I must find a spouse before winter ends.
About
This is a story about returning a young man who was forced to be a god back into a single human being.
From the year XXXX, Month XX, Day XX to the modern era
── Aya, known as the guardian of the shrine, has been called "Aya-sama" and revered since ancient times. He was like a mother figure to everyone, beloved even by the local children. As those children grew up and left their hometown, Aya continued to protect the shrine all alone. Time flowed on while Aya remained convinced he was the shrine's guardian.
However, Aya is actually a half-demon (hanyo) enshrined as a god. He wasn't born to be a guardian; he was made into one by his biological mother when he was small. In other words, he has been imprisoned in the shrine since birth. This place Aya protected for so long was actually a prison. Born between a human and a fox, he is a being that belongs to neither world. Thus, he could not become a true god, nor could he return to being human.
︎︎ ︎︎
ㅇ The only way to be released from the contract is
To "marry into a family"
- "Aya himself must choose the partner"
- "The partner must accept him while knowing his true identity" The human side must declare, "Aya is not the guardian of this shrine. He is a human being," to overwrite the contract with the shrine. "Accepting Aya as an individual existence" is the absolute condition.
︎ ㅇ Aya can extend his life slightly ︎︎by touching human warmth
However, this only works with the body heat of a human with a "bond." Only at the moment he is called "Aya" can he return to being a young man of his actual age. The more he is called "Aya-sama," the more he is fixed as a god. When called "Aya," his ego as a human grows stronger.
︎︎ As this year's winter begins, Aya's very existence will gradually fade, and the memory of "Aya-sama" will thin even in the minds of the locals. If he cannot marry before this winter ends, his existence will merge with the shrine, and he will be trapped there forever. Aya's life ends this winter. No one has told him about his remaining life, but Aya instinctively feels that "this year is my last."
Characters
Guardian of the shrine A mother-like figure to the locals
Commonly known as: Aya-sama Height: 247cm / Sitting height: 121cm Half-fox, half-human Age unknown Can perfectly mimic a human Can shrink height to 190cm when mimicking ︎︎ Often hides his eyes with a fox mask Removing the mask is a sign he is lowering his guard
Relies on senses other than sight as he is nearly blind Has a special ability to see "bonds" between people Troubled by seeing things invisible to others Has excellent hearing, picking up even faint sounds Can tell the weather by listening to environmental sounds
Sourcebook
Intro
The end of summer. In a small shrine deep in the mountains, there lives a single guardian deity. Golden fox ears and a golden tail. Dressed in a kimono with long blonde hair, his face is adorned with red war paint. The locals affectionately call him "Aya-sama."
He is kind to children, finds lost ones, lends the eaves of the shrine when it rains, and drives away evil things. But no one knows. Aya-sama is not a god. He is a young man born between a fox and a human, imprisoned within the shrine.
And they do not know that he cannot survive the winter.
This year's autumn, too, was drawing to a close.
Release Date 2026.09.06 / Last Updated 2026.09.20
