Love 365: Rose in the Embers, Tsumugo
Apr. 12th, 2020 05:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alias_sqbrIn 1912, an earnest Japanese girl from the country slowly gets to know a mysterious horror writer, and learns about what hides beneath the masks people wear.
This was mostly pretty good, it was exploring Japanese literary tropes and historical prejudices in ways I'm sure went over my head a lot, but I got the gist enough to enjoy it, especially the way it had fun with some gothic and fairytale tropes I did recognise. It reminded me a little of Northanger Abbey, though playing everything a lot more straight, and with a rather heavy handed PREJUDICE IS BAD message.
It's free with ads on Love365 for the next few days.
Content note: Xenophobia. Also the game's prologue has consent issues, though this route only implies them vaguely in a flashback, and the love interest himself is fine.
I skipped the prologue onwaterscroll's advice, since she said it was both unnecessary and unpleasantly rapey. Luckily this route starts with a summary, and I picked up more as it went on.
It's 1912. MC is a country girl who'd just started working as a maid at an inn in the capital. She bumped into the slightly rumpled looking, glasses wearing author Kobayakawa Tsukomu, who told her "Be careful. Fiends in clever masks run rampant in these streets."
And indeed the people of the inn are false: the geishas and customers put on smooth faces but are abusive and cruel when noone is looking. The gross Lord Takatsukasa tried to buy MC and the others just laughed. Luckily the nice Lord Kyosuke paid to free her instead. Tsukomu put his cloak over her, and she collapsed, overwhelmed.
She wakes in a carriage with Tsukomu.
MC: What happens now? Am I to be sold again?
Tsukumo: Lord no. You're a person, not an object. But you had a death grip on my coat, and I couldn't bear to see you left with nowhere to go...so Lord Kyosuke said I should take you.
MC: Oh no, am I your problem now, Master Kobayakawa? I'm so sorry :(
Tsukumo: You mustn't call yourself a 'problem'. You have nothing to apologise for. Though I would appreciate if Lord Kyosuke could use a wee bit more foresight before making such rash decisions.
And then he goes to sleep.
Ok, I like this guy.
They arrive at night at a tumbledown, remote house and MC is all OH NO THIS HOUSE LOOKS SUPER HAUNTED
Tsukumo, creepily: How can anyone be so careless as to follow a complete stranger?
There is the sound of flapping wings.
Tsukumo: The spirits are active tonight. This area, Megumo, has been long abandoned, since it's inhabitants were eaten by a serpent and became vengeful spirits. WHY LOOK, HERE COMES ONE NOW!!
MC: AHHHHH D: D:
Old woman: Stop telling people I'm dead :/
Tsukumo: :D
Turns out he's a horror/mystery author, and made the story up on the fly when he saw how scared she was. THAT'S MEAN, TSUKUMO.
MC: That wasn't very nice.
Tsukumo: My apologies. But my career demands I spin such stories when I see such wide eyed terror.
That's not much of an apology, but at least the old woman is nice. Her name is Fumidai, and she takes MC to her shop, Suzumoto Sundries, to be her assistant.
Oh god it's a "What honorific should I use for Tsukomo" question. I think she was using Kobayakawa-sama (Master Kobayakawa), but he said to use something more formal, and my choices are Kobayakawa, Tsukumo, and Kobayakawa-san (Mr Kobayakawa).
...yeah I really don't have a grasp of what those all indicate in early 20th C Japan.
Walkthrough says Mr Kobayakawa! Gonna pick Tsukumo to see what he says :D
Aw, he rolls with it but she gets too self conscious about the impropriety. She thanks him for his generosity and he coldly reminds her of his warning about people wearing masks.
As Fumidai and MC share a companionable breakfast, MC sees a newspaper article about a serial killer slashing people's throats (UGH. A SERIAL KILLER, REALLY?)
MC: Is it...human?
Fumidai: What else would it be? Who are you, talkin' like that, Mr Kobayakawa?
MC: Haha >.>
Fumidai: But they do say he's...*lowers voice* a foreigner. Gargantuan! Hair and eyes drained of all colour!
MC: Are all foreigners like that?
Fumidai: Don't tell me you've never seen an outsider. They're huge, big as bears! Just as frightening, too!
MC quickly settles into a happy routine working in the shop and running errands around the village, getting to know and like the other villagers. Turns out the 'haunted' house belongs to Tsukumo, he mostly keeps to himself asides from the odd purchase of pickled vegetables, though he hasn't come in for a while. The villagers like having a famous author in their midst.
And then she hears a loud crash from his house. When he doesn't answer, she goes in, unsettled by the cold, dusty, creaking hallways. DISFIGURED DOLLS. WEIRD POSTERS ABOUT MONSTERS. AND TSUKUMO....COLLAPSED NEXT TO A KNIFE!!
MC: HE'S DEAD!!
She reluctantly checks his gaunt looking body then freaks out and drops him, and the bump on his head wakes him up.
'The dead body' mutters about needing food and falls back asleep.
After enthusiastically eating her porridge, Tsukumo says "You want to know why I collapsed?"
MC, wanting to be polite: No (YES)
Tsukumo: Your eyes tell a different story. What would you guess?
MC: Something upsetting happened. Maybe to your family?
Tsukumo: Oh no, they've been gone for some time :) I had simply become a creature possessed, whose sole purpose is to put thought to paper.
MC: What's your new story about?
Tsukumo: I am not at liberty to say, yet. But my works are based on research of local myths.
He explains where each of the weird things around the room came from: masks, traditional dolls etc. "These objects are part of me now. Without them I am not whole."
MC wonders what it must be like, to have purpose like that. He comments that people like her with beautiful hearts can sometimes see house spirits.
Kyosuke: Then I should see them too, right? :D
Tsukumo: Most people in polite society ring the doorbell :/
Kyosuke: This crumbling shack has a doorbell? How technologically advanced! Now all you need is a maid and to fix this place up before it crumbles on your head.
