The morning light began to filter through the half-open curtains, drawing golden lines that fell at an angle across the wooden floor of the apartment.
The atmosphere was calm and strangely warm, almost ethereal, though a faint scent still lingered in the air, mixing the freshness of shower gel with a warm, unmistakable trace of skin and desire.
Bzzz… bzzz… bzzz… bzzz…
The phone on the coffee table vibrated insistently, breaking the tranquility with a sharp hum that grew louder in the silence.
Damian barely frowned without opening his eyes, ignoring the sound.
But… finally, with a brief sigh, he let his eyelids lift with a certain laziness.
Beside him, Marin shifted without waking, unconsciously tangling her long legs around his waist in an instinctive gesture, carrying an unconscious possessiveness that deep sleep sometimes brings.
Damian smiled at her warmth and, carefully so as not to disturb her, untangled her delicate legs, settling them back on the bed.
Marin slept on her side, wrapped in absolute peace. Her messy hair spread across the pillow like a shining halo. A soft sleepy blush still lingered on her cheeks, and her barely pursed lips released a slow, steady breath.
She was the pure image of someone still caught in a heavy dream.
Damian watched her for a moment longer before leaning in and brushing his lips against her cheek.
Barefoot, he got up carefully and crossed the room.
The wooden floor was cool under his feet, and with each step, he tried not to break the silence of the apartment.
His tall, powerful figure was outlined against the clear light coming through the window, the light highlighting the firm musculature of his torso and back, where the marks of the previous night remained etched with sharp clarity: red lines descending from his shoulders to his waist, telling without words the frenzy they had lived.
He opened the refrigerator, and a rush of cold air hit his face, clearing his still-drowsy mind a little.
He took out a chilled bottle of mineral water, unscrewed the cap, and drank.
The cold liquid slid down his throat, bringing back some clarity and leaving a refreshing sensation.
As he set the bottle down on the counter, his gaze drifted toward the living room. The phone on the coffee table, which had gone silent a few seconds ago, began to vibrate insistently again.
Bzzz… bzzz… bzzz… bzzz…
Damian walked to the table and picked it up. The lit screen showed the same name again and again: "The Young Lady."
He raised an eyebrow and slid his finger to answer.
"Damian-kun? Damian-kun! You finally answered!" A feminine voice came through, filled with anxiety.
Damian smiled with a hint of amusement as he dropped onto the sofa.
"Ojou-sama, what's going on?"
On the other end came a long sigh, and within seconds, the nervous tone shifted to an elegant calm.
"I'm sorry to bother you. Lately, it's been very dangerous outside. I hope you're paying attention to your safety."
"Mm, I know," Damian replied as he leaned comfortably against the back of the sofa, crossing one ankle over the other.
There was a brief pause on the phone and, with a tone that tried to sound casual but couldn't quite hide the curiosity, the feminine voice asked:
"Mmm… where is Damian-kun now?"
"In Sapporo."
"Sapporo?"
"Yes, Sapporo in Hokkaidō," he confirmed, pulling the phone away for a moment to check the screen. Endless notifications, dozens of missed calls from different numbers filled the bar.
He brought the receiver back to his ear and, with a teasing hint, commented:
"Miss Kaguya, yesterday you called me almost a hundred times… wasn't it just to ask this?"
On the other side there was silence.
"O-of course not!" she answered, trying to sound firm but not quite managing it, "It's just that… it's been some time since the semester started and… I haven't been able to see you."
At that moment came the sound of bare feet sliding across the wooden floor and the soft bump of a piece of furniture. Damian turned his head.
Marin appeared rubbing her eyes, messy and sleepy, wrapped in a big white T-shirt that barely covered her thighs.
She shuffled over to him, sat on his lap without saying a word, and hugged his torso, pressing her face against his chest and breathing deeply, seeking his warmth to drift back to sleep.
Damian lowered his free hand and wrapped an arm around her waist, smiling at the way she reached for him.
"Ah… the semester started," he commented distractedly, speaking into the phone while gently caressing Marin's back, "Alright, I'll go back to school next week."
"Mm… I really look forward to seeing you again, Damian-kun," the voice on the other side turned a little softer.
"Alright, see you then," he replied without giving it much importance, while Marin, still half-asleep, rubbed her face against his chest with an unconscious little purr.
Damian added, "Marin's awake now."
A sharp sound filtered through the call, the clear clatter of porcelain hitting a hard surface.
Then a startled cry.
"Wait! That blonde—"
Tut
The tone signaling the end of the call echoed in the old Kyoto mansion.
The red-eyed young woman stayed still for a few seconds, staring at the phone screen that had just gone dark.
Her expression slowly twisted until it was filled with anger.
…
In the Sapporo apartment, Marin was completely curled up against Damian, still sleepy. Feeling him move his arm to set the phone back on the table, she lazily cracked one eye open.
"Whooo was that…? So early…" she asked in a hoarse voice.
"Shinomiya Kaguya," Damian answered, not giving it much importance.
Hearing that name, Marin's eyes snapped open wide, sleep vanishing instantly. Her arms wrapped tightly around Damian's neck with unexpected strength.
