Mariko: Just look at this. Stunning, isn’t it?
Shiho: Ooh, very delicate. What’s it called—‘夜長’? Night’s length? You think it’s a woman reading?
Mariko: Yes! Reading by the soft glow of an oil lamp, lost in her own world. Probably writing wistful poetry too.
Shiho: Or maybe she’s ploughing through Tale of Genji.
Mariko: Exactly! That kind of noble melancholy.
Shiho: You realize she’s made of rice paper, right? Drop her once and she’s confetti?
Mariko: Nonsense. I’ll swaddle her in bubble wrap and she’ll be fine. The shopkeeper said a friend made this. Possibly one of a kind. How can I not make it the crown jewel of my collection?
マリコ: これ見て。すごくない？
シホ: おお、すごく繊細。“夜長”って書いてあるね。夜が長い…読書してる女性かも？
マリコ: そうそう！油灯の下で、静かに読書中。たぶん、しっとりとした和歌も詠んでるの。
シホ: それとも源氏物語を読破中かもね。
マリコ: まさにそれよ！貴族的な憂いね。
シホ：…でもさ、この人、和紙でできてるよ？ちょっと揺れただけで紙吹雪よ？」
マリコ: 大丈夫！気泡緩衝材でくるんで、私より無事に移動できるわ。店主さんが言ってたの。知人の作で、たぶん一点物だって。これはコレクションの中心にすべきよ。」
_________
Voice-over
A woman reading into the hours when the world goes quiet. Rendered as origami. Who created this? An artist up a valley who creates stories out of folded paper?
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