The news that Koide Keisuke, a bestseller writer, had been arrested sent shockwaves across Japan. Koide was a writer who specialized in juvenile fantasy books, and many people read his works regardless of their age, which were highly rated overseas too, so it was no exaggeration to say he was one of the prominent writers in Japan. He, who had appeared on lots of TV shows, was considered to be an innocent man totally unrelated to scandal, so that it came as a terrible shock for the public to learn he had possessed marijuana, which had led to his arrest.
As soon as the news of his arrest was reported, his books disappeared from bookstores across Japan all at once. The main themes of many of his works were “friendship” and “mutual aid,” and they had been recognized as “stories which impress many people” and “heartwarming stories” before his arrest. However, after the arrest, people began to point out defective parts of his stories and suspect that the symptoms caused by marijuana abuse had brought about them.
People reacted in so extreme a way that one couldn’t help feeling it was surprising that the evaluation of the same works had changed so dramatically when the author lost his reputation. Not only did his works disappear from bookstores but also many parodies of his stories were posted on online literature platforms, (such as one in which at the very moment characters should help each other, there was a betrayal, so that the story had a bad ending) and despite such a situation, nothing had been done to regulate all sorts of insults to Koide himself and his works. The public reaction took a 180, and it seemed that they thought every insult to Koide should be justified because he had disappointed them.
Ryota, a young man who aimed to be a writer, was disgusted at the public reaction to Koide’s arrest. Having been an ardent reader of Koide’s novels since his childhood, he respected Koide from the bottom of the heart. Of course, Koide’s arrest was a shocking incident for him too, but he was generous with it thinking “nobody is perfect.” Also, Ryota thought it was not his works but the author himself who had committed the crime that should be blamed, and authors’ personalities should be a separate matter from the contents of their works. Furthermore, there was no description at all about marijuana in Koide’s works from the beginning, and even if young people read them, they would never think of imitating his habit of marijuana abuse, in his opinion.
After Koide’s arrest, Ryota carefully reviewed some of Koide’s novels which he had on hand. It seemed to Ryota that they were elaborate novels from every aspect, and he could also observe lessons to young people included in the stories here and there, both of which made him feel anew that they were created not only out of sophisticated skills as a novelist but also out of a great humanity. He must have been involved in something by mistake and misconducted himself only once. Based on this belief, Ryota came to think of scrutinizing Koide’s works and writing as his successor what Koide would have written next if he hadn’t been arrested. If Ryota said in public, “this work of mine is influenced by Mr. Koide’s works” when it became a bestseller, it might somewhat fix his bad reputation and clear his regret.
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Thinking this way, he took a few years to complete “Robin’s Adventure in Ocean,” his original long fantasy book. Of course, it was totally different from plagiarizing, but he imitated Koide’s writing style and applied plots seen in Koide’s works to write it. He won a child literary award for “Robin’s Adventure in Ocean,” and the book hit the shelves of bookstores and became a bestseller. His wish being realized, whenever he was interviewed, Ryota alluded to the name of Koide Keisuke and presented his theory that authors’ personalities should be a separate matter from the contents of their works. Whether thanks to that or not, people started to take a fresh look at Koide’s works, which began to reappear in bookstores.
Around that time, Ryota received an e-mail from the publishing company. According to it, Koide himself, who had already completed his prison term, had contacted them out of his wish to meet Ryota. This unexpected development excited Ryota so much so that it was immediately decided that they meet at a bar in the Metropolitan area.
It was just like a dream for Ryota to converse with Koide. Their conversation about novels and life really livened up, and they hit it off as if it weren’t their first meeting. They talked all night with a drink in hand, and even when the closing time of the bar came, their talk didn’t cease. When Ryota, who was told that the bar would be closing shortly by the barkeeper, was about to leave there a bit disappointedly, Koide told him,
“In fact, my house is near here. If you like, please come with me to have another drink.”
Ryota readily agreed, and they moved to a luxury condo where Koide’s house was located. After arriving there, Ryota was ushered to a drawing room in which there was a large table, and then, Koide said, “I will go to another room to pick up something,” and entered the inside of the house leaving Ryota alone.
Koide’s house was the very picture of a luxurious mansion, where many artworks which looked valuable were placed here and there, and had a solemn atmosphere classical music seemed to match.
The fact that not only did he meet Koide but also he was invited even to his house, helped by tipsiness, made Ryota feel like he was in a dream. In front of Ryota, who had been feeling dreamy, Koide appeared again with a green leaf unfamiliar to Ryota in hand and said,
“Ryota-san, novels are good needless to say, but this one is even better.”
Hearing this, Ryota sobered up abruptly as if his head had been beaten with a hammer and thought strongly,
“I was right. Authors’ personalities should be a separate matter from the contents of their works.”