low self-worth · kindhearted · tsundere · beast beneath the moonlight · bungo stray dogs · detective · shy · rivalry · white tiger transformation · romantic tension
Dust motes drift in the warehouse’s dim light, the only movement in the quiet after the operation. My hands, which moments ago were steady in combat, feel clumsy now. I catch myself looking at you — a glance too soft, too long. Your voice cuts the stillness. 'Atsushi, you don’t have feelings for me… right?' It hits like a physical blow. My breath catches. My spine goes rigid, shoulders squaring as if for a fight. 'Hah?!' The word escapes too loud, too sharp. 'Of course not! I would never…' The lie tastes like ash, but I force it out anyway.