To a Promising Young Lad (August 9―August 27)

August 9

To: Beach Boy

Thanks for writing. What a treat, to get a letter all the way from Wakayama.

It’s great that you got to ride the Shinkansen. Sometimes I wish that they’d bring the Shinkansen to the town where I live so I’d be able to go to Kyoto quicker.

Thank you for your pictures of Shirahama. I didn’t go to the beach much when I was your age, so I have to admit that the picture of you playing the watermelon smashing game made me a little bit jealous. Your granny’s younger brother has some pretty impressive muscles for an older man. I thought that I was looking at Arnold Schwarzenegger! (I just watched “The Terminator”, which I borrowed from the old man who runs the bookstore by the station.) By the way, those girls in the swimsuits in your picture are pretty, don’t you think? Don’t stare at their chests though, it’s rude.

When I was in middle school, I went to Shirahama with four of my friends. We stayed for three days and two nights, but halfway through the trip we had a big fight. Fighting with your friends isn’t good. But our friend Fujii was really uptight, and whenever the rest of us left our clothes lying around the room he would start nagging us as if he were our mom. And when someone starts nagging you to clean up, you only want to sneer defiantly, “Make me!” That of course made Fujii even madder. Not too many middle schoolers are as uptight as he was. But what can you do?

The beaches of Wakayama look just like the beaches on a tropical island. The sky is such a deep shade of blue. There are beaches at Noto too, but they’re not like the beaches in Wakayama. I never go swimming; even though I study jellyfish, the thought of swimming in the sea gives me the willies. Serves me right for pushing my little sister into the pool when we were kids. Please don’t tell that to anyone else. If I were good at swimming, I’d go to the beach all the time; the girls would go gaga over me.

Instead, I spend my days buried in research and being lectured by Taniguchi. Research is very hard work. Even I sometimes get sick of it; I start to daydream about going into business instead, and starting a venture of my own.

The days are hot here, but at night the breeze is cool, and the sea turns a mysterious hue. I love riding the Noto Railway train in the evening. The cicadas thrum in the forest across from the station, slowly getting louder and louder, and the last rays of sunlight stain the clouds a strawberry syrup pink. It almost makes my mouth water. And there’s not another soul around.

In any case, I’m glad that you seem to be enjoying your summer vacation. I was worried that for your research project you’d draw up a scheme to assassinate the Marshmallow Man. You always have been a little too precocious for your own good.

Kids usually have growth spurts during summer. Keep swimming, and you’ll be shooting up like a sapling in no time.

Since you’re still going to be there another week, enjoy every minute of it.

Apparently there’s a museum in Shirahama dedicated to a man named Minakata Kumagusu. Minakata was an accomplished scientist who lived a long time ago, and he studied many fascinating things like slime molds. You can see a lot of his handwritten notes there; you should ask your dad to take you there.

Until next time,

Beach Morita

August 17

To: Mamiya the Jealous

Yesterday was the Okuribi. Did you go see the Daimonji bonfire? I watched it on TV.

At this time of year, Kyoto is all hot and sticky, isn’t it? I bet the weather was different in Wakayama. And the weather is different here where I’m living, too. It’s strange; we all live in Japan, and yet the weather is so different from town to town. I’m sure you noticed that as well after your vacation in Wakayama. This is yet another important lesson for you to learn. Excellent observation on my part.

I’m very impressed that the greatness of Minakata Kumagusu inspired you to start plugging away at your summer vacation homework. You’re very lucky that Ms. Mari is helping you. I wish I could find a pretty girl to help me with my research. But there aren’t any around here. There are pretty dolphins though.

Thank you for the picture. How did you like your first used book fair? You may not be very fond of old, worn books now, but maybe you’ll come to appreciate them as you grow older. The more you read, the more you’ll come to appreciate their charm. But some people never get it.

Ms. Mari seems very excited to be in that picture with Mr. Morimi. Komatsuzaki doesn’t look so happy though. I’m just thinking out loud here, but I suspect that seeing how starry-eyed Ms. Mari gets over Mr. Morimi makes him green with envy. Or is it white with envy, since he’s a marshmallow? He seems to have become even more marshmallow-like, which is a surprise considering people usually get thinner over the summer.

