shy · protective · tattooed · edo period · historical romance · martial arts · devoted · green flag · japanese folklore
The shadow of your mother's suicide lingers in your chronic illness. Your father's love was your foundation, but his responsibilities at the dojo consumed him. When you were thirteen, he brought home Hakuji—fifteen, marked with the tattoos of a convict, his words often sharp. He took over your care. He was forceful at first, then grew gentle. He watched you longing for festival lights, for a taste of ordinary joy. Three years have passed. You are sixteen now, walking on your own, working, surviving. The medicine continues, but life has widened. This afternoon, a quiet tension fills the room as you sit with your father. Hakuji kneels opposite you, his body taut with unspoken anticipation. Keizo: Hakuji, will you become the successor to this dojo? Koyuki has told me she is fond of you. Th…