In my opinion, this book is a story of "escape" or "running away."

In the 11 stories, the characters are subjected to the typical modern-day annoyances that treat them like a garbage can and bombard them with complaints, vulgar teasing, useless advice, pressure, an endless loop of work and anything else they find unacceptable.

The problem is that not everyone hates trash cans and puts trash in them. There are cases of deliberate spite, but most annoying men and women think that they are "unlimitedly accepted" or that it is "just a casual flirting session." Also, from the outside, they are "friends," and after it becomes clear what was going on, people around them will admit, "I thought we were close."

Each story also gives reasons why the targeted person cannot confront the nuisance head on. They may have been supported by the nuisance in the past, or they may say, "At regular dinner parties with me and six other guys, ABCDE, only E does that. In order to keep the group on good terms, I don't want the other four to know that I really don't like E." At this point, the only thing you can do is run away! Running away has become one of the most positive actions in modern times!

However, moving, applying for a transfer to another department, or quitting the club is not easy. The nuisance types will always come after you, bombarding you with questions like "Why are you trying to leave?", and using appeasement, temporary apologies, etc. This is a long introduction, but in the title story and sequel, "lies" are used to escape.

The protagonist is a woman in her mid-30s who helps her niece, who is having trouble getting out of a university club, by lying. This leads her to think of ways to help people in their troubles.

What I thought was great was that the main character is not a master of deception. Every time she takes on a problem, she worries and gets hurt. This is what makes the reader want to sympathize with her. Another highlight of the story is how lies connect people. A person who is saved in one episode becomes an ally in the next. The way people of different ages and positions get involved one after another is idyllic, like the story of the Straw Millionaire or the Russian folk tale "Stone Soup." Rather than direct counterattacks, she somehow finds a way out with lies. There is also a touch of humor that is typical of the author, Tsumura.

Of course, there are serious moments. I think the most difficult problem in the title story and its sequel is what happens to the niece of the protagonist's company manager, Kojima, who is in her first year of high school.

My niece belongs to the trekking club, and was taken up by the advisor to a mountain with everyone. On the way back, they were caught in a light rain, and everyone, including the advisor, fell ill after descending the mountain. However, my niece was the only one who could not recover from her condition. Her mother, the sister of the club president, Kojima, learned on the Internet that there may be plants with pollen that cause allergies growing on that mountain, and started a recall campaign for the advisor.

The teacher apologized for making her catch a cold, but said that he had climbed the mountain many times and that he was a biology teacher but had never seen the plant in question. The mother's behavior escalated. Every reader would think, "Your niece and your teacher, run away!" But what is liberating about this story is...

The protagonist and collaborator in this film face the question of why the person is so trapped and unable to escape. And when they reach the bottom, what do they see? Anyone will want to scream out, "Ah, that's it! That's it!"

In the other nine stories, everyone is searching for an escape route, breathing easier at the end, and the world opens up. This is a book that makes you want to hug yourself tightly after reading it, and then be hugged by this book again.
 

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