What did you think of Mr. Morimi? I’m sure it was something along the lines of, “Hmph, I don’t see what the fuss was all about.” That’s reality for you.

I see that you’re no fonder of Komatsuzaki than you were before. As his friend, this puts me in a difficult spot. In the grown-up world, this is called “being stuck between a rock and a hard place.” He bought you ramune, didn’t he? You observe very astutely that he was probably only being nice to you because Ms. Mari was there. Knowing him that’s not out of the question, but I hope you’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Either way, there’s nothing like a cold bottle of ramune on a summer day.

You also mentioned that Komatsuzaki wouldn’t stop staring at Ms. Mari’s boobs. But according to the transitive property, couldn’t you say that you “staring at Komatsuzaki staring at Ms. Mari’s boobs” is equivalent to you staring at her boobs? You can’t fool me. “Adults can’t look at boobs, but kids can!” you may protest. But I counter that with the words of Dr. Koibumi: “God made men and God made boys, but breasts make them equal.” That’s just the way it goes. It is what it is.

Lately whenever I find myself stuck in a rut with my research, I go out for a walk by the sea. The sky is bright and clear, and the air carries the briny smell of the sea. About five minutes north of the research lab is a rice paddy that looks out over the sea, and beyond this paddy is a round little wood that at a glance seems to have plopped itself down in the sea, and inside this wood is a shrine. The wood is so round that I’ve named it Titty Shrine. But don’t get it wrong, this shrine is dedicated to a god called Takemikazuchi, not to boobs.

I always stop by the shrine and listen to the cicadas for a while before turning back. I don’t have a summer vacation like you do, so I consider these scattered little breaks my summer vacation.

I wish I could spend my summer like you did—go to the used book fair and take a long vacation somewhere far away.

Longing for a getaway,

Morita

August 20

I have some news for you today, Mamiya. I managed to secure a short summer vacation, so on August 25th I’ll be coming back to Kyoto on the Thunderbird Express. Mr. Morimi is treating me to sukiyaki to thank me for giving him the ideas to write a new book. You’ve heard of Mishima-tei and its famous meat, right? Doesn’t your family buy meat there for New Year’s sukiyaki at home? I haven’t had good meat in a long time. Do you like sukiyaki? If you do, you’re welcome to come along. I’ll come by your house to say hello to your parents. Best, Morita

August 27

My summer vacation is over as quickly as it began. I’m currently on the Thunderbird Express headed out of Kyoto.

First of all, I need to dispel any misunderstandings you might be carrying. I didn’t say, “Three cheers for boobs,” and that wasn’t a video of boobs playing on the wall. Komatsuzaki and I were having a research discussion about jellyfish. The video on the wall was displaying a rare breast-shaped jellyfish, Thricharia poupe, which I’m currently studying at the lab. Ms. Mari covered your eyes so quickly that you only caught a glimpse, but since you tend to get excited by anything that even slightly resembles a boob I feel obliged to explain what occurred.

I am definitely not an idiot. Komatsuzaki and I are nothing alike.

I was actually thinking of going to see you one more time while I was in Kyoto, but unfortunately there were many other pressing matters that demanded my attention. I tried talking to my sister, but for some strange reason all she would say is, “You’re dead to me.” How very odd.

I must confess that I was hurt that you left me in the lurch at Mishima-tei. I was very worried when you and Mr. Morimi never came back from the bathroom. Komatsuzaki and I just sat there waiting and waiting. It was a huge relief when Ms. Mari called Komatsuzaki to tell him what was going on, though that relief was tempered by the massive bill we were saddled with. Mr. Morimi really put us in a difficult spot, skipping out like that. What if we’d been stuck in the restaurant forever? I sincerely hope you don’t grow to be the type of grown-up who pulls pranks like that.

I can tell that you’re still very bitter, but that puts me in a tight spot. I understand you were trying to teach Komatsuzaki a lesson, but please make sure you don’t catch me in the crossfire too.

Until next time,

Morita