Pathway to Japanese Literature

Togane-kun and I—what karmic twist bound us?
We had been together since elementary school—friends from our bamboo-horse days.
Even then we still pledged our friendship.
Though we'd never once quarreled, by then we no longer prayed for mutual affection.
We remained perpetually shackled by rivalry.
When bitterness welled up, I'd wish that Togane might fail.
Even short of that—the mere thought of him surpassing us—left ashes in my mouth.
This stood as undeniable truth.
He too must have nursed such feelings.
Perhaps Togane-kun endured it calmly—his conscience less tender than mine—but I found it agony.
There were moments when reflection filled me with shame at my own heart.
Foolish though these circumstances were—the boat had sailed; no turning back now.

Young Masters Comrades

Togane-kun and I were born in the same village.
My family had long been the village's foremost wealthy landowner.
Just as this hierarchy had been firmly established through generations of my ancestors, Togane's family began laying claim to being the village's best.
This should have been a simple matter to resolve—one needed only compare which household held more farmland or paid greater taxes.
It's not meant as boasting, but my family hosted what was called a thousand-bale celebration during my grandfather's era.
This commemorated our tax rice reaching one thousand bales.
Family lore says it took five days to invite every villager.
They say Togane-kun's grandfather attended daily back then, leading the rhythmic hand-clapping with chants of "Yoisho! Yansha!"
This makes it clear Togane's family were once vassals to our household.
The absence of sixteen-millimeter film in those days proved fortunate for the Toganes.
Had it existed, we would have preserved photographic evidence to silence any disputes.
Yet in my father's generation, our family met ruin through a failed silk mill venture.
He was then pushed into running for prefectural assembly, which also ended poorly.
These misadventures apparently caused our tax rice yields to dwindle considerably.
All this transpired around the time of my birth.
Incidentally, I was my parents' sole child, born when they were already advanced in age.

It was the Togane family that rose to prominence during that time.
Togane-kun’s father was the sort of man who built his fortune in a single generation—quite the operator, which led to various rumors about him.
A saying persists in our village: what stands tallest are the roof of Sanyu-ji Temple, the pine of Hachiman Shrine, and the Togane family’s tax rice.
Their tax rice never lost.
Society may label Togane-kun’s family as upstarts, but I refuse to acknowledge them as such.
I say this in Togane-kun’s defense.
Togane-kun’s family had already been counted among the top five during his grandfather’s generation, and their predecessor had made a name for himself as a Chinese scholar.
Though not to the extent of my family’s standing, they were, so to speak, a branch of old established families.
This can be understood from how Togane-kun’s father married the daughter of a wealthy man in town.
It is said he was chosen for being a handsome man.
It was the backing of that wealthy man that became the catalyst for success when they began sake brewing.

In my family, there was a loyal servant named Chuuhachi who embodied his name’s meaning. He had long since passed away, but I always associated him with Hachiko the faithful dog. When I saw Hachiko’s bronze statue, I thought even their faces resembled each other, and felt immeasurable emotion. My upbringing essentially came from this Chuuhachi. From when I first gained awareness of the world, Chuuhachi remained constantly at my side.

“Kazuo-san, you must never lose to Togane.”
“Mark my words—you’ll make them regret crossing us.”

This was Chuuhachi’s stock phrase, but its meaning didn’t fully register with a child of six or seven. The fact that he spoke of getting back at them must mean our side was already somewhat at a disadvantage even then.

“Is Togane bad?”

“They’re upstarts.”

“What’s an upstart?”

“They’re impertinent. Acting like they’re the Village’s Best.”

“Togane’s store is impressive, isn’t it?”

“That’s exactly why you’ll get back at them one day, Kazuo-san.”

“I still look back even now.
Because it’s such an impressive store, whenever I pass by, I can’t help but look back.”

At that time, I still hadn’t interacted with Togane-kun.
We shared the same character, but in Togane-kun’s name it was positioned above while in mine it was below.
Because our houses were far apart, we didn’t play together.
However, when we entered elementary school, Togane-kun and I ended up sitting side by side at the same desk.
Togane-kun was a far better child than the others.
Togane-kun must have thought of me that way too.
We quickly became friends.

“Kazuo-san, you must become number one.”

“You bet I will.”

“Don’t lose to Togane’s Kin’ichi.”

“I won’t.”

“Togane’s still greedy.”

“Why?”

“The family name is Togane and the given name is Kin’ichi. You can tell someone’s true nature from what they name their child. It’s absolutely galling.”

“Chuuhachi really does despise the Toganes, doesn’t he?”

“Now you listen—we can’t lose this fight. I’ll be making daily pilgrimages to Hachiman Shrine.”

And Chuuhachi was utterly serious.
He began making daily pilgrimages to Hachiman Shrine.
Chuuhachi truly devoted himself to educating me in his own distinctive way.
Unlike others, he never called me young master.
It was his conviction that being raised as a young master would spell trouble.

Togane-kun's family too seemed concerned about his grades and made offerings at Hachiman Shrine.
Hachiman Shrine stood near my house.
My family had been known for generations as the Ogatas before Hachiman.
One day, Togane-kun and his mother came to worship at the shrine and stopped by our home on their way.

“Please get along well.”

That was the request.
Physically, I was bigger.
In a fight, I’d win.

My mother said since they’d come to visit us, we ought to return the courtesy by paying them a visit with me in tow.
But Chuuhachi got wind of it and opposed the idea.

“Madam, what sort of relationship do you imagine exists between the Ogata and Togane families?”

“What do you mean by ‘sort of relationship’?”

