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Crossing Over the SeaAuthor: Tayama Katai
| Original Title | 海をわたる |
|---|---|
| Author | 田山 花袋 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | Two travelers, K and S, approach the end of a months-long journey through rugged landscapes, their camaraderie tinged with unspoken tensions. As they arrive at T Hot Springs—a lackluster resort in Korea—K’s restlessness grows. Subtle exchanges hint at a secret: K dispatches a cryptic telegram, his thoughts consumed by a woman awaiting him in Japan. S, bound by duty to return to Manchuria, masks his loneliness with dry humor, their farewell at a storm-lashed pier heavy with unacknowledged melancholy. Amidst the clatter of port crowds and the ferry’s looming departure, K’s anticipation simmers beneath the surface, his mind already racing toward reunion while S lingers, a solitary figure swallowed by the dispersing throng. The narrative weaves between stark landscapes and intimate moments, contrasting K’s concealed yearning with the bittersweet ache of parting, leaving the reader adrift in the quiet turbulence of journeys ending and desires unresolved. |
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