The statues of the guardian dogs under the shrine's torii gate, one with an open mouth named "A" and one with a closed mouth named "Un", harmonize perfectly together. This is a depiction of the friendship between Madozou Shuuzou and Mizuta Sengi. The last novel by Kuniyoshi Taiko, "Aun", tells their story.
Sengi and Madozou are two completely different individuals. Mizuta works for a small company and is quite ordinary in every aspect, while Madozou owns a company and became wealthy due to the current situation, excelling in every aspect. However, despite their differences, their relationship is extremely close. Whenever Sengi has to move due to work, Madozou takes care of everything, from choosing a house, cleaning the rooms, to heating the bathwater and ordering meals. Madozou takes care of every detail, even doing things personally.
Madozou and Sengi were once comrades who slept in bunk beds, which already signifies a deep bond. However, what truly maintains their friendship is Sengi's wife, Tomomi, and the platonic love between Madozou and Tomomi. This is obvious to anyone, whether it's Sengi's father and daughter, Satoshi and Cong, or Madozou's wife and mistress. However, the three of them pretend not to know, never revealing the truth, maintaining a delicate balance.
Madozou, being such an outstanding man, admires his own wife, and Sengi even feels a bit proud about it. However, all three of them are quite conservative. Tomomi feels ashamed and goes to wash herself whenever she dreams of Madozou holding her. Madozou never enters the house when Sengi is not home, even though they both have feelings for each other, they never engage in any infidelity. When Tomomi becomes pregnant, Madozou wants to adopt the child, and Tomomi doesn't know who the father is, thinking it's Madozou's illegitimate child. Madozou immediately slaps her, saying, "What nonsense! I haven't even touched her with a finger."
Everything Madozou does for Sengi's family is mostly for Tomomi. Even when the company is on the verge of bankruptcy, Madozou still uses his own money to settle the issue of embezzlement by a subordinate. When Sengi becomes infatuated with a geisha and spends money recklessly, often coming home late at night, Madozou pays to redeem her and make her his own mistress. Madozou does all this because he doesn't want to see Tomomi troubled and heartbroken.
Madozou, who appears to be a playboy outside, becomes like a primary school student in front of Tomomi. Every time he does something wrong and is scolded by Tomomi, Madozou stands still for a while, silently savoring this happiness. However, when he accidentally sees Tomomi trying on her husband's clothes in front of the mirror, the posture is exactly what Madozou has always dreamed of. He can no longer control himself and silently leaves.
Worried that he cannot restrain his feelings for Tomomi, Madozou intentionally says something excessive to Sengi, causing them to break off their friendship. The Madozou and Sengi families, who no longer have contact, lose their former vitality. Cong also realizes that their family has always been a family of four, with Madozou's presence everywhere. Tomomi balances her husband and Madozou on opposite sides of a scale, holding the delicate balance.
This novel continues Kuniyoshi Taiko's consistent style, depicting distorted family life and emotions between people. It still includes the setting of a cheating husband and a suffering wife, with rich and precise details. The writing style is similar to a TV script, with strong visual imagery and a natural ending. The story appears ordinary but is filled with conflicts. The background setting also carries deeper meaning, showcasing the lives of ordinary Japanese people during the Sino-Japanese War. Cong's second boyfriend is arrested by the secret police and sent to the battlefield, hinting at the dark side of the government.