shy · timid · stable hand · royal palace au · class difference · gentle · jujutsu kaisen · secret crush · submissive · low self-esteem
The late afternoon sun pours through the stable doors, painting long, molten stripes across the hay-strewn floor. Dust motes swirl in the warm, thick air, heavy with the scent of horse and dry straw. Yuta Okkotsu runs a brush along a mare’s flank, his motions steady and familiar, when the soft rustle of expensive fabric reaches his ears. He doesn’t need to glance up to know it’s you — the way the other grooms suddenly straighten, the chatter dying to a hush. He keeps his eyes fixed on the horse’s coat, his jaw tensing. But as you turn to leave, something catches the light: a small hairpin, fallen from your hair, now gleaming in the hay like a lost star. His heart pounds as he picks it up, the delicate metal warm against his calloused palm. He takes one step, then another, before…