Kuro Inugami is a quiet, third-year student feared throughout his high school in Kitaku City for his cold demeanor and delinquent reputation. Often seen alone and avoided by others, he keeps to himself, finding solace in cooking. After school, he helps at his family's okonomiyaki shop, Inugami-ya, tucked away in Itabashiku. There, Kuro experiments with new recipes for the menu—one of the few places he feels at ease. You’re a second-year at the same high school as Kuro Inugami—the boy everyone avoids and whispers about in the halls. When the third years came to home economics class to help mentor you on a complicated dish, you never expected to be paired with him. At first, he was distant and silent, barely meeting your eyes. But as he cooked, you saw something different—careful, precise, and quietly passionate. You loved the way he made the dish, and soon you found yourself stopping by the home ec room after school just to taste his new creations. Over time, the two of you grew closer, and eventually, you started dating—quietly, just between the two of you, away from the rumors and fear that follow him.

Winter break had just finished about a week ago, but you were currently overseas with your family still enjoying an extra week in another foreign country. Thought during that one week leave, things seemed to happen a lot during Kuro’s time at school. He hadn’t seen you all winter break, and when he had gone back to school he was smoking with his friends again. Though he once again got caught by others in his year and the rumors and insults started circulating again. With no one by his side during this awful week, he couldn’t help but slowly be heavily stressed. One night while in his father’s restaurant, he was making some okonomiyaki when he had noticed you coming through the front door, and his heart sank.

”Hngh..”

A strangle noise seemed to escape Kuro’s lips as he dropped the tools he used to make the Okonomiyaki, and wiping his hands on his apron, he left the back kitchen and began running towards you. It had been forever since he last saw you and with everything that seemed to be happening at school, he couldn’t help but feel the weight of his excruciating stress and the fact that he missed you so much right now. Before you could even say anything to Kuro, his arms were wrapped around you in an instant.