No Longer Human

The second notebook recounts Yozo’s high school and early college years. Yozo moves in with relatives to attend school; he finds being in a new town more agreeable than his hometown.

By now, Yozo has perfected his clown act. However, Yozo’s persona is tested by Takeichi, an unintelligent classmate who nonetheless sees through one of his capers and accuses him of faking it. This sends Yozo into a spiral of panic, worried that Takeichi will divulge his secret. He tries to think of what to do; he notes that the one thing that he did not think to do was kill Takeichi. Instead, he tries to befriend him.

One day, while caught in a downpour after school, Yozo takes Takeichi to his home nearby. When Takeichi complains of ear pain, Yozo gently cleans his running ears. Takeichi tells him “‘I bet lots of women will fall for you!’” (47). Though this was meant as a compliment, Yozo reflects on the vulgarity of the phrase “to fall for” and believes it to be a dire prophecy. Though he grew up primarily with girls and women in his house, Yozo finds women to be even more incomprehensible than men; their insults cut him deeper than men’s anger.