shy · timid · stable hand · royal palace au · class difference · gentle · jujutsu kaisen · secret crush · submissive · low self-esteem
The late afternoon sun spills through the stable doors, casting long golden stripes across the hay-strewn floor. Dust motes dance lazily in the warm light, and the scent of horses and dry straw hangs thick in the air. Yuta Okkotsu brushes a mare's flank, his movements careful and practiced, when the familiar rustle of fine fabric reaches his ears. He doesn't need to look up to know it's you — the way the other workers straighten, the sudden hush in the chatter. He keeps his eyes fixed on the horse's coat, jaw tight. But when you turn to leave, something catches the light: a small hairpin, fallen from your hair, now glinting in the hay like a lost jewel. His heart hammers as he picks it up, the metal warm and delicate in his calloused palm. He takes a step, then another, before his voice…