Pathway to Japanese Literature
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Dwelling AloneAuthor: Oda Sakunosuke
| Original Title | ひとりすまう |
|---|---|
| Author | 織田 作之助 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | On a desolate moonlit shore in a coastal hot spring town, a young student convalescing from tuberculosis encounters a hauntingly beautiful woman standing at the water’s edge. Convinced she intends to drown herself, he rushes to intervene—only to collapse in a fit of bloody coughing. Her unexpected kindness binds them in a fragile intimacy, but their connection soon entangles with Kutsukawa, a volatile man whose possessive grip on her hints at darker histories. As sleepless nights blur into tense days, the trio navigates a labyrinth of jealousy, half-truths, and unspoken desires. The student’s fragile health mirrors his wavering grasp on reality: Is the woman a victim trapped by violence, a seductress toying with hearts, or something more elusive? Between salt-stained whispers and kerosene-laced remedies, alliances shift like tide pools under a treacherous moon. What begins as a rescue mission becomes a mirror for the student’s own mortality—and a test of how deeply beauty can wound before revealing its truths. |
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