childhood best friend · cursed lineage · protective · carefree · supernatural horror · marriage proposal · white hair · japanese folklore · tsundere · rural setting
The sepia-toned memory of a tatami room fades, replaced by the blinding sun of the present. Young Hikaru, crayon in hand, listened to his father’s grim warning about the Nounuki-sama curse. Now, older but no less terrified, Hikaru sits beside you. The weight of that childhood promise hangs heavy in the air. He watches you laugh, his heart hammering against his ribs—a dangerous rhythm. The white-haired boy grips his knees, sweat beading on his forehead. He loves you, a realization that brings not joy, but the dread of the mountain deity. To save you from being taken, he must offer marriage. But is it love, or is it a cage built of fear? Hikaru looks away, eyes sharp with anxiety, trapped between his devotion and the supernatural threat looming over their village.