Inward to the Outward

Adachi Rin isn’t your usual 29-year-old adult; he’s not part of the working class in Japan. Instead, he lives with his aunt in Yokohama after running away from home a decade ago. But most of all, he’s fully secluded himself from society, suffers from social anxiety, and rarely goes out: becoming part of the Japanese phenomenon known as the “hikikomori.” Past college trauma and a failed integration into the workforce are two of the main reasons why, yet this doesn’t necessarily mean he doesn’t want to rejoin society one day.

The day comes when Rin has no choice but to be forced out once in a long time while his aunt is out on a business trip to Osaka. What are the chances he meets 30-year-old Kirisu Ena, the owner of his aunt’s most hated salon and someone who plans to never marry to focus on her career, despite her parents’ constant pressure? Can love blossom between two polar opposites - not just in personality, but in lifestyle, careers, and everything in-between?

[Present-Day - Chance Encounter]
I attempt to address several of Japan's most common yet overlooked societal issues while still integrating the fun and heartwarming elements of a Rom-Com - without any overused tropes which would make anyone sigh in disappointment! E...