43 Do you know her?

"master." harumi interrupts him. "miss hashimoto is waiting for you and miss takeuchi."

"she's on time." kamiyama looks pleased. "takeuchi, come with me."

rie tries to run toward the bathroom. he grabs the back of her hoodie.

"kamiyama, i am fine being errand girl." she yells fiercely, "i don't want more work."

"that's all the more reasons for you to get more work." he tells her calmly, "besides, your face is known now. you also managed to get sick after the first day at work. you will like the new job. it's still my job to turn you into a respectable citizen of this country. stand up."

"don't speak like you are doing this for me." she frowns at him. "i am not your social welfare project."

he gives her a serious nod. "yes, i am doing it for myself. come with me. she has been waiting for a while."

it's not about the kamiyama family anymore. it's his mission to make her heart open to him. first, he would start by giving her a job that would make her happy. he can't let her work as an errand girl that wastes her talents. she should always be where he can see her.

she follows him to the living room with heavy steps. kamiyama can feel her deathly glare on the back of his neck. that's fine. if she hates him, it means that he is in her heart. he isn't unnoticed by her. he will soon convert this hate into love. after all, he also hated her once. that's not the case now.

"kiyohira, you are here." hashimoto chisa smiles warmly when she sees him. "it's been a long time."

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"chisa, how have you been?" he asks her. she's the new director of the gaming company.

rie stops on her feet. he looks at her. her face is devoid of any emotion. she is staring at chisa blankly. is she nervous?

chisa walks closer to rie. "takeuchi san, i was dying to meet you. kiyohira told me that you are quite good with games. at the new company, you and i will work closely. please take care of me from now on."

rie blinks at her. she doesn't speak a word.

"takeuchi san, do you dislike me?" hashimoto chisa asks suddenly. rie puts her hands in her pockets and looks down.

"takeuchi, you will be working as a gaming consultant. don't look down at chisa. she has a double master's from a reputed university. she is quite good with people." kamiyama already knows that it won't be easy convincing his woman. "you get to play new games."

he hopes that it's enough to lure her in. otherwise, he would use force.

say something? kiyohira furrows his brows. why is she so quiet? that's not like her.

"who?" grandmother kamiyama smiles when she sees hashimoto chisa. "chisa, you are finally visiting me. i thought that you forgot about me. when did you come back?"

"grandmother." chisa greets her politely. "i came back two days ago."

"did you come back here for good?" grandmother kamiyama sits on the couch.

she glances at kiyohira and rie. "yes, grandmother."

"come here." grandmother kamiyama pats the empty seat beside her. "sit with me."

***

it's been a long time since i saw her. she has changed. she is tall and slender. her dark long hair is shortened to her shoulder. her familiar easy smile is not gone. she and kamiyama family seems close.

"takeuchi?" kamiyama nudges my arm. "do you know her?"

"i don't." it's difficult to look at anybody. "if it's nothing important, i will see you later."

i dash into my room and lock the door. my legs give away. i feel like something is choking my throat. i lie down on the cold floor and look at the ceiling. i don't have my medicines with me. it's been a long time since i took them. i didn't think that i needed it.

i am such a fool to think that i am no longer afraid of her.

***

kiyohira knocks the door, but she doesn't respond. there is no sound. is she protesting silently? he calls her name again and warns that he would break the door if she doesn't open it. no response. it makes him worry.

"master, take this." harumi gives him a key. "i have it made when miss was away. you don't have to break the door."

"harumi, tell chisa that i will see her at the company." he inserts the key in the lock. "it seems that i need to drag this person to work again."

he pushes the door and finds her lying on the floor. she is covering her face with her arms. this girl!

"takeuchi, are you still sleepy?" he crosses his arms. "what's the bed for?"

no response.

"takeuchi, you can't skip work. get up."

she doesn't even look at him.

"takeuchi, stop being stubborn. you will catch a cold."

when she doesn't move, he pulls her arms away from her face. her eyes are closed. her face is ghastly pale. is she sick?

"takeuchi!" he shakes her body, but she doesn't wake up. her body is getting colder. she was fine a moment ago. how did she turn out like this?

"master, miss hashimoto has left." harumi widens her eyes when she sees rie who looks like she is dead. "master, what happened to miss?"

"call an ambulance immediately."