Synopsis
The protagonist, Kento, is 28 years old and unemployed. He spends his days working out and striving to become a certified administrative scrivener. He lives with his mother and his 87-year-old grandfather, who complains daily about wanting to die.
Kento had always ignored his grandfather’s desire to die quickly, but one day he takes it seriously and decides to give his grandfather a peaceful, dignified death.
His method: depriving his grandfather of his independence and sapping his will to live. He performs all of his daily care for him, providing “additive care” that weakens his physical functions.
Meanwhile, Kento himself works out and studies for qualifications, “building” both physically and mentally. The story unfolds with a contrast between his grandfather’s “scrap” and his own “build.”
But is his grandfather’s desire for death genuine?
Are Kento’s actions benevolent, or self-indulgent? As his grandfather’s unexpected side emerges, Kento begins to realize his mistaken belief.
Thoughts
This book is a well-written portrayal of the conflict between an elderly person’s desire to die and the young person who accepts this. Dignified death and caregiving are topics of great interest to many people in modern society. These are issues I’ll likely have to think about in the future.
Furthermore, the depiction of an unemployed young man rebuilding himself through muscle training, combined with the depiction of his grandfather’s decline, leaves an even stronger impression.
