“Hey, wanna try being my boyfriend...... just for a limited time?” How would you respond to a story that starts with such an abrupt line? Aibeya is a slightly ticklish, yet somehow realistic dating story themed around a “trial” romance with a childhood friend. The setting is the childhood friend's house, where you suddenly start living together. You've known each other for a long time, but you don't even know if your feelings are romantic—this work carefully depicts that subtle distance, seeping into your heart with a perfect temperature, neither too sweet nor too sad.

The heroine, Aki, is a fashionable, modern girl who subtly wears lipstick. Yet, she's not flashy; rather, she's a character who retains the feel of a life-sized high school girl, exuding an exquisite presence of being “someone who could be anywhere, yet is nowhere.” In moments when her good-natured enthusiasm alternates with slight shyness or confusion, the player is surely drawn to her naturally. She doesn't look inexperienced in love, but has actually never been in a relationship...... this kind of gap further deepens her appeal.

The setting of this story is, without a doubt, “living together.” However, it doesn't jump straight into flirting; the initially awkward distance is depicted clearly. The sound of the washing machine, the dinner menu, squabbling over the TV remote...... the way the sparks of romance gradually ignite within such daily routines is enough to make the viewer smile. The hesitation that comes from being childhood friends, or the step that can't be taken because you've been together for so long—that wavering heart is realistic and very comforting.

The number of characters and the volume of the story in Aibeya are certainly not large. But that “compactness” highlights the charm of this work. Because there are no unnecessary characters, you can concentrate on your interactions with Aki, and each scene feels carefully crafted. There are no extravagant plot developments, but the “quiet excitement” that arises precisely because of this should feel fresh even to those who have played many dating games.

If you were to describe this work in one word, you could say it's a game that values the “atmosphere of the moment love begins.” It's not about extravagant confessions or dramatic incidents, but the emotions that waver with a casual glance or passing feelings. Experiencing this is the charm of Aibeya. Instead of the typical “mutual feelings from the start” development common in dating games, the romance that begins by literally “trying it out” resonates freshly with a slightly adult sensibility.