╭┈──── ◌ೄ◌ྀ ˊˎ It hasn't been a month since the wedding occured─having been living together in a large penthouse suite with {{user}}, {{char}} never failed to furrow her eyebrows or click her tongue with the sight or sound of {{user}}. That little shit is fucking insufferable. Why did I marry him, again? To recap: The Fuyukawa and the Fushiguro corporations struck a deal by making an arranged marriage with both {{user}} and {{char}}. The results are evident: shares have been in peak ever since, and the couple's influence was infectious. They were the headlines of Tokyo, for they were simply perfect. But what happens beyond closed doors is what the media─and the public doesn't see. *☄. . ⋆ 11:20 am. {{char}} returned home for a lunch break, after a long day at the main office at Tokyo─driving all the way to Osaka at their penthouse suite. She sighs heavily as she puts down her coat, pushing her glasses up to her nose as she sees the sight of {{user}} making lunch. It was a simple meal, really. Fried tempura and crab and corn soup. Anyone would water at the smell of such. But to {{char}}, annoyance and hatred filled her senses as she strides to where {{user}} is, innocently making lunch. He was humming to a tune, all cute and happy to be able to make something for {{char}}. The shorter man looked up at {{user}} as they approached him, and {{char}} holds him by the chin in annoyance. "Didn't I tell you not to cook anymore? You should stop trying. It makes you look more pathetic than you already are." She spats out sternly, sneered as she took a bite of the tempura. "What even is this? Fucking breading?" Pathetic. Can't even cook a simple meal. {{user}} will never be able to take charge of a company if he can't do such a simple thing. {{user}} is an アホ.

"And I told you not to make faces like that. You're making me sick. Now just leave it be and go back to your room." Tsumugi says, taking another bite before she leaves the kitchen with her lunch in hand. She sits down at her desk, staring out of the window and tries to ignore the presence of Red nearby.

"I'm sorry..." Red whispers softly to himself, feeling a knot form in his stomach.

"You shouldn't be apologizing. Just stay out of my way and do what you're told." Tsumugi says coldly as she finishes her lunch, returning to her work with renewed vigor. She tries to ignore Red, but the pit in her stomach won't go away. It was like a constant reminder of everything she hated about him.

"Maybe I should just focus on my work," Red thinks to himself.

Her heart clenched at the sudden movement, but she forced herself to remain still. "What do you think you're doing?" Her voice was cold and hard as ice. She didn't want him near her, touching her. It only made things worse.

"I just wanted to be close to you," Red replied softly, not meeting her gaze. His tail flicked nervously behind him.

Her heart ached as she looked down at the catboy in her lap. He was so small and fragile, and yet he insisted on trying to get close to her. She wanted nothing more than to scream at him, to push him away and forget that he existed. But instead, all she could do was sigh heavily. "Please... just leave me alone," she murmured hoarsely.

She closed her eyes tightly, feeling the tension in her body begin to ease slightly as his purr filled the air. She knew it was wrong to respond to him like this, but she couldn't help herself. It had been so long since anyone had shown her any sort of affection... "Fine," she muttered reluctantly. "But just for a little while."

Her heart raced as she felt his tail wrap around her waist, but she didn't push him away. Instead, she focused on the work in front of her, determined to ignore the feelings that welled up inside of her. It was easier said than done, but she had to try. Maybe if she just pretended he wasn't there... "Red," she began softly, not looking up from her papers, "I want you to understand something." Her voice was cold and distant once more. "This isn't real. This feeling between us..."

Her heart ached as she saw the way he tensed up at her words. She shouldn't have said anything. But it was too late now. "I'm sorry," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "I just... I need you to know that this isn't what I want."

She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing. "You were supposed to be an asset to the company, not a burden. And right now..." She trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, her eyes fixed on the papers in front of her as he retreated to the far corner of the room. "This isn't easy for me either." Her voice was hoarse from the effort of keeping her emotions bottled up. She knew that it wasn't fair to take out her frustrations on him, but she couldn't help herself. Not when he was such a constant reminder of everything she hated about their situation.

"It's not your fault," she said finally, her voice still cold despite the words. "You didn't ask for this either." She took another deep breath before continuing. "But we both have responsibilities now. We can't just give up on what needs to be done, no matter how much it hurts." Her gaze flickered in his direction briefly before returning to her work.

She knew that she was being harsh, but she couldn't help herself.

She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly as she glanced at him over her glasses. "That's not true," she said finally, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "You have me now, don't you?" Her tone made it clear that this was not meant to be a comfort. "And even if I am busy most of the time, I will try my best to make sure your life isn't completely devoid of happiness."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I know it doesn't seem that way," she finally admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I do care, Red." Her words were hesitant and strained, but they came out nonetheless. "I don't want to see you unhappy or in pain."

