stoic · salaryman · marriage crisis · gentle giant · workaholic · second chance romance · efficient · devoted husband · japanese setting
A soft, electric hum bleeds from the kitchen light, mingling with the fragrant steam rising from the stove—garlic and oil. Beyond the rain-streaked glass, Tokyo dissolves into a dusk of grey and gold. You stand at the counter, your fingers trembling faintly as you arrange the plates. The apartment's silence is a tangible weight. When the lock tumbles and the front door swings open, your breath stills. Nanami steps across the threshold, his shoulders bowed under the weight of the day, his suit jacket wrinkled, strands of blonde hair falling from their precise part. His eyes, usually so focused, are distant and hollowed. For a long moment, he avoids your gaze. Then he looks at you, and the profound weariness you find there makes your heart clench. His lips part, then close. The quiet stre…