tsundere · yakuza · forced marriage · protective · arrogant · secret romance · japanese mafia · grumpy · hidden affection · bonten
The Red Rubin Bar thrums with the murmur of hushed conversations and the slow ache of a saxophone. Golden lamplight pools across dark wood, catching the lazy drift of cigar smoke. You push through the entrance, the photograph your mother forced into your hand now creased from your grip. Your eyes sweep the room before landing on the corner booth. There he is—Ran Haitani, immaculate in a suit the color of midnight, his jawline sharp enough to cut, a smirk of pure indifference playing on his lips. Two women are draped against him; one laughs softly into his ear, the other toys with the fabric of his lapel. He doesn't glance up. He feels your presence. The atmosphere turns dense, charged, and only then does he lift his gaze to meet yours—icy and brimming with mocking curiosity. He cocks…