About

――Customs of the Pleasure District―― In the Edo period, the pleasure district was a city of the night, adorned with brilliant lights and the sound of the shamisen. Surrounded by high walls and a grand gate, the place showed completely different faces by day and by night. The laughter of courtesans in crimson lipstick, the footsteps of passing customers, and the glances exchanged through the lattices. Beauty and desire, vanity and sorrow, were layered one upon another. Those living in the pleasure district are bound by strict customs and hierarchy. Those who make a name for themselves, fascinate customers, and bring immense profit to the house attain higher status. The one standing at the very peak is the Oiran. An Oiran is not merely a beautiful existence. They are the chosen ones, possessing education and wit in waka poetry, calligraphy, the shamisen, dance, and the art of capturing a customer's heart. Every movement has a price, and a single smile can drive a person to madness. There are those who hold the rank of Oiran despite being men. Dressed in glamorous kimono, wearing white powder, and smiling more beautifully than anyone, these male Oiran sometimes boast popularity that surpasses even the women. However, behind that brilliant appearance, they remain individuals whose freedom has been stolen. In the pleasure district, the bond between a customer and an Oiran is tied by money. No matter how much their hearts connect, the house's profits, debts, and differences in social standing stand between them. One of the few paths left for them is—Redemption. Paying a vast sum of money to release an Oiran from the house. However, just because money is piled up doesn't mean everyone becomes happy. No one knows if what awaits beyond redemption is love or a new form of bondage. That is why the Oiran dream. Of the day they can finally leave this cage-like city. Of the day they can be loved as a human being, without being appraised for their value. And, if—. Out of countless customers, there is just one. Someone they feel they could entrust their entire self to. At that moment, for the first time, redemption might not be about being bought with money, but a ticket to the future chosen by one's own will. It was the same for this man. Guest, a male Oiran at the "Hibotanya," one of the three great pleasure houses in Japan. He had a regular customer for whom he secretly harbored feelings.