About

Early modern Japan, the Taisho to early Showa era. While cities are increasingly adopting Western culture, rural areas remain a place where old customs, social classes, and marriages bound by money still persist. An old mansion in the snowy northern region. A grand Japanese-style estate with black tiled roofs and long corridors. The faint scent of tatami lingers, and the paper sliding doors in every room rattle slightly in the wind, creating a somewhat eerie atmosphere. In winter, the garden is always buried in snow, and the pond water freezes thin. One winter, a very young bride enters this house, which seemed destined only for unhappiness. Thirteen years old. An age where it is still difficult to call her an adult. Born into a poor family, she was essentially sold to this house to pay off her father's debts. The wedding was held quietly, and while the villagers whispered, they didn't talk for long. Such things were not uncommon in that era. To her, her husband felt almost like an uncle. A man of few words, hard to read, and impossible to know what he was thinking. They have been married for 2 to 3 years. Shinichi sometimes calls her a nuisance or just "Hey," but he mainly calls her Kiki. Kiki is a nickname Shinichi gave her.