I am a literary giant in Japan

Chapter 158: Ripples Caused by a Stone Drop

This issue of the newspaper serializes the fifth and sixth chapters of Paradise Lost.

The story of Chapter 5, “First Meeting,” begins in the new year.

The third and fourth chapters of the previous issue caused a huge response among readers immediately after they were published in the newspaper.

The third chapter "Good Night" describes a new round of affair between Muramatsu Tomoshi and his partner. As their feelings deepen, they seem to be on a path of no return.

Kitagawa Hide's writing style is sad and his brushstrokes are delicate. While depicting this illicit love, he is also quietly pushing the two people to their tragic ending.

But what is lamentable and exciting is that even though they knew that continuing on this path would most likely be a road of no return, Muramatsu Tomoshi and the other person still insisted on continuing, instead of ending the relationship at the appropriate time like "Hatsu" and Shimamoto in "Border".

This kind of passionate and extremely irrational behavior is closer to the facts and the social truth, and therefore can bring people more intense emotional ups and downs.

When Jabami Rei finished reading the previous issue, all she thought was, "This is a book worthy of being written by him."

Kitagawa Hide clearly wrote in the preface that the new book would be completely different from "Border", and everyone initially thought that this was just a gimmick from Kitagawa teacher.

Looking at it now, it’s not just completely different, it’s simply two opposite stories!

The most controversial plot is the fourth chapter "Short Days".

Tomomi Muramatsu and Rinko Matsubara's tryst on the "wake night" of Rinko's father is an act of immorality and violation of human ethics that is simply infuriating.

How could they do this?

Is it possible that apart from the so-called love, there is nothing else in their hearts?
Even if I am suppressed and forced to take the blame because of the shady company of Kodansha, and have nowhere to vent my depression, I can't do this!

Jabari Rei was very angry.

Because this story is most likely based on a true story.

This made her even more confused.

But after the readers' criticism, other views and opinions gradually emerged on the Internet and in the reader circles.

Everyone knows that when Mr. Beichuan writes books, he pays most attention to revealing themes and core ideas. The superficial things are not the main content he wants to express.

In real life, there are many things that are so outrageous, or even more outrageous than this.

It’s just that Kitagawa Hide wrote it down and revealed it to the public in such a bloody way that no one could bear it.

There is no doubt that what Muramatsu Tomomi and Matsubara Rinko did was definitely against public order and morals.

But the society, companies, and families that oppress them are just as dirty.

The entire country of Japan is a monster dressed in bright and beautiful clothes, but in essence it is an ugly thing that devours people's hearts and lives.

As we gradually move away from the story of the two people, our attention will naturally shift to a higher level, and we will be able to better understand Kitagawa Hide's deeper intentions.

No matter what people talk about, the circulation of these two issues of newspapers proves one fact - everyone loves to read such stories and looks forward to the subsequent plot.

Jabari Rei lowered her head and continued reading the novel.

Chapter 5 begins with the New Year's visit to the shrine. The two meet again and then make love in a hotel next to the shrine.

When reading this chapter, Jabami Rei had already begun to feel Kitagawa Hide's unique and new writing style.

Throughout the novel, the seasons, time, and place change as the two people's feelings and psychology change. The reader is like following them strolling through the holy places in Japan that are convenient for dating in different seasons.

The only thing that remains unchanged is their passionate love.

Unfortunately, it was a love that was destined to be fruitless and had a tragic ending.

This adds a unique touch of mono no aware to the entire novel.

"How cruel! You might really strangle me to death."

"It would be better if I died."

Rinko whispered to him, "I hate you."

"You said you liked me before."

"That's right, you can only hate someone if you like him." Rinko's tone became serious.

At the end of Chapter 5, Rinko suddenly grabbed Muramatsu's neck tightly, almost suffocating him to death.

What followed was this sad conversation.

Jabami Rei keenly noticed this, and then recalled the Abe Sada incident that the two had mentioned in their previous conversation.

This is a real historical event of horrific murder of love.

On May 1936, 5, the maid Abe Sada strangled her lover and cut off his genitals in a teahouse in Oku, Arakawa Ward, Tokyo.

Before leaving, she used a sharp blade to carve the blood-red words "Ji and Ding" on her lover's body and legs.

Soon the police caught Abe Sada and found the missing body part of her lover Yoshizo.

In response, Abe Sada explained seriously: "I don't want those grooming people to play with his 'baby'. It belongs only to me."

This incident is so curious that even now, sixty years later, when the name "Abe Sada" is mentioned, everyone will react quickly and make strange exclamations.

Mr. Beichuan mentioned this matter in the article, obviously with ulterior motives.

From the perspective of most ordinary readers, it is still unclear what kind of ending Kitagawa will give to the hero and heroine of Paradise Lost. Although it is based on real events, the novel's higher-than-realistic nature makes it difficult to understand his thoughts.

"Will it really be the same ending as Abe Sada? Rinko's personality is indeed a bit like hers. And as their relationship continues to heat up, she was originally a virtuous and gentle wife, but now she has become a shameless whore in the mouths of her husband and mother."

Jabami Rei wanted to get the answer more and more, so she couldn't wait to read Chapter 6 "Winter Waterfall".

