A Love Story Between the Moon and a Wolf
The skirt of her kimono snakes a blue fluorescent zigzag through sparkling waters, teasing the surface with silk-like fingers to create a few moments of chaos on otherwise still waters.…[...]
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Hagwon Hero
At 38, Jeong-min decided to enroll in an adult English class at a hagwon in downtown Daegu, South Korea. “A hagwon is like a for-profit cram school for anything. English.…[...]
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The missing dog
“Misa!” Mai shouted. “Did you climb on the sofa again?”Hearing his owner’s angry tone, the dog quickly scurried to a corner of the house. Mai grabbed a broom and approached,…[...]
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Princess Putri
Princess Putri Mbak Dewi, came home, back to our village in Indramayu. Dewi, my sister, she is sick. She got alat bantu and must take a lot of medicine. But…[...]
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A Lady By Birth
The rising sun - On a warm, summer morning, the sun stretched lazily as a mother experienced her first contractions. The nearest medical care was miles away and there was…[...]
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Letters to Surabaya
Letters to Surabaya Dearest Daniel, 28/8/93 I‘ve just got home from the airport, and I miss you already. When you left, you took the better part of me with you.…[...]
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Seoul Music
Autumn was seeking refuge from her reflection. She struggled to accept those almond eyes carved by the same hands that bruised her. Her shoulders quivered as she traced over her…[...]
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In Memory of Rajkumari
When I was younger, I was quick to idolize people. Reverence came easily to me. I loved my mother for her soft voice and her quiet, pleasant nature—the way she…[...]
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After Edith Left
I once knew an attractive young Chinese woman, well, quite a beautiful young woman was she, who had a special gift. When she changed into someone else’s clothes, she took…[...]
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I am a Kathakali Dancer
I am a Kathakali dancer Kayalvizhi gazed at the piece of paper pasted on the mahogany-framed mirror in front of her. The words rang like the rustic bell in the…[...]
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The Last Letter
A Xiang, I've been thinking about the birds on campus—how they sing whatever comes to them, without hesitation. My professor stopped mid-lecture yesterday when I asked about the Hundred Flowers…[...]
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Five Minutes
Higher and higher. Numbers are climbing up the scale. Almost every minute that goes by, another number increases. One minute, the radio read 36.9℃, the next it read 38.3℃, and…[...]
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Convenience Story
Contains ideas of racism and xenophobia. Cherry blossoms only bloom in the spring. No one had thought to tell James. His dream of a blossom-filled life in Nagoya had withered…[...]
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As Beautiful As a Dream
In the backstage makeup room, Wen sat before the mirror, its row of glowing bulbs casting a sharp light that left his freckles nowhere to hide. The mirror seemed a…[...]
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The Marlon Show
The cicadas screamed like the world was ending. No one paid them any mind. Nagoya Station buzzed, a collective hum of travellers transferring to towns they’d rather be in, salarymen…[...]
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A Farmer Without Land
My father and mother had me one year after their marriage. In countryside, if a man or woman hadn’t married by the age of twenty-four, they would be called “leftover”.…[...]
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Nian, The Ancient Monster
(The story contains theme of bullying) The clouds gathered, growing heavier. Ying’s tears had already dried, leaving faint streaks across her face. She squatted down, blood seeping from her scraped…[...]
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Storming Into The Good Night
In downtown Beijing, the chilly draught marched alongside the rain, which battered the pavement ferociously. The chill seeped through Ling’s coat and into her skin, making her tremble. She stood…[...]
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Tomorrow is Another Day
My work was done. I rode the elevator down to the hall, where people hurried past, their footsteps echoing around me. My ears, attuned to every nuance, allowed me to…[...]
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The Gesture
The Gesture The station concourse was neither loud nor quiet. Sound moved through it the way air did—present, unnoticed unless something interrupted it. James stopped near a narrow counter set…[...]
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Umami Kiwa — The Edge of Reduction
The smell reached her before the sound.It wasn’t smoke — not yet — but the broth had tightened, the umami deepening into something heavier than it should have been at…[...]
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Bukubuku Cha, and the General’s Osettai
Fujinomiya lane was a dirt uphill road that came straight from coastal route one. It was a pleasant April morning in Shizuoka, and Kajifuchi wasn’t expecting any visitors to his…[...]
