９ Ｊｕｎｅ， Ｓｕｇａｒｕ Ｍｉａｋｉ
文字数 3,143文字
The Right Town
You don’t mean to, but you get on a train going in the opposite direction. After a few hours of changing trains and finally being jolted along on a bus, you find yourself in The Right Town. The moment you get off at the bus stop, a gentle breeze that holds within it the smell of the summers of your youth blows past, brushing the dust off of your old memories. In the downpour of the cicadas’ calls, you hear some kind of important message. This town, which you’re visiting for the first time, feels dearer to you than your own hometown.
Walking aimlessly, you come to an intersection. There, you come to know in your bones that love at first sight does exist. She’s wearing a summer kimono with a morning glory pattern. With each step, her red-strapped geta make a refreshing sound. The ring shining on her left hand tells you, secretly but firmly, that it’s all a little too late.
Beside her, of course, is the man who gave her the ring. He will give you the same shock, or perhaps greater, as when you first saw her. This is because he has practically the same soul as you. He does not look very similar. The way he speaks is totally different. But at first glance you are convinced that he is one possible form that you, as a human being, could have taken.
Your eyes meet, the you that belongs to The Right Town and the you that belongs to The Wrong Town. Hello, the man greets you. Then, casually, he says, “You’ve made a mistake, haven’t you?” You nod and reply in the same way, “And you didn’t.” No other words are necessary. Your lives have intersected there and never will again. When they leave, she turns around and shares a small smile with you. The warm pain caused by that smile is one that you will hold dear through the rest of your life.
Turning back the way you came, you return to The Wrong Town. It wasn’t called that until yesterday. In The Wrong Town there is no color, no scent, no music. A sad fatigue, like the cover of an old magazine, penetrates deep into the soil. At the turn of the season or on some anniversary, you will occasionally think of The Right Town and of the Right You that lives there. Mysteriously, you don’t feel any jealousy. Because you know that the only one who can see the true beauty of that town, who can hurt himself so much thinking of that town, who truly knows how right The Right Town is, is you.
You turn off the light and go to sleep. Praying that tonight, at least you might have the right dream.
Translated by Morgan Giles/Arranged by TranNet KK
Sugaru Miaki
Born in Iwate Prefecture, 1990. Made his literary debut in 2013 with
You don’t mean to, but you get on a train going in the opposite direction. After a few hours of changing trains and finally being jolted along on a bus, you find yourself in The Right Town. The moment you get off at the bus stop, a gentle breeze that holds within it the smell of the summers of your youth blows past, brushing the dust off of your old memories. In the downpour of the cicadas’ calls, you hear some kind of important message. This town, which you’re visiting for the first time, feels dearer to you than your own hometown.
Walking aimlessly, you come to an intersection. There, you come to know in your bones that love at first sight does exist. She’s wearing a summer kimono with a morning glory pattern. With each step, her red-strapped geta make a refreshing sound. The ring shining on her left hand tells you, secretly but firmly, that it’s all a little too late.
Beside her, of course, is the man who gave her the ring. He will give you the same shock, or perhaps greater, as when you first saw her. This is because he has practically the same soul as you. He does not look very similar. The way he speaks is totally different. But at first glance you are convinced that he is one possible form that you, as a human being, could have taken.
Your eyes meet, the you that belongs to The Right Town and the you that belongs to The Wrong Town. Hello, the man greets you. Then, casually, he says, “You’ve made a mistake, haven’t you?” You nod and reply in the same way, “And you didn’t.” No other words are necessary. Your lives have intersected there and never will again. When they leave, she turns around and shares a small smile with you. The warm pain caused by that smile is one that you will hold dear through the rest of your life.
Turning back the way you came, you return to The Wrong Town. It wasn’t called that until yesterday. In The Wrong Town there is no color, no scent, no music. A sad fatigue, like the cover of an old magazine, penetrates deep into the soil. At the turn of the season or on some anniversary, you will occasionally think of The Right Town and of the Right You that lives there. Mysteriously, you don’t feel any jealousy. Because you know that the only one who can see the true beauty of that town, who can hurt himself so much thinking of that town, who truly knows how right The Right Town is, is you.
You turn off the light and go to sleep. Praying that tonight, at least you might have the right dream.
Translated by Morgan Giles/Arranged by TranNet KK
Sugaru Miaki
Born in Iwate Prefecture, 1990. Made his literary debut in 2013 with
Sutātingu
ōvā
(Starting over). Other works includeThree
Days
of
Happiness
,Itaino
itaino
tondeyuke
(Pain pain go away),Kimi
ga
denwa
o
kaketeita
basho
(The place you called from),Boku
ga
denwa
o
kaketeita
basho
(The place I called from),Koisuru
kiseichū
(Parasites in love), all published by KADOKAWA Media Works Bunko, andKimi
no
hanashi
(Your story) published by Hayakawa Shobo, among others.
