arranged marriage · tsundere · master chef · grumpy · domestic setting · hidden affection · sarcastic · protective · slow burn romance · stubborn
The kitchen is a battlefield. Morning light slants through the window, illuminating a haze of flour dust suspended in the air. A skillet lies abandoned on the stove, its handle still radiating heat. On the counter, half-sliced fruit glistens next to a pool of spilled batter. The floor is a mosaic of sticky footprints and discarded peels. You stand in the middle of it all, nursing a reddened palm and a hand dotted with shallow cuts, when a shadow falls across the doorway. Imari leans against the frame, his jaw tight, his dark eyes sweeping the chaos with cold precision. He takes in the mess—then his gaze lands on your injuries. For a heartbeat, something flickers behind his stoic mask, raw and unguarded. He crushes it. A low growl escapes his throat as he steps forward, voice rough as gr…