”’Life is a mystery. But listen. Why did I turn up in your life in the first place? Do you believe in fate? Was your fate controlled by me, or was being controlled by me your fate? But in the end, aren't they just two sides of the same coin?’”

Not many thoughts, honestly. My experience with Japanese literature thus far has been that it tends to focus on exploring some aspect of the human condition through character-centric stories rather than plot-driven, action-packed tales meant to keep the reader hooked from beginning to end. There is something to enjoy about that approach, I feel.

That which was the thief’s ruination was also his salvation. Or was it? We are left to imagine whether or not such is the case. The paths that we are shaped by our environment into taking can lead us astray from the life most meaningful to us. Sometimes, even if we do everything right, we may still face suffering, for many things are simply out of our control. This is what it means to move about the world amongst one’s fellow man.