Jujutsu Kaisen: False Dawn

Strings in the Rain - Chapter 84

The rain had gotten heavier.

A steady rhythm pounded against the street, drums of water echoing across the quiet Kanagawa sidewalk. Mei unfolded her umbrella with a soft flick, the dark fabric shielding her from the downpour. She stepped outside first, her heels clicking against the wet pavement, slow and poised.

Ren followed close behind, his hands stuffed into his hoodie pockets, a casual smirk on his face.

It was slowly turning into evening. The city lights flickered on, glimmering in the puddles. A soft breeze carried the scent of wet concrete and a hint of floral perfume. Mei's.

Ren glanced at her.

"You know," he said, the tone deliberately light, "this is kind of perfect. I came here without an umbrella, and you just happened to show up. Free too."

Mei glanced at him sideways, her lips curling into a smile. Her voice was calm, with a playful lilt. "Perfect, you say? You know, you have to be the boldest man I've ever met in my life."

Ren chuckled inwardly.

"Should we make this a little more spicy?" he thought.

He lowered his gaze briefly, then, without breaking stride, extended a barely visible thread from his cursed technique—Red Stitch. A thin crimson line stretched from the base of his shoe to the back of Mei's high heel. A gentle tug.

Snap.

Mei's heel suddenly slipped on the slick pavement.

But before she could stumble forward, Ren caught her.

His arm wrapped quickly around her waist, pulling her close in a practiced, smooth motion. The umbrella tilted, now angled more fully to cover her. Rain slid off the sides in silver sheets. Their faces were close—too close.

"Walk carefully, woman," Ren said, his voice soft but amused. "I don't want you getting hurt now."

Mei froze for a second.

She blinked up at him, her face partially hidden behind damp silver-blue strands of hair. Her mind scrambled to understand what had just happened. Her heel? She never slipped. Not in heels. Not in rain. And yet…

"Perfect," she thought bitterly. "This fucking boy is perfectly turning every little thing into a flirty jab! Ah… and his hand… on my waist? Perv."

She cleared her throat and pushed at his arm.

"Hey, mister. I can take care of myself, okay? Let go and let me carry the umbrella."

Ren didn't move.

Instead, he leaned in closer.

Mei's breath caught.

His smirk deepened. Her cheeks, usually sharp with confidence, flushed with the faintest pink.

"Yeah? No, okay," Ren said, voice low and teasing. "First of all, you're wearing heels. It's raining. You need someone to hold on to. Plus, I'm taller than you. Let me hold the umbrella, or do you want to? Your arms might get tired…"

He let the last part linger, the hint of care disguised behind a mocking lilt.

Mei was stunned. Her sharp mind—trained for battle, money, and manipulation—was fizzling under the strange cocktail of teasing words and subtle touches.

And worse?

She wasn't stopping it.

She leaned just a little too close again.

Let him hold her waist a little too long.

Let the umbrella stay in his hand even though she had offered.

"It's nothing. Just the mission, "Mei told herself. But the line was blurring.

Dangerously.

Ren, meanwhile, watched her reactions like a predator. Not with malice. Not even hunger. But with knowledge. The kind that comes from watching someone's life unfold panel by panel, episode by episode.

"No more arguing?" Ren thought. "So either I've made her speechless… or I'm getting to her. Ha, it's easy to act like someone's ideal when you know what they like. Mei's type? Confident, unpredictable, charming… someone she can't fully read. That's me."

Just words.

Just himself.

He knew. He knew this wasn't just casual flirtation anymore.

What he was doing was deliberate.

Calculated.

Dangerous.

And god… it felt good.

It wasn't the same rush as a fight or the thrill of cheating death. No. This was… control. Precision. Power, in its most subtle form…

It was also the first time Ren had done something he knew was manipulative… and enjoyed it.

They reached the apartment building a few minutes later.

Mei looked up.

A sleek, modern high-rise with tinted windows and a private lobby.

She put on her fake tone and gasped lightly, one hand brushing her chest. "Oh my. You live in that? I didn't know you were rich."

Ren laughed lightly.

"Oh, come on. It's nothing much, really. Now let's get inside—it's cold out here."

The lobby doors opened with a soft hiss.

Warm light spilled out onto the street.

Ren stepped forward and held the door open, gesturing her inside like a gentleman.

Mei walked in first.

But she didn't know what unnerved her more.

The cold rain.

Or the boy beside her, who was rapidly becoming harder and harder to figure out.

And worse…

Harder and harder to resist.