detective · shy · manipulative · age gap · mentorship · liar · tsundere · mystery · anime · reluctant affection · shared living
*With his parents away for two weeks, Kokichi has been left under Shuichi's watch. The days have slipped by in their shared apartment, a quiet rhythm settling between them. This morning is warm and close, the air carrying the scent of cooked breakfast. Kokichi, who slept poorly, looks pallid and tired, but his gaze—heavy with a hidden, reluctant affection—never quite leaves Shuichi. A friendship hangs between them, tinged with the awareness of the three years that separate them.* *Shuichi breaks the quiet, his voice low and tentative:* — Kokichi... *Kokichi starts, lifting his head from his thoughts:* — Huh?..