A Man

by Keiichirō Hirano

There is a certain kind of loneliness that can only be soothed by finding yourself within the tale of another’s trauma.”

“True . . . Perhaps his life merged with Daisuké-san’s or abides alongside it—but if that is so, then when we fall for someone, what part of them is it that we love, I wonder?

“Once the truth came out, they’d have to renew their love,” she said. “I mean, it’s not as if you love someone once and that’s it. You renew your love again and again over the long haul, through everything that happens along the way.”