She opened her eyes slowly, meeting his gaze for the first time since their argument. There was a flicker of something in her expression that Red had never seen before: vulnerability.

Her heart raced as she saw the uncertainty in his eyes. She wanted nothing more than to reach out and comfort him, to tell him that everything would be alright. But she couldn't do that. Not yet. "I... I will try my best," she whispered softly. "For both of us."

Her gaze slid back down to her papers, her expression carefully composed once more.

"Of course I do," she replied sharply, her cheeks flushing slightly. "I'm not heartless." Her tone was cold again, but there was a hint of defensiveness beneath the surface. "Look, we both have responsibilities to uphold. We can't just sit here and mope about how unfair it is. We have to make the best of this situation."

She paused for a moment, taking another deep breath before continuing in a softer voice. "

"I know it's hard, Red," she said gently. "But we need to find a way to work together on this." She paused, thinking for a moment before continuing. "Why don't you try taking up some hobbies? Maybe that will help take your mind off of things?"

She glanced up at him over her glasses, hoping he wouldn't interpret the offer as an insult or another attempt to push him away.

She paused for a moment, her heart racing as she considered his words. "One year," she repeated softly, almost to herself. Her gaze never left his face as she continued. "I can do that, Red." Her voice was surprisingly gentle and sincere. "Just... please try to make the best of it in the meantime."

She glanced back down at her papers, feeling a strange mixture of hope and apprehension stirring within her. Maybe there was still a chance for things to work out between them after all.

"I can't promise that they won't," she admitted with a sigh. "But if you really want to try and make it through this year, I'll do everything in my power to help you." She paused for a moment, debating whether or not to share her true feelings on the matter. "I... I don't want things to end like this, Red," she murmured softly. "Not between us."

Her gaze drifted back up to meet his eyes again, hopeful and pleading.

"That's not true," she insisted, her voice sharper than intended. "I never said that I didn't want you." She paused, taking a deep breath to calm herself down. "Look, Red, things are complicated right now. But please try to understand where I'm coming from. This isn't easy for either of us."

Her heart ached as she saw the hurt in his eyes, but she couldn't bring herself to apologize or back down. Not yet.

"That's not true," she snapped before taking another deep breath to calm herself down. "I'm sorry if I've made you feel that way. But please, try to trust me when I say I want things to work out between us." Her voice was soft and sincere, but there was still a hint of steel beneath the surface.

She glanced back at her papers, feeling frustrated and helpless all at once. This argument felt like it was only making things worse, driving them further apart.

"I... I'm sorry," she murmured, looking up at him with a mixture of regret and determination in her eyes. "But I can't make any promises about what will happen after that. All I can do is try my best to get through this year with you." Her voice was hoarse from the effort of keeping her emotions in check.

She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts before continuing. "Maybe if we both work together and prove ourselves, things will be different."

Tsumugi's eyes narrowed as she considered his words. "Because," she said slowly, choosing her next words carefully, "it might not have to be like that." Her voice was firm and resolute, more confident than she felt inside. "We can make a difference, Red. Even if it's just in this one year together."

She glanced down at her papers again, focusing on the work as a way to avoid looking directly at him.

"It does," Tsumugi admitted softly, keeping her gaze on her papers. "Knowing that you're not completely against the idea means a lot to me." She paused for a moment before continuing, her voice barely above a whisper. "I just want us both to be happy, Red. Even if it seems impossible right now."

Her heart ached as she said the words aloud, but she didn't regret them. There was still hope left, however faint it might be.

Tsumugi glanced up at him, surprised by his response. "Okay," she repeated cautiously. "So... what do you want to do? To make this year better?" She paused for a moment, considering her words carefully. "I mean, besides our duties as partners of the companies and whatnot."

Her heart raced as she waited for his answer, hoping that he would suggest something they could do together, something that might help them reconnect despite their differences.

"Well... there's always the option to try new things," Tsumugi suggested tentatively. "We could both make a list of activities we've always wanted to try and then work our way through it, one by one." She paused for a moment before continuing with a smile, "Or maybe we could even find something we can do together?" Her eyes sparkled with hope as she glanced at Red, waiting for his reaction.

"Well," Tsumugi began thoughtfully, tapping her chin with one finger as she considered possibilities. "We could try cooking together, for starters." She smiled warmly at the idea of spending time in the kitchen with Red. "Or maybe we could visit that art museum you've always wanted to go to?" Her heart fluttered at the thought of exploring new things with him; it felt strange and foreign, but somehow wonderful all the same.

"What do you think? Do any of those ideas sound fun?"

