Grotesque

by Natsuo Kirino

Men live by rules they’ve made for themselves. And among those rules is the one specifying that women are merely commodities for men to possess. A daughter belongs to her father, a wife to her husband. A woman’s own desires present obstacles for men and are best ignored. Besides, desire is always for the man. It’s his role to make advances on women and to protect his women from the advances of others. I was a woman who was seduced by a member of her own family. Among the rules in a man’s world, this was a big taboo. And for that reason, Karl was terrified.

I can’t think of any creature more disgusting than a man, with his hard muscles and bones, his sweaty skin, all that hair on his body, and his knobby knees. I hate men with deep voices and bodies that smell like animal fat, men who act like bullies and never comb their hair. Oh, yes, there is no end to the nasty things I can say about men. I’m just lucky to have a job at the ward office so I don’t have to commute to work every day on the crowded trains. I don’t think I could stand riding jammed in a car with a bunch of smelly salary men.

lesbian queen

But then, I’m not a lesbian either. I would never do something so filthy.

oh

Once Kijima Junior advanced to the Q High School for Young Men in a different part of the city, Mokku, the daughter of the soy sauce company president, took his place and trailed after Yuriko like poop from a goldfish.

flophouse,

When I think back on it now it gives me goose bumps. It really was like a scene from hell.

the ugly girls shrieked coquettishly

There must have been an imperfection in her face that brought her to this fate. Perhaps it was her perfect beauty?

Or, to put it another way, we failed to teach our girls the strategies that would enable them to cope with the frustrations of the real world.

In order to induce the process of decay, water is necessary. I think that, in the case of women, men are the water.

His only interest was listening to music.

Desire and disgust. These two conflicting emotions always accompanied my thoughts of men.

just disgust

I looked away. I hate fat people.

That’s the horrible limbo you must endure. You’re even deluded by your own desires. My poor, pathetic darling. Hurry and open your eyes to the truth.”

“You’ve got the shadow of death over you.”

damn

She took her revenge on herself and on the rest of the world by making men buy her.