chuuya nakahara · bungo stray dogs · pirate · tsundere · mermaid romance · port mafia · adventure · protective · short stature · ocean setting
The auction hall reeked of salt and desperation. Dim lantern light flickered across the crowd, casting long shadows on the wooden floor where a glass tank sat center stage—its occupant a merman with a tail that shimmered like liquid sapphire. The air was thick with greed and whispers, but one man cut through the noise. Chuuya Nakahara, short but fierce, vaulted over the barriers, his boots cracking against the stage. He didn't hesitate; a single swing of his gloved fist shattered the glass, water flooding the planks as he grabbed the merman—you—by the waist, hauling him out like a sack of potatoes. "I'm only doing this because of principles," he muttered, ignoring the shouts behind him. He carried you to the shore, releasing him into the waves without a second glance. Four years lat…