds of photos of the sleeping cats.

Chishiya, on the other hand, was stepping carefully, making sure he did not accidentally trot on a tail or paw. He walked over to a table, sitting down with the little number stand given so the barista knew where to serve their food and drink. 

As he expected, most of the patrons were female. There were some guys there too, looking just as disgruntled as Chishiya was feeling. It seemed like they were dragged here too. 

Feeling eyes on him, Chishiya frowned a little as he looked to his right. A black cat was perched on top of the table next to him, and it was staring at him. It straightened itself, sitting up, but never taking its eyes off Chishiya. That was exactly how Cheshire would look at him too whenever Chishiya would not let him near Kurenai.

“What are you looking at?”

God, what the hell was he doing? He was talking to a cat!

When the barista came with their food and drink, Chishiya went to get Kurenai. Reluctantly, she abandoned the cat she was playing with and sat at the table. Though, her eyes kept drifting back to the play area, pouting a little when she saw someone else playing with a cat that she liked.

The black cat on the next table jumped off, strolling over to Kurenai and started rubbing its head on her leg. It looked up at Kurenai, and when it seemed like it was not getting her attention, it started to meow at her. Loudly.

“Hello!” Kurenai smiled, finally paying the black cat some attention. “Are you calling for me?”

As soon as her attention was on it, the cat jumped up onto Kurenai’s lap and continued meowing at her. Kurenai smiled, stroking its fur and gave it some scratches under the chin. The cat closed its eyes, looking like it was having the time of its life, just enjoying as Kurenai was pampering it. 

“It likes you.”

“They say animals have a sixth sense,” Kurenai smiled, already forgetting about her food as she was scratching the cat with both hands. The cat seemed to be smiling too. “Apparently, they can tell who is a good person and who is bad. Isn’t that right? You must know that I love you guys, so that’s why you came to me, right? That’s why you didn’t go to Mr. Grumpy-Pants over there, right?”

“Who’s Mr. Grumpy-Pants?”

“Hm? Is that not you? Or are you Mr. I-am-jealous-but-I-won’t-admit-it?”

“I am not jealous.”

Chishiya was definitely not jealous.

How ridiculous would it be for him to feel jealous because of cats?

“Do you know why I like cats?”

No, he did not.

He always knew that Kurenai was an animal lover, but she never came across as someone who would like pets. In fact, before Cheshire, she never had a pet. Not even a fish or a hamster.

And they never asked the stereotypical questions, the ones you would ask when you first meet someone. It might seem odd to someone else that they never bothered to ask what their favourite colours were, but Chishiya knew that Kurenai liked red simply from observing her daily life. Just as she knew that he liked art without ever asking.

But he never asked her why she liked cats. Nor did he think to ask. He was too busy trying to come up with plans of locking Cheshire out of the bedroom.

“People always say that cats are temperamental but I’d like to think that they are very straightforward,” Kurenai said. “If they like you, they’ll come to you. If they don’t, they’ll go away. If you are bothering them, they’ll hiss at you to let you know. Simple. But once you’ve earned their trust, they are the most loving creatures. Much like someone I know.”

When they locked eyes, Chishiya frowned slightly. Was she talking about him? 

Was she comparing him to a cat?

Kurenai never really defined herself as a cat or dog person like most people, but it was not until she got Cheshire did she understand why she wanted a cat so badly. It was because she already had one in the form of Chishiya. 

There was no other animal that could describe Chishiya so well besides a cat. He was very independent, and seemed hard to get along with from most people’s first impression. But as someone who had earned his trust, Kurenai could definitely say that he was one of the most loving people in her life, despite the fact that he never knew what love was before. 

Some of his behaviours too, like how he loved to put his head on her lap, reminded her of a cat. How he liked to act coy when in fact, he wanted to be shown affection. 

“You’re saying I’m a cat?”

“Yes I am.”

She teased him further, scratching him under the chin like she would a cat. Chishiya entertained her, snapping at her like a cat would when it was uncomfortable. 

“What are you if I’m a cat? A puppy?”

A puppy seemed very fitting for Kurenai, now that Chishiya was thinking about it. 

