“And Only Love Remained” (Near-Final Version)

An unfathomable amount of time had passed. I had gone on countless adventures. Even when I was in a state where I thought I could never recover, the whale would help me. Many other beings helped me as well. To be honest, there were times when the ship wished it didn't have to be revived like this anymore. However, it was forced to be revived. With one modification after another, there were times when I wondered who I even was.
Even when there was nothing wrong, there were “check-ups.” If you maintain yourself daily, you can turn a great disaster into a minor one, and a minor one into nothing at all. Health first, have a safe voyage. These were the whale's favorite words. The ship was told that it would live forever. However, the ship did not understand the true meaning of that until a moment arrived from which there was no turning back.

One day, the whale could no longer revive the ship. The ship still had so many things it wanted to do. The revival that I had hated so much now felt like a great blessing. I thought that no matter what form I took, I would not complain. I regretted all the times I had complained to the whale.
The whale was not in a bad mood or being mean to the ship. It simply could not do it anymore. Around that time, it seems that something incredible was happening in the real world as well. That is a story for another time...

And then, only love remained. Although the ship itself had not realized it, it had been built not only with material components but with love (this applies to many other tangible and intangible things in the world besides this ship). The feelings of the shipwright when it was first built, the feelings of the whale during repairs, the energy of the people, creatures, and even things thought to be inanimate when they were moved by the ship, the feelings of cherishing the ship, and many other things too numerous to write down, had quietly but steadily accumulated and condensed. Both the parts from the world of fantasy and the parts from the real world. In the end, they were all love.
As it overcame numerous adventures, the ship had formed an indestructible self out of the material of love. This was in the non-material realm. The ship finally realized this and was bewildered. The ship had now become something very warm and elusive.

Love was eternal. The ship, having lost its physical body, was given a new role. To watch over the growth of all living things, and even non-living things, and sometimes to help them. Just as the ship itself had been helped in the past... Through this role, the ship, too, would continue to grow.

This work was born from my solo exhibition at Picaresque in 2023.

The solo exhibition consists of three groups of works, and for one of them—the group of works about the ship watching over the growth of living things—I put into words how the ship began this job (this story will not be exhibited as a painting this time. This group of works focuses on the growing creatures, and the ship is planned to be quietly present in each scene).

And the most important part of this story became the title of the solo exhibition.

The whale and such may have appeared suddenly, and those reading for the first time might have been confused. This time, I have put the later story into words first, which is why it turned out this way. The whale is an important character in another group of works. I haven't been able to turn that into a story yet. The basic setting is decided, but... I will introduce it gradually. I am writing this while trying to manage the other part of myself that says, “This isn't the time to be writing, go paint!” and the other part that says, “I want to create quickly!” It is frustrating not being able to do things skillfully.

(As for the paintings, since there are deadlines, I think I must do X, but basically I love to draw, so I also have the feeling that I want to do Y.)

That said, I am happy that I have finally managed to complete one written work this time.

I put the prototype (with production background) in a different magazine, but

I will also include it in the magazine for the finished product (the plan is for the stories to accumulate here eventually. Although it seems like it will be a long time from now).

I have decided it is finished for now, but if I feel any discomfort in the process of creating more of the story in the future, there is a possibility that I will change parts of it. However, the main outline will not change.

The ship's story has paintings in addition to words. Or rather, the paintings are the main thing (at least for now...). I am working hard on them for the solo exhibition. The production process is here (this also includes the other two groups of works).

When the paintings are finished, I will put them in this magazine (they are divided by work group).

Since it takes time to photograph them and refine the words, there will be a time lag, but I will post them slowly. I would like to post everything before the exhibition, but I might not make it in time...

I am very grateful for your support in various ways.

Thank you. See you again.