The afternoon sunlight filtered through the blinds, slicing the office interior into alternating strips of light and shadow.
On the sofa, the three professors finally turned the stack of manuscript pages in their hands to the very last page.
After finishing the portion they hadn't read yesterday in one breath, all three let out a long sigh. They found comfortable positions, leaning back against the soft cushions of the sofa, looking up at the ceiling with empty gazes.
After a long silence, Professor Kosaka seemed to struggle to return to reality from a long dream. His voice carried a trace of exhaustion as he spoke:
"I truly didn't expect this."
"To think that today, as the twentieth century nears its end, we old fossils would be able to read a piece of such pure Post-war Literature."
He placed special emphasis on the term "Post-war Literature," looking at his two colleagues with a complex expression.
"Even rarer is that it chose the perspective of the 'Old Kazoku'—a viewpoint almost entirely buried by the dust of the era."
Professor Takeuchi slowly opened her eyes and nodded gently. "Indeed."
"But the author isn't mourning a lost class; rather, he is dissecting a spirit—a possibility regarding 'Beauty,' 'Dignity,' and a 'Way of Living' that sank along with that era."
"It's not just the perspective!"
Professor Matsushita sat up straight, the look on his face replaced by an expression bordering on hyperactivity.
He grabbed the manuscript Professor Kosaka had placed on his lap and skillfully flipped through it, the paper making a crisp rustling sound.
"Did you notice? The structure of The Setting Sun! It isn't a traditional linear narrative at all!"
His finger swiped rapidly across the pages.
"The text uses a cross-juxtaposition of multiple literary forms: letters, suicide notes, and monologues. The perspective switches strictly between a few characters, and the timeline doesn't flow entirely downstream; instead, it's woven according to the threads of emotion and memory."
He looked up, the joy on his face as if he had discovered buried treasure. "The structure of the whole text is complete, novel, and unique! It isn't showing off technique, but entirely serving the content! Doesn't this fragmented yet unified form serve as a metaphor for that very era which was falling apart?"
"The Setting Sun... this title is absolutely brilliant!"
"It doesn't just refer to the decline of the aristocratic class, but also to the entire society of that time—everything in a process of 'slanting' and 'falling.' It represents the spiritual predicament and the meaning of survival for individuals amidst immense periodic change!"
Professor Kosaka deeply agreed. He took back the manuscript, turned to the beginning, and gently rubbed the text with his fingertips.
"The pacing of the opening is as soothing as the last lazy stretch of afternoon time in spring."
"Kazuko's diary is filled with daily details: the roses in the garden that wither despite Mother's careful tending, the sound of rain beating against the eaves, the faint melancholy when selling off family possessions... It is filled with a classical beauty, a sense of mono no aware."
"It's just like..."
He narrowed his eyes slightly, seeming to capture the image in his mind.
"Just like when the setting sun first begins to drop behind the mountains—that softest, most magnificent, yet most fleeting golden-red afterglow on the horizon!"
"A pity," Professor Takeuchi took over the conversation.
"These beautiful things were there from the very beginning to establish the tone of decay."
"Starting from Naoji's return home, he brings not only chaos but also a violent collision between the external post-war world, where morality is in disorder, and this 'House of the Setting Sun' that attempts to maintain its final dignity."
"The budding romance between Kazuko and Uehara... rather than calling it love, it's more like grabbing a thorn in despair. Knowing it will sting, yet being unable to let go."
"New and old morals, individual desire versus family responsibility, the longing for life and the temptation of death—the contradictions deepen rapidly here. The struggle of the characters in the cracks of the era becomes increasingly clear, paving the way for the tragic climax of the next act."
Her tone became urgent as her analysis progressed.
"Then... comes Mother's death. The thread maintaining the last shred of warmth in this home snaps. Immediately following that is Naoji's long suicide note, filled with self-loathing and an indictment of the times, and then... suicide. The events erupt densely, oppressive enough to make one almost unable to breathe."
Professor Kosaka nodded heavily and handed the manuscript to Professor Takeuchi.
"Its internal structure is incredibly precise, presenting a dramatic tension that is loose at first and tight at the end, with emotions growing progressively stronger. As soothing and beautiful as the beginning is, the collapse at the end is equally thorough and tragic!"
Professor Takeuchi took the manuscript and flipped straight to the final few pages.
She looked at the text where the Mother, symbolizing the old world, completely passes away, and the personal tragedies of Naoji and Kazuko are staged centrally. Finally, the ending proposes a declaration of "Moral Revolution" amidst the destruction through Kazuko's letters and monologues.
Professor Takeuchi spoke in a deep voice: "Upon the double ruins of the material and the spiritual, it proposes a theory of opposing collective nihilism with individual love, the will to live, and maternity. This is not a solution, but a resolute stance. From here, the personal tragedy is sublimated into a philosophical proposition."
"How does a person find the reason and dignity to survive in a world where all values seem to have collapsed?"
"Not only that."
Professor Takeuchi continued narrating her thoughts.
"The 'Setting Sun' symbolizing the old nobility, the 'Snake' symbolizing desire and sin, the 'Flower' symbolizing beauty and death, the 'Rain' symbolizing purification and sorrow—these metaphors run through the entire text."
"This structure is by no means random, but..."
Professor Takeuchi paused slightly, carefully deliberating on what wording to use.
"But a carefully orchestrated, step-by-step grand performance of the 'Aesthetics of Ruin'.
But the author's brilliance lies in the fact that, within this complete 'Ruin,' he has left behind an extremely faint possibility regarding 'Rebirth,' making it appear exceptionally precious and earth-shattering."
After the commentary ended, Professor Takeuchi leaned back again, rubbing the space between her eyebrows.
"I think this can be taken directly to participate in the Akutagawa Prize to wash those old geezers' eyes."
Hearing this, Professor Kosaka and Professor Matsushita did not refute her; instead, both revealed expressions of deep agreement.
"Indeed, it could go straight to the Akutagawa Prize judging. If I were on the panel this time, I would definitely cast my vote for The Setting Sun."
"What do you think, Professor Kosaka?"
Professor Matsushita looked toward Professor Kosaka, who was still deep in thought.
"I..."
Professor Kosaka snapped back to reality. He looked at the two professors on his left and right, asking with a searching expression:
"In your reading lives, have you ever seen a novel with a style, technique, structure, or even spiritual core that is relatively similar to this The Setting Sun?"
Upon hearing Professor Kosaka's rhetorical question, the two reacted instantly. Their faces first showed shock, followed by an irrepressible excitement that bordered on trembling.
"This..."
"Are you saying..."
"Correct."
"This The Setting Sun might have pioneered a brand-new literary genre!"
Just then, Kobayashi Tomoaki returned to his own office after finishing his work in the large outer office so as not to disturb the three professors' reading experience. He saw the three professors discussing while resting.
"Have the professors finished reading? How did it feel?" Kobayashi Tomoaki smiled with a hint of pride.
Seeing Kobayashi Tomoaki enter, Professor Kosaka stood up and grabbed his arm.
"Kobayashi-kun, tell me!"
"The author! Who is this Master of Dassai-ya?!"
____
New Story: ZZZ: Mr. Ethereal Does Not Want to See a Tragedy
🔥We're handing out that '30% bonus' that makes your wallet smile. 😄
✅ Get immediate access to 40 early chapters for all stories.
✅ Enjoy exclusive material and special announcements!
Help us unlock these community rewards:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters across ALL STORIES!
👻 P - Walnutchan