Original Love

Episode Nineteen

It has been a week after the Oyabun's party, and Aoi Chiba, once again, rises up from her bed alone. Just like the usual routine that always happens. She squints her eyes into the view of the huge bedroom, her skin immediately prickling from the chillness that the morning brings. It is nearing summer, but the wind still brings coldness into the air.

She tries to close her eyes again, feeling quite burden to face another boring day of spending hours all by herself. Lucky now that Kenji Yanagi has finally granted her to take casual strolls outside of the territory as long as she is escorted and will come home before evening. It has helped her to cope up with the unrelenting loneliness she is starting to be so frustrated about. At least, she gets to see different things besides the corners of this huge penthouse.

Upon yawning and stretching her arms over her head, Aoi eventually gets out of the king-sized mattress and walks her way towards the bathroom. It will most likely be her and Jin Sasai again. The man has taken several days off these past weeks and even though it is not really unusual, Aoi Chiba feels much lonelier when both him and Kenji are out of the radar. She does not really like having different random young men accompany her every single day who would not even try to talk with her except when she only has something to request.

That is one of the main reasons why Aoi Chiba hates her life right now. She does not have anyone to talk about things with. And if Kenji does show up and comes home earlier than usual, she only gets to speak short and futile things with him, not for that long and would normally just even last for ten minutes maximum. It is not something Aoi would have been delighted to as she only gets to feel him beside her on the bed longer than how she can ever have him to herself.

She does not really complain about s*x. They started having s*x again the night after the Oyabun's birthday event. And even when it had been much more satisfying and wildly addictive than the previous ones, Aoi Chiba has already felt like something has really changed between them.

Kenji Yanagi has also started calling her Miss Aoi. Less and less she would even hear him call her "Cherie Amour" again. Aoi has thought that it had been for a teasing way that he had used that name to address her. But lately, she realizes that she would have already preferred him to call her that instead of hearing him speak with her in that cold and distant way by using her real name.

It does not really feel right. To her ears... and from his lips.

Something is strange. And the growing coldness between them is something she does not really want to let up.

She continues to think about these things until she finally leaves the bathroom, completely renewed, and is on her way now to the dressing room to look for a good set of clothes to wear on her random stroll today. She has started making advance plans the night before the date about what she can do to spend her hours waiting until Kenji comes home at night. She has picked a cafe she had seen once the other day to visit today and even set up a timeline of where to go next.

It almost feels like what a bored housewife would do every time her rich busy husband is away and is not even giving her enough attention to keep her happy. Not that she is against that. Maybe, it is good that they stay this way. Having confused feelings just leaves her hoping for intimacy and that might really wreck her own principles.

Putting on the sundress she has already chosen beforehand, Aoi zips it up on the side effortlessly and walks towards the drawers where her jewelry collection and Kenji's are kept and organized. She randomly opens a few and tries on what she thinks will fit well with her outfit. But before she could even close the drawers, she sees an eye-catching small crystal box near Kenji's set of watches.

She pauses for a second and starts running a wild guess inside her head. She has already been warned about that possibility. There is no way in hell that what is inside the box is not what she thinks it really is. Kenji has also never been too subtle and discreet with his intentions lately. He would always make her feel that he is now trying to treat her more important than she had been used to be to his family.

Ito Yamazaki has even reaffirmed her hunches and told her the last time that she might be expecting a sooner proposal than she would imagine. But she wants to shake off that feeling. She does not even want to touch the thing. So she quickly tries to ignore it and closes the drawer in an instant. She takes a deep breath and steps back.

He might really ask her someday. Soon.

And Aoi squeezes her eyes shut, trying not to imagine how it would play out. Considering Kenji's intimidating and cold attitude, he might just actually lay out the question to her in a very dismissive way as if it is like proposing a formal business plan. He might just even force her to do it. He would never really care to ask, he would just assume.

But will she really pursue the plan?

Ito Yamazaki's plot is for her to agree if Kenji really asks for the marriage. But, what will she do after it all finally comes to fruition? Will she stay with him?

Can she stay with him?

Because it might rather hurt the two of them worse... And she does not really want to act so rashly without confirming her own suspicions. If it really turns out that Kenji Yanagi is not the man she would have to take revenge at, then what will happen to the likely marriage?

Is she going to keep it?

Can she leave him?

Her head begins to hurt and Aoi shakes her head as if saying no.

She does not really want to admit this now... But it is so obvious.

She has begun to feel more.

More for the man.

And this is just so bad.

Because no one truly knows what the truth is really all about yet. Until it finally comes. And someone will have to face punishment. So, now Aoi could simply just keep her troubles to herself, even when it is starting to fill the brim of her patience. She still needs to wait. That is her plan. Ito Yamazaki will have to wait, and that is because he has to.

Kenji... will have to make the move. There is not much time left. B

ut everyone is taking notes of everything they could get. If someone has to win, then that someone better be the good side. Because not all of them are showing their real colors yet.

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