Pathway to Japanese Literature
Discover Japan's stories—across time, across language.
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Shiraga KozōAuthor: Yumeno Kyūsaku
| Original Title | 白髪小僧 |
|---|---|
| Author | 夢野 久作 |
| Genre | Detective & Mystery |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In a land where reality and myth intertwine, a mysterious beggar known as the White-Haired Boy wanders—ageless, nameless, and eternally smiling. With snow-white hair and an aura of otherworldly calm, he rescues a drowning noble girl, Princess Mirume, who uncovers a cryptic book foretelling their entwined destinies. The tome reveals him as a forgotten king of Aimaru, a realm born from a stone giant’s anguish, while Mirume’s obsession with stories draws her into visions where dreams bleed into waking life. Pursued by a blue-eyed guardian determined to erase their forbidden knowledge, they flee through shifting worlds where parrots sing prophecies, ginkgo leaves bear ancient secrets, and identities dissolve like mist. As layers of illusion unravel—beggar becomes monarch, princess becomes phantom—the line between storyteller and story blurs. What begins as a tale of rescue spirals into a labyrinth of curses, forgotten gods, and the perilous power of words, leaving readers to wonder: Who dreams whom into existence? |
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