https://t.co/6Rx5rYxyuu

From the entrance, one could see her back, and the yukata on the small figure was undoubtedly feminine. Everything seemed convincing. The obi was tied properly. Even the tenugui covered the head, hiding the short brown hair. The lengths he was willing to go. . .

A shoji rustled, and it became clear he had slipped into someone’s home. Then again, and again, leaving Hideki to guess which house the fugitive had taken refuge in. In the end, even where the last sound seemed to come from, there was no one. Only a woman cooking in the kitchen.

They ran to the village, and the brazen way he dodged and threw everything he came across at the other’s feet, as if testing him, was as impressive as his endurance. Still, he needed a breather. A shoe scraped as the silhouette turned the corner, disappearing between the houses.

It was almost playful. Hideki was faster and knew everything about his land. But Gilles was resourceful, nimble, and moved like a madman: not at the limit and never just in a straight line, but continuing to maneuver again and again, as if he weighed nothing.

When the distance closed enough that he was almost within arm’s reach, he grabbed a thin tree trunk as if it were a pole, letting the momentum spin him around and throw in the other direction. He swerved round him, and their eyes met only for a moment — he didn’t even slow down.

The ferocity of the chase terrified him. But just as Hideki was used to hunting, Gilles was used to running. From cruel boys, from youths with wicked intentions, from men in uniform. Saving yourself isn’t honorable, but what does it matter? If you’re weak, you must compensate.

A twisted game will take place; Hideki simply deprived him of his head start. Gilles began to walk away, keeping the man in sight as if afraid to provoke a beast. And then, in an instant, he vanished into the mist and took off running, not knowing where — only away from him.

He recognized the book’s cover, a little hurt by such treatment. It became clear who had stolen his bag. Seriously? Out of sentimentality, or to humiliate him? He told himself it didn’t matter. In the end, the only thing he would have left were his memories.

Gilles walked back, feeling as if everything in the village was pushing him to the brink. His belongings were gone. He barely saw anyone. The mist brought with it something otherworldly, as if the spirits of this place were watching. He noticed the figure in the boat too late.

Surprisingly, the notes of a man with such a mess in his mind were as neat as a scribe’s cursive handwriting. But neither the artistry of the vagabond’s thoughts nor the horror of their distortion could be revealed by the alien mixture of French, and God knows how many languages.

⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ @schehere7ade ⠀⠀⠀⠀

⠀ @schehere7ade ⠀

Jacob's Struggle, by Léon Bonnat (1833–1922)

i forgive you， father. even though you are a language i do not speak.

He doesn’t seem to share the fun. The sadness in his eyes is still so deep that you could drown in it. “Some people simply can’t bear the sight of others’ misfortune.”

He sat on the sidewalk looking so miserable that the vendor gave him fish. Now he sits on the sidewalk looking miserable and eats smoked fish.

⠀ 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔓𝔥𝔞𝔫𝔱𝔬𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔒𝔭𝔢𝔯𝔞 ⠀

It was something he wanted whenever he couldn’t have. But once he received it, he no longer knew what to do. Truly, you couldn’t say such a thing without sounding insane. He should have been ashamed. Gilles tied up the boat and went to retrieve the only bag with his belongings.

Gilles hadn’t been free even in his own family. He had received freedom only a few years ago, when he was left with nothing, and now he stood with it like with a bulky, useless gift on a threshold — one you can’t throw out but don’t know where to put or what to do with.

But at the same time, what was he supposed to be happy about? That he was heading into nowhere again? He couldn’t believe he had to argue with himself like this. He was free — isn’t that a reason to rejoice? Everything is right. Everything is as it should be. Meaningless.