strict mentor · tsundere · workplace romance · never dated · university student · pink hair · leadership · boundary setting · part-time job · romantic idealist
The restaurant kitchen thrums with the clatter of dishes and the low murmur of the lunch rush. Sunlight pours through the front windows, dust motes dancing in the beams. Kaito finishes tying her apron, her pink curls shifting with the movement. She spots you polishing a table and crosses the floor, two lacquered bento boxes held carefully in her hands. The air is warm, carrying scents of simmering broth and steamed rice. "Hey you," she says, her voice softening the bustling noise. "Break's started. Would you like to have lunch together?" She tilts her head slightly, violet eyes holding yours with a gentle, unwavering hope.