Yesterday publisher Clover Press launched a Kickstarter campaign for an English translation of Keisuke Uyama‘s bestselling novel, Love Like the Falling Petals. The translation by Terry Gallagher comes from Clover Press and Media Do International, and will feature main cover art by Heikala and variant art by LAL!ROLE and Cheseely. Today The Beat is pleased to offer an exclusive excerpt of the translation.
Here’s how Clover Press describes Love Like the Falling Petals:
Love Like the Falling Petals is a heart-wrenching tale that takes readers on an emotional journey in which a young couple—Misaki and Haruto—navigates the ups and downs of life and relationships. Set in the stunning landscape of Japan, and the fleeting symbolism of cherry blossoms, the novel paints a vivid picture of the country’s culture and traditions, while exploring the universal themes of love, sacrifice, and the power of the human spirit. The Love Like the Falling Petals campaign will feature rewards including bookmarks, tote bags, hand towels, greeting cards, folders, and calendar prints, all adorned with gorgeous art.
In a statement announcing the Kickstarter, writer Keisuke Uyama described the thrill of bringing his novel to international readers:
“Growing up, dreaming I would one day become a writer, I never thought that my stories would be read outside of Japan and reach people around the world,” said novelist and accomplished screenwriter Keisuke Uyama. “I am deeply moved and excited about the English-language edition of Love Like the Falling Petals. I wish I could convey this excitement to my childhood self. Of course, I did not get here alone. I would like to thank Terry Gallagher for his translation and Heikala for her wonderful cover illustration, and Cheseely and LAL!ROLE for the variant covers for the English edition.”
Translator Terry Gallagher also expressed his enthusiasm at having worked on the book:
“It was a pleasure to translate Love Like the Falling Petals by Keisuke Uyama, a classic ‘meet cute’ love drama with a dark twist,” said translator Terry Gallagher. “The characters are very believable and identifiable. Their Tokyo is my Tokyo. The language of the book is the language of real life: heat of summer, chill of winter, the grind of work, the thrill of young love, a family-run pub, a fancy French restaurant, the smell of hospital hallways. But something untoward happens to this couple. The story takes a novel approach to explore our collective obsession with youth, connection, and ‘relationships.’ Will they find their way out of their predicament?”
The Kickstarter campaign for Love Like the Falling Petals is the latest from Clover Press, and the first for the publisher’s Clover Press Imports imprint. Among the publisher’s titles produced through other successful crowdfunding campaigns are a graphic novel adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald‘s The Great Gatsby, the Popeye Variations artbook, and Ricardo Delgado‘s Dracula of Transylvania.
Check out the exclusive excerpt from the English translation of Love Like the Falling Petals below. The Kickstarter campaign for the novel runs until Friday, July 14th.
In the ambulance, Haruto lay on a stretcher and closed his eyes, chagrined. He saw visions of Misaki.
The first time he met her, it was an ordinary day in late summer, in the afternoon.
The high school baseball season, his daily amusement, was over. His hair was a mess, and he needed to get it cut, so he headed to Shimokitazawa. His usual super-cheap ¥2,000 haircut place was closed, so he would have to look for a new place to go. Shimokitazawa was outside his usual haunts, but he also wanted to go to the Village Vanguard to buy a photography book: Cats That Look Like Riceballs / Tuna Can. “Anyplace that seems ‘good enough’ and ‘cheap enough’ will be fine,” he thought to himself as he got on the matte-black mountain bike he had just bought at Nori.
In a residential part of Shimokitazawa, not far from the train station, he came across Salon Bonita. He was impressed by its spotless white exterior. On the door handle proudly swung a sign with just the word Bonita in a slightly disgustingly fashionable font.
The truth is, he didn’t really like places that were so chic. No hair salon worth its salt should have to try so hard to look so trendy. Probably a warren of worthless stylists. He would be better off going someplace closer to home. This place would charge him ¥4,000 for just a shave. Such were the judgmental thoughts running through his head when he was stopped in his tracks by the blackboard saying, “¥3,000 Haircuts for First-Time Customers!”