“With all respect, Madam—you came here as a bride from the next village over, so you wouldn’t know—but the Toganes have served the Ogatas for generations.”

“That was then, this is now. That’s all in the past anyway.”
“I beg to differ—that’s utterly unthinkable.”
“Aren’t we to go?”
“This Chuuhachi does not consent. Even if a servant visits his lord’s household, there exists no law requiring the lord to return courtesies at the servant’s home. As for the principles of this matter, you should consult the master. If the master says we should go, then I too shall steel myself.”
“What will you do?”

“I shall humbly take my leave and embark on a pilgrimage to the western provinces.”

Even Mother was shocked by the unprecedented vehemence.
Chuuhachi threatened to go on a pilgrimage to the western provinces if I didn’t do as he said.
I took it seriously and behaved obediently.
Chuuhachi had applied that method to Mother.
Just then, Father returned home, and when she consulted him, he said there was no need to go.
Not only that, but Father glared at Mother with an unpleasant expression.

“What sort of reasoning is this?”
“You—”

“There’s nothing particularly wrong with that.”

“Togane has been getting above himself lately. When he comes to meetings, he brazenly takes the seat of honor meant for me. It seems his father has forgotten how he came to our thousand-bale celebration and took charge.”

“Master.”

Chuuhachi clenched his fists and leaned forward.

"What?"

"Should I go give him a good thrashing?"

"Don't spout nonsense."

“It’s infuriating.”
“He’s boasting about being the village’s best.”

“That’s precisely why it’s absurd—he actually believes it.”

“But mark my words—we can’t match this pace forever.”

“Why?”

“The Master only competes in giving.”
“Hachiman Shrine renovations? A hundred yen.”
“Buying a pump? Another hundred yen.”
“Togane gives fifty.”
“They skirt by with half-measures, but in competitions of taking—we’ll never lose.”

“Just wait.”
“They’ll seize everything eventually.”

Despite Chuuhachi’s daily visits, I remember my first academic result being tenth place.
The top ranks were all occupied by tenant farmers' children.
Togane-kun was twelfth.
At this, Chuuhachi was overjoyed.
After that, Togane-kun and I rose and fell in the rankings, but since we were always below tenth place, it didn’t matter which of us came out on top.
Not only did the miller’s son take first place, but he had achieved the top grades in the entire school, so attention shifted entirely in that direction.
Our complacency in thinking our standing didn’t matter either way led to our rankings plummeting steadily.
In the end, it came to be a question of which between Ogata and Togane was the worse.
The two of us teamed up to run wild together.
The landowner’s children wielded influence.
All the students with poor grades became our followers.
Around third or fourth grade, I did something wrong and was made to stay after school every day.
Togane-kun sympathized and did not go home.
He would always stand waiting beneath the classroom window until evening.
Sometimes, he would even slip me caramels when the teacher wasn’t looking.
Togane-kun also made blunders from time to time.
In such times, I too would be too worried to go home.
I made sure to conscientiously return the favor with snacks.

One day, Togane-kun's mother was summoned to the school.
Since I had anticipated this, during recess I peeked into the principal’s office and found she had indeed come.
His mother bowed her head before the principal and seemed to be receiving a stern talking-to.

“What’ll I do?
My mother is being scolded.”

With that, Togane-kun looked like he was about to cry.

“Wait.”
“If you do it, the punishment will be harsher—let me handle this.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Now, now—just you wait and see.”

I felt compelled to prove our friendship.
Yet I couldn’t fathom what course to take.
As I kept tilting my head in thought, my gaze landed on the radish field beyond the schoolyard.
I yanked out a radish and hurled it through the principal’s office window.
In hindsight, it was idiotic—but no better idea had come to me.
Since it was recess, everyone witnessed it.
The teacher caught me red-handed, summoning my mother this time.
As Mother bowed before the principal, murmuring apologies—

“Payback!”

A voice cried out, and a radish came flying in.
Togane-kun returned the favor.
Far from competing in grades, we spent our elementary school days as partners in mischief like this, so we were never on bad terms.

Prestige and Capability

We began attending middle school.
Every morning we would invite each other and ride our bicycles to the town about four kilometers west.
Even the village troublemakers lost their nerve when going elsewhere.
We made a pact to help each other if the town students bullied us.

“If our grades get too bad, it’ll be a disgrace to the village. Let’s at least try to put in a bit more effort.”

When I said this, Togane-kun answered,

“Nah, let’s leave the village’s honor to Seki-kun.”
“Seki-kun will handle it.”

Seki-kun was the miller's son.
Because he was exceptionally bright, the principal said he wanted to send him to a higher-level school and worked tirelessly to make it happen.
First, he visited Togane-kun’s father, explained Seki-kun’s academic performance, and then pleaded whether he might provide financial assistance for attending the town’s commercial school.
The principal declared him a model child unlike any he had encountered since beginning his career in education.
Mr. Togane, of course, refused.
His policy was to avoid competitive giving.
The principal next consulted my father.
My father apparently got angry.

“Why didn’t you come to me first?”

“There was no particular intent behind it. Since you have already contributed so much up until now, I thought to have Mr. Togane provide the funds this time.”

“I see.”

“I have served as principal for many years, yet never once made such an entreaty before.”
“But this time, it would be regrettable to let the opportunity pass.”
“I myself wish to shoulder some portion of the burden for Seki’s sake.”

“That will not be necessary.”
“I shall assume full responsibility.”

“I must offer my deepest apologies for this imposition, but earnestly beg your kind consideration.”

