This story is also known as ”Toilet Paper” in some sources.
It’s been two weeks since my girlfriend found out I cheated on her.
She didn’t contact me at all this whole time, but now she finally invited me over.
But both of us were really awkward and just sitting there in silence.
I couldn’t handle that kind of atmosphere so I ran away to hide in the bathroom.
I happened to notice there was something written on the end of the toilet paper roll.
What was it? Nervous, I unrolled the paper and found a message from my girlfriend written on the paper.
The message went on, line after line.
I unrolled the whole thing and carefully read and reflected on each word.
/////////
From Mami
You betrayed me. That is the truth.
Let’s undo it all from now on.
The precious time I spent with you…
I realized it’s important to me.
To destroy everything over this
is completely unforgivable.
And your decision to cheat on me…
We can forget about all that. Her
Connection with you will be wiped clean
I’ll give you that. We’ve both suffered. My
suffering, all this suffering, has been enough.
Let’s go out… Together, okay?
To Takashi
/////////
Tears well in my eyes. I can hear Mami waiting outside the door.
I’ll go back out and give her a big hug.
浮気をしたのが彼女にばれて2週間。
ずっと連絡がなかった彼女がやっと部屋にあげてくれた。
でもお互い気まずくて一言も口をきけないまま時間だけが過ぎていく。
僕はその空気に耐えられなくなってトイレに逃げ込んだ。
ふと脇を見るとトイレットペーパーの端にペンで何かを書いてあった。
なんだろう。
どきどきしながら紙を引き出すと、そこに彼女からのメッセージが書き込まれていた。
メッセージは何行にもわたっていた。
僕は紙を全部引っ張り出して噛みしめるように読んでいった。
////////////////////////
真美より
あなたは私を裏切った。それは事実
でももうすべてリセットしていいと思うの
あなたと過ごした宝物のような日々。
それが私にとって大切だと気づいたから。
なにもかもぶち壊してしまうこと。
許されないことだもんね。
あなたが浮気していたことは、
全部忘れてしまえるわ。あの娘と
あなたとの関係もこれで帳消しってこと
にしてあげる。お互いつらかったよね。私と
あなたは 十分に苦しんだから。これから楽
しんじゃおうよ。一緒にね。
隆史へ
////////////////////////
涙があふれてきた。いま扉の外に真美が待っている気配がする。
はやく出て行って彼女を抱きしめてあげよう。
This is another story where the solution is to read things backwards, but only for a part of the story. The girlfriend’s message is written on toilet paper, but the narrator decides to unwind the piece completely before reading it rather than reading it in the order the girlfriend intended. The letter, as it is written here, also begins with a signature and ends with addressing the narrator. Usually, a letter would be structured in the opposite way, which is another hint the narrator misses that he is reading the letter wrong.
Due to this misundestanding, the narrator deludes himself into believing he’s been forgiven. In reality, the girlfriend is directly stating that she will not forgive him and heavily implies she is about to commit murder-suicide. The story ends on the moment of tension where the reader knows exactly what’s about to happen while the narrator remains blissfully unaware.
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