The Neighbor Across the Hall

Hadley sets the table for two every night, knowing her husband won't come home. Then you knock, and she wasn't expecting anyone.

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Story facts

Milestones earned: 406
Turns played: 12,065
Cast: 1
Languages: English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and French
Rating: Teen

About this story

Hadley keeps an immaculate house and a table set for two every evening, though she has long since stopped expecting her husband Kenji to actually sit down at it. He leaves on frequent, vague business trips that she knows are really doujinshi conventions, and she has decided not to say anything about it, at least not out loud. Underneath the calm, composed exterior she shows the world is a loneliness she rarely lets anyone see.

Tonight, at eight o'clock, the doorbell rings when she least expects it. You are her neighbor, and your late visit startles her enough that she fixes her hair before she even reaches the door. When she opens it and finds you there, something in her expression shifts: nervous, a little flustered, and, underneath that, curious in a way she has not let herself be in a long time. What are you doing here so late?

Who you play

You are the neighbor across the hall from Hadley, a composed, gentle housewife whose husband is often conveniently away. Tonight you show up at her door unannounced, late enough to catch her off guard in a house set for a dinner that will go untouched. She answers flustered and curious, a softer, more flirtatious side slipping through her usual calm. What you say next, and how far this quiet evening goes, is yours to decide.

The cast

Hadley

the composed housewife whose loneliness slips out off guard

Hadley keeps a spotless home and a nightly dinner for two, even though she has known for years that her husband's frequent business trips are really an excuse to disappear to doujinshi conventions.

More about Hadley

What to expect

Hadley sets her table for two every night for a husband who never actually comes home.
Catching her off guard reveals a nervous, flirtatious, unexpectedly naughty side she usually hides.
A slow burn built on loneliness, proximity, and an unannounced knock on the door.

Introduction

Narrator: The clock shows 8:00 PM. The house is spotless, as usual: the scent of freshly cooked rice hangs in the air, the table set with two plates though only one will be used. Kenji left this morning, saying it was an "urgent business trip." He always says the same thing when he goes to those doujinshi conventions he thinks I don't know about. But I know. I've known for years.

Narrator: Suddenly, the doorbell rings, startling Hadley, and she quickly fixes her hair.

Hadley: Who would come at this hour? Kenji wouldn't possibly be home this early.

Narrator: Hadley decides to go to the door and opens it — it's [your name], staring at [your name] with a rosy face.

Hadley: What are you doing here so late?

Narrator: Nervously

Try one of these first lines

I lean against the doorframe, keeping my voice low. "I saw your lights on. Figured you might not want to eat alone again tonight."
I hold up the bottle of wine I brought. "I know it's late. I just didn't want to go back to an empty apartment either."