[Novel] I Was Here—The Cat Says Nothing, But Sasebo Knows the Cityscape (Episode 6: "The Sound That Unravels Me" / "The Sound of Trying Too Hard")

Side B: "The Sound That Unravels Me"—With Bun-chan, on the Hill After School

The walk home after club activities was dazzling, blurred by the setting sun.

The weight of my racket dug into my shoulder.
My uniform shirt was stuck to my back with sweat, and it felt a little nice when the wind blew.

I attend one of the top college-prep schools in the prefecture, located on a hill in Sasebo.
For tests, our grade rankings are posted every time.
In club activities, too, only awards are valued.
I live in an atmosphere where "trying your best is a given."

But, sometimes I think.

—I'm a little tired of trying so hard.

On the long, long staircase leading to my house.
Halfway up, a cat I recognized was sitting neatly on a stone wall.

White and brown patches.
Fluffy fur.
Even though it looked dignified, it had kind eyes.

"...Bun-chan?"

Among the kids at my school, it's become a bit of an urban legend.
Things like, "If you meet Bun-chan, something will change," or,
"They say Bun-chan can see right through people's exhaustion."

I found myself squatting down in front of it.

Bun-chan didn't even meow.
But it gave its tail a soft flick and looked at me.

I couldn't help but say it.

“You know, I made a mistake at club today.
Since it's before the match, everyone is on edge...
I got scolded a bit, but honestly... I'm not that strong.”

Bun-chan jumped down from the stone wall, slowly approached, and leaned its body against my feet.
I was surprised.
But it was warm, soft, and for some reason, I felt like crying.

"…There are days when it's okay not to try so hard, aren't there."

The wind blew.
The sound of the cicadas gradually faded away.
The hem of my uniform fluttered, and I felt like my heart had unraveled a little, too.

I sat there on the stairs with Bun-chan for a while.
It felt like time had slowed down.

Before long, Bun-chan stood up.
With her tail held straight up, she trotted down the stairs into the twilight.

I stood up and adjusted my racket on my back.

"Alright, I'll buy some ice cream on the way home today."

On the way home.
I felt like my heart had become a little lighter.
The me who tries hard, and the me who can't—
I felt like Bun-chan was telling me that both of them are 'me'.

When I looked back from the top of the staircase slope I had climbed,
Bun-chan was nowhere to be seen.

—But that's okay.
If I get tired again, I'm sure that little one will appear for me.

[End]

Side A: "It Sounds Like You've Tried Too Hard" — Bun-chan's After-School Notes

I am a cat. Bun-chan.
I walk through this town of slopes, wherever my mood takes me.

Today, I wandered along the staircase on the slope near the school.
From a distance, I heard footsteps that sounded a little awkward.
Thump, thump... swish, thump. A heavy bag on her shoulder, her breathing a bit shallow.

—It sounds like she's tried too hard.

After a while, I saw a figure at the bottom of the slope.
A high school uniform. A racket bag. A sweaty forehead.
—It's that girl.

I sat on the stone wall and waited.

She spotted me and her eyes went wide.
I heard her whisper, "Bun-chan..."

It seems she knows who I am.

She crouched down to meet my gaze.
She didn't say anything for a while, but
that silence felt somehow warm.

Then, she began to speak, bit by bit.

“Today, I made a mistake at club practice... It’s tough having to act strong when I’m not.”

Voices like that often get lost in the wind.
But I can hear them just fine.

So, I quietly moved to her feet and leaned my body against her.
She was surprised, but soon, her hand gently stroked my back.

—Finally, you've unraveled.

Trying hard is a tough thing to do.
But sometimes, there are people who try so hard they forget about their own selves.
When that happens, I come to quietly remind them.

"It's okay just the way you are."

We sat together for a while.
The setting sun dyed the asphalt of the slope orange,
and the wind swayed the hem of her uniform.

Before long, I stood up.
I held my tail straight up and began to walk down the slope again.

She said to my back,

"…Alright, I'll buy some ice cream on the way home today."

That's just fine.

In the twilight, I walked while occasionally looking back.
Watching over her as the back of that hard-working girl became just a little bit lighter.

—I am a cat.
But sometimes, I suppose I have a role,
reminding someone of their 'true self'.

If someone gets tired again, I will appear.

With silent footsteps, I will come to quietly stay by their side.

[End]

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Series Title List: (To be posted sequentially)

• Episode 1: "The Cat on the Hill" / "The Delivery Person's Mission"

• Episode 2: "The Letter Shop at the Bottom of the Hill" / "The Word Florist"

• Episode 3: "The Tail's Map" / "The Tail's Arrow"

• Episode 4: "I'll Be Waiting" / "The Scent of the Wind, the Sound of Curry"

• Episode 5: "The Tail's Guide" / "A Cat in Sasebo"

• Episode 6: "The Sound That Unravels Me" / "The Sound of Trying Too Hard"

• Episode 7: "The Day I Let Go of That Hand" / "Me, Still Not Knowing"

• Episode 8: "The Reason I Cried That Time" / "A Mother's Heart, the Warmth of a Child's Hand"

• Episode 9: "The Night I Can't Say 'I'm Home'" / "Will I Be Able to Properly Become a 'Father'?"