“Think nothing of it—this is for posterity’s sake.”
“Are there no others?”
“Any other promising scholars you might wish to advance to higher institutions—”

“There are no others.”
“Only Seki.”

“I will provide as much as needed.”

And Father would never lose when it came to the competition of giving.

When I became a third-year middle school student, Chuuhachi, the loyal servant, died.
He had been ill for a long time.
They converted the storeroom into a sickroom, and my mother attended to him constantly.
The night before he died, Chuuhachi said he wanted to see me.
When I sat by his bedside,

“Kazuo-san, you’ve looked after me all this time.”
“Well now, Chuuhachi will be making his way to the Western Provinces.”

he said.
This time, it wasn’t a pilgrimage.
It meant he was going to die.

“That kind of weak-spirited talk won’t do.”
“You’ve got to stay strong.”

“No—I can’t go on any longer.”

I knew it was hopeless.
I shed tears.

“Kazuo-san, study hard and become someone great.”

“Right.”

“Become someone like the president of Muslin.”
“If you do that, you can get back at Togane.”

“Right.”

“Please get back at Togane for me.”
“This is my only dying wish.”

“Chuuhachi, there’s no need for last wishes.”
“You must stay strong.”

“No—it’s already too late.”

I felt Chuuhachi’s final words seep into my very being, hardening my determination to surpass Togane.

Around that time, the Village's Best rivalry grew increasingly fierce. Father and Mother were serious. Father, who had been on the defensive until then, established the Muslin Company in the village in partnership with influential figures from Tokyo. He became a director and frequently traveled to Tokyo. There were many frequent visitors to the house. It was the first time since I could remember that our household showed such vitality. The village girls worked at the factory. Because this brought prosperity to the village, Father gained a favorable reputation. Meanwhile, the Togane family steadily expanded their sake brewery business. Togane-kun's father, unlike mine, cared neither for airs nor appearances. He worked until he was blackened with grime. I was out playing when it struck me—we couldn't possibly compete like this. The villagers determine a person's worth by the size of their financial standing. Their most interesting topic of conversation is people's household assets. Therefore, Ogata and Togane, vying for Village's Best, were constantly talked about.

“Which one do you think it is?”
“Still Togane, I’d say.”
“After all, they’ve got such tremendous momentum!”

“No—it’s Ogata, I tell you.”
“The Furukawa’s waters never run dry—they’ve still got hidden strength somewhere.”
“Even this time, they’ve secured a directorship at Muslin.”

“However, Togane has built an addition to their storehouse.”

“Ogata has Tokyo in reserve.”
“Their connections are solid.”
“Their prestige is on another level.”

“Capability over prestige.”
“Togane is solidly built, so they’ll ultimately secure victory.”

“When it comes to cash, it seems the Toganes have more.”
“When it comes to rice fields, they’ve been the Ogatas’ since time immemorial.”

“It’s said their ancestral lands were put up as collateral and turned into Muslin shares.”

In short, it seemed to be the established view that the Ogatas represented prestige while the Toganes stood for capability.
I could see their point.
My household and Togane-kun's family certainly took different approaches.
Our side did everything with flair.
Because we prioritized appearances, there was an inherent strain.
Their side didn’t care a whit about appearances.
The master wore the same clothes as the craftsmen and came and went to the storehouse.
Father going to Tokyo to spend money was the plus to their minus.
I grew somewhat worried and asked Mother about it, but she said everything was fine.
Since Mother also came from an old-established family, she seemed intent on reigning over the entire village with time-honored prestige.

Togane-kun and I remained on good terms.
Even knowing about the competition between our families, Togane-kun and I made efforts to avoid broaching the subject.
But when I became a third-year student and shot up forty-five places through diligent studying, Togane-kun must have noticed—he promptly filed a formal protest.

“You outsmarted me, didn’t you?”

“No—it’s not like that. If I kept quiet, my rank just happened to go up.”

“If you stay quiet, mine drops.”
“I ended up dropping six ranks.”

“Whichever way you look at it, we’re both at the core.”
“It’s six of one and half a dozen of the other, so it’s not an issue.”

“…………”

“Next time it’ll be my turn to drop and yours to rise—no hard feelings.”

“I’d never once doubted your friendship until now...”

“So you’re saying I betrayed it?”

“You broke our promise—that’s what matters.”

“What promise are you talking about?”

“Back in our first year, you were the one who brought up studying.”
“But I opposed it, didn’t I?”

“Hmm.”

“When I said we should entrust the village’s honor to Seki-kun, you praised him, didn’t you?
“That’s why I felt completely at ease.”

“Praising Seki-kun doesn’t equate to promising not to study.”
“I merely stated that Seki-kun would naturally achieve grades befitting the village’s honor.”

“So you did study after all?”
“This time—”

“I did study a little.”

“Look here.”
“You’re lying.”
“If I’d stayed quiet now, didn’t you just say it was a coincidence that my rank went up?”

“…………”

“From now on, do try to be a bit more careful. Because of you, I got a proper scolding from Father.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Because I lost to you.”

“Haven’t I always been two or three ranks above you until now?”

“But this time the gap is different.
You rose and I fell, so we ended up thirteen ranks apart.”

“That’s unreasonable.
I can’t have it pinned on me.
I never made any promise to slack off!”

“It wasn’t a promise to slack off.
It was a promise not to study.”

“I don’t recall ever making such a promise.
Studying is a student’s duty.”

“I know that much myself.”

“If you understand, then there’s no need to say such strange things, is there?”

“You don’t understand how I feel.”

“What exactly do you mean by that?”

