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record ended she left the shop without so much as a 〃thank you〃。
Every 15 minutes or so I would hear the siren of an ambulance or
police car。 Three drunk pany executives in suits and ties came by；
laughing at the top of their voices every time they yelled 〃Nice arse！〃
at a pretty； long…haired girl in a phone box。
The more I watched； the more confused I became。 What the hell was
this all about？ I wondered。 What could it possibly mean？
The manager came back from dinner and said to me； 〃Hey； know
what； Watanabe？ Night before last I made it with the boutique chick。〃
For some time now he had had his eye on the girl who worked at a
boutique nearby； and every once in a while he would take a record
from the shop as a gift for her。
〃Good for you；〃 I said to him； whereupon he told me every last detail
of his conquest。
〃If you really wanna make a chick； here's what ya gotta do；〃
he began； very pleased with himself。 〃First； ya gotta give 'er presents。
Then ya gotta get 'er drunk。 I mean really drunk。 Then ya just gotta do
it。 It's easy。 See what I mean？〃
Head mixed up as ever； I boarded the muter train and went back
to my dorm。 Closing the curtains； I turned off the lights； stretched out
in bed； and felt as if Naoko might e crawling in beside me at any
moment。 With my eyes closed； I could feel the soft swell of her
breasts on my chest； hear her whispering to me； and feel the outline of
her body in my hands。 In the darkness； I returned to that small world
of hers。 I smelled the meadow grass； heard the rain at night。 I thought
of her naked； as I had seen her in the moonlight； and pictured her
cleaning the aviary and tending to the vegetables with that soft；
beautiful body of hers wrapped in the yellow raincape。 Clutching my
erection； I thought of Naoko until I came。 This seemed to clear my
brain a little； but it didn't help me sleep。 I felt exhausted； desperate for
sleep； but it simply refused to cooperate。
I got out of bed and stood at the window； my unfocused eyes
wandering out towards the flagpole。 Without the national flag attached
to it； the pole looked like a gigantic white bone thrusting up into the
darkness of night。 What was Naoko doing now？ I wondered。 Of
course； she must be sleeping； sleeping deeply； shrouded in the
darkness of that curious little world of hers。 Let her be spared from
anguished dreams； I found myself hoping。
銆�
7。txt
Norwegian Wood
7
In P。E。 class the next morning； Thursday； I swam several lengths of
the 50…metre pool。 The vigorous exercise cleared my head some more
and gave me an appetite。 After eating a good…sized lunch at a student
restaurant known for its good…sized lunches； I was on my way to the
literature department library to do some research when I bumped into
Midori Kobayashi。 She had someone with her； a petite girl with
glasses； but when she spotted me； she approached me alone。
〃Where you going？〃 she asked。
〃Lit。 library；〃 I said。
〃Why don't you forget it and e have lunch with me？〃 〃I've already
eaten。〃
〃So what？ Eat again。〃
We ended up going to a nearby caf茅 where she had a plate of curry
and I had a cup of coffee。 She wore a white； longsleeved shirt under a
yellow woollen vest with a fish knitted into the design； a narrow gold
necklace； and a Disney watch。 She seemed to enjoy the curry and
drank three glasses of water with it。
〃Where've you been？〃 Midori asked。 〃I don't know how many times I
called。〃
〃Was there something you wanted to talk about？〃 〃Nothing special。 I
just called。〃
〃I see。〃
〃You see what？〃
〃Nothing。 Just 〃I see'；〃 I said。 〃Any fires lately？〃
〃That was fun； wasn't it？ It didn't do much damage； but
that smoke made it feel real。 Great stuff。〃 Midori gulped another glass
of water； took a breath and studied my face for a while。 〃Hey； what's
wrong with you？〃 she asked。 〃You've got this spaced…out face。 Your
eyes aren't focused。〃
〃I'm OK；〃 I said。 〃I just came back from a trip and I'm tired。〃
〃You look like you've just seen a ghost。〃 〃I see。〃
〃Hey； do you have 〃German and R。E。 〃Can you skip 'en： 〃Not
German。 I've 〃When's it over？〃 〃Two。〃
〃OK。 How about going into the city with me after that some drinks？〃
〃At two in the afternoon？！〃
〃For a change； why not？ You look so spaced。 e on； e drinking
with me and get a little life into you。 That's what I want to do … drink
with you and get some life into myself。
What do you say？〃
〃OK； let's go；〃 I said with a sigh。 〃I'll look for you in the Lit。 quad at
two。〃
After German we caught a bus to Shinjuku and went to an
underground bar called DUG behind the Kinokuniya bookshop。 We
each started with two vodka and tonics。
〃I e here once in a while；〃 she said。 〃They don't make you feel
embarrassed to be drinking in the afternoon。〃
〃Do you drink in the afternoon a lot？〃
〃Sometimes；〃 she said； rattling the ice in her glass。 〃Sometimes； when
the world gets too hard to live in； I e here for a vodka and tonic。〃
〃Does the world get hard to live in？〃
〃Sometimes；〃 said Midori。 〃I've got my own special little problems。〃
〃Like what？〃
〃Like family； like boyfriends； like irregular periods。 Stuff。〃 〃So have
another drink。〃
〃I will。〃
I beckoned to the waiter and ordered two more vodka and tonics。
〃Remember how； when you came over that Sunday； you kissed me？〃
Midori asked。 〃I've been thinking about it。 It was nice。 Really nice。〃
〃That's nice。〃
〃〃That's nice'；〃 she mimicked。 〃The way you talk is so weird！〃
〃It is？〃
〃Anyway； I was thinking； that time。 I was thinking how great it would
be if that had been the first time in my life a boy had kissed me。 If I
could switch around the order of my life； I would absolutely；
absolutely make that my first kiss。 And then I would live the rest of
my life thinking stuff like： Hey； I wonder whatever happened to that
boy named Watanabe I gave my first kiss to on the laundry deck； now
that he's 58？ Wouldn't that be great？〃
〃Yeah； really；〃 I said； cracking a pistachio nut。
〃Hey； what is it with you？ Why are you so spaced out？ You still
haven't answered me。〃
I probably still haven't pletely adapted to the world。' I said after
giving it some thought。 〃I don't know； I feel like this isn't the real
world。 The people； the scene： they just don't seem real to me。〃
Midori rested an elbow on the bar and looked at me。 〃There was
something like that in a Jim Morrison song； I'm pretty sure。〃
〃People are strange when you're a stranger。〃
〃Peace；〃 said Midori。
Peace；〃 I said。
〃You really ought to go to Uruguay with me；〃 Midori said； still
leaning on the bar。 〃Girlfriend； family； university … just dump 'em all。〃
〃Not a bad idea；〃 I said； laughing。
〃Don't you think it would be wonderful to get rid of everything and
everybody and just go somewhere where you don't know a soul？
Sometimes I feel like doing that。 I really； really want to do it
sometimes。 Like； suppose you whisked me somewhere far； far away；
I'd make lots of babies for you as tough as little bulls。 And we'd all
live happily ever after； rolling on the floor。〃
I laughed and drank my third vodka and tonic。
〃I guess you don't real