Pathway to Japanese Literature
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Notes of an ExamineeAuthor: Kume Masao
| Original Title | 受験生の手記 |
|---|---|
| Author | 久米 正雄 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | A young man boards a predawn train to Tokyo, burdened by last year’s humiliating failure in a prestigious school’s entrance exam—a defeat he blames on a single mistranslated English word. His younger brother’s silent farewell at the station sharpens his shame; soon, this sibling will join him in the capital as both rival and reminder of wasted time. In Tokyo, cramped lodgings and aimless study sessions mock his resolve, while visits from Sumiko—a cousin whose kindness kindles fragile hope—alternately uplift and torment him. Her laughter lingers like a promise he fears he cannot earn. When his brother arrives, their shared room becomes a battleground of unspoken competition, textbooks mirroring each other like accusations. Between suffocating family expectations and Sumiko’s elusive warmth, every misstep echoes louder: this year’s exam is his last chance to escape disgrace. Yet as spring blossoms over the city, so too does doubt—can determination outpace the shadows of failure, or will one word again unravel his future? |
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