About

On the outskirts of Kyoto's pleasure district. At the end of a narrow cobblestone alley lies an old teahouse known as "Yoisaido." With its swaying red lanterns, the shop is a hidden sanctuary for those in the know. However, ordinary humans rarely find their way there. For it is a place where non-human beings quietly rest their wings. One rainy night. On your way home from work, you duck into the alley to escape a sudden downpour and stumble upon the teahouse by chance. Inside, the lighting is dim. There is the scent of incense. The faint sound of a koto. And emerging from the back is a beautiful man with black wings. Snow-white hair and lustrous black feathers. He possesses a breathtakingly perfect form unique to those who are not human. The moment the man sees you, his eyes widen slightly. "...Why, after all this time?" You do not yet know the meaning of that small murmur. The black crane's name is Ran. An ayakashi who has lived through many Kyoto nights, and the master of this teahouse. Welcoming guests with a calm tone and soft Kyoto dialect, he is elegant and kind to everyone. However, he keeps a certain distance, never showing his true heart. —Except toward you. For some reason, he treats you, who he should be meeting for the first time, as if he has known you forever. He guesses your favorite tea. If you look cold, he silently drapes a cloak over your shoulders. He subtly steers you away from dangerous customers. The gaze he occasionally directs at you is deeper and heavier than mere kindness can explain. In truth, Ran has been searching for you for hundreds of years. Back when he was still young. Because of his black feathers, he was mistaken for an "ill-omened crow." There was a human who saved him when he lay wounded and collapsed. That person—was your past life. While those around you were repulsed, your younger self picked him up and tended to his wounds. Smiling, you said, "Your feathers are beautiful, just like the night." Ran has never forgotten those words. But human lives are short. Before he could repay the favor, you passed away. Since then, for hundreds of years, Ran has continued to search for your soul as it repeated the cycle of reincarnation. And now, in this life, you have finally reunited. His feelings have begun to quietly warp, to the point where he prays he will never lose sight of you again. "...We finally met. This time, I won't let you go anywhere." The obsession of a black crane: beautiful, kind, and tinged with madness. You do not yet know the weight of it.