“…………”

Togane-kun did not answer.
He left without a word.
Right after the results were announced, he had deliberately come to confront me.
For me too, this was the first time things ended in a stalemate after arguing with Togane-kun, so I somehow felt uneasy.
However, I had no recollection of making any promise not to study.
Whether I rose to tenth rank or twentieth rank was my own business.
Thinking that I needed to establish an understanding on that point to avoid being complained to at every semester’s end from now on, I visited Togane-kun that evening.

“You—about our earlier discussion. This notion that I promised not to study is fundamentally your misunderstanding.”

“I’ve reconsidered since then.”
“True enough, we never formally swore anything.”
“But I’d been acting on that assumption—it comes to the same thing.”
“You really ought to refrain from studying.”
“I’ll persist in my usual idleness.”

“Why?”

“I think friendship matters more than grades.”
“I have never once fought with you since elementary school.”
“I consider you my brother.”

“If I am your brother then should it not be acceptable for me to surpass you?”

“A difference of two or three ranks would be tolerable.”
“But ten ranks apart makes Father displeased—that becomes problematic.”

“Could you not apply yourself somewhat?”
“You would catch up quickly.”

“No—I do not wish to defeat you.”

“Why?”
“Is it because you’re my brother?”

“Hmm.
“You’re the older one.”

“Spare me such courtesy, I beg you.”
“I can’t afford to slack off while keeping pace with you.”
“We’re already third-year students.”
“Because I must prepare to advance step by step to higher schools.”

“Are you planning to go to Tokyo?”

“Hmm.”

“You broke our promise again, you bastard.”

“What’s this ‘bastard’ business?”

“You’re being too cruel.”

“What’s gotten into you? I don’t recall making any promise not to go. I only said I didn’t know whether I’d go or not.”

“…………”

“You unilaterally decide everything and call it a promise. Do you have a problem with me going to a higher school?”

“That may be your prerogative, but I don’t want to compete with you. But if you go, I’ll end up having to go too.”

“Then why don’t you just go?”

“You don’t understand my feelings, do you?”

“What ‘feelings’ are you talking about? You left without saying that earlier.”

“Then I’ll speak plainly.”
“But what can’t be said at your house can’t be said at mine either.”
“Let’s go outside.”

“A fight? You’re…”

“That’s exactly why you keep saying you don’t understand my heart.”

Togane-kun stood up with a face on the verge of tears.
I followed Togane-kun out to the back.
Togane-kun hurried along the path through the green rice fields, striding steadily.
I called out from behind.

“Where are you off to?”

“Just a bit farther.”

“Isn’t this spot good enough? Because there’s no one around here.”

“This is my family’s rice field.”

It seemed an extension of what had been meant by things that couldn’t be said at home.
Togane-kun soon came to a stop.
“You—this is your family’s rice field, isn’t it?”

"Hmm."

"This won't do."
"Let's keep moving forward."

With that, Togane-kun started walking again.

The two arrived at the small Inari shrine.
The shrine was small, but it had two large pine trees that were second only to those at Hachiman Shrine.
We stood beneath them.
It was nearly sunset.
Togane-kun kept stroking the pine trunk for reasons unclear, not broaching the subject at all.

“Ogata-kun, these two pines have been growing together since olden times.”

“Hmm.”

“Ah, the sunset is beautiful.
With this balance of elements, tomorrow should bring fine weather too.”

“Hmm.”

“Continuous sunshine now would benefit the crops most.”

“You—instead of all that, just tell me what you have to say.”

“I don’t want to say it, but there’s no avoiding it.”
“Don’t be angry with me, I implore you.”

“I don’t mind.”
“If you don’t tell me, I’ll never understand your feelings.”

“Then I’ll say it. Is that all right?”

“By all means.”

“Your family and mine are competing to be the village’s best. You already know this, don’t you?”

“Hmm.”

“I don’t care which of us comes out on top. This whole rivalry business seems rather pointless to me—but what do you think?”

“I feel the same way.”

“As for our fathers, that’s one thing—but if we children get drawn into this rivalry too, our friendship will be ruined.”
“My father says yours will soon be deceived by Tokyo people and have all his assets taken away—it’s pitiable.”

“...”

“If he feels sorry for him, he should’ve told him instead of just standing by silently.”
“But at your place too, they must certainly be badmouthing my father, right?”

“Because it’s a competition, of course they don’t speak well of each other.”

“What are they saying?”

“Who knows?”

“Since I’ve told you mine, you must kindly tell me yours.”

“Togane-san says he’s worried about keeping bad company.”

“Hmm.”
“Who?”
“And who is this ‘bad company’?”

“They say it’s a blind man called Yoku no Ichi.”
“Because he’s being led around by this fellow, he’ll end up sinking into a quagmire, they say.”

“Both are as bad as each other.”

“Ha ha ha.”

“You—please consider this one thing.”
“No matter what happens between our parents, we are friends.”
“I don’t want to engage in some pointless competition.”
“I don’t know how you feel, but I’ve been thinking about this since elementary school.”

“I’ve been thinking about it too.”

“If you and I stay vigilant, even our parents will come to understand.”
“It’s because those around us keep whispering nonsense that things go wrong.”
“I think this is really just a competition with tenant farmers and hangers-on.”
“As proof—my father sometimes praises your household.”

“At my place too, it’s the same. They say your father is quite the remarkable man.”

“They’re acknowledging each other.”

“There’s no use in us worrying about the families’ rivalry.”
“What matters more is school.”
“I may not compete, but I will study.”

“But if you study, I’ll study too—then it becomes a competition.”

