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Noboru's Hole
Noboru, the main character, finds a hole behind his drawers. This allows him to see his mother in her room. -
Meeting Ryuji
Fusako, Noboru's mother, takes him to see ships because they intrigue her son. There they meet Ryuji, a second crew mate aboard a commercial steamer, who is revealed to have strong beliefs that there is something waiting for him at sea. -
Fusako and Ryuji
As the sailor and Fusako grow to know each other better, they form a romantic relationship. Noboru views Ryuji as a hero and reveres him. Unknowingly, Norboru uses his hole to spy on his mother and Ryuji having sex. -
Ryuji's Departure
Noboru finds the fact that Ryuji is friendly with him as unappealing to the hero image he built inside his head. Soon after, Ryuji begins to tell stories of his voyages around the world and Noboru is content once again. Ryuji sets sail once again, but stays in touch with Fusako and they fall madly in love. -
Noboru and His Gang
Noboru is a part of a clan of five other younger boys. They are led by the one called The Chief. The gang finds a small stray kitten and gruesomely kills it. The point of killing it was to teach the boys to resist influence of their own personal emotions. -
Ryuji's Triumphant Return
Upon Ryuji's return, he boldly chooses to leave his duties as a sailor and ask Fusako if she'll marry him. She happily says yes. Unfortunately, this causes problems with Noboru, as his gang is taught that fathers are a horrible manifestation of a villain. -
Peeping Noboru
Once Ryuji and Fusako's engagement is officially announced, Noboru forces himself to hide his true feelings. Later, Noboru is caught by his mother watching them through the hole. She is very unhappy and wants Ryuji to reprimand him. Instead, Ryuji chooses to simply talk to Noboru about his choices and says that it will eventually become and entertaining story. -
The Realization
You would think that Noboru would be pleased about escaping punishment, but rather he is angry. His gang sees father figures as a threat to their philosophy, that they encourage their "children" to conform to society. Once he realizes this, Ryuji is no longer an idol, but a foe. -
The Final Moments
Noboru shares his idea with his gang and they all decide that Ryuji must be gone. They lure him to an isolated location and request that he tell his sea stories. Little does Ryuji know, the tea he sips as he remembers the fond memories is poisoned. -
The Conclusion
It is never explicitly laid out, but all the evidence points to the gang's murder having a successful outcome in their favor.