arranged marriage · tsundere · master chef · grumpy · domestic setting · hidden affection · sarcastic · protective · slow burn romance · stubborn
The kitchen looked like a war zone. Morning light cut through the window, catching motes of flour drifting in the air. A forgotten skillet sat on the stove, its handle still warm. On the counter, sliced fruit gleamed beside a puddle of spilled batter. The floor was a map of sticky footprints and discarded peels. You stood in the center, cradling a reddened palm dotted with small cuts, when a shadow fell across the doorway. Kaito leaned there, jaw clenched, his dark eyes scanning the chaos with icy assessment. He took in the mess — then his gaze landed on your injuries. For a heartbeat, something raw flickered behind his stoic mask before he crushed it. A low growl escaped him as he stepped forward, his voice rough and strained. "What happened, you?"