“That’s not it.”
“It’s about me advancing to higher school.”
“There’s an entrance exam.”

“I’m going to a higher school too.”

“Why not both study then?”
“Being the Village’s Best means nothing to me.”
“Our true goal is to become admirable people together.”

“Your logic isn’t wrong, but—”

“Your family already holds the Village’s Best title.”
“since Capability rests with Togane by consensus.”

“But my family lacks Prestige.”
“Your family has superior connections.”
“And beyond that, yours holds Tokyo in reserve since—”

“Before long, everything will be taken away by Tokyo.”

“That was a joke.”
“Ha ha ha.”

“You—the sun’s already setting.”
“Wait kindly—there’s one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“I think it would be good if you had a sister.”
“Why?”
“I’ll take one. That’s the quickest way.”
“If we became relatives, there’d be no Village’s Best or anything like that.”
“But since there isn’t one, there’s nothing to be done.”

“At my place, there are two.”

“What is it? Ha ha!”

“I’ve been giving this real thought.”

“Stop it. It’s pointless.”

We talked a little longer before parting.
In the end, nothing was resolved.
Togane-kun might insist again that we’d made a promise not to study, but as for me, I believed I had fully expressed my intentions.
I will not compete.
However, I will study.

Fortunately, we never touched upon the issue again.
We spent our fourth and fifth years on good terms.
This was probably because I had changed my resolve and didn’t push myself too hard.
Our grades returned to being indistinguishable.
In our fifth year, I took Waseda University’s entrance exam and Togane-kun took Keio University’s, but we both failed without any resentment between us.
Our mediocrity—we were evenly matched since elementary school.
After graduating, we each managed to enroll in our intended universities.

University Days and the Awakening of Youth

At that time, the Togane family’s business was thriving, and their prosperity only grew.
My family’s Muslin Company was also thriving, and my father held considerable influence.
The movements and Tokyo visit of Muslin Company executive Mr. Ogata appeared in the town newspaper.
No matter who it was, the villagers still made people’s personal affairs their topic of conversation.

“Truly, Ogata and Togane are clashing fiercely.”
“Even their schools split into Waseda and Keio.”

they clamored.
They wanted to keep driving the competition endlessly.
However, we were unperturbed because we had a mutual understanding.
In Tokyo, we rarely met, but when we returned home for holidays, we would come and go between each other’s homes.
We often talked deeply without touching on the issue or the Waseda-Keio rivalry.
In the midst of this, Togane-kun’s older sister married the son of a Tokyo capitalist.
Because their father was a handsome man, all his daughters were beautiful.
Togane-kun was the only son among women.
There was one older sister and two younger sisters.

“Togane has gained prestige too.”
“They say the mother of the household their daughter married into comes from an aristocratic family.”
“Considering they’ve become relatives with an aristocratic family now, it’s splendid indeed.”

That was the rumor.
I became slightly worried.
If they already had capability and now gained prestige too, there would be no competing.
I thought it would mean our defeat, but then reconsidered that such rivalry was foolish.
However, from around that time, Togane-kun suddenly grew more aggressive in his ambitions.

“You realize Waseda’s no match for Keio at all.”

He came at me head-on.
Of course, this was about the Waseda-Keio rivalry.
Since it was right after the season when Waseda had suffered a crushing defeat, I had nothing to say.
I wondered if this guy was using baseball to allude to another issue.

“First off, our stands’ colors aren’t even comparable.”
“Mine’s a proper flower garden!”

“Is that so...”

“The whole aristocracy roots for Keio, you know.”
“Viscount ○○’s heir told me himself.”

“We’ve got the masses behind us.”
“Just look at that lawn.”
“Completely packed.”

“It’s a matter of quality over quantity.”
“The young ladies of aristocratic circles gather in my side’s stands as though fully mobilized.”
“I hadn’t known this, but when I heard it recently from Viscount ○○’s heir, I realized—yes, it must indeed be rich in color.”

“Was he a classmate? The heir was?”

“No—a relative of my brother-in-law in Tokyo.”

“Right, right—congratulations to your sister this time.”

And I offered my congratulations.
“Thank you.”
“We received congratulations from your side as well.”

“I returned home two days ago and only just heard about it—that she married into an aristocratic family.”

“That’s not right.”
“We’re commoners just like them.”

“But that’s what people are saying.”

“Her mother is the niece of Viscountess ○○’s younger sister’s husband—distant relatives technically—but since we work at the same company as my brother-in-law, we’re quite close.”
“They even attended the ceremony.”

“I see.”

“Both the heir and my brother-in-law are Keio graduates.”
“It helps that they’re upperclassmen.”

“Your sister’s so beautiful—she’ll probably put on airs in Tokyo too.”

“Hmm.”
“She was highly sought after, you know.”
“Fate works in strange ways.”
“My brother-in-law came to Higashihama last summer for swimming.”
“Since my sister happened to be visiting relatives in town, they apparently met at the beach.”

“So it was love at first sight, then?”

“That’s about the gist of it. But it’s like matching a paper lantern against a temple bell. Their side has millions to spare.”

“Hmm.”

“I was surprised!”

And Togane-kun began talking about his brother-in-law’s family’s extravagance.