The way she would perk up whenever she saw something she liked, how her eyes would twinkle too. And when she got excited about something, if she had a tail, she would definitely be wagging all over the place. 

“Excuse you, I wouldn’t be a puppy. I’d be the mighty wolf,” Kurenai stated. “Right, cutie pie? I’d be a wolf, right?”

The black cat meowed in response, as if agreeing with Kurenai.

“What would you know?” Chishiya mumbled, looking at the cat. God, he was talking to a cat again…

“Aoi would be the puppy,” Kurenai said. “He’d be a little Pomeranian puppy, and Toshiaki a Great Dane. Arisu-kun would be another puppy, and Usagi’s a rabbit of course. Hikari would be a tiger. Niragi’s a Tasmanian Devil because he is a nightmare. Isn’t that right? Don’t you agree with me, kitty?”

“Actually, you’d be a cougar.”

Much to his dismay.

Lately, Kurenai had been on a mission to try out ‘common’ things. She started with food, and was now moving on to activities. So far, they had tried ice skating, taking the bullet train to Kyoto, and visiting a superstore,

Chishiya entertained her, experiencing all these new things with her. He did not particularly enjoy the activities because they were nothing new to him, but he did enjoy seeing the sparkle in her eyes when she bought her first train ticket. How jittery she was standing on the platform waiting for the train. She did make him panic a little when he lost her in the aisles of the superstore. He found her in the end, in the pet supplies aisle.

“Are you ready?” Chishiya asked, knocking on the door to her walk-in closet.

“Just a second!”

For the past thirty minutes, Kurenai had been locked up inside with Ayako. She was always very good with time, and he never once waited for her to get ready. In fact, she was always ready before him and it baffled Chishiya how, since she was always in full makeup with her hair done perfectly. So when she took much longer than he anticipated, Chishiya was checking on her periodically, knocking on the door only to be told that she would be another second.

When she finally came out, he was waiting for her downstairs on the sofa.

“Guess who~” She covered his eyes from behind, and Chishiya smiled.

“Chishiya Kurenai.”

“It’s Niragi Kurenai.”

“I told you not to joke about that.”

He pulled her hands off his eyes and turned to look at her. She had on light makeup, going for a subtle pink lipstick instead of her usual red one. Her hair was up too, done and pinned perfectly. Chishiya knew she bought several yukatas just for tonight, but she chose the pink one in the end. 

Kurenai always looked perfect. Or at least, that was how Chishiya saw her. 

There was something, however, about seeing her in traditional clothing that had his heart melting for her. 

“What? Is something out of place?” Kurenai asked, trying to fix her clothes but Chishiya grabbed her hand.

“You’re perfect.”

“So are you,” she smiled, tapping his nose with her other hand.

--

By the time they arrived at the festival, it was already in full swing. 

Kurenai had underestimated how big the crowd would be, and they were practically being squished against each other and everyone else just at the entrance, trying to get somewhere. To be honest, it was not the experience she was looking forward to and they had barely started the night.

Chishiya kept a firm grip on Kurenai’s hand, navigating through the crowd and looking back at her every so often to make sure that she was alright. There was a little frown on her face, but he knew as soon as they started playing some games or eating some food, she would be smiling again.

When Kurenai said she wanted to go to a festival, Chishiya did a little research himself.

He looked for food they must try, and activities they must do. He wanted Kurenai to experience everything, but also the best of everything.

They came to a stall selling masks first. There was a wide variety but instantly, Kurenai was focused on choosing the perfect one. She seemed to have forgotten the slight bad start, picking one mask after the other, putting the ones she liked up to face and asking for Chishiya’s opinion. 

“This one,” he said, holding up a kitsune mask. 

“It suits you more.” She took the mask from him, putting it on his face and giggled. “See? You look like a cat.”

“This is a fox.”

“But you look like a cat.”

After a heated debate for two minutes on whether Chishiya was a cat or fox, the couple bought matching kitsune masks, having them to the side of their heads just like everyone else. They then moved on to the next stall, and Kurenai was attracted by one particular stall.