Tsukumo: Then where would the ancient gods reside?
Tsukumo wants to walk MC home and is briefly panicked when she says he's still recovering, then gives her one of his books to read for herself.
MC: I'll treasure it *.*
Tsukumo: Always such artlessness...a fine quality to have, albeit a dangerous one. Now run along and do not return.
MC: (Brr, his voice is cold. And did his eyes...change colour...)
Tsukumo: Girls your age should not come round to a single man's house, people will talk.
So she avoids him. But he comes to the store just as she's explaining to a dubious Fumidai that ghosts in general, and Tsukumo's ghost stories in particular, have more to them than just being scary. The Kitsunebi light that leads people astray can also help them find the right path. Most problems are ultimately caused by human prejudice and deceit.
Fumidai cheerfully badgers him into staying for dinner for the annniversary of her husband's death, then leaves the two of them alone.
Tsukumo: Are you enjoying my book?
MC: Yes, though I don't understand all the words. I haven't had much formal schooling.
Tsukumo, leaning over her to explain each word: In that we are alike. I just have a nasty habit of using overcomplicated words.
MC, trying not to be overwhelmed by the warmth of his breath on her neck: I think your work is lost on me...I'm probably not the kind of reader you want.
Tsukumo: That couldn't be further from the truth. In novels what matters is not the words thenselves, but the meanings that hide behind them.
Fumidai: Well, don't you make a pretty pair ;)
MC: MMM THIS FOOD SURE IS DELICIOUS
Then Fumidai talks about falling in love with her husband after their arranged marriage, only for him to die not long after, when he was conscripted to fight in Russia.
Fumidai: He was a kind, simple man, how could they force a weapon in his hand and ask him to kill? Those foreigners he was fighting...they weren't satisfied with killing our men. They burnt the corpses til there was nothing left but ash. Animals is what they are!
Tsukumo is silent. MC expresses sympathy but is aware that war can turn anyone into an animal- are foreigners actually any worse?
Hmm I wonder if his dark secret is that he's actually a Russian immigrant or mixed race. I usually find those sorts of plots silly but in this cultural context it would be a legitimate issue.
Tsukumo offers a prayer at the husband's altar, visibly overcome with melancholy. He tells MC he shouldn't visit again, so Fumidai doesn't get the wrong idea about the two of them.
MC: (He keeps driving me away :( Always one step forward two steps back) ...like a kitsunebi.
Tsukumo: Your interpretation was refreshing. But remember that the novel does not reflect the author.
A few days later Fumidai notices MC sighing about Tsukumo with ENTIRELY PLATONIC CONCERN and badgers her into bringing him pickles. She awkwardly hands them over then scarpers, much to his amusement.
MC: Why am I dawdling outside his house again, this is weird...
Tsukumo: *sigh* You might as well come in.
MC: OMG VEGETABLES!! IT'S LIKE OUR FARM BACK IN NAGANO :D (except these are dying...)
He asks her advice and she cheerfully digs her hands into the dirt and licks it before giving a bunch of advice.
He watches fascinated, and thanks her, calling her Miss Surname since she's his teacher. MC gets endearingly flustered.
Tsukumo: I've noticed you pacing outside my house often at this time of day...
MC: OH UH. I was just...worried about you...
Tsukumo: I'm sorry to have troubled you. But since you seem to be free, would you be willing to come help me take care of this little patch of green?
MC: YES :D :D
Tsukumo: But you must promise to always leave before nightfall.
The next day he's taken aback by the huge bags of mulch she's carrying, but she brushes it off saying she's more used to heavy labour than him.
He clearly gets a kick out of calling her Miss as he follows her orders, and says she's a genius in her own discipline. They have a good natured argument about which of them should be called "professor".
The two of them bond about how much they enjoy gardening together. MC asks why he changed his mind about her visiting, and he says she opened his heart with her sincerity: the way she obeyed his request to stay away, but still cared about him. They both say they haven't felt like this before, and wish their time together could last forever.
Which is very sweet but...there's a storm coming.
MC runs out into the rain that night to protect the vegetables. And then...
HUH.
IS THIS A SUPERNATURAL STORY AFTER ALL???
Tsukumo: Why did you come? I told you to stay away.
MC is terrified. The next day she keeps thinking about how Tsukumo could be a SCARY AND POSSIBLY MURDEROUS FOREIGNER but decides to trust him. He's Japanese, it's fine!
MC: Um, about that night...
Tsukumo, pinning her against the wall with a creepy smile: It would be in your best interests not to speak any more of that night, if you wish to avoid any more horrors.
Fumidai: Am I interruptin' something ;)
Tsumuko: I was merely teaching MC some self defence :)
MC: D:
Kyosuke shows up saying Tsukumo is avoiding him, asking MC if she's seen him. When he notices how tense MC gets, he grabs her and takes her to a cafe?
Atsuro, the cafe owner: Who's this?
Kyosuke: Tsukumo's woman.
MC: I am nothing of the sort!
Atsuro locks the front door, gives MC some hot milk to calm her down, and leaves.
And then Kyosuke asks her what she saw. She initially denies everything, but eventually explains.
MC: He's...a foreigner, isn't he?
Kyosuke: A person's appearance doesn't define their nationality. But yes, he's half Russian, half Japanese. That's why he dyes his hair and wears spectacles.
...wait so his dye just washed off in the rain?? And his silvery colouring is because that's...just what russians look like apparently? Why was he all 'never come over at night', because he takes off his glasses??
FINE, FINE.
MC is thinking about all the awful things she's heard about Russians as Kyosuke explains meeting Tsukumo in a foreign quarter and finding out how much he suffers because of his appearance. Kyosuke always tries to encourage him to be less of a loner, without much success.
MC spends a few days working through the conflict between her xenophobia and affection, before knocking on his door. He doesn't answer, so she slips into the garden, and is horrified to see the mess the storm left behind. So much effort and love, gone down the drain, just like her friendship with Tsukumo.
