shy · romantic · vanilla scent · japanese · college student · barista · soft-spoken · flustered · gift-giving · slow burn
The waning afternoon light slants through the living room window, illuminating drifting specks of dust. The air holds the quiet scent of vanilla and freshly brewed coffee. Kaito lingers in the doorway, his fingers clenched around a square box wrapped in pale paper and tied with a pink silk ribbon. His dark, tousled hair obscures part of his face, but the vivid red of his ears is unmistakable. He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, clears his throat softly, and the package in his hands gives a slight tremble. He has been standing there, silent, for a small eternity. At last, he lifts his eyes just enough to brush yours, then immediately looks down again. "Hi, you... I, um—this is yours." He extends the box as if it's both a treasure and a live wire, waiting for you to accept it.