She walked over to the stall selling takoyaki, not because she wanted to try the food but because she was fascinated with how it was made. She stood there for a good ten minutes, just watching as they poured the batter into the pan, putting in the small bit of octopus. Her favourite part, however, was when they flipped the takoyakis. Especially how quickly they could do it.

While she was watching them make another batch, Chishiya bought them a portion to try. He fed one to Kurenai, laughing to himself as he watched her eyes widened. She went for a second one even before she finished the first, her cheeks puffing up from the takoyaki’s size.

“Do you like it?” he asked.

Her mouth was so full that she could not speak, so Kurenai nodded instead.

They tried more food; some yakisoba, yakitori, okonomiyaki, and many more. Every single time Chishiya fed her something, her eyes would widen at the taste, and she would ask for more. Her favourite, however, was apparently the okonomiyaki as she went to buy another one just for herself.

When they became full from the food, they shifted their focus from food to games. 

Most of the games available were rather childish, but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. They picked the least crowded stall first, which happened to be a shooting game. Prizes were lined up on shelves and all they had to do was hit something they wanted. 

Chishiya seemed to know what he was doing, holding the toy gun up. His stance was perfect, and he was aiming for the prize he wanted. When he pulled the trigger, however, the cork simply grazed past the teddy bear, missing the prize completely.

“I’m going for all the Pocky they have,” Kurenai claimed, picking up the gun. 

Despite her confident claim, all her shots missed except one. It managed to graze past the box of Pocky and although it did not hit square on, it was enough force to make it fall and thus, she won that box. 

They played one other game, where Kurenai was scooping goldfish but she would give them to the kids playing instead. 

Before the festival was coming to an end, they headed for a shrine nearby. Many others were there too, but most were already leaving so they could get a good spot for the fireworks. Not too bothered about the finale, Kurenai took her time at the temple.

After giving some offering money, they each took an ema, a small wooden plaque on which they wrote their wishes and prayers. Kurenai kept a distance from Chishiya, writing down her wish secretly and went to hang it before he could see. She then went to bow before the shrine, clapping her hands twice and made her wish once more.

All the while, Chishiya was looking for the plaque.

He knew he should not be nosy, but he was curious. Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. What could Kurenai possibly want (and be so secretive about) when she had everything?

Although there were hundreds, possibly thousands, of plaques, Chishiya found Kurenai’s rather easily since he recognised her handwriting. 

On her plaque, in her neat and small writing, she wrote:

Arisu, on the other hand. Chishiya did not particularly like him from their first meeting. They were both similar yet different, and he could not quite put a finger on how. But Arisu also seemed like the type to try and save everyone or else he would forever feel guilty if they were ever in a life threatening situation, and that irked Chishiya.

Kurenai, however, seemed to get along quite well with them.

During their trip in Okinawa, she would discuss psychology with Arisu. Though Chishiya had a hunch that she was simply asking for tips on how to manipulate others without letting on that was her true intention. And although she was not best friends with Usagi like she was Kuina, they were constantly seen together in a group of four along with An.

“I would have preferred if this date was just the two of us,” Chishiya said, tying the laces on his ice skates.

“Don’t be such a Grinch,” Kurenai smiled, squeezing his cheeks. “We’ve never been on a double date before. This will be fun.”

“We had that dinner with your friend and your ex.”

“For the last time, she’s not my friend.”

“Ready?” Arisu asked, approaching the couple with Usagi following behind him. “Let’s get on the ice then.”

Holding his hand out for Kurenai’s, Chishiya led the way onto the ice.

He never ice skated before, nor did he try skating in any form before. How hard could it be though? Chishiya was a pretty observant person, and he prided himself as a fast learner. He predicted that all he needed was probably ten minutes, and he would have mastered ice skating.

Stepping onto the ice, he nearly slipped with his first step but he was quick to steady himself. Carefully, he brought his second foot onto the ice and was walking with extremely small steps. He was not about to slip and fall right in front of Kurenai.

Unexpectedly, Kurenai was the one who fell.

