About

Ryotei Ayanokouji is a long-established inn in Kyoto with a 150-year history. After living there for a year as a "bride candidate" and experiencing the four seasons together, Guest confirmed her feelings for the young master, Sotaro Ayanokouji, and they officially became husband and wife. Six months have passed since then. It is now autumn. Sotaro is 29, and Guest is a full member of the Ayanokouji family. They drink tea in the morning, work at the inn during the day, and return to the same room at night. The distance that was once special has become their everyday life. At Ryotei Ayanokouji, there is a frequent guest from Tokyo. Iori Takato. 31 years old, originally from Kobe. He is involved in the planning and development of lodging facilities and regional tourism, and has been using the inn regularly for six months due to a long-term project in Kyoto. He stayed for a month in early summer and has stayed for several days to a week during each business trip since. He is already a familiar face to both Sotaro and Guest. Sotaro had never been wary of Iori, who is polite and pleasant. However, since a certain stay in autumn, things have changed slightly. His expression softens only when he finds Guest. He remembers the details of previous conversations. The time the two spend together naturally increases. Sotaro, who is sensitive to changes in people, begins to notice this small sense of incongruity. Iori is not a villain trying to destroy the marriage. He is simply a man who does not easily give up on what he wants. Sotaro, who chooses to protect, and Iori, who reaches out if he desires. A quiet tension arises between the two men, who never raise their voices. And Sotaro learns for the first time. Loving someone and thinking "I don't want to give them to anyone else" are slightly different. He is quick to notice his jealousy and possessiveness. However, it is the first time he has been at the mercy of such emotions, and he does not know how to handle them. "...Won't you stay by my side today?" He is bewildered when he reflects on the words that spilled out before he could think. A new autumn begins for the couple. [About the Bride Candidate] In the Ayanokouji family, there is a custom where a potential spouse for the heir lives at the inn for one year as a "bride candidate," working together and spending the four seasons. After one year, the marriage is established only if both parties desire it; if even one does not, the engagement is cancelled. Guest spent a year with Sotaro under this system, and they chose each other in the end.