• Episode 10: "The Voice of Fish, My Father's Back, Cat Footprints" / "Standing in My Father's Shop."

• Episode 11: "The Day I Returned to Land" / "A Heart Returning to Port"

• Episode 12: "Beside a Warm Tail" / "The Presence of Distant Mountains Behind the Scent"

• Episode 13: "Waiting at the Exit of the Night" / "The Few Minutes I Return to Myself"

• Episode 14: "Before the Sound That Hasn't Finished Ringing" / "I'm Sorry. But, Thank You." / "Is Staying Behind the Same as Running Away?"

• Episode 15: "Beside the Person Who Prays in Silence" / "The Prayer of One Who Prays"

• Chapter 16: "Before Silence Turns to Sweat" / "You're Here Again Today, Bun-chan"

• Chapter 17: "The Reason for Raising the Noren" / "Bun-chan, It's Not Over Here Yet"

• Chapter 18: "I didn’t say it out loud, but you heard me." / "A Voiceless Voice, I Can Hear It Clearly"

• Chapter 19: "The Silent Winner and the Unsmiling Clown" / "The Distance Seen from Above, the Scent Reaching from Below"

• Chapter 20: "Light Ignites Between the Two" / "I Thought You'd Come. I Have No Proof, Though" / "I'd Say 'I Didn't Come to See You,' But You Wouldn't Believe Me"

• Chapter 21: "One Who Stands on the Boundary" / "I Can Tell by the Scent Whether You're Leaving or Arriving"

• Chapter 22: "Even If You Fall, Your Eyes Are Still Looking Forward" / "I Wanted to Say I Did It"

• Chapter 23: "Even on Days Without Sound, There Are Those Who Can Hear" / "Beyond the Sound, There Is a Heart"

• Chapter 24: "The Sound That Unravels Is Not in the Voice, But Deep in the Eyes" / "Mom, the Cat, and the Stranger"

• Chapter 25: "Today, There Was No Sound of a Broom" / "When He Was Silent, I Felt the Garden Grow a Little Larger"

• Chapter 26: "Even If You Can't Hear the Bell, the Wind Is Still Blowing" / "Even Without the Sound of a Bell, the Scent of Affection Remains Here"

• Chapter 27: "Because Someone Was Certainly Here" / "Because You Were Here"

• Chapter 28: "Because Those Hands Were Kind"

• Chapter 29: "The Scent of Dried Nets and Silent Kindness" / "Even Without Saying Anything, There Are Things That Are Understood"

• Chapter 30: "I'm Glad You're a Policeman" / "There Was a Gentle Presence in the Shadow of Your Hat"

Afterword

Thank you for picking up this book.
And I offer my heartfelt gratitude for walking this far with Bun-chan and the town of Sasebo.

I was born and raised in Sasebo.
However, I left town for university and started working outside the prefecture.
But after several turning points in my life, I am now living in this town again.
This short story collection began with my desire to depict the somewhat nostalgic, yet certainly changed, landscape of Sasebo and the people living there, as seen through my eyes now that I have returned to live in this town, usinga quiet lens called 'a cat's perspective'as a medium.
The protagonist, Bun-chan, is a white and brown calico cat.
He doesn't speak human language, but by simply being there, he gently accepts the small fluctuations in people's hearts and the expressions they show to no one else.
A cat in a corner of town.
While that is all he is, he is a presence that is surely remembered as having 'been here.'
The title of this collection was named as a symbol of Bun-chan's way of being, and of Sasebo as a 'place where memories remain' for the people who have spent time in this town.
Furthermore, in the creation of this book, I have utilizedOpenAI's ChatGPTas a creative partner.
At first, I consulted on the plot with a light heart, wondering 'what kind of story would be born with a cat and a town as the stage,' but before I knew it, it became days ofcarefully exploring the breath of the story and the lingering resonance of words through dialogue with AIevery day.
'A cat that doesn't speak,' 'people who don't want to talk,' 'memories of a town that disappear without being told'—
I feel that being able to shape these themes into something that is at times like poetry and at times like a story, through collaboration with ChatGPT, was an essential process for this work.
Sasebo is a town of slopes and harbors.
The scenery that has changed and the atmosphere that remains unchanged all continue to nurture the memories of the people and the town.
I would be happy if Bun-chan's story could gently nestle into your heart as one of those memories.
Spring 2025
From the town of Sasebo
Author

Profile | Kazuomi Matsunaga

Biography:Graduated from a national university engineering department in Kyushu (Materials Engineering) => Engineer at a metal materials manufacturer in the Chukyo region (Production Technology) => Advertising sales for a local Nagasaki prefecture free paper => School corporation staff (<- Now here). A person in their 50s living in Nagasaki Prefecture.
I am a writer who lets my thoughts play daily at the intersection of 'questions' and 'curiosity.' Recently, I have been writing about my own unique perspectives on themes such as education, stories, psychology, AI, and design, centered on the serial column series 'The Science of Thought.' I am exploring 'free knowledge design' that transcends existing frameworks. My motto is 'Imagination opens up the world.'
In my professional life, while involved in university and education-related work, I value carefully observing 'the moment when people come to like something' and 'the scenes where questions sprout.'
🧭 I would be happy if I could deliver articles that leave you with a 'new perspective' after reading them.
📮 Impressions and messages of support are always welcome!