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hair was down to here before the summer holidays。〃 〃You're right；〃
she said。 〃I had a perm this summer； and it was just awful。 I was ready
to kill myself。 I looked like a corpse on the beach with seaweed stuck
to my head。 So I decided as long as I was ready to die； I might as well
cut it all off。 At least it's cool in the summer。〃 She ran her hand
through her pixie cut and gave me a smile。
〃It looks good； though；〃 I said； still munching my omelette。
〃Let me see your profile。〃
She turned away and held the pose a few seconds。
〃Yeah； I thought so。 It really looks good on you。 Nicely shaped head。
Pretty ears； too； uncovered like that。〃
〃So I'm not mad after all！ I thought I looked good myself once I cut it
all off。 Not one guy likes it； though。 They all tell me I look like a
concentration camp survivor。 What's this thing that guys have for girls
with long hair？ Fascists； the whole bunch of them！ Why do guys all
think girls with long hair are the classiest； the sweetest； the most
feminine？ I mean； I myself know at least 250 unclassy girls with long
hair。 Really。〃
〃I think you look better now than you did before；〃 I said。 And I meant
it。 As far as I could recall； with long hair she had been just another
cute student。 A fresh and physical life force surged from the girl who
sat before me now。 She was like a small animal that has popped into
the world with the ing of spring。 Her eyes moved like an
independent organism with joy； laughter； anger； amazement and
despair。 I hadn't seen a face so vivid and expressive in ages； and I
enjoyed watching it live and move。
〃Do you mean it？〃 she asked。
I nodded； still munching on my salad。
She put on her sunglasses and looked at me from behind them。
〃You're not lying； are you？〃
〃I like to think of myself as an honest man；〃 I said。 〃Far out。〃
〃So tell me： why do you wear such dark glasses？〃
〃I felt defenceless when my hair got short all of a sudden。
As if somebody had thrown me into a crowd all naked。〃 〃Makes
sense；〃 I said； eating the last of my omelette。 She watched me with
intense interest。
〃You don't have to go back to them？〃 I asked； indicating her three
panions。
〃Nah。 I'll go back when they serve the food。 Am I interrupting your
meal？〃
〃There's nothing left to interrupt；〃 I said； ordering coffee when she
showed no sign of leaving。 The wife took my dishes and brought milk
and sugar。
〃Now you tell me；〃 she said。 〃Why didn't you answer today when they
called the register？ You are Watanabe； aren't you？
Toru Watanabe？〃
〃That's me。〃
〃So why didn't you answer？〃 〃I just didn't feel like it today。〃
She took off her sunglasses again； set them on the table； and looked at
me as if she were staring into the cage of some rare animal at a zoo。
〃I just didn't feel like it today。〃 You talk like Humphrey Bogart。 Cool。
Tough。〃
〃Don't be silly。 I'm just an ordinary guy like everybody else。〃
The wife brought my coffee and set it on the table。 I took a sip without
adding sugar or milk。
〃Look at that。 You drink it black。〃
〃It's got nothing to do with Humphrey Bogart；〃 I explained patiently。
〃I just don't happen to have a sweet tooth。 I think you've got me all
wrong。〃
〃Why are you so tanned？〃
〃I've been hiking around the last couple of weeks。 Rucksack。 Sleeping
bag。〃
〃Where'd you go？〃
〃Kanazawa。 Noto Peninsula。 Up to Niigata。〃 〃Alone？〃
〃Alone；〃 I said。 〃Found some pany here and there。〃 〃Some
romantic pany？ New women in far…off places。〃 〃Romantic？ Now I
know you've got me wrong。 How's a guy with a sleeping bag on his
back and his face all stubbly supposed to have romance？〃
〃Do you always travel alone like that？〃 〃Uh…huh。〃
〃You enjoy solitude？〃 she asked； resting her cheek on her hand。
〃Travelling alone； eating alone； sitting by yourself in lecture halls 。。。〃
〃Nobody likes being alone that much。 I don't go out of my way to
make friends； that's all。 It just leads to disappointment。〃
The tip of one earpiece in her mouth； sunglasses dangling down； she
mumbled； 〃〃Nobody likes being alone。 I just hate to be disappointed。'
You can use that line if you ever write your autobiography。〃
〃Thanks；〃 I said。
〃Do you like green？〃
〃Why do you ask？〃
〃You're wearing a green polo shirt。〃
〃Not especially。 I'll wear anything。〃
〃〃Not especially。 I'll wear anything。' I love the way you talk。 Like
spreading plaster； nice and smooth。 Has anybody ever told you that？〃
〃Nobody；〃 I said。
〃My name's Midori；〃 she said。 〃〃Green'。 But green looks terrible on
me。 Weird； huh？ It's like I'm cursed； don't you think？ My sister's name
is Momoko： 〃Peach girl'。〃
〃Does she look good in pink？〃
〃She looks great in pink！ She was born to wear pink。 It's totally
unfair。〃
The food arrived at Midori's table； and a guy in a madras jacket called
out to her； 〃Hey； Midori； e 'n' get it！〃 She waved at him as if to
say 〃I know〃。
〃Tell me；〃 she said。 〃Do you take lecture notes？ In drama？〃 〃I do。〃
〃I hate to ask； but could I borrow your notes？ I've missed twice； and I
don't know anybody in the class。〃 〃No problem；〃 I said； pulling the
notebook from my bag。
After checking to make sure I hadn't written anything personal in it； I
handed it to Midori。
〃Thanks；〃 she said。 〃Are you ing to lectures the day after
tomorrow？〃
〃Yeah。〃
〃Meet me here at noon。 I'll give you back your notebook and buy you
lunch。 I mean 。。。 it's not as if you get an upset stomach or anything if
you don't eat alone； right？〃
〃No；〃 I said。 〃But you don't have to buy me lunch just because I'm
lending you my notebook。〃
〃Don't worry；〃 she said。 〃I like buying people lunch。 Anyway；
shouldn't you write it down somewhere？ You won't forget？〃
〃I won't forget。 Day after tomorrow。 Twelve o'clock。 Midori。 Green。〃
From the other table； somebody called out； 〃Hurry up； Midori； your
food's getting cold！〃
She ignored the call and asked me； 〃Have you always talked like
that？〃
〃I think so；〃 I said。 〃Never noticed before。〃 And in fact no one had
ever told me there was anything unusual about the way I spoke。
She seemed to be mulling something over for a few seconds。 Then she
stood up with a smile and went back to her table。 She waved to me as
I walked past their table； but the three others barely glanced in my
direction。
At noon on Wednesday there was no sign of Midori in the restaurant。 I
thought I might wait for her over a beer； but the place started to fill up
as soon as the drink arrived； so I ordered lunch and ate alone。 I
finished at 12。35； but still no Midori。 Paying my bill； I went outside
and crossed the street to a little shrine； where I waited on the stone
steps for my head to clear and Midori to e。 I gave up at one
o'clock and went to read in the library。 At two I went to my German
lecture。
When it was over I went to the student affairs office and looked for
Midori's name in the class list for History of Drama。 The only Midori
in the class was Midori Kobayashi。 Next I flipped through the cards of
the student files and found the address and phone number of a Midori
Kobayashi who had entered the university in 1969。 She lived in a
north…west suburb； Toshima； w