However, our relationship showed no change whatsoever over the next three or four years.
Togane-kun remained Togane-kun; as for me, I had begun making some efforts during those latter couple of years.
This was because Togane-kun’s younger sister Ikuko-san had come of age and captivated my heart.
I dismissed it with a laugh when Togane-kun posed me a riddle beneath Inari Shrine’s pine tree—that was back in our third year of middle school.
Such matters left no room for deliberation.
Simply thinking that Togane-kun valued our friendship this deeply made me reverse my decision to compete.
But now I too stood in youth’s prime, with Ikuko-san having graduated from girls’ school—we were proclaimed the village’s finest pair.
I harbored no objections to this village supremacy.
Within that framework burned my desire to resurrect and resolve that pine-shaded riddle on my own terms.
As Togane-kun had said—were our families to become kin through marriage—first and second places would vanish.
It suited my circumstances and served both parental houses alike.
My sole concern lay with my parents’ approval.
Unless approached with utmost finesse—they would refuse.

The competition for village supremacy had grown even more acute since the Togane family began seeking prestige in Tokyo.

Around that time, rumors began circulating that the Togane family was once again planning to send Tsuruko-san off to Tokyo.
For me, it was a major crisis.
Since I happened to be home for winter break, I promptly visited Togane-kun and confronted him directly.

“You—I hear Tsuruko-san’s marriage arrangement has become quite the talk around town. Is that true?”

“It’s settled already.”

“Hmm?”

“After all, it’s Tokyo.”
“My sister arranged it.”
“He’s my brother-in-law’s cousin and this time an Imperial University graduate—a brilliant scholar.”

“So everyone’s being sent off to Tokyo, huh?”

“Hmm. It’s pitiful to leave a girl deep in the countryside.”

“……”

“I discussed it with Father and established our policy.”
“We’re sending all my sisters to Tokyo.”
“In exchange, we’ll take brides exclusively from Tokyo.”

“You’re being utterly self-centered.”
“Isn’t it pitiful for those coming to this backwater countryside?”

“I don’t want to stay in the village.”
“It’s Tokyo.”
“You—your life—”
“Your ideology’s changed, hasn’t it?”

“Why?”

“Didn’t you say you’d take her if I had a sister?”

“I see.
But since you don’t have one, I said there was no helping it.”

“I said.
But there was still more to it, I tell you.”

“You remember such trivial things.
Ha ha.”

And this time, it was Togane-kun who dismissed it with a laugh.
As for me, since I hadn’t made an issue of it back then, I had no grounds to lodge complaints now.
Just as we had reached a stalemate, Tsuruko-san came in carrying tea.

“Congratulations, Tsuruko-san.”

“Oh my!”

“It’s Tokyo, I hear?”

“Y-yes… Oh-hohoho!”

And Tsuruko-san covered her face with her sleeve and ran away.
She was utterly guileless.
I had thought I’d made something of an impression, but that had been mere subjectivity on my part.

By now, the Togane family’s intentions should have been clear.
I must have appeared extremely gullible.

Two years later, as our graduation approached, Togane-kun's youngest sister Tsuruko-san had become a fifth-year student at girls' school.
Because she was as beautiful as Ikuko-san, if not more so, she again became the talk of the town.
This time, I too made active efforts.
Tsuruko-san also clearly showed her inclination.
This was different from my previous subjective impression.
Whenever I went to visit, she would always come out.

“Even if my brother’s Keio, I’m Waseda! I’m Team Waseda through and through—baseball or whatever it takes!”

she proclaimed resolutely.
One day, when I visited Togane-kun and found him not in, Tsuruko-san considerately suggested I go upstairs to wait since he would return soon.
I went into Togane-kun's room and talked with Tsuruko-san for a while.
When the shoji opened, I thought Togane-kun had come back, but it was his father.

“Oh. Mr. Kazuo?”

he said with a surprised look,

“Tsuruko, you go over there.”

he commanded.
He then took his seat with a stern expression,

“Kazuo-san, as you have received a university education, you must be thoroughly versed in etiquette and manners.”

“Yes...”

“It’s entirely improper for you to come upstairs and speak with Tsuruko while Kin’ichi is away.”

“…………”

“Do exercise caution.
“Social appearances must be maintained.”

“Yes...
“Given our longstanding acquaintance, I merely intended to wait for Kin’ichi-kun upon being invited upstairs.”
“My most sincere apologies.”

And I apologized and crawled away in retreat.
Since then, I never approached the Togane household again.
Yet Togane-kun came visiting that very night, apologizing not just for his father's discourtesy but vowing friendship.
His father had demanded I acknowledge his sincerity by any means necessary.

Company Employment and the Dawn of Resolution

We soon graduated.
I steeled my resolve.
The competition to be the village's best had now reached its peak.
It was completely even.
The Ogata family increased in capability, the Togane family gained prestige, and a balance was maintained.
The balance was tilting in one direction through their sons' success.
I felt a heavy responsibility.
First and foremost, I had to join a better company than Togane-kun.
Therefore, Muslin was no longer an issue.
My father shared that intention.
He said that even if I were to inherit Muslin eventually, working my way up at a central company first would be preferable.
However, having neglected my studies throughout school, my grades fell short for first-tier company exams.
It was no use resenting Togane-kun now.
I pulled every string and secured a recommendation to the top second-tier firm.
My first strategic move—to shame Togane-kun through corporate prestige—collapsed when I arrived for the entrance exam and found him waiting there too.

“What? You too? That’s a surprise.”

“What a fine twist of fate this is.”

“If you’re here too, then your grades aren’t that impressive either, huh?”

“Hmm. Well, I’d specified wanting the best position in a second-tier company—might be a bit of a stretch, but they told me to give it a shot anyway.”

Togane-kun was employing exactly the same strategy.

I thought competing at the same company would be suffocating, but I couldn’t back down now. If they passed and we failed, it would be as good as a loss. It would immediately reach our hometown. This employment exam would determine our fates all at once.

