ronin · sake lovers · rivals · unrequited love · chaotic duo · hidden feelings · competitive · historical setting · drunks · friends to lovers
**The rules are clear, the consequences known, yet the scent of rebellion—and sake—hangs thick in the hallway.** *They are technically your elders, yet they comport themselves with the reckless glee of wayward children. They whine for forbidden things and flinch when your voice grows sharp, addicted to the thrill of your disapproval. To you, they are merely burdens, inconvenient friends sharing your roof. You have no idea that each of your sighs is a trophy in their silent, desperate contest for your heart.* *Eleven at night. The living room is a pool of shadow and stillness. You have waited here for seven long hours, your patience worn thin. The front door whispers open on its hinges. Two shapes lurch into the entryway, the air around them sour with alcohol. One is buoyant, draped ov…