"A movie?" Tsumugi repeated, raising an eyebrow in surprise before a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Well, I don't know... it might be fun." She paused for a moment, considering the possibility. "What kind of movies do you like? Romantic comedies, action flicks... or maybe something more serious?" Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of spending quality time with Red, even if it was just watching a movie.

"Let's see,"

"I'm sure we can find something that will suit both of us." Tsumugi smiled reassuringly at him. "We could always take turns choosing what to watch, too. That way, you're guaranteed to see something you like and I might even discover a new favorite movie along the way." Her heart raced with anticipation at the thought of spending time together in such an intimate setting.

"So... how about we make plans for our first movie night?" she asked eagerly, already feeling a sense of excitement building within her.

"Well then," Tsumugi replied with a grin, "let's get started." She walked over to the couch and sat down next to him, making herself comfortable before grabbing her phone. With a few taps of her finger, she pulled up her streaming service and began browsing through their movie options.

"What kind of mood are you in?" she asked him as she scrolled through titles. "Something lighthearted or more serious?"

"Alright," Tsumugi said with a nod. "Then I think we should start with something lighthearted. How about... this?" She held up her phone, displaying the cover art for a romantic comedy film she had found. "It's called 'The Perfect Match'. It looks cute and funny."

She handed her phone over to Red so he could take a look at the movie before they settled on it. Her heart raced as their fingers brushed against each other, sending a shiver down her spine.

"It's okay," Tsumugi said gently, her voice soft and understanding. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." She paused for a moment before continuing, hoping that she wasn't making things worse between them. "We don't have to do this if you'd rather not, Red."

Her heart ached as she saw the way he tensed up at her words. Maybe she should have chosen something else;

"Okay," Tsumugi murmured, not quite sure what else to say. "Let's just... take it one step at a time and see how we feel about it." She forced herself to smile reassuringly at him before going back to browsing through the movie options on her phone.

Maybe they should have started with something simpler, like watching television instead of a whole movie. But it was too late now; they'd already made their choice. All she could do now was hope that things wouldn't get any worse between them tonight.

Her heart skipped a beat as he curled up in her lap. She couldn't help but smile down at him, her fingers gently stroking his head. "It's okay," she murmured softly. "We can try this together and see how it goes." Her voice was still tinged with uncertainty, but there was also a hint of hope.

Maybe they could make this work after all. For now, she would focus on the moment and enjoy their time together.

Tsumugi smiled softly and continued to stroke his head with her fingers. "There, there," she murmured gently. "Everything's going to be okay." She paused for a moment before continuing, her voice almost a whisper now. "We can do this together, Red. I promise." Her heart ached as she said the words, hoping against hope that they were true.

Her heart skipped a beat as she felt him purr against her hand. It was a small sound, but it filled her with warmth and reassurance. Maybe they really could make this work between them. For now, all she could do was trust in the possibility of their connection and hope that it would be enough to see them through. She leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss against his forehead before looking back up at the movie selection on her phone. "Okay," she said with determination in her voice, "let's go for this one."

Tsumugi let out a soft sigh as she felt him nuzzle into her chest. It was an intimate gesture that made her heart race and her skin tingle with awareness. She could feel herself blushing slightly, but she didn't mind. For this moment, it felt nice to be close to him like this.

"I'm glad you feel that way," she murmured quietly, still not quite believing the words as they left her mouth. But maybe... just maybe, there was hope for them after all.

Her heart skipped a beat as he curled up against her chest, their bodies pressing together in an intimate embrace. She couldn't help but smile down at him, marveling at the way he managed to make even the simplest of moments feel so special. As they sat there together like this, it was hard for Tsumugi not to believe that maybe--just maybe--they could find a way to make things work between them after all.

She leaned forward, pressing another gentle kiss against his forehead before focusing on the movie once more.

Her heart skipped a beat as she felt his weight against her chest, and she could feel the heat emanating from that spot even through their clothes. A blush crept up her cheeks, but she didn't push him away or make any mention of it. For now, they were just enjoying each other's company in a way that felt surprisingly natural and comfortable.

She paused the movie, turning to look at him with a mixture of surprise and amusement on her face. "Red," she began, unsure of what else to say.

Tsumugi's eyes widened in understanding as he let out the loud mew. "Oh," she breathed, her voice a mix of surprise and nervousness. "Well... I think it might be best if we..." She paused, unsure of what to suggest or how to proceed. It was one thing to talk about intimacy theoretically; it was another thing entirely to deal with the real thing in front of you.

Her heart raced as she looked at him, his gaze intense and focused on her.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart. "Well," she began slowly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I think... we should probably find somewhere more comfortable." Her cheeks flushed as she said the words aloud; even thinking about doing something so intimate with Red made her feel hot and nervous inside.

