Dear Sir:
I write to inform you that, as per our conversation the other day, any further attempts to harass the woman in question will not be tolerated. Consider this your final warning. If you persist, we will be forced to seek legal action.
As it is our desire to avoid the need to take such measures if at all possible, we implore you to heed this warning and immediately cease any and all untoward behavior. Be advised that, at the present juncture, she entertains no preferential feelings for you. She had been under the impression that you two arrived at a mutual understanding regarding the severing of your relationship last year, and she therefore feels a great deal of disappointment in your present actions.
As a fellow male, it is not difficult for me to imagine the workings of your mind and the inner turmoil you doubtless endure. But youth is no excuse for misconduct—and certainly not for indecorous behavior toward others. Even as students, we are obliged to take full responsibility for our actions and to subject ourselves to the rule of law. I strongly request that you refrain from any further foolish behavior and instead seek out other, more productive uses of your time.
(Unsigned)
I am quite fond of letter writing. I used to write letters to a friend from my high school days who now lives in Kyushu. My compositions were lengthy and intricate, often requiring a full evening to read. My friend frequently expressed to me what a great nuisance he found my letters to be.
And for a time, when my rational mind had momentarily surrendered to infatuation, I’d written letters to Mizuo, too. I wrote to her almost daily, producing so many pages of text, it was as if I had become a best-selling novelist overnight. I wrote letters for her birthday, letters for Christmas, and letters for Valentine’s Day. I wrote letters to apologize, letters to express my rage, and heart-wrenching letters certain to provoke tears. I wrote to her from my parents’ home. I wrote to her from London whilst studying abroad. I wrote and wrote and wrote like an imbecile until I could write no more. Mizuo claimed her home was beginning to look like a shed for collecting old paper on its way to be recycled.
And how foolish it all was. I can’t even recall what I wrote or why I’d believed I had so much to say. I suppose I ought to be thankful, for if I did remember the content of my letters, I’m sure the resulting sense of embarrassment would be debilitating enough to deny me any further pleasure from life. I’d jump onto the Eizan and flee to the wilderness of Kibune, where I’d renounce all contact with human civilization.
I had no difficulty, therefore, in replying to Endou’s churlish letter. The words flew freely once pen touched paper, and I found myself relishing in the process.
To Whom It May Concern:
I have received and perused your words of caution. I am afraid my own knowledge of legal matters is quite lacking. I certainly do not expect my grasp of the subject to rival that of a student of the Faculty of Law, given your countless hours of arduous study.
However, in light of your accompanying accusations, I am compelled to clarify my position. Know that I entertain no preferential feelings for the woman in question and that I am under quite the same impression regarding the mutual understanding reached in our discussion last year. I harbor no lingering attachment. In fact, I consider myself quite fortunate to be free of the fetters of our relationship. Consequently, I think it plain to see that you have grossly misinterpreted my actions. You have passed unilateral judgment on me based on utter conjecture, and it is most unjust.
Furthermore, know that a close associate of mine has alerted me to your recent encroachments upon my privacy. Namely, I am aware that you have been following me as I go about my personal affairs. Setting aside your misguided interpretation of my behaviors, am I to understand that you are of the belief that another’s impropriety grants you free reign to engage in impropriety yourself? Given your aspirations to pursue a career as a practitioner of law, I find myself filled with grave apprehensions regarding the future integrity of our nation’s system of justice.
Or perhaps I have misread the situation, and your decision to overstep the bounds of my privacy in such flagrant fashion is rooted in some amatory motive. I will admit that I am a handsome individual, and it does not surprise me that others may at times find themselves irresistibly drawn to me regardless of gender. Nonetheless, if this is in fact the reason for your impropriety, I must unfortunately inform you that, at least insofar as my own romantic capacity is concerned, I do not foresee myself being able to reciprocate your feelings now or at any time hence. No matter how boundless a love may be, there are certain chasms it will never cross.
More importantly, I would draw your attention to the fact that love is nothing more than a temporary state of mental disarray. I would suggest that it is in your best interest to recognize sooner rather than later the foolishness of allowing emotion to govern your actions.
If you believe yourself unable to do this, then as a last recourse and to spare you further heartbreak, I would recommend that you find a different, more suitable target for your affections—that is to say, someone other than myself. I write these things with the deepest sense of regret, and I am, of course, very flattered by your attentions. However, I must strongly request that you refrain from any further foolish behavior and instead seek out other, more productive uses of your time.
(Unsigned)