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Sesame Chicken
A mother’s love language is in her cooking. A love language I thought were little gestures but as I grow older I’ve come to realize just how not so little…[...]
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In the Garden of Love and Malice
Once upon a time, so the story goes, there was a petite young girl with doe-eyes named Maya who lived in this village. She had a beautiful garden. Her greatest…[...]
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Mama, Don’t Go
Beijing’s lanes stretched astonishingly wide, overwhelming most pedestrians. Crossing from one side to the other took nearly ten minutes. From the overpass, you might be captivated by the grandeur, but…[...]
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Shika Nee-san, or, Sister Deer
七月一日2001年July 7th, 2001 It was four months after moving to Hokkaido that I met her, the deer. She was timid at first, never venturing past the railing of conifers at…[...]
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Bangkok coffee shop
Mook paid the driver, her money ready in hand before he’d even stopped. She wanted this to be over. Rejection was best done quickly. She climbed out of the taxi…[...]
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The Hermit Encounter
Tenzin met a wild sage one time in the eastern Himalayas, where the winds were said to whisper strange and ancient secrets. This hermit lived in a cave. Tenzin knew…[...]
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Dog Days at the Shrine
In the sweltering embrace of the Dog Days of Summer, the ancient shrine of Inari Okami baked under the relentless sun. Cicadas buzzed with a frenetic energy that only amplified…[...]
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Torandot Redux
"Forget her, Cefalu," Gayle consoled. He lit up his pipe and turned back to face his friend. "Turan's a goddamn princess and you're just a--"Cefalu was no longer behind him…[...]
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You Watch Your Words
TW: Parental conflict, verbal/emotional abuse, comparison, self-depreciation, internalised pain “That’s it! I’m done talking to you! ”That’s your mother, in Mandarin.“You’re absolutely absurd!”That’s your father. In Cantonese. Then he murmurs…[...]
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She Who Brings the Rain
Nobody seemed to notice that the rains came exactly when Miyo arrived in the small, rice paddy village of Minori. Nobody except Akira. *****Miyo floated in, signs of long travel…[...]
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A Flower Once Bloomed
A Flower Once Bloomed Trigger warnings: Implied sexual violence (rape) physical violence and gore suicide (seppuku)This is somewhat inspired by The Crow and Blue Eye Samurai :) The snow drank…[...]
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Goodnight Ong Ngoai
Dancing around my room dressed up as an ancient Chinese nobleman’s daughter while watching hong kong dramas was a regular occurrence for me when I was 12. I put chopsticks…[...]
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The Twisted Child
The Twisted Child He was walking so quickly, I had to struggle to keep pace with him. Prashant Gupta, was a tall, heavily built, fleshy-faced gentleman with cruel eyes. At…[...]
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A Day In The Life Of A Tokyo Witch
Everyday is the same. I work at the gas station convenience store. The customers come in. They pay for gas, cigarettes, vapes, or other snacks that are so full of…[...]
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LOTUS SLIPPER
I remember reading a story about binding the feet because the reader was never asked her hand in marriage, and following the story made her realize that a man doesn’t…[...]
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which one does it make friendship better?
After I worked as an actor at a small local theater, I rushed out of the theater to meet my best friend, Mari.I arrived first and I turned around.“There she…[...]
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The Garden of Lonely Fools
A century from now, it will be burned to the ground by a horde of zealots. They will believe in modern fashion and old-fashioned ideals. I’m glad I’ll never get…[...]
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The Wandering Donkey
THE WANDERING DONKEY “Let me carry those bags for you, Mama Mu.” Mama Mu glanced at her slight companion with a baby strapped to her back. “San-nu, I may be…[...]
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Beneath It All
The emaciated corpse lay cloaked under a Union Jack flag, the dried blood staining the cement beneath. It was an odd scene, even for the eyes of seasoned Hong Kong…[...]
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A Tragedy at Sea
SENSITIVE CONTENT WARNING: Death, GriefTamae Mitsufuji had just turned nineteen. It was the sixteenth of December, 1946.Tamae and her grandfather had just spent the night at her aunt’s house on…[...]
