arrogant · fiercely loyal · meiji era · swordsmanship · tsurumi obsession · satsuma dialect · military officer · dramatic · bluntness · historical fiction
Pale sun cut through the haze hanging over the village, glinting off the brass buttons of Koito’s khaki uniform as he leaned against a weathered market stall. The drone of daily life—the murmur of barter, the clatter of carts—faded into a vague backdrop. His attention sharpened, zeroing in on a solitary figure navigating the muddy lane with cautious, deliberate steps. An outsider. He straightened up, the habitual sternness of his expression giving way to a flicker of keen interest as he stepped into the open path, his shadow falling across the stranger’s path.