And then she sees him inside, asleep. She slowly approaches, and softly calls his name. He opens his eyes, and she feels fear as they glint silver in the moonlight, but something else as well.
MC: ...beautiful...
Tsukumo: Don't you mean terrifying? I know you know what I really am.
MC: My impression of outsiders isn't the best. I'm relying on rumours that they're monsters...I know you're half Russian, but I also know that's not all you are. You're the man who saved me, whose joy I shared in. That's the Mr Kobayakawa I know and want to trust. I want so badly to see you as that man again.
Tsukumo: It would be best for both of us if you didn't involve yourself in my life.
MC: Maybe...but that's too sad to imagine. Can I come again tomorrow, to help with the garden?
Tsukumo: ...do as you wish.
For days, he ignores her, his shutters closed as she works in the garden. But she notices signs that he's been following her advice when she's not around.
MC: Hello little eggplant! I'm going to eat you one day :D
Tsukumo: There's more over here.
He invites her in for tea and she stares, stunned.
Tsukumo: Of course, if you...don't want to... :(
MC: NO I'D LOVE TO
He introduces her to an exotic new fruit: Oranges. She compares it to the sour citrus they grew back in Nagano and he finally admits that he grew up there too, though he doesn't have many fond memories.
He explains that his mother was Russian, but his parents weren't allowed to marry, so he was raised by his paternal grandparents. His father couldn't bear the sight of him, and left. Locals would attack him as a Russian spy if he approached the other children.
Tsukumo: You speak of Nagano as a paradise full of beauty and kindness...but that is not the Nagano I knew, locked inside. You're a good person, but it is human nature to remove that which is foreign. I sought to erase my differences, and came to the Capital, where freaks may hide in plain sight, to become the Japanese person everyone so clearly wanted.
MC: You've lived a hard life :(
Tsukumo: I suppose it must seem that way. When you look at me, what do you see? Am I Russian, or Japanese?
MC: I see you. Nothing more, nothing less. You may be wearing a mask...but beneath it, you're a good man, trying to get by in the world.
Tsukumo: You look at me and say I'm beautiful...there has never been anyone else like you.
MC feels ashamed to have ever thought there was a secret to be uncovered, a "True" him to reveal. He simply is who he is.
The next day they're back to working together in the garden. She notices that his hair dye is mostly faded, but realises she doesn't mind.
MC: Do you think there are fields like this in Russia?
Tsukumo: ...I'd imagine so. I don't remember my time there, but I do have Russian books.
Neither of them can read the words, but they enjoy discussing at the shapes of the characters, aw. I really like how they both respect and try to learn about each other's interests, despite their many differences.
Tsukumo: You're a mystery to me. I do nothing but push you away but you keep coming back.
MC: Slow learner, I guess.
Tsukumo: It's a terrifying thing, to let another see beneath the mask, but with you...
He leans in??? MC feels the soft ghost of his breath on her lips???
*watches ad impatiently*
and then...
THE POLICE COME IN AND ARREST HIM AS A SERIAL KILLER
MC, standing in front of him protectively: This man wouldn't hurt a fly!
Police: Look at him! He's not Japanese! What more proof do we need?!
He's staring at the police in indecision. So she grabs his hand and pulls him away to escape....only to be stopped by group of villagers, faces a mixture of curious and hateful.
MC: Oh thanks goodness, Fumidai, you have to help me fix this misunderstanding...
Fumidai: BRING THAT MONSTER OUT HERE WE'LL HANG HIM OURSELVES
:( :( :(
And then the villagers start to throw stones. Tsugumo pulls her into the safety of his arms.
Tsukumo: Nothing we say now can reach them. We must stand and endure. Please, go. There is still time for you yet.
Villager: Are you that filthy thing's friend, MC?
He lets her go, and stands to face them. She tries desperately to hold onto his hand but the police drag him away.
She hears the villagers talk about how evil he looked and all foreigners being monsters, and she is furious but also knows she's in no position to judge. They keep their distance as she cries and drives her fist into the earth. She looks at them and only sees strangers in masks. And beneath their masks, a deep, black void.
She hears whispers about her and knows she's feeling a fraction of the mistrust Tsugumo has known his whole life.
One villager offers her hand and MC smacks it away. The crowd turns on her and she has to run from their stones. She stumbles at random until she bumps into Kyosuke, who takes her to meet with his and Tsugumo's friends (presumably the other LIs).
Friend: But wasn't the killer a foreigner? Why did they arrest Tsugumo?
Kyosuke: Tsugumo is half Russian.
MC: (OH NO HIS FRIENDS WILL ALL HATE HIM NOW D:)
Friends: ...and? That's all they have to go on?!
Aw.
Takahisa, who's in the army, says he's been following a similar case. But proving Tsukumo's innocent will be difficult when he refuses to say anything to the police.
MC: I think he's given up on trying to make others understand him. He thinks tragedy is the only outcome.
Kyosuke: We who have the privilege of fitting in must respect that we will never understand his story.
MC asks to see Tsumugo and the others manage to use their connections to get her a short visit.
Angry mob: GO BACK TO YOUR OWN COUNTRY
haaa they clearly ran out of old-timey backgrounds for this scene, this 'prison' is just...a modern apartment building.
Tsukumo affectionately complains that she keeps stubbornly checking on him, no matter where he is.
MC: I'm sorry ;_;
Tsukumo: No tears. And I should be the one to apologise, for dragging you into something far beyond our control. I have hurt you dearly :(
MC: No you haven't! And why won't you tell them you're innocent?! They'll never catch the real killer, and you'll be punished for crimes you didn't commit!
Tsukumo: Because I know that whatever I say, nothing will change. Noone will believe the words of a liar.
MC: I am only here today because your friends know who you really are, and still wanted to help. They see you for the man you are. You're not alone any more.