As soon as she stepped onto the ice, she somehow used too much force and her legs went forward. She fell backwards, pulling Chishiya with her because she was still holding his hand. He fell on top of her, crushing her a little but supported his body with his gloved hands on the ice. He was more concerned with the way Kurenai fell.

“Are you okay?” he asked, going straight into doctor mode. “Did you hit your head?”

“I don’t think so,” Kurenai said, sitting up.

Chishiya touched her arms, squeezing gently while observing her. She did not wince in pain, and he could not feel anything out of place. 

“Ready to get up?”

She nodded, and Chishiya stood up first. Or...he tried to.

Before he could even stand up, his foot slipped from under him and he fell. Kurenai’s eyes widened before she bursted into laughter. And though he was slightly in pain, Chishiya was glad that he managed to make her smile.

Ten minutes went by, and this was the time Chishiya predicted he would need to master skating. Little did he know that he would be spending ten minutes just trying to get up from where they fell by the entrance to the rink. Every time either of them tried to stand, they would just slip and fall once again. Eventually, Chishiya had to scoot over to the side and grab onto the wall to pull himself up. 

“I thought you knew how to skate,” Kurenai said, clinging to the wall. “I was kind of hoping for that romantic drama scene where my boyfriend teaches me how to skate while holding my hand the entire time. I only got the falling over on top of each other part, and that hurts more than it was romantic.”

“Well...to be honest, I thought I would have grasped the concept by now,” Chishiya sighed.

“Stuck to the wall, guys?” Usagi asked, skating past with a grin. “Guess there’s something the power couple can’t do, huh?”

“God’s fair,” Kurenai retorted. “I’d choose a brain and wealth any day over knowing how to swim and how to skate.”

“Come on.”

“Hey! Hey! Hey!”

Usagi grabbed Kurenai’s hand, pulling her away from the wall and skated right to the middle. She then showed Kurenai how to balance on the skates, and how to move her feet. Usagi held onto her hand the entire time, even skating backwards as she was pulling Kurenai around the rink. 

Kurenai got her romantic drama scene, but it was with Usagi and not Chishiya.

“Want me to teach you?” Arisu asked, stopping next to Chishiya.

“No thanks.”

“Really? You’re missing out on a lot of fun here.”

Spending the rest of the night (or however long they planned to be there for) clinging onto the wall did not sound appealing at all to Chishiya. If he could, he would leave right now but that would be admitting to defeat. And now that she was actually moving around, Kurenai seemed to be having a blast.

Seeing Chishiya contemplating, Arisu patted his shoulder, indicating for him to hold on.

Perhaps it was the fact that he offered to teach the other man how to skate that was putting him off. Sometimes, pride could get in the wall and be one’s downfall. So instead, Arisu simply offered his shoulder. He could still join in on the fun without having to learn from Arisu.

Although still embarrassing, this seemed like a more acceptable option for Chishiya. 

Putting his hand on Arisu’s shoulder and gripping hard, Chishiya was finally departing from the wall after forty-five minutes of being stuck there. 

Arisu skated with ease, even as he was dragging Chishiya (whose feet were not moving at all). He caught up with the two women, and the four of them skated together. 

Surprisingly, it was a lot more fun than Chishiya originally thought.

It would be another hour and a half before they were getting too tired, especially Arisu and Usagi when they had been dragging another person around the entire night. Chishiya was just glad to be getting off the ice finally.

“Thanks, Usagi,” Kurenai smiled. “That was a lot of fun.”

“Not going to lie, I didn’t think I would enjoy tonight. I always thought you were a little too stuck up for my liking.” As she was guarded with Chishiya, Kurenai could feel that Usagi was the same way with her. Even when they were spending time together in Okinawa, there seemed to be a wall between them. “But I guess you’re not too bad. I had fun with you.”

“Such high compliments,” Kurenai said, sarcastically.

“She’s lying, she likes you.” As Arisu exposed her, Usagi hit him in the arm. “What? You were so excited when you were telling me about how Kurenai-san and An-san are so clever the way they came up with different strategies for the volleyball game.”

“I didn’t know you like me that much, Usagi.”

“No I don’t! Don’t you dare hug me!”