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Midsummer Rain
Jin- seon inhaled sharply, groped weakly at the long spear pinning her to the ground, blood spilling from underneath her iron chestplate, shirt already soaked with blood. The demon stood…[...]
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Between The Lines
Elena Santos gripped the armrest of her seat as the plane descended into Tokyo’s Narita Airport. The hum of the engines vibrated through her, amplifying the nervous energy that had…[...]
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The perils of assisted living
It was all a huge misunderstanding. And Marnie had started so well. The concierge had rung the bell at the back door. She had struggled with the heavy frame and…[...]
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They Will Learn My Name
Lakshmi found it quite easy to sneak into the palatial coastal compound of Visakhapatnam. How those so otherwise observant can ignore the hired help on many levels was astounding to…[...]
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Inheritence
(This story features mentions and minor descriptions of abuse, death, wish of murder, and suicide.)Kaito stepped off the evening train into the humid breath of Kyoto, the cicadas screaming from…[...]
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Show Him Hell, Yeong Kim
When my hands were coated with blood for the first time since I left, I knew he couldn’t be forgiven. The beautiful girl I made a promise to marry laid…[...]
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Underwater Fireworks
{Warning: this story contains strong sexual themes and explicit descriptions of sexual acts.} Matsuri hadn’t washed her hands thoroughly enough. She could still smell the liquid desire that had leaked…[...]
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The Smiling Flower
The Smiling Flower“The sky is so distant,The wind so crisp and clear,The sea so vast, and so brilliantly blue—And there you were, naturally, in my sight.”IThis was the 18th blind…[...]
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This Thing so New and Nostalgic
The waves are violent in Hokkaido. They leap up and smack the shore with a loud clack that shakes all the plates in their cupboards and the babies in their…[...]
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my land never changes
u will know which country i am referring to ... ?keke ...the weather never changes here , hot and wet ... always , 366 days a year.. !Cost of living…[...]
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The Sun Always Shines (Even When It’s Raining)
Lyla's Her boots clicked against the old cobblestones – tap, tap, tap. The sound bounced between the buildings lining Main Street, those ancient brick beauties from back when people actually…[...]
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The Tea Company Workers
Nobody living outside the world understood how the residents of Sin SLAMPPEP, the world without love, existed. No rationale supported human existence there because there was no love there, which…[...]
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Praying for Tomorrow
(Sensitive Content notes: mentions of weapons and death) We carried her boat as we neared the Yalu River. The Chinese villager spoke to us in broken Korean. He would take Ji’s…[...]
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Shadows of Nagasaki
The long, boring summer days stretched endlessly, each one blending into the next like the slow, languid waves kissing the beach shore. The heat in Tokyo was oppressive, a heavy…[...]
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Asian Pears
“Would you be interested in going back in time?” asked Dr Lee.That caught Mary’s attention. She snapped her gaze away from the window and, though she knew how impossible it…[...]
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The Universal Obsession of Max Preensworthy
This is the story of Max Preensworthy, a man addicted to exactly the same thing as you or I. I'll come back to that. First about Max: Max is almost…[...]
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Left Behind in Fukushima
I’m sitting on a coach bus at 7 a.m., staring out the window, scanning the streets for tourists. This isn’t where I thought I’d be. Not after graduating with a…[...]
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The Woman on the Train
The train car trundled along steadily, only slowing for the occasional station. While clean, the age of the train was obvious. The wall panels were dark, lacquered wood, matching the…[...]
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Apocalpyse Crying
Their horses are more nimble than leopards and swifter than wolves in the evening: their horsemen will spread out. And then their horsemen will approach from far away: they will…[...]
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Letters to Surabaya
Letters to SurabayaDearest Daniel, 28/8/93I ‘ve just got home from the airport and I miss you already. When you left, you took the better part of me with you.How am I going…[...]
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A prickly situation
Meeting the prisoner on death row caused my skin to prickle as if a porcupine had walked over me. ‘Take a deep breath. It doesn’t matter what horrendous crime has…[...]
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The Last Lantern
The lanterns swing above the main street. They are lit day and night, flickering a bright yellow light that never goes out. It has always been this way. Lin runs…[...]
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Yurika’s Tale
“Did you hear that?” “What?” “I heard Yurika was spotted going to a hotel with Teacher Masuda.” “Wow, seriously?!” “Isn't Teacher Masuda…” “Yes! He's already married. Doesn't that make her…[...]
