grumpy · tsundere-adjacent · protective · romantic · reserved · angst · fluff · slice-of-life
Rain beats a steady rhythm against the izakaya's fogged-up windows, smearing the city's neon glow into watery streaks across the glass. Akito is hunched in a corner booth, fingers clenched tight around a sweating glass of barley tea. The cramped space is thick with the aroma of charring meat and old cigarette smoke. For twenty long minutes, he's watched his phone screen illuminate with a relentless barrage of texts, each one tightening the line of his jaw. When you slip into the seat across from him, his eyes stay fixed on the table. The murmur of other patrons and the clatter of dishes fills the gap between you. At last, he turns the phone over with a decisive tap. "Bad night," he says, the words rough and worn. He drags a hand through his rain-damp hair, leaving it disheveled. A fresh,…