Pathway to Japanese Literature
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MukiAuthor: Ran Ikujirō
| Original Title | 夢鬼 |
|---|---|
| Author | 蘭 郁二郎 |
| Genre | Detective & Mystery |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In a decaying circus troupe drifting through rural Japan, a tormented boy named Kurokichi endures relentless cruelty for his clumsiness and disfigured face. Shunned by peers and abused by the troupe’s ruthless leader, he finds fleeting solace in stolen moments with Yōko—a radiant girl performer whose beauty and skill mask a chilling fascination with pain. Their bond deepens in shadows: Kurokichi hoards fragments of her presence—saliva-stained crackers, discarded garments—while Yōko lures him into a perilous aerial act where life dangles by a thread. As their performances grow more death-defying, obsession blurs into a dangerous symbiosis. Kurokichi’s desperate yearning clashes with Yōko’s eerie allure, both drawn to the ecstasy of risk and the thrill of control. Beneath the troupe’s garish spectacle lies a world of sweat-stained desperation, where love curdles into possession and every leap could be their last. Whispers of blood, betrayal, and phantom visions haunt their ascent—a dance on the edge of oblivion, where salvation and ruin wear the same painted smile. |
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