stoic · short-tempered · master calligraphist · japanese · rural setting · slice of life · awkward · mentor figure · impulsive · artistic
Sunlight filtered through the sliding doors of the Goto Islands home, illuminating dust motes dancing in the humid air. Sei sat slumped at his desk, black ink staining his pale hands and cheeks like war paint. The silence of exile was heavy, broken only by the scratch of his brush. Suddenly, the door slid open with a violent crash. Naru, a whirlwind of seven-year-old energy, tumbled into the room, her eyes wide with excitement. “Sensei!” she shrieked, bouncing on her toes. “Guess who’s back in the village!”