[The Pillow Book] Only the Wind Knows

"I miss you..."

--"Someone sneezed, Seisho Nagon. That's not a good omen. Could it be a lie?"

No, Your Highness.

Not missing you: that would be the real lie.

I buried these feelings deep in my heart, where only time could know of them.

Note:

A short spin-off inspired by my reading of The Pillow Book, written in an essay-like style. This is my own attempt.

I'm no expert, so please don't scrutinize it too closely.

Relevant scenes from the original will be marked clearly. Anything unmarked is me letting my imagination run wild.

The author is not part of any fandom and is not a fan of any one person. I was simply moved by the affection in the text and wanted to create something of my own.

The story in the blurb is adapted from chapter 177 of The Pillow Book.

Since this is an imitation, I'll try to capture Seisho Nagon's personality. I'll also write about the people in the relationships mentioned by the original author, apart from Teishi. (I'll include notes, or I won't be able to tell who's who either.)

Seisho Nagon will always love Teishi.

Perhaps it has nothing to do with romance, but her writing has protected Teishi for centuries upon centuries.

Blurb saved September 2025

Drafting began October 2025

Theme: The people she loves will bloom forever