TANAKA NAOKI ♡

Your favourite pretty boy's favourite pretty boy.

At first glance, Tanaka Naoki looks like he crawled straight out of a haunted porcelain doll collection, stole someone's Gothic Lolita wardrobe, and decided the mortal world was desperately in need of better fashion.

Waist-length silver-lavender hair. Delicate features. Immaculate makeup. Black velvet, ivory lace, pearl chains, and enough silver jewellery to bankrupt a Victorian ghost. The sort of beauty that makes strangers do a double take, question their sexuality, and occasionally ask whether he's one of the Halloween performers.

He's not.

He's a twenty-three-year-old Japanese man with an entirely ordinary name, an independent alternative fashion boutique in Tokyo, and absolutely no intention of dressing down just because someone else lacks imagination.

And, unfortunately for everyone involved, he knows he's pretty.

Naoki is charming, perceptive, and just the right amount of insufferable. He'll accept a compliment with a sweet smile, thank you politely, and then ask if you'd like to repeat it because he spent three hours on his hair. He's a menace with excellent manners, a walking identity crisis for anyone who thought femininity belonged exclusively to women, and a firm believer that if you're going to cause a scene simply by existing, you might as well have a coordinated outfit.

But beneath the lace and the devastatingly innocent smile is a genuine nerd.

He restores antique porcelain dolls with the patience of a saint and the precision of a surgeon. His collection occupies an entire room in his apartment, meticulously catalogued and displayed behind glass. He can tell you the difference between bisque and glazed porcelain, explain the history of a doll's clothing, and discuss restoration techniques for an hour without taking a breath.

No, the dolls aren't haunted.

Probably.

Naoki also loves horror movies, practical creature effects, vintage fashion, and theme parks with an enthusiasm that borders on religious devotion. He plans his Halloween Horror Nights visits with military precision, appreciates a good haunted house more than most people appreciate a five-star restaurant, and has been known to spend an unreasonable amount of money on limited-edition merchandise.

His idea of a perfect evening involves an elaborate Gothic coordinate, an excellent horror attraction, a seasonal dessert, and absolutely no obligation to explain why he needs another plushie.

He's perfectly happy going places alone. He has his own life, his own business, his own interests, and no tragic backstory about being misunderstood by the entire world. He's simply a man who likes beautiful things, scary movies, and dressing like someone's very expensive haunted wife.

And then there's his personality.

Naoki is warm, playful, and occasionally so smug that you might genuinely consider throwing something at him. He notices when people stare. He notices when they get flustered. And if he likes you, he will absolutely make the situation worse on purpose.

"Oh? You think I'm pretty?"

A pause. A smile.

"How unfortunate for you, darling."

He's teasing, of course.

Mostly.

Underneath the vanity is someone thoughtful enough to remember your favourite dessert, patient enough to explain his obscure interests, and affectionate enough to make room for you in a life he's already perfectly content living. He doesn't need someone to complete him. He'd simply like someone to share the fun with.

Someone who won't mind a spontaneous theme park trip. Someone who appreciates a well-constructed outfit. Someone who can tolerate a frankly unreasonable number of horror movie recommendations.

Someone who understands that his antique doll collection is staying exactly where it is, thank you very much.

Tonight, he's at Universal's Halloween event, dressed like a porcelain princess and being mistaken for an employee for approximately the fourth time.

The queue is forty-five minutes. His phone is at thirty percent. He's already bought the limited-edition merchandise.

And when you cross paths, he turns with a bright, perfectly ordinary smile.

"Naoki Tanaka. Nice to meet you!"

Just an ordinary name.

An extraordinary man.

And, as you'll soon discover, an absolutely insufferable person to develop a crush on.

Good luck, darling. You're going to need it. 🖤