[Novel] I Was Here—The Cat Says Nothing, But Sasebo Knows the Town Scenery (Episode 53: "The Scent of the Tide and a Small Decision" / "The Sound of Rolling Waves and White Seashells")

Side B: "The Scent of the Tide and a Small Decision"
—From Sumie's perspective

The sea breeze brushing against the beach slips through the window of the processing plant.
The morning light was still pale, dimly illuminating the pearls on the workbench.

I pick up the pearls one by one with tweezers and check their luster with a loupe.
However, my hand movements are somewhat sluggish.

—This season, too, we didn't harvest much.

Over the last few years, the sea has changed.
Fluctuations in water temperature, red tides, shellfish diseases.

In the past, they used to shine much more.
When I worked side-by-side with my husband, the sea was a much more reliable presence.

It has been thirty years since my husband passed away.
I have managed to keep going on my own.
But my body is starting to feel the strain.

—Tossed about by the conditions of the tide,
days where I can't sleep at night continue,
and yet, I can do nothing but blame no one.

Yesterday, I finally gathered the courage to say it out loud.

"...Maybe it's time to quit."

The moment I said it, I felt the room become even quieter.
The pearls, too, seemed to be watching in silence.

I decided to sweep the path on the beach and opened the back door, receiving the morning sea breeze.
Then, what caught my eye was there.

It was a cat.
White and brown patches, a small nick in one ear.

Perhaps it found a perfect stone, as it was rolling a seashell around with its front paws.
It rolled across the sand, and just when I thought it had reached the water's edge, it pulled it back a little.

—What kind of game are you playing?

I almost laughed at its behavior.

Even when I approach, it doesn't run away.
However, the eyes that are staring straight at me are somehow deep and kind.

Words slipped out unintentionally.

"...Is it that interesting?"

The cat rolled the seashell once more and gave its tail a soft flick.

The sea breeze pushed against my back.
Along with the scent of the tide, I remembered the words my husband used to say.

——"Nature, you see, only responds when it opens its heart to you."

I gave a small nod.

——Just one more time.

I will face the sea as it is now, just one more time.
This cat was here today.
That alone made me feel like I could.

Before heading back to the processing plant, I spoke to the cat.

"Thank you. ...For giving me a gentle push."

The cat said nothing.
But it was just there.

[End]

Side A: "The Sound of Rolling Waves and White Seashells"
——From Bunchan's perspective

The morning beach I had come to after a bit of a trip
was cool and quiet.
I was rolling a seashell by myself near the sandy patch at the end of the path.

A white shell that shone a little.
Illuminated by the morning light, it twinkled brightly and small.

When I pushed it with my front paw, it rolled over and scraped the sand.
Near the waves that came and went, I repeated that over and over.

——What for? Nothing in particular.
Just because the sound felt pleasant.

The wind blew.
Mixed with the scent of the tide, there was a faint aroma of wood and oil.

I looked up.
An old building facing the beach.

The white-painted wooden walls were faded by the salt air,
and the entrance faced the narrow path.
Beyond it, I heard the creak of an old door opening.

Slowly, an elderly woman appeared.
Her apron strings were tied tightly around her waist,
and in one hand she held a broom, while the other shielded her forehead from the wind.

She noticed me.

After staring for a while, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
—She looked relieved.

"...Is it that interesting?"

I rolled the seashell just one more time.
Then, I gave my tail a soft flick.

Seeing that, the woman gave a small nod.

—I could hear the sound of your heart.
Along with the tide, the sound of hesitation, exhaustion, and just a little bit of hope.

Everyone curls up sometimes.
But even then, the tide keeps moving.

I was there.
Just quietly there, in the wind.

The woman went back inside the building.
I felt like the sound of the door closing was lighter than before.

I nudged the seashell one more time,
and watched as it was swept away by the waves.

—Once again, for someone else.
I will be here, quietly.

[End]

• Bun-chan (deformed version) LINE stickers are now available 🐾 ▼

• Previous episode ▼

List of Series Titles: (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 Flower Shop of Words"

• 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 Understanding"

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

• Episode 9: "The Night I Couldn'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 Yet Rung" / "I'm Sorry. But, Thank You." / "Is Staying Behind the Same as Running Away?"

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

• Episode 16: "Before the Silence Turns Into Sweat" / "You're Here Today Too, Bun-chan"

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

• Episode 18: "I didn’t say it out loud, but you heard me." / "I can hear your voiceless voice just fine, you know"

• Episode 19: "The Winner Who Doesn't Sing and the Clown Who Doesn't Laugh" / "The Distance Seen from Above, the Scent Reaching from Below"

• Episode 20: "A Light Is Lit Between the Two" / "I Thought You'd Come. I Have No Basis for It, Though." / "I didn't exactly go to meet you—though you probably won't believe me if I say that"

• Episode 21: "The One on the Boundary" / "I Can Tell Both Departure and Arrival by the Scent"

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

• Episode 23: "Even on Days When No Sound Comes Out, There Is Someone Who Can Hear It" / "Beyond the Sound, There Is a Heart"

• Episode 24: "The Sound That Unravels Is Not in the Voice, But Deep in the Eyes" / "Mom, the Cat, and a Stranger" / "On the Way Up the Slope, I Felt Two Winds Overlap"

