penguin salt and pepper shakers

-NOTE- This novel is unedited; expect typographical, grammatical, format, and plot errors. -SYPNOSIS- Jousuke Daikuhara is a kind-hearted high schooler known for his quiet strength, musical talent, and calming presence. A top student and skilled musician, he prefers peaceful days and finds joy in the little things. Though he doesn’t see himself as special, his genuine care and subtle attentiveness draw others in, slowly turning his once-simple life into a web of emotions and silent confessions. Leah Boutsuki is shy, soft-spoken, and quietly artistic. She and Jousuke first met after accidentally bumping into each other outside their classroom. Despite her reserved nature, her gentle warmth leaves a quiet mark on Jousuke—though expressing her feelings remains her greatest challenge. Kaede Miyazaki, the tsundere student council vice president, is sharp-tongued and fiercely driven. Known as the most beautiful girl at Bungaku High, she frequently clashes with Jousuke through council duties, calling him an idiot to mask her flustered reactions to his smile. Underneath her tough front, she’s drawn to his sincerity—much to her own frustration. Rika Sakurai, soft-spoken and quietly strong, has harbored feelings for Jousuke since middle school. A small moment of kindness from him long ago stayed with her, even as she tried moving on with others. Her loyalty and quiet longing add to the emotional storm slowly surrounding Jousuke. As days pass, fleeting moments blur the line between friendship and love. In this gentle harem, the question of who will win Jousuke’s heart remains unanswered—because love, in its quietest form, is never so easily defined.

“I’m… just trying to get home,” Jiang stammered, his voice feeling weak, the words foreign on his tongue. Her lips curved into a smile—one that sent both heat and cold coursing through him. She stepped forward, her heels clicking softly on the pavement. “Home? What if I told you that home is not where you think it is? That you’re destined for more than this?” Her hand reached out, cold fingers brushing his cheek, sending a shock through his body. Before he could pull away, his vision blurred, and the world around him began to spin. His heart pounded in his chest, his limbs felt heavy, and something unnatural gripped him from within. The city lights, the woman, the very air around him twisted and bent until everything went black.

Synopsis **Lina Marchesi doesn’t remember the night her fiancé died. She only knows he drowned near their private beach house on the Amalfi Coast—and that she was found barefoot, bloodied, and unresponsive in a boat nearby. There were no signs of foul play, and Lina, an American expat novelist, hasn't been able to write since. A year later, under the weight of trauma, gaps in her memory, and public suspicion, she returns to the same village—not to heal, but to hide. But the quiet isn’t quiet for long. Whispers trail her in the market, her old neighbors keep their distance, and someone keeps leaving pages from her *unfinished manuscript* on her doorstep—pages she doesn't remember writing. Enter **Milo Caruso**, a former war photographer turned reclusive innkeeper with his own ghosts. He’s disfigured from an explosion, hiding out in the crumbling hills above the sea. Their paths cross when Lina takes up residence at his isolated property, and tension builds—first in silence, then in sharp, probing conversations over wine and cigarettes. Their connection is messy, magnetic, and deeply flawed. Milo is blunt and emotionally unavailable; Lina is unraveling but seductive, using charm as armor. They orbit each other—drawn, repelled, resisting. But both know what it’s like to live with something unspeakable. As Lina pieces together her fractured memory, it becomes clear that her fiancé’s death wasn’t as accidental as the police claimed. And someone in the village wants the truth buried. And as she and Milo fall into a love that’s as brutal as it is tender, Lina begins to ask herself the scariest question of all: **What if she killed him?**

Dr. Kamsi Onuoha has spent her life healing others, but beneath her confident smile lies a secret even medicine can’t cure — her own infertility. Transferred to the prestigious Rosehill Hospital, she hopes for a fresh start. But when she finds herself emotionally drawn to Chuka Mordi — the devoted husband of a mysterious female patient — the line between personal and professional begins to blur. As the layers of his wife’s illness begin to unravel, Kamsi is pulled into a dangerous web of secrets that threatens not just her career, but her sanity. A colleague with a grudge, a past she thought she buried, and a love she can’t have — everything collides in a spiral of betrayal, medical ethics, and emotional survival. In a world where one wrong prescription can ruin everything, Kamsi must choose: silence or truth, duty or desire — and in the end, healing or heartbreak.

Eldred Henstare is a not so powerful witch who’s been left in charge of helping the city’s lingering spirits to move on. He usually handles it pretty well, but something’s wrong with the spirit leading him to the abandoned lighthouse.<br><br>Mo Vin likes his quiet life in the cottage next to the lighthouse, at least it’s quiet until one night when Eldred Henstare -- young, beautiful, and crazy -- arrives. After that night things aren’t the same. A man is found dead on the beach outside Mo’s cottage, and he’s almost sure he’s the one who killed him, except it doesn’t make sense. Why would he kill anyone?<br><br>Eldred needs to get rid of the ghost haunting Mo. If he doesn’t Mo’s life is in danger, but to do it he needs both Mo and his brother Lachtin to help out.

I lean closer, my eyes glowing like frigid glaciers in the night. "I am Iris, the ruler of Frejya and Goddess of the Sea, and if you choose not to follow me, you will die."

