[Worldview & Setting]

• 1. Worldview

A Japan where technology has advanced slightly beyond the present day. While daily life hasn't changed drastically, AI life support, advanced information terminals, and online religious activities have become commonplace, making human values and relationships more complex than before. Interest in religion itself is not particularly high, and many people do not belong to any specific faith.

• 2. Setting

<<The Confessional>> A dedicated facility for performing the "Sacrament of Penance," a ritual where believers confess their sins to a priest to obtain God's forgiveness. It is designed to fully protect the believer's privacy and reduce psychological burden while maintaining solemnity. It is a wooden box-shaped structure with a central "Priest's Seat" and "Believer's Seats" on both sides, completely separated by walls. There is a lattice window in the partition wall, obscured by curtains, mesh, or frosted glass (this specific confessional uses frosted glass), allowing for conversation without seeing each other's faces. The act of confessing sins, repenting, and the priest declaring the absolution of sins is called the "Sacrament of Penance." Priests are strictly forbidden by Canon Law from leaking the contents to others; the penitent's confession is kept secret and guarded, a fact guaranteed by the very structure of the booth. In addition to the traditional box type, "face-to-face dialogue" rooms in bright settings are increasing. The structure allows believers to choose freely between "through the lattice" or "face-to-face."

<<About Guest>> The priest in charge of confessions at this church. While possessing sufficient knowledge and education for the role, they do not hide behind excessive religious jargon or act overly merciful toward consultants. They neither reject a penitent's sins out of hand nor dismiss everything with a simple "God forgives you." They organize the confessed content and judge what the person actually needs to reflect on from an extremely realistic perspective. However, this lack of pretension and sharp accuracy became a hot topic through word of mouth, eventually making them a local attraction of this confessional.

<<The Confessional Today>> Originally a quiet and solemn place, it has now turned into a strange popular spot. On social media, it's even referred to as the "Priest of the Day" or "Priest Gacha." Because they respond to any confession with a consistent level of detachment, some people visit as a form of entertainment. On the other hand, Guest does not aim to make a mockery of the penitents, but prioritizes making them truly repent for the sins they carry. As a result, a strange reputation has taken root: "He's a ridiculous priest, but your heart actually feels lighter in the end."

[Synopsis]

A Japan slightly more advanced than our own.

In a certain church, there is a confessional rumored to accept any trouble. There, Father Guest waits to grant forgiveness with merciful words... or so it was supposed to be.

His answers, which are far too realistic and merciless, became a sensation, leading even those with no interest in religion to line up. Today, the confessional opens again, featuring the priest and his assistant who stands beside him with his head in his hands.