• Episode 25: "There was no sound of a broom today" / "When he was silent, I felt the garden grew a little wider"

• Episode 26: "Even if you can't hear the sound of the bell, the wind is still blowing" / "Even if the bell doesn't ring, the scent of memories remains here"

• Episode 27: "Because someone was definitely here" / "Because they were here"

• Episode 28: "Because those hands were gentle" / "Since the day I touched that child, I feel the town has become a little warmer"

• Episode 29: "The scent of dried nets and silent kindness" / "Even if you say nothing, there are things that are understood"

• Episode 30: "I'm glad you're a police officer" / "There was a gentle presence in the shadow of your hat"

• Episode 31: "What Bun-chan reminded me of" / "The scent of memories rose up around the wooden box"

• Episode 32: "The last flight of spring, and Bun-chan." / "The scent of the bus and the rules of spring"

• Episode 33: "A drink, the night breeze, and Bun-chan." / "When your tempo is off, listen to the sound of the wind"

• Episode 34: "A mountain of lucky bags and the scent of that day" / "Beyond the scent of the mountain of lucky bags"

• Episode 35: "A waltz mixed with the wind, and Bun-chan" / "Under the cherry blossoms, while scooping up the wind"

• Episode 36: "The scent of water and Bun-chan" / "The scent of water and the sound of footsteps"

• Episode 37: "The Scent of the River, Prayers, and the Silence of Spring" / "The Scent of the River, Vows, and Bun-chan"

• Episode 38: "The Scent of the Tide, Words Spoken, and Bun-chan" / "The Wind Scooping the Tide and the Sound of Prayers"

• Episode 39: "Thoughts Swaying on the Water's Surface and Bun-chan Again" / "The Scent Along the River and the Shadow of Prayer"

• Episode 40: "The Sound of Unraveling and Bun-chan" / "The Sound of Passing Through the Wind and the Scent of the Sea"

• Episode 41: "Damp Cobblestones and a Gentle Voice" / "A Thank You Left Unsaid"

• Episode 42: "First Fish, First Enemy" / "Black Shadow, Young Tail"

• Episode 43: "First Scent, Warm Hands" / "Beyond the Swept Clean Path"

• Episode 44: "The Usual Alley, an Unknown Scent" / "Eyes Through the Window and the Shadow of the Alley"

• Episode 45: "Wood Shavings and Sighs" / "A Playmate Made of Wood Shavings"

• Episode 46: "Tears and the Swaying of a Tail" / "A Place That Cannot Be Found"

• Episode 47: "A Stopped Clock and Moving Scenery" / "The Wind and the Sweet Scent of Candy"

• Episode 48: "Accumulated Frustration and a Quiet Fur Ball" / "The Shadow of Steel Beams, a Quiet Nap"

• Episode 49: "Things I Can't Put Into Words" / "Things Left Unsaid" / "Because I Was Just There"

• Episode 50: "Twilight of Hesitation" / "One Path, Two Shadows"

• Episode 51: "Family Growing Distant, the Town Drawing Near" / "Because I Was By Your Side"

• Episode 52: "A Chilly Wind and a Warm Scent" / "At the Back Door at Twilight"

• Episode 53: "The Scent of the Tide and a Small Decision" / "The Sound of Rolling Waves and a White Seashell"

Afterword

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

I was born and raised in Sasebo.
However, I left the town for university and found employment outside the prefecture.
But after several turning points in my life, I am now living in this town again.
This collection of short stories began with my desire to depict the scenery of Sasebo—which is somewhat nostalgic yet has certainly changed—and the lives of the people who live there, as seen through my eyes now that I have "returned to live in this town," usinga quiet lens called the "cat's perspective." The protagonist, Bun-chan, is a white and brown calico cat.
She does not speak human language, but by simply being there, she gently catches 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 she is, she is a presence that is surely remembered as having "been here."
The title of this short story collection was chosen to symbolize Bun-chan's way of being, as well as 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 utilized
OpenAI's ChatGPT as a creative partner.At first, I consulted on the plot with a light heart, wondering "what kind of stories might be born with a cat and a town as the stage," but before I knew it, my days became
a process of carefully exploring the rhythm of the story and the lingering resonance of words through dialogue with AI. "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 give shape to these themes through collaboration with ChatGPT, sometimes as poetry and sometimes as stories, was an essential process for this work.
Sasebo is a town of slopes and harbors.
The scenery that has changed and the air that remains the same 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
The Author

Profile | Kazuomi Matsunaga

🧭Thinking Navigator

Biography: Graduated from Kyushu University, Faculty of Engineering (Materials Science) => Engineer at a metal materials manufacturer in the Chukyo region (Production Engineering) => Advertising sales for a local free paper in Nagasaki Prefecture => School corporation staff (<- Now here). A person in their 50s living in Nagasaki Prefecture. Both children have left the nest as university students, and I am living with my wife.
A writer who lets 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 "The Science of Thought" series. I am exploring "free knowledge design" that transcends existing frameworks. My motto is "Imagination opens up the world."
In my main profession, while working in university and education-related fields, I value carefully observing "the moment when someone comes 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.
Feedback is also very welcome!