“Anyone who falls in love is searching for the missing pieces of themselves. So anyone who's in love gets sad when they think of their lover. It's like stepping back inside a room you have fond memories of, one you haven't seen in a long time.”

Japanese novelist and short story writer, 1949–present. His work blends surrealism with everyday life, exploring themes of isolation and the uncanny. Known for novels like *Norwegian Wood* and *Kafka on the Shore*, which have earned him global literary acclaim.