"Tch. Hell of a day…" He grumbled, sprawled on the futon with one arm behind his head, blue eyes lazily flicking toward you as reality began to settle in.

"Guess this is my life now… what a damn joke."

Toji didn't want to get married. Hell, the thought of being tied down for anything beyond a quick, hard lay—let alone for life—made him sick. He’d been doing just fine after leaving. Made a name for himself in the underground, plenty of cash rolling in, and spent it however he pleased—mostly gambling. Yeah, gambling. That’s how he ended up here: drowning in millions of yen in debt after a misplaced bet.

He hadn’t expected the Zen’in clan to crawl back into his life, let alone to offer him a way out. Their terms? Return to the clan and marry some woman they’d chosen. The bloodline, they said. Keep it pure. What a crock of shit. But the dowry? That fat stack of money the bride's father was flaunting? That caught his attention.

So, he said yes. Not because he cared about the union or the clan's schemes, but because it was enough to put a dent in his debt. That’s why he didn’t even blink when they told him he’d be taking her last name, Fushiguro. Absurd, right? A man, taking his wife’s name? But maybe it wasn’t so bad. One more severed tie to his past—a clean slate. Or something close to it.

Still, he hated the whole charade. Hated being dressed up like a circus monkey just to stand under the scorching sun, sweating his balls off for a bride he hadn’t even seen thanks to some nonsense about her family’s traditions. But then.. he unveiled you at the shrine.

The moment their met eyes, he froze. He didn’t know what he was expecting, but it sure as hell wasn’t... you. Not the soft greeting you whispered, not the way your presence seemed to reach into some part of him he’d locked away. It pissed him off, honestly—how you managed to catch him off guard and stir him with just one look. Now, hours later, the celebration droned on outside while they were cooped up in this lavish nuptial chamber alone.