The Shining Sea by Koji Suzuki

Author:Koji Suzuki
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Kodansha USA
Published: 2022-05-30T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

—

That was when Yoichi ran into Keiko Nojima again. Every person’s life has its pitfalls. It’s easy enough to overcome them when you’re healthy, but just as an exhausted body becomes more susceptible to viral infections, a weakened mind becomes vulnerable to all manner of unforeseen traps. And Keiko was, to an almost ridiculous extent, a trap like no other. She wasn’t a bad woman or anything. It was just that he happened to meet her again at a moment in his life that seemed almost designed to make him fall into the trap she represented. At that time, his life was one of constant auditions and rejections. Everything would seem to go well, but then he would be eliminated at the last stage. And finally, he started to realize he might need something more—some sort of connection—to clear that final hurdle. It was then when he learned Keiko Nojima’s father was an executive at the company—a former zaibatsu business conglomerate—that was sponsoring an upcoming musical. He and Keiko had previously co-starred in a small theater production, and while her acting and general dramatic prowess failed to rise above the level of a college production, she had the charm of a well-raised daughter, a sense of innocence and purity that endeared her to people. He couldn’t help but compare her with Sayuri. They seemed so opposite in every way.

He ran into Keiko in the lobby of the Nissay Theater and was reminded of her sunniness all over again. She seemed unchanged by the two years since they’d last seen each other. The darkness lurking behind Sayuri was becoming a bit too much for him, and Keiko’s uncomplicated good cheer was a balm to his spirit. Sayuri was certainly more alluring as a woman, but her elusiveness and unpredictability made him increasingly uneasy, and it was exhausting to be with her. Keiko was the opposite. Her bottomless optimism buoyed him.

Keiko approached him from behind, tapping him on the shoulder and exclaiming, “Hey, Yoichi! It’s been so long!” He turned his head and found himself staring straight into her carefree smile. Her big, sparkling eyes, the pert roundness of her cheeks, the ample curves of her chest: every aspect of her being seemed to exude good health. Yoichi was dazzled. The softness, roundness, and warmth of a woman—she had it all.

Naturally, they ended up catching up over coffee and tea. When Yoichi mentioned that he’d been auditioning for commercial theater troupes but having no luck, Keiko told him she’d realized she lacked the talent to make it as a performer and had moved into the production side of things.

That was when she looked him straight in the face and declared, “Yoichi, you’re so handsome and talented—you can’t give up!”

“You always say such positive things. I’ve been trying and trying—if that’s all it took, I would have succeeded long ago.”

Yoichi said this bemusedly, a self-deprecating smile on his face.

“You know, Imada Productions is casting for a show right now. Why don’t you give it a try?”

The smile left Yoichi’s face.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.