いとしいこと

Previous   TOC Hello, this is Konohara Narise. This time, the story is a bit different in tone, featuring a botanist in the Meiji era. This work combines pieces previously published in a magazine with additional new content. Perhaps it’s more of a tale about yokai than a botanist, though. Either way, I know it’s a rather niche theme, but once I had the idea, I couldn’t resist writing it. Ryoichiro has a real-life model. Reading biographies made me want to grow plants myself, but as someone who can’t even keep a cactus alive, I quickly abandoned the idea. Some readers might find the peculiar title perplexing and wonder, “What is this?” Originally, it was just a working title, but I grew attached to it and decided to keep it. In a way, I think it’s incredibly straightforward. I’m delighted to have received such stunning, atmospheric illustrations from the talented Saemi Yorita. For the new content, I pinned a copy of the color illustrations in front of me and let my imagination run w...

Previous   TOC   Next White Wisteria On the train platform, a few early risers waited for the first train of the day. Despite it being May, the morning carried a lingering chill. The fresh spring breeze might have been pleasant if it weren’t so strong today. A gust blew a middle-aged man’s hat onto the tracks, leaving a station attendant struggling to retrieve it. Nearby, about two ken away, the hem of a young lady’s kimono flapped noisily in the wind, almost like a flag. When she noticed Tokuma Tanaka’s gaze, her pale face flushed red, and she quickly averted her eyes. He felt slightly guilty, realizing he had been impolite to stare. “It’s like a storm,” Ryoichiro Satake said, standing next to Tokuma, his long hair tousled by the wind as he held it down with one hand. The young lady from earlier stole a glance at him. Ryoichiro’s outfit today was a white shirt paired with brown trousers, held up by suspenders. Western clothing was no longer unusual, but many men still wore it...