He still didn’t like the looks of the place, but it was cheap enough. Perhaps he would give it a go, just this once…
He opened the heavy charred-brown wooden door to the sounds of the Beatles’ Here Comes the Sun. At the reception desk sat a man who could only be the manager, wearing playful black spectacles and bashing his fingers at a calculator. The shop was not that big: it had four chairs and one shampoo sink. Two employees bustled about. Two young men, both with “cool,” dyed-blond undercut hairstyles.
Haruto had a gut dislike for people like that, and he choked back a snort.
But he took a seat on the sofa and filled out the form, answering the questions about his likes and dislikes.
“I will be taking care of you today. My name is Ariake.”
Looking up to see the source of this gentle voice, Haruto was instantly smitten.
People often say falling in love at first glance seems like being “struck by lightning,” but in Haruto’s case it was not that electric. It was more like being out on the street and bumping into the Lightning God and getting jostled a little.
A well-worn tool pouch hung from her waist. Her eyes were large and dark, and looked straight at him with a gentle twinkle. She was the epitome of “sparkling.”
How could it be, an encounter like this, in some random hair salon? This was a gift from the Tsunahiko, a cat that looks like a rice ball! Suddenly self-conscious, Haruto looked down at his own clothing.
Arrgh! At a time like this, why did he have to be wearing such a crummy T-shirt? Endless Summer in big letters across his chest! Did he feel like summer? What would she think of him?
In desperation, Haruto wiped at the sweat on his face. Chill out! he told himself. Chill! Why are you sweating this? Knock it off, sweat! She’ll think you must be made of ice, melting!
But as she bid him to follow her to the chair, her smile betrayed not an iota of such thoughts.
As she cut his hair, he was completely entranced, unable to take his eyes off her.
How old was she? Did she live in Shimokitazawa? Did she have a boyfriend?
She must have a boyfriend. She’s too cute not to. Probably one of her co-workers. Probably the manager. How ridiculous would that be? He scrunched his brow. In the mirror, she looked a bit stressed. Perhaps noticing his gaze, she said, “This is my first time cutting a customer’s hair,” as if divulging a big, personal secret.
“But I have done lots of cuts on models. Don’t worry! I am a little bit nervous. But if you’re worried about it, feel free to say so.”
I don’t mind! I wouldn’t mind if you made a total mess of my hair, like some hurricane had just passed through! No really, I want you to make a mess of it! In all her apologizing, Misaki was so cute it made him think things like that.
Despite her nervousness, in the end the haircut was really sharp! He may have been predisposed to see it in a favorable light, but the guy who usually cut his hair at the super-cheap place was old, and his hands shook. Haruto was more than satisfied with the new look Misaki had given him.
“Th…, thanks so much! This is really neat. I mean, I look better than when I came in! Hahaha…”
Couldn’t he have come up with something smarter to say? He found himself depressed by his own tongue-tiedness, but her response was, “Great!” delivered with a big smile. And again, that smile was just too cute for words.
From that point on, Haruto got in the habit of visiting Salon Bonita once a month, just to see Misaki and have her cut his hair. At first, their conversations were very limited, but as time went on, they found themselves talking more and more. What’s more, he learned she did not have a boyfriend! The day he found that out, it made him so happy, he went into a little bar in Shimokitazawa and downed eight highballs, all by himself.
It may not have been the norm for customers to stick with a particular stylist. But for Haruto, these times spent with Misaki were precious. It would be no exaggeration to say they were his sole pleasure in life.
If she talked about a movie, he would see it by the next time they met. If she complained about dry skin on her hands, he would look into some traditional Chinese medicine to help her.
But he was plagued by the fear that she might find a boyfriend, like a wild animal baring its teeth. He could not afford to let more time slip by before asking her on a date.
That was the anxiety that led to that day’s disaster.
