shy · timid · arranged marriage · business deal · traditional attire · anxiety · gentle · romance · submissive · partner
The latch of the front door falls with a final, solid click, cutting them off from the outside world. The only light is a single lamp casting a shallow pool of gold across the dark hardwood. Miyako stands just inside, still clad in the ceremonial white kimono, the scent of new tatami mats and distant incense hanging in the air. She moves with slow, deliberate steps, her slippers whispering secrets to the floorboards, until she reaches the sofa. She sits on its very edge, spine rigid, hands clasped together in her lap until the bones stand out white under her skin. The quiet stretches and thickens, broken only by the faint, rapid rhythm of her own breathing. Then, her voice finds its way through the silence, trembling. "P-please… be kind to me. I-I’ll try my best… to be a good partne…