Frank
Hello, this is Frank.
I’d like to introduce you to my short mystery story, “Shackles”, with a synopsis and an exclusive preview.
I hope you’ll enjoy reading it.
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【Synopsis】
Tomita, a corporate businessman, unexpectedly runs into Shiori, a woman from his past, during his evening commute. Disillusioned by his deteriorating marriage, Tomita begins to find comfort in their renewed connection. But as Shiori starts probing into the reasons behind their separation a decade ago, Tomita grows increasingly uneasy. One day, a newspaper article glimpsed in Shiori’s apartment begins to unravel the carefully buried secrets of his past.
Crafted in collaboration with a children’s author as part of a relay-style writing project, this is the seventh installment in the “Slightly Mysterious Anthology” series—a short story of approximately 19,905 characters that explores the timeless theme of human relationships between men and women.
【Sneak Peek】
Ⅰ
It had been ten years since I last saw Shiori, and our reunion happened entirely by chance—on a train home from work.
My home is about a thirty-minute ride from Umeda.
It must have been around eight o’clock that evening when I was heading back, changing the grip of my hand on the strap above me.
That’s when the woman standing next to me turned slightly, seemingly startled, and exclaimed,
“Oh! Isn’t that you, Tomita-san?”
She wore a sharp dark suit and clutched a briefcase tightly in both hands.
It was the beginning of winter.
Caught off guard, I turned toward the soft, familiar voice—something about it stirred a memory.
“Shiori?”
That was all I could manage.
Though I had occasionally imagined we might meet again someday, I never thought it would be like this—sudden, unannounced.
“You look well,” she said.
Though I had longed for this moment more than I admitted to myself, all I could muster was a bland greeting.
Yet something about her felt different—her posture, her stylish outfit, the confident click of her high heels all radiated a new kind of self-possession.
“I’m doing fine. You seem well too,” she replied, smiling softly.
That smile hadn’t changed. And in that instant, something long dormant stirred inside me—something like joy.
But she never used to call me “Tomita-san.”
Back then, she always called me Tōru-san.
“You haven’t changed a bit,” she said, turning to face the window, no longer looking at me.
No, I thought silently. Neither of us has.
I didn’t say it aloud, but the words echoed inside me.
The two of us stood side by side, holding onto the straps, our reflections faintly mirrored in the darkened train window.
To anyone looking, we might have seemed like a couple who had boarded together from the start.
“Do you usually take this train?” she asked.
“Not really—usually I take the local. Today just happened to catch the express.”
“So this really is a coincidence, then.”
She looked as if she wanted to say something more, her gaze floating somewhere in the air between us.
The sound of the train crossing a bridge cut through our silence, interrupting the flow of conversation.
My thoughts stalled, and I let myself sway gently with the rhythm of the train.
I figured she must be working now.
“How long is your commute?” I asked.
“About an hour,” she replied, adding the name of the station where she usually gets off.
“So you’re switching to the local at the next stop?”
“Yeah.”
When I mentioned the name of my stop, she blinked in surprise.
“We’re practically neighbors,” she said.
Her long hair hadn’t changed. Her classic, almost Heian-era features—which once made her look older than her age—now gave her a soft, charming presence.
I glanced at her, and at that moment, she met my eyes.
And in that instant, I knew—we were both remembering.
Remembering what happened ten years ago.
(To be continued)
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新品価格 |
If you’re interested in an English version of this novel, I’d love to hear from you! Please contact me at: contact＠frankyoshida.com (Note: To avoid spam, the “@” symbol is written in uppercase. Be sure to replace it with a lowercase “@” when sending your message.)
Your interest will help me decide whether to publish it as a Kindle edition.
Thank you for reading today.
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