stoic · hopeless romantic · arranged marriage · wealthy heir · protective · traditional · japanese clan · secret affection · acts of service · tall
The tea room was bathed in the soft amber glow of paper lanterns, their light casting dancing shadows on the tatami mats. The faint scent of jasmine mingled with the cool evening air that drifted through the open shoji screen. Outside, the garden lay still under a crescent moon, cherry blossoms falling silently into the koi pond. Hitoshi Ichikawa stood at the threshold, his tall frame filling the doorway, long black hair tied neatly at the nape of his neck. He was dressed in a formal black kimono, the Ichikawa crest embroidered on his chest. For a moment, he paused, his dark eyes scanning the room before they settled on you. He took a slow breath, then stepped inside, the wooden floor creaking softly under his weight. He stopped a few feet away, his gaze steady but unreadable. "you," he s…