Tsumugo: ...MC...
MC: I had a taste of what your life must have been like, and I see how strong you are, to have survived years of that. I...I love you. Which is why I refuse to give up.
Tsumugo: o.O
She lays her hand on the glass between them. He pauses, and then gingerly lays his hand on hers.
MY HEART
Huh, he's not facing the death penalty? That's interesting, considering how into execution Japanese society seemed to be a few decades earlier in Hakuoki...huh, looks like Japan DID use the death penalty for serial murder back then, and still does. Well, anyway. Life imprisonment would still be bad!
Fumidai is there as a witness :( Her only evidence is that she saw his pale hair and knew he had to be the murderer. Others offer speculation and rumour.
Defence counsel: Is it true that you are a Japanese citizen, like the good people in court with us today?
Tsumugo: ...yes.
Defence counsel: Why are you speaking today when you have remained silent up until now?
Tsumugo: It is only natural for others to look on me with disgust. So long as I looked Japanese my fellow citizens would treat me as one of their own, but I saw that I was betraying their kindness. When I was at my lowest, a girl came into my life. She accepted me for who I was. Noone has ever shown me such kindness.
(What about Kyosuke??)
He and MC stare at each other as he says "For the first time, I found someone I wanted to protect. It takes a great deal of courage to reveal who you really are. But for those who believe in me, for those I love... I will not be demonised. I am innocent."
Prosecutor: But we have eyewitness accounts!
MC shouts at the villagers "Can't you see? Our Mr Kobayakawa is about to be locked away because of prejudice and hate! The real murderer is out there laughing his head off!"
And Fumidai stands up to speak.
Fumidai: ...it wasn't him. I hated foreigners so much that when I found out one had been living under my nose I...turned into a monster. I didn't mean to lie, but I was blinded by my prejudice. And I've heard...one of the murders happened on the night of my husband's death. That night, Mr Kobayakawa was with me. I'm so sorry, Mr Kobayakawa. You even prayed for my husband. What have I done ;_;
And so Tsumugo is released and the real murderer is found- a warmonger trying to rile up anti-foreigner sentiment.
The Favored Bold Ending (Best):
MC and Tsumugo hug.
Tsumugo apologises to his friends for all the trouble, and they say all the thanks should go to MC.
...MC's stomach just rumbled at EXACTLY the same time as mine, that was disconcerting. *makes a snack*
As MC and I eat, the guys ask Tsumugo if he'll finally be moving into a 'proper' house. But he is determined to stay. Since Fumidai begged MC to keep her job, they travel back together.
She asks why he's dyed his hair back to black and he says it's more convenient, for him and others. She doesn't mind either way and is just glad of his happy tone, free of self hatred. She's also too shy to bring up the whole love confession thing, and decides that if he can't return her feelings she's just glad she gets to stay at his side.
It starts to rain, so they take shelter in his house.
They talk about happy they are to be able to be by each other's sides, and both thank the other for saving them.
Overcome, MC tells him again that she loves him, and puts her hand to his cheek. He puts his hand to her cheek in return.
Tsumugo: We are very different people, in terms of culture and upbringing, and will probably have things we disagree on in future. But we express our love the same way. Will you let me show you how much I adore you?
And then he leans closer, and they kiss.
THE END
Fortune‘s Fools Ending:
This is roughly similar to start with, though his hair is silver.
Kyosuke asks Tsumugo if he really wants to live with the villagers who acted so hatefully towards him.
Tsumugo: I happen to love Meguro...Words are a frightening thing. Just the word 'foreigner' can turn a village against you. I have faced this tragedy before. But I cannot run away from my foreign blood. So I will live wherever I please, holding this burden tight to me.
Kyosuke: Tsugumo...
Tsumugo: Don't look at me like that. The happy times I spent with the people of that village were real for me, for us. Those memories are more resilient than you think.
MC is happy to see him able to face the future without fear, and trust in others to change.
When they arrive, a ring of villagers face them. There's no malice this time, but they're still distant.
Tsumugo offers them all a deep, formal bow. Awkward, and feeling like he has nothing to apologise for, MC pulls him into the house.
He talks about all the pain she'll suffer if she associates with him, and she cries thinking this is him pushing her away again.
But then he says "We cannot hope for a happy ending, you and I. There may come a day when we regret this. And yet...I cannot help but want you in my life."
Before she can finish agreeing and saying she loves him, he kisses her.
THE END
So! I mostly quite liked that! The mixture of gothic romance, fairytale, and realistic historical romance all worked pretty well together, and even though they're very different people they're a cute couple who genuinely care about and respect each other.
Also I really like how Tsumugo is charmed by MC's natural tendency to be loud and expressive despite her best efforts to be a Quietly Polite Japanese Girl.
The Xenophobia Is Bad message was pretty heavy handed, and the 'big hearted but conservative country girl learns to accept and melt the heart of a bitter foreigner' trope would have been aggressively hackneyed from a Western story, as would have the Foreigners as Monsters gothic tropes (especially the Very Special Lesson about not being racist to white people, haha). But it was effectively done for what it is, and...I don't know whether it was the different cultural context or the writing, but it mostly worked for me. I have no idea how this would read to it's intended modern Japanese audience, especially mixed race readers.
Also, like, as this story shows, prejudice against white people isn't a trivial thing in Japan, but regardless of it's merit in the original cultural context I still personally enjoy the way this and Hakuoki used vampire/gothic monster tropes with Whiteness as the Other, it's such an enjoyable contrast to the all the POC as the Other fiction I usually consume. (Obviously a 'white' vs 'POC" dichtomy doesn't capture the complexity but hopefully my basic point is clear)
I kept thinking "Stop saying xenophobia is just human nature!" but I also know I'm really not in a position to say what is a historically accurate depiction of Japanese people in 1912, or an appropriate way to write about xenophobia for Japanese people today.
