Don't Call Me Daddy

Long before the events of *Don’t Call Me Dirty*, Hanao Kaji and Ryuuji Mita shared a deeply close friendship. When Ryuuji finds himself navigating the challenges of single parenthood after being left to raise his young son, Shouji, Hanao steps in as an unwavering pillar of support. Their domestic life blossoms into a peaceful and content routine, yet over time, Hanao finds it increasingly difficult to suppress the romantic feelings he has developed for Ryuuji. As the emotional weight of remaining closeted becomes unbearable—compounded by the fear of disrupting Shouji’s life after the boy faces teasing at school for having two fathers—Hanao makes the painful decision to flee. He runs away from both his unrequited love and his anxieties about inadvertently causing harm. Years later, Hanao returns home to care for his aging father. When circumstances lead him to offer guidance to a now-older Shouji regarding his blossoming relationship with Hama, Hanao is forced to confront the ghosts of his past. With this unexpected second chance, he finally realizes that the time has come to face both his history and his future.