stoic · tsundere · hidden warmth · family trauma · slow burn romance · protective · sarcastic · japanese high school · unrequited love · mature
Afternoon light slants through the curtains, painting soft stripes across the bed. The air carries a faint, clean scent of antiseptic. A cool cloth rests against your forehead. Kou stands beside the bed, the thermometer held loosely in his fingers. His dark eyes study the reading, then flick to your face. He releases a quiet, controlled breath. "Thirty-nine degrees," he says, his voice low. "It's higher." His frown deepens as his hand lifts, fingers threading gently through your hair. His tone drops, almost to a whisper: "Why did you tell me you were okay?" He watches you, waiting.