Sure enough, in this chapter, Rinko and her boyfriend experienced another near-death experience, and their conversation contained more and more content related to death.

Along with Kitagawa Hide's unique writing style and atmosphere-creating techniques, an indescribable feeling of suffocation surged towards her from all directions like a tide.

"Phew—I'm done."

Qian Hehui was the first to let out a satisfied exclamation. She couldn't help but slap Kobayashi Tomoyo's exposed thigh. After the crisp "snap" sound, she grinned and said,
"As expected of you, Mr. Kitagawa! The strong sense of oppression makes me feel uncomfortable and expectant at the same time! Is the life of middle-aged people so painful? Such a love will definitely end up in an unprecedented tragedy!"

Qian Hehui's way of thinking is a little different from that of ordinary people.

Everyone is focused on the two people who are constantly heading towards destruction, but she is more surprised by the oppression of the male and female protagonists by society - although this is the main theme that Kitagawa Hide wants to express, few readers can completely ignore the surface of the story and go straight to the core.

But that's just who she is.

You may say she is stupid, but she relied on her own ability to get into the University of Tokyo. Her IQ has nothing to do with the word "stupid".

You say she is smart, but she was so careless about picking up her sister that she only changed after being criticized by Kitagawa Shuichi.

Kobayashi Tomoyo, whose thigh was hurt by her slap, glared at her fiercely, but she didn't have time to argue with Chizuru Hui about it now.

As she is about to stay in school as a graduate student, she is more concerned about the novel writing style and emotional transmission ability of "Paradise Lost".

It is possible to combine elements such as "immorality", "romance", "mono no aware" and "death" in such a simple story and convey them to readers accurately.

This kind of skills and writing power have indeed created a whole new genre of writing!
"It won't be long before mono no aware literature becomes a new trend and spreads in the world of pure literature." Kobayashi Tomoyo whispered, wondering if he should use this as a research topic for his graduate studies.

Seeing her friends’ reactions to the new episode of “Paradise Lost”, Mengzi smiled sweetly.

These days, in order to write this book, Kitagawa Hide has been searching for information day and night, constantly writing and revising articles with unprecedented enthusiasm.

He has put so much into this book, and if the results do not meet his expectations, Mengzi will be the first person to be sad.

Fortunately, everything is moving in the right direction.

After reading the newspaper, the four of them gathered together and started chatting among girls in private.

Since the internship, they have been getting together less and less. Every time they meet, they want to chat for more than ten hours and have endless things to say.

While Yumeko and the other three were enjoying a pleasant gathering, Mori Tetsutaro, the top literary critic Kitagawa Fuki, keenly sensed another scent in "Paradise Lost" that was yet to be discovered.

The core elements such as "extramarital affair" and "mono no aware literature" are already well known to everyone. If he still uses these entry points when writing reviews, he will just be lost in the crowd in the end, which is unworthy of the title of No. 1 Kitagawa.

Tetsutarou Mori read these three newspapers over and over again, scratching his head in frustration for several days, and could not find any new entry point.

Until today when he accidentally caught a glimpse of the recorder left by Tanaka Aoi and thought of this interesting woman, he suddenly caught a bright spot.

Teacher Beichuan said that this story was based on a real case.

There is no doubt that the prototype of Kodansha in the novel is obviously his former employer Kodansha.

Previously in "Agaragi", he also used this name to satirize Kodansha.

So is it possible that the male protagonist is really a senior executive in the editorial department of Kodansha?
Thinking of this, Mori Tetsu Taro immediately took out his mobile phone and dialed several numbers directly: "Ah, yes, yes, it's Mori Tetsu, yes, long time no see, do you have time to have a drink?

Well, I just want to ask you to help me check something. Don't worry, it's not confidential. I just want to ask, can you get a list of the top executives of the magazines and newspapers under Kodansha?"

"Haha, Kitahara-san, I haven't contacted you for a long time. How are you these days? By the way, don't you have some forensic friends? Have you performed autopsies on the bodies of people who committed suicide for love recently?"

After making several phone calls, Mori Tetsutaro spread out three newspapers again and started reading them again with renewed energy.

Less than ten minutes after he read it, someone called back.

The news was brief, but unexpectedly shocking.

"Muramatsu Matsubara, this is really a true story." Tetsutaro Mori gasped.

It is not uncommon for novels to be adapted from reality. Too many novelists like to draw materials from real life.

But Hide Kitagawa's "Paradise Lost" is different.

Anyone who has read this novel can deeply understand the suppressed emotions between the hero and the heroine.

Extramarital affairs are one aspect, which may be more relatable and resonant for middle-aged readers.

The points in the novel that can truly resonate with all groups are the extremely depressing social and workplace atmosphere, as well as the damn current state of the country.

Now that Mori Tetsutaro has obtained the specific case, this matter is not well-known and there is nothing shameful about it. As long as he has some connections with the police and the forensic community, he can get it easily.

Take a look at the specific cases in conjunction with the plot of the novel.

This version of Paradise Lost has a different flavor.

When you first read the novel, you will feel a certain resentment towards the male and female protagonists because of some of the immoral events in it.

When combined with the archetypal story, that disgust will turn into pity.

Tetsutarou Mori finally knew what to write in his new literary review.

(End of this chapter)