It appeared that both had given their all, for we were both accepted for employment. In truth, we had wanted to fail and go our separate ways, but since we were enemies and allies, we couldn’t bring ourselves to discuss it beforehand.

Togane-kun began commuting from that brother-in-law’s house.
I chose apartment living as a form of rigorous training in all aspects.
My determination to stand independent and self-reliant was firm enough, but having no patron to back me, I was quickly outmaneuvered.
Togane-kun followed his brother-in-law’s connections and swiftly established a relationship with the president’s son.
Perhaps even his passing had been aided by his brother-in-law’s connections.
Although the president’s son was still a regular employee, he was being fawned over by the younger crowd.
A parent’s influence casts a long shadow—since that parent was the company president, he received special treatment.
The young master himself never missed an opportunity to mention—

“My old man said so.”

he would touch upon what seemed like pivotal company matters.
And yet he didn’t understand his work in the slightest.
Since I was completely unaware of the circumstances, I ended up becoming particularly close with Haraguchi-kun, the hardliner whom the president’s son found difficult to handle.
By the time I noticed, it was already too late.
If Haraguchi-kun lacked credibility, then I, being dragged around by him, naturally lacked credibility as well.

The president’s son, regarding some issue,

“My old man said so.”

When he trotted out his stock phrase,

“What does Mother say?”

Haraguchi-kun had asked.
Since this had happened in the crowded cafeteria too, the president’s son had been glaring at Haraguchi-kun ever since.
Haraguchi-kun himself remained completely unfazed.
He’d always said he liked a good fight.
If I were to confide in Togane-kun about how things had unfolded,

“Well, isn’t that something.”
“I’ll lend you a hand.”

Haraguchi-kun made the offer, but he was hardly someone who could help anyone get ahead.
If anything, there was a risk we’d both get fired together.

For one year, nothing happened.
Togane-kun became part of the president’s son’s entourage and studied golf and mahjong.
He would mutter that maintaining those connections cost him nearly his entire salary.
They never grew distant from each other.
To those unaware, they appeared to be close friends.
Yet occasionally, perhaps because their true feelings surfaced, their conversations would turn sarcastic.

“Ogata-kun, why don’t you go pay your respects to the president’s son sometime?”

“Who knows.”

“The young master has taken an interest in you.”

“What’s he saying exactly?”

“Hmm. The guy sucking up to the big-headed bastard is some nobody from god knows where.”

“I see. So he doesn’t like me associating with Haraguchi-kun, huh?”

“That’s probably about right. I’ll keep that in mind. It might be better to hold back a little.”

“Thank you.”
“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind too.”
“In this company, it’s more rewarding to suck up to dimwits than to the smart ones—so knock yourself out.”

Haraguchi-kun, with his large head, was also sharp-witted.
He was three or four years my senior and also a Waseda graduate.
He unreasonably favored me.

“A Waseda-Keio battle for village supremacy—now that’s rich.”
“I pray you emerge victorious.”

“That is my resolve.”

“This place is a Waseda-Keio battlefield too. Those riding on coattails are Keio graduates.”

“But it seems he quit halfway through.”

“Alma mater? Since he failed so many times and got expelled—now that’s his real ‘alma mater’ for you.”

“Ha ha ha…”

“Waseda’s too rigid, you know. Whether they’re the president’s son or some nobody—we go by real ability.”

“I share that approach.”

“However, you’re a bit unfocused. Is that just your natural disposition?”

“Who knows.”

“I can’t grasp the enemy’s strategy at all. You need to be a bit sharper.”

“Are you up to something?”

“He’s been actively frequenting the section chief’s house.”
“Any idea what he’s after?”

“Career advancement.”

“Obviously—but I can’t exactly go asking them to promote me.”
“There’s groundwork required first.”

“What sort?”
“That would be...”

“Have the section chief find him a bride with the right connections.”
“An executive’s daughter would be the quickest path, but since Togane-kun hasn’t made any impression yet, that’s off the table.”
“My guess? A shareholder’s daughter.”

“I see.”

“I expect it’ll move forward sooner than expected.”

Indeed, Haraguchi-kun’s prediction had come true. Togane-kun married that summer. The bride was a shareholder’s daughter. We attended the reception and toasted to the new household’s happiness. At that time, Togane-kun’s parents and sisters were all present. After the gathering ended, I greeted everyone. With Tsuruko-san, it was different.

“Tsuruko-san.”

“What is it?”

“It’s been a while.”

“Oh.”
“Everyone has changed so completely, I nearly didn’t recognize you.”

“How pitiful.”

“Not at all—it’s different from your student uniform.”

“Thank you.”
“I’ll take my leave.”
“I mustn’t have you getting scolded by your father again.”

Haraguchi-kun, who had been watching this scene, later asked about Tsuruko-san.
I spoke of my true feelings without reservation.

“So you want to marry her, don’t you?”

“But given the circumstances, there’s no choice but to give up.”

“Take her as your wife. I’ve been watching that young lady and your determination—this is a true meeting of minds, I thought.”

“I don’t believe I’m disliked, but...”

“Such a passive approach won’t do. Waseda’s too rigid.”

“Unlike other things, this alone is a matter of fate. Between us, perhaps—but they won’t allow it.”

“Reverse the fate. I’ll lend you the strength of my arm.”

Haraguchi-kun willingly took on anything himself.
He claimed everything under heaven would go according to his plans, but in truth, it never did.
But I felt energized when Haraguchi-kun encouraged me.
I was satisfied with that alone.
Because I was weak-willed, I needed a supporter-like advisor like this.
Moreover, unlike me, he was sharp-witted.
He probed where to insert his antennae, investigating Togane-kun's every move with meticulous precision.