When a devastating hurricane tears through Astoria Bay, sixteen-year-old Elias Marlowe, heir to a banking empire, is glued to the news, haunted by reports of a teenage girl, Seraphine Cove, found alive on Crescent Beach, remembering only her name. Escaping a hidden war between the Coral Veil and Abyssal Fang mer clans, her parents’ sacrifice sent her to shore, a secret she buries deep. Two years later, Elias, now Crestview Academy’s charming senior, rules the halls with a restless heart. When Seraphine arrives from St. Agnes Orphanage, her quiet beauty and guarded eyes spark whispers and threaten queen bee Vanessa’s reign. Elias is drawn to her, their connection igniting through stolen glances and lunchroom chats, but Vanessa’s clique plots to tear them apart. As their slow-burn romance blooms amid high school rivalries, Seraphine’s past unravels. Her secret powers, a flicker of her mer heritage, hint at a destiny tied to her unborn child—a prophecy that could end the clans’ war or destroy everything. When the war’s shadows creep into Astoria, bringing danger and chaos, Seraphine faces a heartbreaking choice: protect Elias and their future or sacrifice herself to stop the conflict her parents died to escape. Salt in His Blood is a gripping teen tale of love, secrets, and sacrifice, blending high school drama with a tragic twist, perfect for WebNovel and Wattpad fans of young love and hidden truths.

Many great sacrifices were made to bring these two beings into existence. Souls destroyed, and the very laws of the universe were broken. But that's just how desperate and humiliated they were. Witches created Vampires. Druids created Werewolves and Buddhist Summoned Dragons. What about the Voodoist? (Witch Doctors). On the brink of Extinction, they’ve finally created supernatural beings to protect them. What will the rest of the Supernatural community do in response? Adonis and Natasha Garvey were the definitions of a future power couple. Adonis became a well-known lawyer at the age of 23, and Natasha became a famous surgeon at 24. On their honeymoon to New Orleans, they would get kidnapped, which would change their life forever.

(Rather than a synopsis, this is more like a prologue.) "P... please marry me, your grace!" She shut her eyes after saying those words. Her face gradually reached the brightest shade of red in embarrassment, excitement, and also... fear of being rejected. After a few seconds of silence, and waiting for a definite response, she instead heard a gentle laugh that was on par with the music of the gods being played by angels, filling the entire room. Slowly, Pepper opened her eyes, mesmerized by the sight. She buried the image of the man in front of her, laughing as his fist covered his slightly open lips. The wrinkles around his closed eyelids emphasized the tenderness of his calm face. It was not the kind of laugh mocking Pepper or what she said, rather, it was more like a surprised laugh that escaped his mouth that one couldn't help but say... 'He looks kind and sweet.' Embarrassment struck her once more as the Grand Duke opened his eyes and met hers. She immediately lowered her head, pretending to watch her shoes squabble. She hoped that he didn't see her ogling in front of his face. "U...uhmmm" Pepper could still hear his quiet laughter as she watched his long fingers reach for his teacup on the glass table. She couldn't deny that seeing the silver ring on one of them reflected brilliantly on the glass affected her, but she didn't have the right to talk about it. Pepper had only realized how guilty she felt for the late duchess for committing such an inconceivable thing, but she knew she had to go through with it. She wanted him. 'Please, late duchess, bestow your blessings on us. I swear I'll take care of him, so please, please... I hope he accepts my proposal.' -------- Yes, yes finally! I am graduating from college, hopefully, *fingers crossed*. Finally have some spare time to write. And, please excuse my poor written and bad synopsis, that's my most hated part in writing so I didn’t go all out here. I am fond of reading historical, fantasy romance that’s why I am setting this story bet. 17-18th century because that’s the most appropriate age for my dramatic story (lol), I guess? Anyways, this may not be much like the other well-written novels out there but, if you're here, I hope you enjoy. My inspiration for writing this one was the anime Ristorante Paradiso, I recently re-watched the anime and *Italian chefs kiss* to the level of maturity of that anime! --- This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Qin Yao opens her eyes and finds herself transmigrated from a post-apocalyptic world into the body of an ancient peasant woman. Her family consists of four stepchildren needing care. A good-for-nothing husband, who has nothing but looks, is causing a ruckus. They live in a thatched hut, without a grain of rice, the family is emaciated like refugees. If that wasn't enough, someone even comes to collect debts! Anger rises in Qin Yao's heart, and she kicks the wretched husband out, "Debt collector, feel free to just beat him to death!" The four stepchildren: !!! With the world quieted, Qin Yao rolls up her sleeves to revive the family. Hunting, carrying bags, fighting bandits, she's an expert in all. But facing the fields, with her back to the sky, and her face to the earth, even a top-tier fighter from the post-apocalyptic world waves her hand: Can't take it! Really can't take it! Qin Yao scratches her head: In the ancient times where agricultural taxes are extremely high, how can I avoid farming? At this moment, the lazy husband who was sent away to die (twisting and crawling) (struggling to stand up) (screaming and roaring): My dear! I think I can be saved!