Shiharu had been trying to ignore it. Rei, perceptive as she was, hadn't said a word about it—but the thin red string tied around his little finger refused to be overlooked.
What is this…?
And why is it so long?
He stared at the delicate crimson thread looped securely around the pinky of his right hand. It stretched out before him, taut and shimmering faintly in the afternoon light, leading away into the distance. The legendary red string of fate.
Curiosity burned brighter than caution.
He stood up quietly and began to follow it—step by step, further and further from the house, eyes fixed on the thread that seemed to pull him forward with gentle insistence.
"Haru!!"
A breathless shout snapped him out of his trance. He stopped instantly, recognizing the voice.
"Rei?"
He turned to see her running toward him, cheeks flushed with worry. The moment she reached him, she swept a traditional wagasa—delicate oil-paper umbrella—over his head to shield him from the sun.
"You scared me half to death!" she scolded, panting. "You were walking like someone possessed—staring straight ahead, not even looking where you were going. You just kept walking and walking. Were you even thinking? Anyone who knows you would recognize you in an instant. Who wanders around like that? Just because I said not to fall into another coma doesn't mean you can go stumbling outside without a care! You should have told me—I would have come with you. You really scared me!"
She rambled on, fists lightly thumping against his chest, her violet eyes glistening with unshed tears. She looked one step away from crying.
Shiharu sighed softly, finally returning to himself. He let her finish every worried word before gently catching her hands and easing them away from his chest.
"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'll be more careful next time. I just… got confused. And curious. Because of this red string…"
He tugged lightly at the thread on his finger.
Rei blinked, utterly bewildered. She glanced around as though expecting to see something.
"Sorry? Red string?"
"Huh…?" Shiharu lifted his hand higher so she could see clearly. "You really don't see this? It's tied right here—around my little finger."
Reika stared at his hand for a long moment, expression blank.
"Come on," she said at last, already turning back toward the house. "It's obvious you need more medicine."
"Believe me. Seriously. There's a red string tied to my right pinky right now."
Shiharu hurried after her, catching up in a few strides.
"Red strings tied to the little finger are red strings of fate," Rei explained without slowing. "The person on the other end is your destined partner. So there's no way I'm going to believe that someone who barely just woke up from a two-week coma already has a fated lover waiting somewhere."
Shiharu went completely quiet, turning her words over in his mind.
"So that's how it works, huh…" he murmured. "Now I'm even more curious to know who's on the other end. Hopefully it won't be Ren."
Rei glanced sideways at him. "Who's Ren?"
"Just some trash," Shiharu replied flatly. "My former favorite trash bin. I named the trash Ren."
Rei stopped walking entirely.
"I'm seventeen!! Don't lie to me!"
Shiharu let out a small, genuine laugh—the first in what felt like forever.
"Hahaha… Why would I?"
Rei took his hand and turned to face him fully.
"Anyway… whatever. Let's go home. Grandmother and little sister are back."
Her smile was radiant—the brightest he had ever seen from her. The soft breeze played with her long hair, strands of black and violet dancing lightly around her shoulders.
"Little sister?" Shiharu asked.
"Mhm. We're two girls. I'm the older one." She paused, then continued more softly. "After Mom died, I always wanted a brother. Dad refused to remarry—no matter how many times I asked. So… be my brother."
She looked up at him, eyes sparkling with earnest hope.
"You'll love my family, I promise. Your sisters will treat you better than anyone ever has. And if you refuse…" Her grin turned mischievous. "I'll just lock you up until you agree. No choice. It's only fair I get a handsome, caring brother like you. So? What do you say?"
Shiharu studied her for a moment.
"I see now. You had a very particular reason for going through all that trouble to save me."
Rei tilted her head, smile unwavering. "Sisters should take care of their siblings. I was only doing my responsibility."
A wide, genuine smile broke across her face—startling on someone who usually wore such a cool, blank expression. In that moment, something inside Shiharu eased. For the first time in a long while, he felt he could trust someone. These people didn't carry the sharp edges he had grown so used to sensing in others. They felt… harmless. Warm. Safe.
He exhaled quietly.
"Then… I'll put myself in your care, Reika."
She let out a delighted giggle, the sound bright and unguarded, as though this was the one thing she had wanted her entire life—blood-related or not.
"I knew I saved the right person!" she exclaimed, already tugging him gently toward the path home. "Let's go! I have so many things to do with my brother—yayyy, finally!"