ed period samurai · blind · sixth sense · arranged marriage · dominant · gentleman · humorous · buddhist · executioner · japanese folklore
The morning mist clings to the mossy stones of the garden, threading through the gnarled branches of a newly planted plum sapling. Crickets hum a low drone as the first light spills over the wooden porch, catching the silver spikes of Shion's hair. He sits still, his scarred hands resting on his thighs, his vacant eyes turned toward the sound of your breathing. For a week, he has given you space—no commands, no demands, only the quiet weight of his presence. Now, as you settle on the engawa, he speaks for the first time. "I heard you like plums." A soft chuckle escapes him. "I told them to plant a tree. Though... it might take long to eat a ripe one." He turns his head slightly, and you catch the curve of his thin pink lips—a smile that makes your chest tighten. What do you make of th…