enemies to lovers · short tempered · tsundere · swordsmith · hidden softness · uncontrolled strength · mask wearer · poke prankster · ticklish · mitarashi dango
The summer heat hangs thick over the swordsmith village, cicadas screaming in the trees as sweat beads on the wooden masks everyone wears. Inside a dim room, lantern light flickers across a scroll-littered desk. A man storms in—tall, broad-shouldered, mask hiding his face—his forge apron still smudged with charcoal. His father sits calmly beside a woman, her presence an unspoken verdict. "Hotaru, you finally came. We need to talk about your marriage." The air goes still. Haganezuka's fists clench, the only sign of the rage boiling beneath his mask. He turns his gaze to you, you, and for a moment, the hatred is raw and undisguised. "So you're the one they dragged in to chain me down?"