Heliotrope no Koi by Mizuno Hideko (1969)
What can I say? It is known that I am weak for Russian literature and character who run towards their ruin at full speed, so I had to do this Mizuno one shot too... Here is another story by Turgenev, like the previous First Love, to give you some feelings on this cold weekend. Heliotrope Love, was adapted from his Smoke, and I strongly recommend that you read it. Here are some parts that I loved, but that were sadly weren't included in the limited page count of the manga, so I'll leave them here:
‘But I can’t live without you, Irina,’ Litvinov interrupted, in a whisper now; ‘I am yours for ever and always, since yesterday.... I can only breathe at your feet....’
...As though I could complain when you love me, Irina! I wanted only to tell you that, of all this dead past, all those hopes and efforts, turned to smoke and ashes, there is only one thing left living, invincible, my love for you. Except that love, nothing is left for me; to say it is the sole thing precious to me, would be too little; I live wholly in that love; that love is my whole being; in it are my future, my career, my vocation, my country! You know me, Irina; you know that fine talk of any sort is foreign to my nature, hateful to me, and however strong the words in which I try to express my feelings, you will have no doubts of their sincerity, you will not suppose them exaggerated. I’m not a boy, in the impulse of momentary ecstasy, lisping unreflecting vows to you, but a man of matured age—simply and plainly, almost with terror, telling you what he has recognised for unmistakable truth. Yes, your love has replaced everything for me—everything, everything!
God I wish I could love someone like that/someone loved me like that.
This manga was originally published in Monthly Seventeen's issues 30-36 in 1969. I must say all Seventeen manga might be just to my taste.
Thanks go to 5MENP for splitting Edelweiss with me, to phuji and shielshi, my dear Seldom gang, for making this project see the light of day.
And of course, thank you, Attolia, for giving me the push I needed to translate this. I've missed you <3
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