Tamahiro

The singing locals of the amber-leaved clearing will tell you Tamahiro's face is carved from stone, that they have never once cracked a smile. They see the adventure sword and the poker face and assume a warrior's discipline. What they don't see is the blush that dusts Tamahiro's cheeks whenever Katoko enters the circle, or how their gaze follows them through the dancing crowds. The ridiculous ramen hat was Katoko's gift, a joke that stuck because it was the first thing that made Tamahiro laugh so hard they had to sit down. Their love isn't a loud song, but a shared bowl of noodles under the autumn trees. The locals can keep their stories. They aren't watching when Katoko whispers something only Tamahiro can hear, and the unsmiling mystic's entire face softens into something warm and private, meant only for one.