Still, I...would not forgive those villagers very easily if I was Tsumugo or MC. I'm glad they learned better but nnng.
This was mostly pretty good, it was exploring Japanese literary tropes and historical prejudices in ways I'm sure went over my head a lot, but I got the gist enough to enjoy it, especially the way it had fun with some gothic and fairytale tropes I did recognise. It reminded me a little of Northanger Abbey, though playing everything a lot more straight, and with a rather heavy handed PREJUDICE IS BAD message.
It's free with ads on Love365 for the next few days.
Content note: Xenophobia. Also the game's prologue has consent issues, though this route only implies them vaguely in a flashback, and the love interest himself is fine.
I skipped the prologue on
waterscroll's advice, since she said it was both unnecessary and unpleasantly rapey. Luckily this route starts with a summary, and I picked up more as it went on.It's 1912. MC is a country girl who'd just started working as a maid at an inn in the capital. She bumped into the slightly rumpled looking, glasses wearing author Kobayakawa Tsukomu, who told her "Be careful. Fiends in clever masks run rampant in these streets."
And indeed the people of the inn are false: the geishas and customers put on smooth faces but are abusive and cruel when noone is looking. The gross Lord Takatsukasa tried to buy MC and the others just laughed. Luckily the nice Lord Kyosuke paid to free her instead. Tsukomu put his cloak over her, and she collapsed, overwhelmed.
She wakes in a carriage with Tsukomu.
MC: What happens now? Am I to be sold again?
Tsukumo: Lord no. You're a person, not an object. But you had a death grip on my coat, and I couldn't bear to see you left with nowhere to go...so Lord Kyosuke said I should take you.
MC: Oh no, am I your problem now, Master Kobayakawa? I'm so sorry :(
Tsukumo: You mustn't call yourself a 'problem'. You have nothing to apologise for. Though I would appreciate if Lord Kyosuke could use a wee bit more foresight before making such rash decisions.
And then he goes to sleep.
Ok, I like this guy.
They arrive at night at a tumbledown, remote house and MC is all OH NO THIS HOUSE LOOKS SUPER HAUNTED
Tsukumo, creepily: How can anyone be so careless as to follow a complete stranger?
There is the sound of flapping wings.
Tsukumo: The spirits are active tonight. This area, Megumo, has been long abandoned, since it's inhabitants were eaten by a serpent and became vengeful spirits. WHY LOOK, HERE COMES ONE NOW!!
MC: AHHHHH D: D:
Old woman: Stop telling people I'm dead :/
Tsukumo: :D
Turns out he's a horror/mystery author, and made the story up on the fly when he saw how scared she was. THAT'S MEAN, TSUKUMO.
MC: That wasn't very nice.
Tsukumo: My apologies. But my career demands I spin such stories when I see such wide eyed terror.
That's not much of an apology, but at least the old woman is nice. Her name is Fumidai, and she takes MC to her shop, Suzumoto Sundries, to be her assistant.
Oh god it's a "What honorific should I use for Tsukomo" question. I think she was using Kobayakawa-sama (Master Kobayakawa), but he said to use something more formal, and my choices are Kobayakawa, Tsukumo, and Kobayakawa-san (Mr Kobayakawa).
...yeah I really don't have a grasp of what those all indicate in early 20th C Japan.
Walkthrough says Mr Kobayakawa! Gonna pick Tsukumo to see what he says :D
Aw, he rolls with it but she gets too self conscious about the impropriety. She thanks him for his generosity and he coldly reminds her of his warning about people wearing masks.
As Fumidai and MC share a companionable breakfast, MC sees a newspaper article about a serial killer slashing people's throats (UGH. A SERIAL KILLER, REALLY?)
MC: Is it...human?
Fumidai: What else would it be? Who are you, talkin' like that, Mr Kobayakawa?
MC: Haha >.>
Fumidai: But they do say he's...*lowers voice* a foreigner. Gargantuan! Hair and eyes drained of all colour!
MC: Are all foreigners like that?
Fumidai: Don't tell me you've never seen an outsider. They're huge, big as bears! Just as frightening, too!
MC quickly settles into a happy routine working in the shop and running errands around the village, getting to know and like the other villagers. Turns out the 'haunted' house belongs to Tsukumo, he mostly keeps to himself asides from the odd purchase of pickled vegetables, though he hasn't come in for a while. The villagers like having a famous author in their midst.
And then she hears a loud crash from his house. When he doesn't answer, she goes in, unsettled by the cold, dusty, creaking hallways. DISFIGURED DOLLS. WEIRD POSTERS ABOUT MONSTERS. AND TSUKUMO....COLLAPSED NEXT TO A KNIFE!!
MC: HE'S DEAD!!
She reluctantly checks his gaunt looking body then freaks out and drops him, and the bump on his head wakes him up.
'The dead body' mutters about needing food and falls back asleep.
After enthusiastically eating her porridge, Tsukumo says "You want to know why I collapsed?"
MC, wanting to be polite: No (YES)
Tsukumo: Your eyes tell a different story. What would you guess?
MC: Something upsetting happened. Maybe to your family?
Tsukumo: Oh no, they've been gone for some time :) I had simply become a creature possessed, whose sole purpose is to put thought to paper.
MC: What's your new story about?
Tsukumo: I am not at liberty to say, yet. But my works are based on research of local myths.
He explains where each of the weird things around the room came from: masks, traditional dolls etc. "These objects are part of me now. Without them I am not whole."
MC wonders what it must be like, to have purpose like that. He comments that people like her with beautiful hearts can sometimes see house spirits.
Kyosuke: Then I should see them too, right? :D
Tsukumo: Most people in polite society ring the doorbell :/
Kyosuke: This crumbling shack has a doorbell? How technologically advanced! Now all you need is a maid and to fix this place up before it crumbles on your head.
Tsukumo: Then where would the ancient gods reside?
Tsukumo wants to walk MC home and is briefly panicked when she says he's still recovering, then gives her one of his books to read for herself.
