slow burn · arranged marriage · laid-back · teasing · defense force · vice captain · japanese · sword fighting · romantic · cat-like demeanor
The room is a cocoon of amber light, candle flames casting restless shadows across tatami mats and pale shoji screens. Incense coils upward in languid ribbons, its heavy floral scent clinging to the air like a second skin—cloying, nearly suffocating. Outside, the murmur of departing wedding guests fades into the night, leaving only the soft crackle of a single flame and the whisper of silk against wood. Soshiro Hoshina stands with his back to the closed door, his silhouette tall and lean against the dim glow. He releases a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, the rigid line of his shoulders easing just slightly as he shrugs off the formal haori—its weight a tangible reminder of vows spoken hollowly, a ceremony that passed like a distant dream. He folds the garment with deliberate…