I Don't want the World to See Me

 

Come back when you're an adult.

"I've always loved you!"
"...I know."
Shuichiro, the son of a rich family, has been in unrequited love for many years.
The target of his love is Akira Katayama, the sexy owner of Tailor Katayama, a custom-made tailor shop.
They have a large age difference and Katayama won't give him the time of day... No matter how desperately Shuichiro tries to get his attention, he's always waved away.
However, his attempts bore fruit when Katayama allowed him a physical relationship...

This is an impregnable romance between a pure young man and a stubborn mature adult.

My Rate: 7 (amzn.to/4xzeTNy)

Kamome Ooshima’s The Tailor and the Rich Heir (Suitter to Reijou / The Tailor and the Rich Heir) delivers a classic, high-tension age-gap romance that pits relentless youthful devotion against stubborn, guarded maturity.
Shuichiro is the privileged son of a wealthy family, but his life has been defined by one long, agonizing unrequited love. His heart belongs entirely to Akira Katayama, the striking, mature owner of the bespoke custom shop Tailor Katayama.
Despite years of passionate pursuits, declarations of love, and desperate attempts to catch his attention, Shuichiro is routinely treated like an impatient kid and brushed aside with a classic dismissal: "Come back when you're an adult."
Persistence eventually yields results when Katayama finally gives in, allowing a physical relationship to form between them. But crossing that barrier doesn't automatically solve their differences, leading to an emotionally charged tug-of-war between a fiercely devoted young man and a stubborn older tailor.
The power play between youth and experience is handled with sharp dramatic flair. Shuichiro's earnest, all-consuming devotion contrasts sharply with Katayama's attempts to maintain professional and emotional distance.
The backdrop of a custom tailor shop adds a wonderful sense of tactile intimacy. The imagery of measuring tapes, fine fabrics, and structured suits enhances the physical tension between the two characters.
Rather than an immediate happily-ever-after, the story leans into the friction of an age gap and differing life stages, making the emotional breakthroughs feel hard-earned.
Readers who grow frustrated by characters who willfully push away genuine affection or rely heavily on the "I'm protecting you by keeping my distance" trope might find Katayama's initial stubbornness a bit trying.
Because of the age gap and the initial dynamic of the older mentor figure dismissing the younger suitor, the early relationship milestones cross conventional boundaries that require some narrative suspension of disbelief.
Best Suited For: Fans of age-gap romance, stubborn-older-man tropes, devoted younger lovers, and stories with a sleek, tailored aesthetic.
It plays wonderfully into the classic dynamic where the person who claims they will never fall ends up being the most thoroughly undone by love.