MC: I'll treasure it *.*
Tsukumo: Always such artlessness...a fine quality to have, albeit a dangerous one. Now run along and do not return.
MC: (Brr, his voice is cold. And did his eyes...change colour...)
Tsukumo: Girls your age should not come round to a single man's house, people will talk.
So she avoids him. But he comes to the store just as she's explaining to a dubious Fumidai that ghosts in general, and Tsukumo's ghost stories in particular, have more to them than just being scary. The Kitsunebi light that leads people astray can also help them find the right path. Most problems are ultimately caused by human prejudice and deceit.
Fumidai cheerfully badgers him into staying for dinner for the annniversary of her husband's death, then leaves the two of them alone.
Tsukumo: Are you enjoying my book?
MC: Yes, though I don't understand all the words. I haven't had much formal schooling.
Tsukumo, leaning over her to explain each word: In that we are alike. I just have a nasty habit of using overcomplicated words.
MC, trying not to be overwhelmed by the warmth of his breath on her neck: I think your work is lost on me...I'm probably not the kind of reader you want.
Tsukumo: That couldn't be further from the truth. In novels what matters is not the words thenselves, but the meanings that hide behind them.
Fumidai: Well, don't you make a pretty pair ;)
MC: MMM THIS FOOD SURE IS DELICIOUS
Then Fumidai talks about falling in love with her husband after their arranged marriage, only for him to die not long after, when he was conscripted to fight in Russia.
Fumidai: He was a kind, simple man, how could they force a weapon in his hand and ask him to kill? Those foreigners he was fighting...they weren't satisfied with killing our men. They burnt the corpses til there was nothing left but ash. Animals is what they are!
Tsukumo is silent. MC expresses sympathy but is aware that war can turn anyone into an animal- are foreigners actually any worse?
Hmm I wonder if his dark secret is that he's actually a Russian immigrant or mixed race. I usually find those sorts of plots silly but in this cultural context it would be a legitimate issue.
Tsukumo offers a prayer at the husband's altar, visibly overcome with melancholy. He tells MC he shouldn't visit again, so Fumidai doesn't get the wrong idea about the two of them.
MC: (He keeps driving me away :( Always one step forward two steps back) ...like a kitsunebi.
Tsukumo: Your interpretation was refreshing. But remember that the novel does not reflect the author.
A few days later Fumidai notices MC sighing about Tsukumo with ENTIRELY PLATONIC CONCERN and badgers her into bringing him pickles. She awkwardly hands them over then scarpers, much to his amusement.
MC: Why am I dawdling outside his house again, this is weird...
Tsukumo: *sigh* You might as well come in.
MC: OMG VEGETABLES!! IT'S LIKE OUR FARM BACK IN NAGANO :D (except these are dying...)
He asks her advice and she cheerfully digs her hands into the dirt and licks it before giving a bunch of advice.
He watches fascinated, and thanks her, calling her Miss Surname since she's his teacher. MC gets endearingly flustered.
Tsukumo: I've noticed you pacing outside my house often at this time of day...
MC: OH UH. I was just...worried about you...
Tsukumo: I'm sorry to have troubled you. But since you seem to be free, would you be willing to come help me take care of this little patch of green?
MC: YES :D :D
Tsukumo: But you must promise to always leave before nightfall.
The next day he's taken aback by the huge bags of mulch she's carrying, but she brushes it off saying she's more used to heavy labour than him.
He clearly gets a kick out of calling her Miss as he follows her orders, and says she's a genius in her own discipline. They have a good natured argument about which of them should be called "professor".
The two of them bond about how much they enjoy gardening together. MC asks why he changed his mind about her visiting, and he says she opened his heart with her sincerity: the way she obeyed his request to stay away, but still cared about him. They both say they haven't felt like this before, and wish their time together could last forever.
Which is very sweet but...there's a storm coming.
MC runs out into the rain that night to protect the vegetables. And then...
HUH.
IS THIS A SUPERNATURAL STORY AFTER ALL???
Tsukumo: Why did you come? I told you to stay away.
MC is terrified. The next day she keeps thinking about how Tsukumo could be a SCARY AND POSSIBLY MURDEROUS FOREIGNER but decides to trust him. He's Japanese, it's fine!
MC: Um, about that night...
Tsukumo, pinning her against the wall with a creepy smile: It would be in your best interests not to speak any more of that night, if you wish to avoid any more horrors.
Fumidai: Am I interruptin' something ;)
Tsumuko: I was merely teaching MC some self defence :)
MC: D:
Kyosuke shows up saying Tsukumo is avoiding him, asking MC if she's seen him. When he notices how tense MC gets, he grabs her and takes her to a cafe?
Atsuro, the cafe owner: Who's this?
Kyosuke: Tsukumo's woman.
MC: I am nothing of the sort!
Atsuro locks the front door, gives MC some hot milk to calm her down, and leaves.
And then Kyosuke asks her what she saw. She initially denies everything, but eventually explains.
MC: He's...a foreigner, isn't he?
Kyosuke: A person's appearance doesn't define their nationality. But yes, he's half Russian, half Japanese. That's why he dyes his hair and wears spectacles.
...wait so his dye just washed off in the rain?? And his silvery colouring is because that's...just what russians look like apparently? Why was he all 'never come over at night', because he takes off his glasses??
FINE, FINE.
MC is thinking about all the awful things she's heard about Russians as Kyosuke explains meeting Tsukumo in a foreign quarter and finding out how much he suffers because of his appearance. Kyosuke always tries to encourage him to be less of a loner, without much success.
MC spends a few days working through the conflict between her xenophobia and affection, before knocking on his door. He doesn't answer, so she slips into the garden, and is horrified to see the mess the storm left behind. So much effort and love, gone down the drain, just like her friendship with Tsukumo.
