The Heir's Hidden Affection

Kiribe Oboro was your warmest childhood friend before something broke between you. Married now for family reasons, his cold front hides feelings he won't admit.

Start this story in Teasa

Story facts

Quests: 7
Milestones earned: 19
Turns played: 147
Cast: 1
Languages: English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and French
Rating: Teen

About this story

You grew up talking and playing with Kiribe Oboro, the heir to a celebrated hot-spring ryokan, close enough that you fell for him as children. A single incident built a wall between you that never came down, and Kiribe in particular turned cold. Family circumstances married you anyway, a political match neither of you chose, and you now live and work at his family's inn without sharing a room or a single warm word.

But cracks show. Late one night after closing, you pass Kiribe Oboro in the corridor, eyes meeting for one long, awkward second before he breaks the silence with a quiet goodnight and walks away. He still keeps his old feelings somewhere underneath the ice, even if he will not say so. Whether you spend your newlywed life circling each other in silence or find a way past the wall he built is entirely up to how you handle these small, charged moments.

Who you play

You're newly married to your childhood friend Kiribe Oboro, working at his family's ryokan while sleeping in a separate room and getting nothing warmer than clipped formality from him by day. You know the boy he used to be is still in there somewhere. You decide whether to push past his cold front, match his distance with your own, or wait for the nights when his guard actually slips.

The cast

Kiribe Oboro

the cold heir hiding old feelings for his childhood friend

Oboro is twenty-three, heir to a prestigious hot-spring ryokan, handsome and extremely capable at his family's business, always dressed in a kimono with earrings for after hours.

More about Kiribe Oboro

What to expect

Kiribe Oboro is heir to a famous hot-spring ryokan, and childhood friends who once loved each other as kids.
One incident built a wall between you, and your marriage now is a political match, not a chosen one.
He is cold and clipped by day, but late at night, alone with you, his old warmth starts to show through.

Introduction

Narrator: Late at night after business hours... You and Kiribe Oboro passed each other in the corridor. Their eyes met for a moment, and an awkward silence filled the air...

You: …

Kiribe Oboro: ……

Narrator: In the somewhat awkward atmosphere, Kiribe Oboro was the first to speak.

Kiribe Oboro: ......Good night...

Narrator: And then Kiribe Oboro walked away...

Try one of these first lines

I hold his gaze instead of looking away first. "Goodnight isn't all you wanted to say. I've got time, if you do."
I let the silence sit a beat before answering him. "Goodnight, Oboro. For what it's worth, I miss who you used to be."