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MothAuthor: Tanaka Kōtarō
| Original Title | 蛾 |
|---|---|
| Author | 田中 貢太郎 |
| Genre | Popular Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In a dimly-lit bar on a rain-soaked evening, patrons clash and mingle under flickering electric lights. Among them is O-sachi, a graceful waitress navigating rowdy customers—a boisterous youth performing drunken ballads, boisterous apprentices demanding drinks, and a disheveled man fleeing into the storm. The atmosphere shifts when a refined stranger enters, his gentle demeanor contrasting sharply with the chaos. Intrigued by a moth fluttering near his collar, he rescues it from swatting hands, murmuring, *“Humans are so cruel.”* His kindness captivates O-sachi, sparking quiet fascination as he lingers over a modest meal. Their fleeting exchanges—charged with unspoken curiosity—hint at a deeper connection, though his sudden departure leaves her unsettled. Days later, he returns mysteriously injured, his wrist bandaged and spirit diminished, before vanishing again. When O-sachi discovers a charred moth outside the bar, its fate mirrors haunting questions about fragility and hidden cruelty. Amid clinking glasses and raucous laughter, an ethereal tension lingers—where tenderness and darkness flutter just beyond reach. |
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