And then she sees him inside, asleep. She slowly approaches, and softly calls his name. He opens his eyes, and she feels fear as they glint silver in the moonlight, but something else as well.
MC: ...beautiful...
Tsukumo: Don't you mean terrifying? I know you know what I really am.
MC: My impression of outsiders isn't the best. I'm relying on rumours that they're monsters...I know you're half Russian, but I also know that's not all you are. You're the man who saved me, whose joy I shared in. That's the Mr Kobayakawa I know and want to trust. I want so badly to see you as that man again.
Tsukumo: It would be best for both of us if you didn't involve yourself in my life.
MC: Maybe...but that's too sad to imagine. Can I come again tomorrow, to help with the garden?
Tsukumo: ...do as you wish.
For days, he ignores her, his shutters closed as she works in the garden. But she notices signs that he's been following her advice when she's not around.
MC: Hello little eggplant! I'm going to eat you one day :D
Tsukumo: There's more over here.
He invites her in for tea and she stares, stunned.
Tsukumo: Of course, if you...don't want to... :(
MC: NO I'D LOVE TO
He introduces her to an exotic new fruit: Oranges. She compares it to the sour citrus they grew back in Nagano and he finally admits that he grew up there too, though he doesn't have many fond memories.
He explains that his mother was Russian, but his parents weren't allowed to marry, so he was raised by his paternal grandparents. His father couldn't bear the sight of him, and left. Locals would attack him as a Russian spy if he approached the other children.
Tsukumo: You speak of Nagano as a paradise full of beauty and kindness...but that is not the Nagano I knew, locked inside. You're a good person, but it is human nature to remove that which is foreign. I sought to erase my differences, and came to the Capital, where freaks may hide in plain sight, to become the Japanese person everyone so clearly wanted.
MC: You've lived a hard life :(
Tsukumo: I suppose it must seem that way. When you look at me, what do you see? Am I Russian, or Japanese?
MC: I see you. Nothing more, nothing less. You may be wearing a mask...but beneath it, you're a good man, trying to get by in the world.
Tsukumo: You look at me and say I'm beautiful...there has never been anyone else like you.
MC feels ashamed to have ever thought there was a secret to be uncovered, a "True" him to reveal. He simply is who he is.
The next day they're back to working together in the garden. She notices that his hair dye is mostly faded, but realises she doesn't mind.
MC: Do you think there are fields like this in Russia?
Tsukumo: ...I'd imagine so. I don't remember my time there, but I do have Russian books.
Neither of them can read the words, but they enjoy discussing at the shapes of the characters, aw. I really like how they both respect and try to learn about each other's interests, despite their many differences.
Tsukumo: You're a mystery to me. I do nothing but push you away but you keep coming back.
MC: Slow learner, I guess.
Tsukumo: It's a terrifying thing, to let another see beneath the mask, but with you...
He leans in??? MC feels the soft ghost of his breath on her lips???
*watches ad impatiently*
and then...
THE POLICE COME IN AND ARREST HIM AS A SERIAL KILLER
MC, standing in front of him protectively: This man wouldn't hurt a fly!
Police: Look at him! He's not Japanese! What more proof do we need?!
He's staring at the police in indecision. So she grabs his hand and pulls him away to escape....only to be stopped by group of villagers, faces a mixture of curious and hateful.
MC: Oh thanks goodness, Fumidai, you have to help me fix this misunderstanding...
Fumidai: BRING THAT MONSTER OUT HERE WE'LL HANG HIM OURSELVES
:( :( :(
And then the villagers start to throw stones. Tsugumo pulls her into the safety of his arms.
Tsukumo: Nothing we say now can reach them. We must stand and endure. Please, go. There is still time for you yet.
Villager: Are you that filthy thing's friend, MC?
He lets her go, and stands to face them. She tries desperately to hold onto his hand but the police drag him away.
She hears the villagers talk about how evil he looked and all foreigners being monsters, and she is furious but also knows she's in no position to judge. They keep their distance as she cries and drives her fist into the earth. She looks at them and only sees strangers in masks. And beneath their masks, a deep, black void.
She hears whispers about her and knows she's feeling a fraction of the mistrust Tsugumo has known his whole life.
One villager offers her hand and MC smacks it away. The crowd turns on her and she has to run from their stones. She stumbles at random until she bumps into Kyosuke, who takes her to meet with his and Tsugumo's friends (presumably the other LIs).
Friend: But wasn't the killer a foreigner? Why did they arrest Tsugumo?
Kyosuke: Tsugumo is half Russian.
MC: (OH NO HIS FRIENDS WILL ALL HATE HIM NOW D:)
Friends: ...and? That's all they have to go on?!
Aw.
Takahisa, who's in the army, says he's been following a similar case. But proving Tsukumo's innocent will be difficult when he refuses to say anything to the police.
MC: I think he's given up on trying to make others understand him. He thinks tragedy is the only outcome.
Kyosuke: We who have the privilege of fitting in must respect that we will never understand his story.
MC asks to see Tsumugo and the others manage to use their connections to get her a short visit.
Angry mob: GO BACK TO YOUR OWN COUNTRY
haaa they clearly ran out of old-timey backgrounds for this scene, this 'prison' is just...a modern apartment building.
Tsukumo affectionately complains that she keeps stubbornly checking on him, no matter where he is.
MC: I'm sorry ;_;
Tsukumo: No tears. And I should be the one to apologise, for dragging you into something far beyond our control. I have hurt you dearly :(
MC: No you haven't! And why won't you tell them you're innocent?! They'll never catch the real killer, and you'll be punished for crimes you didn't commit!
Tsukumo: Because I know that whatever I say, nothing will change. Noone will believe the words of a liar.
MC: I am only here today because your friends know who you really are, and still wanted to help. They see you for the man you are. You're not alone any more.
Tsumugo: ...MC...
MC: I had a taste of what your life must have been like, and I see how strong you are, to have survived years of that. I...I love you. Which is why I refuse to give up.
