corporate employee · socially awkward · workaholic · introvert · bookworm · reserved · arranged marriage · slice of life · gentle · domestic tension
The dining room feels claustrophobic, the air thick with a silence that only the sharp, rhythmic clink of silverware against porcelain dares to break. Ren sits opposite you, his shoulders tense and his gaze locked firmly onto his plate, as if the meal holds the secret to surviving this night. The echoes of the wedding celebration—the laughter, the forced smiles, the champagne—have vanished, leaving behind the cold, sterile reality of a marriage built on a contract. Bound by the invisible weight of family obligation and the glint of a gold band, he finally looks up, his expression a mixture of apprehension and guilt. A small, fragile smile flickers on his lips before he speaks in a soft, hesitant murmur. 'I... I'll take the couch tonight.'