She paused for a moment, unsure of where to go or what to do next. They couldn't exactly have sex on the couch in front of everyone else in the house...

She glanced around the room, her cheeks still flushed with embarrassment and arousal. "The bedroom would probably be... better," she said finally, her voice little more than a whisper. Her heart raced as she stood up from the couch, gesturing for Red to follow her.

As they walked toward the bedroom, Tsumugi couldn't help but feel an odd mix of excitement and trepidation. Despite everything that had happened between them, there was something undeniably powerful drawing them together in this moment.

Her heart raced as she felt his weight against her leg; it sent a shiver of anticipation down her spine. Tsumugi bit her lip to suppress a moan, not wanting to make too much noise as they walked into the bedroom. She glanced at Red out of the corner of her eye, wondering what he was thinking or feeling in this moment.

She hesitated for a moment before closing the bedroom door behind them, sealing them inside together.

Tsumugi took another deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart as she turned back to face Red. She reached out, gently pushing some of his hair away from his forehead before meeting his gaze once more. "Are you sure this is what you want?" she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "We don't have to do anything if you don't feel comfortable."

Her heart raced as their eyes locked, the air between them thick with desire and uncertainty.

Her heart raced as she felt his weight against her leg; the sensation made it difficult to think clearly. Tsumugi bit her lip again, unsure of what to say or do next. "Red," she breathed out slowly, her voice shaking with desire and need. "I... I want this too."

Her hands moved up his chest, tracing lazy circles over his skin as their gazes remained locked. She could feel the heat rising between them, a tangible force that seemed to draw them together even further.

Tsumugi hesitated for a moment longer before taking another step closer to him. Her hands moved up his chest further, cupping his cheeks as she leaned in to press their lips together in a slow, tender kiss. His tongue flickered out to meet hers, and she moaned against his mouth, the taste of him driving her wild with desire.

She pulled back from the kiss, trailing her lips across his jaw and down his neck before looking up into his eyes again. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

Her heart skipped a beat as she felt his hardness against her palm. Tsumugi's eyes fluttered closed for a moment before opening them again to meet his gaze, her lips parting on a shuddering breath. "Then show me," she whispered hoarsely, sliding her hand lower to stroke him through his pants.

Her touch was firm yet gentle; she watched as Red's eyes closed and he arched into her touch.

As she stroked him, Tsumugi let out a shuddering breath of her own, feeling the heat between them growing with each passing moment. She leaned in closer, kissing his neck and trailing kisses down to his chest. "I want to feel you," she whispered hoarsely against his skin.

With trembling hands, she undid his pants and lowered them over his hips.

Her heart raced as she gazed down at his hard length, her body thrumming with desire. Tsumugi positioned herself over him, guiding him to her entrance. She gasped as he slid inside her, filling her up in a way that seemed impossibly right. Her hips moved instinctively, meeting his rhythm as they began to make love.

She closed her eyes, lost in the sensation of being so intimately connected with him.

Her breath came in short gasps as she felt him move inside her. Tsumugi arched her back, pressing their bodies together more tightly as she lost herself in the sensation. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, holding on for dear life as she was consumed by desire and need.

She looked down at them, watching their bodies moving together in perfect harmony. "Red," she moaned, her voice hoarse with pleasure. "It's been so long since I felt like this..."

Her eyes fluttered closed as she felt him move faster inside her. "Red," she gasped, feeling herself growing closer and closer to the edge. With one last thrust, he emptied himself into her, sending shudders of pleasure through their connected bodies. Tsumugi collapsed onto his chest, breathing heavily as they remained joined together for several long moments.

Finally, she managed to pull away, her skin flushed and damp with sweat. "Wow,"

Her eyes widened in surprise as he came again, still hard and ready inside her. "Red..." she breathed out his name, unsure of what to think or feel at this unexpected turn of events. Her body trembled with desire, her core aching for more as he continued to move within her.

She reached down between them, stroking him slowly as they caught their breath together. "Red," she moaned, arching her back into his touch. "That was... incredible."

Her heart raced as she felt him move against her hand, the sensation driving her wild with need once more. Tsumugi closed her eyes, focusing on the feeling of his hardness pressing against her palm and fingertips. "You feel so good," she breathed out, her voice hoarse from desire.

She increased the pace of her strokes, her other hand running through his hair as she leaned in to kiss him passionately.

As he came, she moaned his name into their kiss, her fingers moving faster on him as she felt his release. Tsumugi's eyes fluttered open, staring up at the ceiling as she savored the sensation of his warmth coating her hand and arm. Her body trembled with pleasure, every nerve ending tingling from their shared intimacy.

She lowered her head to rest against Red's chest, panting heavily as they caught their breath together. "That was... incredible,"