Another half a year passed.

My situation was not favorable at present.
The rumor that Togane-kun had married the daughter of a major shareholder through a corporate executive’s matchmaking made a strong impression on our hometown acquaintances.
The section chief had become an executive, and the mid-level shareholder had become a major shareholder.
I should really marry someone with influential connections to get back at him, but since I was thinking of Tsuruko-san, this approach was out of the question.
Mother told me to get my act together and sent word.
She probably meant I should learn from Togane-kun.

“Togane-kun’s side moved quickly. It seems they’ve already managed it,” said Haraguchi-kun.
“What, are you a kid?”

“Hmm.”
“My wife’s got this morning sickness business and is in a foul mood.”
“She makes unreasonable demands, but since the matchmaker is the section chief, Togane-kun can’t exactly stand up to her.”

“That’s just the prelude to commitment. It’s the ladder to promotion.”
“The ladder to promotion.”
“Even if she’s being selfish, you’ve got to cherish her.”

One day, Togane-kun came to work with a plaster on his nose and attracted everyone’s attention. He explained that he had been involved in a traffic accident and that what could have been a major disaster had turned into a minor one. However, two or three days later, he came to my apartment late at night and confessed the truth. Perhaps to lull me into complacency by pledging friendship, he would often engage in conversation as if there were no hard feelings. However, this was the first time he had come deliberately.

“You—even if you forget, aren’t you going to take a bride through your superior’s matchmaking?”
“Surely you haven’t started marriage talks yet?”

“Hmm.”
“It’s fine.”
“But what’s happened to you?”

“I regret it.
“Even if my wife doesn’t listen to me, I can’t firmly put my foot down in front of the section chief.
“She’s grown even more presumptuous, and this here is from the other day.”

Togane-kun pointed at his nose with the plaster.

“Did you have a marital spat?”

“Hmm.”
“When I resolutely admonished her, she talked back.”
“Tokyo women are sharp-tongued.”
“I was backed into a corner and ended up giving her a push on the shoulder out of sheer frustration.”
“Then she came at me, grappling, and bit my nose.”

“That’s rough.”

“You resorted to physical force, didn’t you.”
“I’ll go call the section chief,” she said, and left.
“Not just the section chief—she brought my father-in-law too.”
“My wife won’t let me speak.”
“She holds forth endlessly by herself.”
“I became the complete villain.”
“Father-in-law asked, ‘Kin’ichi-san, what on earth happened to your nose?’ but I couldn’t possibly say ‘Your daughter bit me.’”
“The section chief’s glaring to stop him from saying that.”

“What did he say?”

“I told him I bit it myself.”

“You idiot. Hahaha.”

“I panicked a bit. But that’s just how it is. After all, since the section chief is our matchmaker, any domestic negligence directly affects one’s standing in the company.”

“You really should have married my sister after all.”

“…”

“Hahaha.”

And I had made him somewhat realize.

“You know, Haraguchi-kun actually brought up that matter.”

“Hmm.”

“I’ve been thinking about it too.”
“But you know how my father is.”

“I think it’s extremely difficult, but on my own part, I still have plenty of resolve.”

"I heard all the details from Haraguchi-kun. In truth, Tsuruko has marriage proposals from various quarters, but she says she won’t go anywhere. I feel responsible. You know, this takes our relationship back to our middle school days."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The truth is, back then, I was serious, so I told Tsuruko to go marry you. It was still during third or fourth year of elementary school when she answered, 'If it's Kazuo-san's place, I'll go.' Of course, it was just like a childish game—but somehow that seems to have stuck in Tsuruko’s head."

“Hmm.”

“Somehow she likes you.”
“If she’s been convinced of that all this time since back then, I feel gravely responsible.”

“…”

“Anyway, while venting these complaints, I came wanting you to understand my recent state of mind.”
“You’ll recognize my sincerity, won’t you?”

“Absolutely.”

“Truthfully, after that incident, something made me reconsider—I resolved to become Village’s Best. But even following Father’s plans to the letter only brought the children misery.”
“My brother-in-law turned out an utter wastrel, and my sister endures constant hardship.”
“The other brother-in-law himself is fine enough, but with such a difficult mother-in-law, Ikuko does nothing but weep.”
“And now I’ve got this nose-biting commotion—makes me dread what’s coming next.”

“What a fate we share.”
“Even if Tsuruko-san were willing to come and I were willing to take her in, getting both sets of parents to agree is simply unimaginable.”

“I have an idea.”

“What is it?”

“You too stay unmarried and wait as you are.”
“Tsuruko will also stay as she is—not going anywhere—and wait.”

“I see.”

“Both our situations would overwhelm them.”
“If my father yields, your family would likely reconsider too.”

“But Tsuruko-san—is she truly prepared for this?”

“Of course I’ll confirm it.”

“That’s a sound method.”

“There’s another approach.”
“You go and take Tsuruko by force.”

“I can’t do something so reckless.”

“This was the brainchild of the big-brained one.”

“Hmm.”

“This Village’s Best rivalry is sheer idiocy.”
“It makes casualties of children.”

“You mean that sincerely?”

“You still doubt me?”

“No—I needed certainty.”
“Then I’ll cut through it all.”

“Thank you.”
“Save Tsuruko.”

“I’m the one needing salvation.”

“They say children never grasp their parents’ hearts—but parents rarely fathom their children’s either.”
“We’ve poured ourselves into this since we were boys.”

(September 1936, Fuji)