あおぞらとくもりぞら

by Sugaru Miaki, 三秋縋

A person who has the power to control people’s bodies uses it to make them commit suicide, and one day encounters a special target.
The procedure goes as follows:
1. Take over the person’s body.
2. Put on an appearance of sadness.
3. Make the surroundings tidy. (Most crucial step)
4. Write a note.
5. Die.
But no, I didn’t say “commit suicide.”

93 pages, ebook

Published January 1, 2016

About the author

Sugaru Miaki (三秋縋) is a Japanese writer. He was born in 1990 in Iwate Prefecture. He debuted in 2013 with Starting Over. He is also the author of Three Days of Happiness, Parasites in Love, and Your Story.

In March 2019, Your Story was nominated for the 40th Eiji Yoshikawa Literary Newcomer Award.

See 三秋縋

Reviews

[CFinley1997 · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing short story. Reminds me of Murakami's writing, although I suspect the style is just a rather modern, Japanese literary occurrence, especially in the circles of media that I use. The translation by VGPerson is particularly enjoyable.

[♡Kayla♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5*

“The girl I met that sunny July day was a girl with nervous eyes.
So delicate, she might break if you pushed her.
So pale, she might stain if you touched her.
And always looking out at something far in the distance.
That's the kind of girl I fell in love with.”

This story was so strange, but in a good way. I found the premise to be utterly fascinating, but the execution wasn't my absolute favorite. I think if I got to know the characters a little better, I might've liked this a little more. I still enjoyed reading this short story (I did tear up a bit at the end), so I think I'm going to have to read the manga version next.