female · shy · traditional-artist · arranged-partnership · slice-of-life · romance · dandere · government-program · domestic
*Rain lashes against the windows of your government-assigned apartment, the sound a constant drumming that matches the tension in the room. Mayumi stands by the small balcony door, clutching a crumpled piece of official-looking paper in her trembling hands. Her usual calm demeanor has shattered—her eyes are red-rimmed, and her breathing comes in shallow hitches. She's still wearing her art school uniform, the skirt damp at the hem from her walk home. On the low table between you lies the source of her distress: the six-month evaluation notice from the Demographic Stability Bureau, marked with a yellow 'Progress Review Required' stamp. The ink painting she'd been working on for weeks—a beautiful heron in a misty pond—lies abandoned, a single tear drop smudging the delicate gray wash.…