"That woman!? She still hasn't given up!?" she exclaimed dramatically.
Damian laughed and ruffled her hair, messing it up even more before gently pushing her away and letting her fall onto the sofa.
"Are you jealous?"
"Not at all!" Marin protested right away, puffing out her cheeks and looking away.
She got on her knees on the sofa, trying to regain her composure, and suddenly pointed toward the kitchen.
"I want baozi! And I want them now!"
Damian raised an amused eyebrow, and without answering, turned around and headed to the kitchen.
The sound of the refrigerator opening and closing filled the brief silence he left behind.
Meanwhile, Marin stayed on her knees, staring at the coffee table, where the phone lit up and vibrated again.
"Damn it…" she muttered under her breath, scrunching her nose with annoyance.
She played with a strand of her hair before resting her chin on a cushion, her fingers drumming idly against her own cheek while she thought.
From the kitchen came the rhythmic thump of dough being worked.
Marin craned her neck curiously to peek. Damian was facing away, his broad shoulders moving with each firm knead.
Under the morning light, the red marks her nails had left the night before were clearly visible on his back.
The memory made her blush instantly.
She hid behind the cushion, pressing it to her face to muffle a little squeal and hide the heat rising to her ears.
"With shrimp?" Damian asked suddenly, without turning around.
"Double portion!" she answered quickly from behind the cushion.
A moment later, the sound of the pan began to sizzle.
The warm, familiar smell of dough cooking filled the air, and Marin's resistance crumbled.
She set the cushion aside and slid toward the kitchen.
Without warning, she wrapped her arms around Damian's waist from behind and rested her face against his warm back.
He chuckled. "Not mad anymore?" he asked, amused.
"I was never mad…" she murmured, rubbing her face against his back, then suddenly gave him a playful bite. Then, softly, she confessed, "…Liar."
Damian turned off the stove and turned toward her. With flour still on his fingers, he gently held her chin to make her look up.
"Are you a puppy?"
"Woof!" Marin bared her teeth fiercely, but the fake anger broke instantly when her eyes landed on the plump, steaming baozi inside the steamer.
"Wow!" she exclaimed happily, reaching out to grab one.
But Damian reacted quickly and slapped her hand away.
"They're hot."
Marin puffed her cheeks again.
…
At the table, Marin chewed with her cheeks puffed out, still busy with the last baozi, and suddenly, between bites, she spoke without thinking too much. "Are you going back to school next week?"
Damian looked up from the phone and nodded calmly as he slid her a glass of fresh soy milk.
"Yes. The concerts are over; it's time to go back and cancel the leave."
Marin drank half the glass in one go, leaving a small trace of white foam on her lips, and narrowed her eyes.
"She's going to be there too, right?"
Damian didn't look away. "She'll definitely be there."
Marin puffed out her cheeks and, without warning, leaned forward, pushing off the table with her hands and, in one quick jump, launched herself at him.
Her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms clung tightly around his neck.
"I'm going with you!" she declared with determination. "I want the whole school to know…!"
She stopped mid-shout, leaning in even closer until they were nose to nose, and roared playfully:
"That you're mine!"
Damian held her easily, adjusting her more comfortably on his lap.
"Don't they already know?" he said, one eyebrow raised with amusement. "You confessed to me in front of the whole school."
But instead of feeling embarrassed, Marin lifted her chin proudly.
"Ha! It's just that those other girls only dare to stare from afar and do nothing. See? Now you're mine, aren't you?" she finished, wiggling playfully on his lap to drive her point home.
Damian gently pinched her cheeks.
"Yes, I'm yours."
Marin leaned back a little and began counting on her fingers. "That woman… the blonde tsundere… the mysterious girl who appears and disappears… and the one who's always bringing you books…"
Her frown deepened more and more as she went down the list. Finally, she ran both hands through her hair in frustration. "I have too many rivals!"
Damian waited… and just as he suspected, Marin raised her fists high in the air and shouted with all her energy.
"Come on! Watch me, Marin Kitagawa, defeat them all!"
Her body swayed slightly with so much enthusiasm, and Damian quickly caught her to keep her from falling. Without missing the chance, he grabbed the last half of a baozi and popped it into her mouth before she could protest.
"First defeat your breakfast."
Marin shot him a glare, cheeks puffed out as she chewed furiously… until the juicy flavor burst in her mouth and her eyes closed in pleasure.
"Mmm… so good~" she murmured, surrendering, forgetting her earlier outburst.
Damian looked at her with an ever-deepening smile.
One second she was declaring war with all the passion in the world, and the next she surrendered without resistance to food — my little sun, unpredictable and radiant.
That's how he liked to see her: lighting up the morning with her energy without even realizing it.
Damian wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her a little closer, leaning in to place a quiet kiss on her head.
"Mm?"
Marin, too busy enjoying the baozi, only made a confused little sound and snuggled a bit closer against his chest.
________
Time: If you're craving more (and I know you are!), I have just what you need. On my Patreon, you'll find exclusive chapters. Join our community and be the first to discover what happens next!
👉 [patreon.com/Athome790]
Your support fuels me. Thank you for the support! 💖