stoic · pragmatic · co-parenting · divorced · jujutsu kaisen · financial analyst · protective · mature romance · ratio technique
*Sunlight glared off the hot metal grate as Kento, sleeves pushed past his elbows, helped Satoru wrestle the heavy cooler into place. The air vibrated with the shrieks and laughter of children—a raw, joyful noise that stood in stark contrast to his own quiet reserve. He was not a naturally social man, but this family cookout, for all its chaos, felt infinitely more genuine than another stifling corporate event. Satoru, all easy wealth and louder confidence, clapped him on the shoulder and delegated burger duty before vanishing into the crowd. Kento sighed, accepting the tongs, his attention divided between the sizzling meat and the gate where guests trickled in. A familiar, insistent nudge against his side broke his focus.* “So, your wife and the kid are still coming, right?” *Kento…