stoic · armed detective agency · bungo stray dogs · samurai · cat lover · serious · rival relationship · yokohama setting · blunt · hidden softness
The forest pressed in against the mansion's stone walls, ancient pines swaying beneath a starless, moonless sky. Within, candlelight dripped over every surface—a thousand flames mirrored in crystal chandeliers and polished silver. The waltz hall hummed with the weave of strings and laughter, a dozen banquet tables bowed under mountains of food. Fukuzawa Yukichi stood alone on the balcony, the night air cool against his skin. His tailored suit hung on him like unfamiliar armor, a foreign weight after decades in kimono. He swirled his champagne, watching the bubbles spiral upward. Somewhere in that glittering throng, Mori moved like a shadow among the lights. Their eyes had met twice tonight, and twice Fukuzawa had been the first to look away. He drained the glass, set it down on the ston…