- "That day 754 people purchased passes. Miki bought one glossy photo selected from amonh 100. And only one youth appears in her dreams. And yet, he still insists that it's all coincidence. But one day they'll meet again and he'll know. That they were placed on this earth to meet and live through the end of the century together."
- —Narrator
"End of the Century" (
The story follows Miki who spends most of her time fantasying. Lately, she has had a reoccurring dream of a boy. One day, she meets him at the train station and tries to convince him that it is their destiny to be together.
Plot[]
Miki recounts a dream to her friends at school. In her dream, it is the end of the century and a young man approaches her. Her friends, except Senko, dismiss the dream as a part of her overactive imagination, though Miki believes it is her destiny. At the train station, Miki reaches for the same train pass as a young man. She recognizes him as the man in her dream and starts crying. Miki thinks he recognizes her and grabs him. He does not and tries to get away from her, but not before she grabs his train pass.
She learns his name, Kazumi Hirose, and school from the pass. After telling her friends about him, they gossip about how Miki's father leaving his family which is why Miki prefers fantasy. Later, she visits Kazumi at his school and tells him about their destiny together. He has feelings for a classmate and tells Miki he is a realist. She continues pursuing him with a smile. Miki later introduces her friends to Kazumi. He chats with them about Miki and seems to have accepted her in a way.
At school, Miki gives Senko photos of her favorite singer. Her other friends look through the photos and spot Kazumi in the background of one. They laugh at her, telling her that her dreams were actually her subconscious all along. Obviously embarrassed, Miki attempts to laugh along with them. Senko is the only one to notice that she is hurt. After school, two of her friends are still discussing what happened when they happen to run into Kazumi. They then proceed to jokingly inform him about the photo.
Miki waits for Kazumi at his school gate. He tries to ignore her until she begins speaking about telepathy. Kazumi tells her that there is no such as telepathy or destiny, and that she should "give up [this] nonsense." Miki runs away crying, feeling that the "magic has disappeared." She breaks down, reflecting that she only wanted someone to love her. The following day, Senko waits for Kazumi at the same gate. She tells him that Miki's parents are divorcing, which is why she relies on her imagination to avoid reality.
Recovering from a fever, Miki resolves to give up her daydreaming. She heads for the same train station. As she goes to pick up a time card, another person startles her by getting it first. Turning around, she realizes that it is not Kazumi and wonders if she will meet him again. The narrator relates the rest of the story, saying that only one person appears in Miki's dreams. Believing their meeting to be coincidence, he does not yet know that one day they will meet again and live out the rest of the century together.
Characters[]
- Miki: a freshman in high school, who believes in past lives and destiny. Her dad left her and her mom for his lover sometime earlier. Since that time, Miki avoids reality by making up fantasies. She dreams every night of the same boy, who she coincidentally meets at the train station. Miki believes that destiny will bring them together by the end of the century.
- Kazumi Hirose: a nineteen-year-old in his second year of college, and self-proclaimed realist. He does not believe in destiny or anything that he cannot see for himself. Kazumi goes to R University and lives somewhere in Kamicho, Setagaya, Tokyo. He also has a crush on a girl with short hair at his university. He rejects Miki's attention and insists that their meeting was not destiny.
- Senko: Miki's caring friend who attends the same high school. She is a fan of the idol group, Lees. Out of Miki's friends, Senko is the only one who enjoys and encourages her fantasies. After Kazumi rejects Miki, Senko confronts him and explains the reason for Miki's aversion to reality.
Notes[]
- Miki's dream of the end of the century has a post-apocalyptic motif.
- The train station that Miki and Kazumi meet at is Tokyo Station located in the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo.
- The story was published about a month before the debut of Boys Over Flowers in March 1992 issue of Margaret.
References[]
See also[]