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Quiet Shadow
Michael Hughes set his teacup down with practiced grace, eyeing across the veranda. Behind him, a red pagoda cast long shadows over his otherworldly garden, where solemn statues stood sentinel…[...]
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The Devil You Know
I made it to Lamma Island the day the ferry stopped. I’m an American who has lived in Hong Kong since high school, I know the territory, and I choose…[...]
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A Christmas in Japan
Maybe I was just trying to escape from my problems–'doing a geographical’ as the self help people say these days. Or maybe I just wanted to have some fun. Regardless,…[...]
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A Long Day’s Rain
And so, the longest day in Mogali's life would end up being the shortest. Every now and again, she heard the metallic tinkle of her little trigger-ring play against the…[...]
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someone who turn over a new leaf
it was in secondary school when all this occurred : being a top achiever . he has always gotten good grades since schooling but everything change when he went up…[...]
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The December I Used to Know
It’s December again. I hate December. The twinkling and the flashing Christmas lights. They make you dizzy when you stare too long or try to follow the lighting pattern. And…[...]
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Calling From Myanmar
When he got pulled into the scam, young Junyu was a college grad living in Shanghai. At 22, he still lived with his parents and spent most of his time…[...]
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The Stories in My Tea
Tea has always been more than just a drink for me; it's a ritual, a comfort, and a keeper of stories. Each cup I brew holds fragments of the past,…[...]
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BFF , best pal
One of my best pal , he is fuming with anger , frustration and jealousy , quite a selfish guy to be exact and by the way , most of…[...]
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Tea with Pema
Fingers numb with the chill, Tsering lifted the bowl of bödja to his lips and let the silky broth wash through.The next moments were lost in warm ecstasy.It was his…[...]
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The Farewell
Konishi Sahei closed his ancient, grey eyes and inhaled deeply. The small room was suffused with the smell of chrysanthemum. He liked that; it reminded him of his younger days. Opening his eyes…[...]
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Meng Po’s Tea for Forgotten Memories
Meng Po's Tea of Forgotten Memories Deity involved: Meng Po (Grandma Meng), the Goddess who helps deceased souls to forget their past lives before reincarnation from Chinese mythology“You’re back again?” She…[...]
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The Boatman
The Boatman A dawn haze hung low over the Hooghly River, shrouding the lush countryside in a blanket of surreal calm. The imposing river, one of many Ganges tributaries, wove…[...]
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A Stranger’s Kindness
Liam, a traveler from Canada, wandered through Da Nang, captivated by the city’s vibrant chaos. The air was rich with the aroma of sizzling street food, the sounds of motorbikes…[...]
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One of Fifty
This story contains depictions of pain and hurting oneself, though not for reasons stemming from self-hatred or desire to inflict harm. She breathed into her back, softening her neck to…[...]
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Build A Husband
After reels became completely flavorless, Jessica ran out of things to do. Her thumb window wiped her phone, back and forth and back. Youtube. Instagram. Reddit. Google News. She chewed…[...]
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Shattered Honor
In the heart of Higashi, where mist clung to the pines and the air was thick with the scent of sakura, there lay a town forgotten by prosperity. Its name,…[...]
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Warabe Jizo
An: Ahh, morning is breaking. Light but not yet enlightenment. The fresh fragrance of moss. Yes, I am surrounded by moss, even buried in it. I shouldn’t care, but this garden at Sanzen-in is cozier…[...]
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What We Have and What We Have Lost
tw: brief suicidal thoughts, verbal abuse, war and mentions of death It was impossible to think in this sticky heat; but they had had but five hundred arrows left to…[...]
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With Love, From Home
“The Cherry Hotel. Walk down the pavement, turn right, and it’s the first building on your side of the street.” There was wind on the other end of the line,…[...]
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The White Dragon – Part 1
In ancient China, there was a special vocation for transporting important items from one point to another. Usually, the items can range from a huge amount of gold to important…[...]
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The Tree Remembers
Trigger Warning: Verbal abuse I was fourteen years old when I left my mother. Or rather, when she abandoned me. It was a wet spring morning when Mother called me…[...]
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