Heaven: A Novel

It is 1991 and almost summer. The narrator, an unnamed 14-year-old boy in middle school who has a lazy eye, finds an anonymous note inside his pencil case. It reads: “We should be friends” (1). The narrator initially suspects that this is a prank since he is frequently bullied by a popular student named Ninomiya and his friends, who often tease him with the nickname, “Eyes.” However, the narrator finds more notes inside his desk, each one asking curious questions about his life and his thoughts. One note invites him to meet its writer at the park. After school, the narrator tells his stepmother that he is going to the library and heads to the park.

The narrator is surprised to discover that the person who has been sending him notes is a girl from his class named Kojima. Like the narrator, Kojima is a frequent target of class bullies; they make fun of her poverty, her messiness, and the dark spot on her face. They often describe her as being dirty or stinky, so they call her “Hazmat.” Kojima reiterates her desire to be the narrator’s friend. They agree to continue their correspondence.