Aka Dorobo

[Machine Translation] Kikuto Momoe, who claims that "picking up discarded items is not stealing", dresses up as a woman, breaks into the women's restroom, and steals discarded sanitary napkins. When his cross-dressing is discovered, he decides to play the victim by using his gender as a cover, but Mutsumi Akashi, who goes to the same school as Momoe, sees him. She rapidly approaches Momoeda, thinking that Momoeda, like herself, is uncomfortable with her gender. Her lack of understanding and prejudice take advantage of minorities, while sympathy and love affirm violence.... In addition to the title story, "Red Thief," this short story collection includes "Ao Shikku Laugh," which was selected as a finalist for the Bungei Award, and "Odd-Eating Dabohaze," in which a high school student who despises "normal" meets a talented young man and has his ego disintegrate.

「捨てられたものを拾うのは泥棒ではない」と嘯き、女装をして女子トイレに侵入し、捨てられた生理用ナプキンを盗む百枝菊人。女装がバレたら心の性別をたてに被害者ぶろうと思っていたところ、同じ学校の明石睦美に目撃される。彼女は百枝が自分と同じく、性別に違和感を抱いていると思い急速に接近してきた。無理解と偏見がマイノリティを利用し、共感と愛情が暴力を肯定する...。表題作「赤泥棒」に加え、文藝賞最終候補に選ばれた「青辛く笑えよ」、「普通」を唾棄する高校生が才能の塊と出会い自我を崩壊させる「奇食のダボハゼ」をおさめた短編集。