Tsumugo: o.O
She lays her hand on the glass between them. He pauses, and then gingerly lays his hand on hers.
MY HEART
Huh, he's not facing the death penalty? That's interesting, considering how into execution Japanese society seemed to be a few decades earlier in Hakuoki...huh, looks like Japan DID use the death penalty for serial murder back then, and still does. Well, anyway. Life imprisonment would still be bad!
Fumidai is there as a witness :( Her only evidence is that she saw his pale hair and knew he had to be the murderer. Others offer speculation and rumour.
Defence counsel: Is it true that you are a Japanese citizen, like the good people in court with us today?
Tsumugo: ...yes.
Defence counsel: Why are you speaking today when you have remained silent up until now?
Tsumugo: It is only natural for others to look on me with disgust. So long as I looked Japanese my fellow citizens would treat me as one of their own, but I saw that I was betraying their kindness. When I was at my lowest, a girl came into my life. She accepted me for who I was. Noone has ever shown me such kindness.
(What about Kyosuke??)
He and MC stare at each other as he says "For the first time, I found someone I wanted to protect. It takes a great deal of courage to reveal who you really are. But for those who believe in me, for those I love... I will not be demonised. I am innocent."
Prosecutor: But we have eyewitness accounts!
MC shouts at the villagers "Can't you see? Our Mr Kobayakawa is about to be locked away because of prejudice and hate! The real murderer is out there laughing his head off!"
And Fumidai stands up to speak.
Fumidai: ...it wasn't him. I hated foreigners so much that when I found out one had been living under my nose I...turned into a monster. I didn't mean to lie, but I was blinded by my prejudice. And I've heard...one of the murders happened on the night of my husband's death. That night, Mr Kobayakawa was with me. I'm so sorry, Mr Kobayakawa. You even prayed for my husband. What have I done ;_;
And so Tsumugo is released and the real murderer is found- a warmonger trying to rile up anti-foreigner sentiment.
The Favored Bold Ending (Best):
MC and Tsumugo hug.
Tsumugo apologises to his friends for all the trouble, and they say all the thanks should go to MC.
...MC's stomach just rumbled at EXACTLY the same time as mine, that was disconcerting. *makes a snack*
As MC and I eat, the guys ask Tsumugo if he'll finally be moving into a 'proper' house. But he is determined to stay. Since Fumidai begged MC to keep her job, they travel back together.
She asks why he's dyed his hair back to black and he says it's more convenient, for him and others. She doesn't mind either way and is just glad of his happy tone, free of self hatred. She's also too shy to bring up the whole love confession thing, and decides that if he can't return her feelings she's just glad she gets to stay at his side.
It starts to rain, so they take shelter in his house.
They talk about happy they are to be able to be by each other's sides, and both thank the other for saving them.
Overcome, MC tells him again that she loves him, and puts her hand to his cheek. He puts his hand to her cheek in return.
Tsumugo: We are very different people, in terms of culture and upbringing, and will probably have things we disagree on in future. But we express our love the same way. Will you let me show you how much I adore you?
And then he leans closer, and they kiss.
THE END
Fortune‘s Fools Ending:
This is roughly similar to start with, though his hair is silver.
Kyosuke asks Tsumugo if he really wants to live with the villagers who acted so hatefully towards him.
Tsumugo: I happen to love Meguro...Words are a frightening thing. Just the word 'foreigner' can turn a village against you. I have faced this tragedy before. But I cannot run away from my foreign blood. So I will live wherever I please, holding this burden tight to me.
Kyosuke: Tsugumo...
Tsumugo: Don't look at me like that. The happy times I spent with the people of that village were real for me, for us. Those memories are more resilient than you think.
MC is happy to see him able to face the future without fear, and trust in others to change.
When they arrive, a ring of villagers face them. There's no malice this time, but they're still distant.
Tsumugo offers them all a deep, formal bow. Awkward, and feeling like he has nothing to apologise for, MC pulls him into the house.
He talks about all the pain she'll suffer if she associates with him, and she cries thinking this is him pushing her away again.
But then he says "We cannot hope for a happy ending, you and I. There may come a day when we regret this. And yet...I cannot help but want you in my life."
Before she can finish agreeing and saying she loves him, he kisses her.
THE END
So! I mostly quite liked that! The mixture of gothic romance, fairytale, and realistic historical romance all worked pretty well together, and even though they're very different people they're a cute couple who genuinely care about and respect each other.
Also I really like how Tsumugo is charmed by MC's natural tendency to be loud and expressive despite her best efforts to be a Quietly Polite Japanese Girl.
The Xenophobia Is Bad message was pretty heavy handed, and the 'big hearted but conservative country girl learns to accept and melt the heart of a bitter foreigner' trope would have been aggressively hackneyed from a Western story, as would have the Foreigners as Monsters gothic tropes (especially the Very Special Lesson about not being racist to white people, haha). But it was effectively done for what it is, and...I don't know whether it was the different cultural context or the writing, but it mostly worked for me. I have no idea how this would read to it's intended modern Japanese audience, especially mixed race readers.
Also, like, as this story shows, prejudice against white people isn't a trivial thing in Japan, but regardless of it's merit in the original cultural context I still personally enjoy the way this and Hakuoki used vampire/gothic monster tropes with Whiteness as the Other, it's such an enjoyable contrast to the all the POC as the Other fiction I usually consume. (Obviously a 'white' vs 'POC" dichtomy doesn't capture the complexity but hopefully my basic point is clear)
I kept thinking "Stop saying xenophobia is just human nature!" but I also know I'm really not in a position to say what is a historically accurate depiction of Japanese people in 1912, or an appropriate way to write about xenophobia for Japanese people today.
Still, I...would not forgive those villagers very easily if I was Tsumugo or MC. I'm glad they learned better but nnng.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-12 12:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-04-13 03:48 am (UTC)I hope you enjoy it!