Fox Tales by Tomihiko Morimi

Author:Tomihiko Morimi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Yen On

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An unsettling wind had been blowing since morning. All day, clouds had hung heavy over the city, but the rain seemed like it would never come. As I walked down the dim staircase of my apartment building, a lukewarm breeze blew up it, brushing my cheeks. I’d been lazy about picking up my newspapers, so my mailbox was stuffed full.

Raindrops started to plop down as I crossed Kojin Bridge. I rested my hands on the railing and looked north. The mountains in the distance were hazy. The wind was blowing my hair in all directions. I knew I needed to get to Nishida Spirits before the rain got worse, but I also wanted to take my time and wander around under the unsettled sky.

I liked exploring the tangled backstreets, so every time I went to my tutoring job, I took a different route. Even the smallest neighborhood revealed a different face on each visit, making me want to head down every narrow side alley I came upon. I often left my apartment early and strolled around the neighborhood on my way to Nishida Spirits, paying no mind to the length of my route.

When dusk began to fall, the side alleys grew more mysterious. They were nostalgic and eerie at the same time. Walking down them, I felt as if I might get lost and never find my way out. I used to wonder if something was lying in wait for me at the end of one of their branches. Just before the rain, that sense would grow even stronger.

One day, I crossed Kojin Bridge and walked north down a narrow street.

Among the cafés and apartment buildings lining my path was a two-story wooden shop. Its old, carved wooden sign read NATSUODOU. Dusk was falling earlier than usual because of the thick, low clouds, and the shop lights twinkled in the evening shadows. Through the glass doors, I could see bamboo swords propped against a wall, so I knew right away it was a martial arts equipment shop.

In the distance, I heard thunder rumbling like the rolling of an enormous wheel.

A girl wearing a high school uniform came walking toward me.

Just as I reached the Natsuodou storefront, the rain began to pitter-patter. The girl skipped lightly in my direction and then, in a fluid motion, twirled around to grab hold of the glass door. Her short, blunt-cut black hair gleamed in the light of the shop.

Shrieking, she slipped in through the gap between the doors.

As the sound of the rain enveloped me, I opened my umbrella and continued past the shop. The girl pressed her face against the glass and peered at the clouds. I glanced inside, and her eyes met mine. She pulled her face back, frowning at me ever so slightly.

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