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〃Can you give me 15 minutes？ I'll wash my face and shave。〃 〃I don't
mind waiting； but all these guys are staring at
my legs。〃
〃What d'you expect； ing into a men's dorm in such a short skirt？
Of course they're going to stare。〃
〃Oh； well； it's OK。 I'm wearing really cute panties today … all pink and
frilly and lacy。〃
〃That just makes it worse；〃 I said with a sigh。 I went back to my room
and washed and shaved as fast as I could； put on a blue button…down
shirt and a grey tweed sports coat； then went back down and ushered
Midori out through the dorm gate。 I was in a cold sweat。
〃Tell me； Watanabe；〃 Midori said； looking up at the dorm buildings；
〃do all the guys in here wank … rub…a…dub…dub？〃 〃Probably；〃 I said。
〃Do guys think about girls when they do that？〃
〃I suppose so。 I kind of doubt that anyone thinks about the stock
market or verb conjugations or the Suez Canal when they wank。 Nope；
I'm pretty sure just about everybody thinks about girls。〃
〃The Suez Canal？〃
〃For example。〃
〃So I suppose they think about particular girls； right？〃 〃Shouldn't you
be asking your boyfriend about that？〃 I
said。 〃Why should I have to explain stuff like this to you on a Sunday
morning？〃
〃I was just curious；〃 she said。 〃Besides； he'd get angry if I asked him
about stuff like that。 He'd say girls aren't supposed to ask all those
questions。〃
〃A perfectly normal point of view； I'd say。〃
〃But I want to know。 This is pure curiosity。 Do guys think about
particular girls when they wank？〃
I gave up trying to avoid the question。 〃Well； I do at least。
I don't know about anybody else。〃
〃Have you ever thought about me while you were doing it？
Tell me the truth。 I won't be angry。〃
〃No； I haven't； to tell the truth；〃 I answered honestly。 〃Why not？
Aren't I attractive enough？〃
〃Oh； you're attractive； all right。 You're cute； and sexy outfits look
great on you。〃
〃So why don't you think about me？〃
〃Well； first of all； I think of you as a friend； so I don't want to involve
you in my sexual fantasies； and second … 〃
〃You've got somebody else you're supposed to be thinking about。〃
〃That's about the size of it；〃 I said。
〃You have good manners even when it es to something like this；〃
Midori said。 〃That's what I like about you。 Still； couldn't you allow me
just one brief appearance？ I want to be in one of your sexual fantasies
or daydreams or whatever you call them。 I'm asking you because we're
friends。 Who else can I ask for something like that？ I can't just walk
up to anyone and say； 〃When you wank tonight； will you please think
of me for a second？' It's because I think of you as a friend that I'm
asking。 And I want you to tell me later what it was like。 You know；
what you did and stuff。〃
I let out a sigh。
〃You can't put it in； though。 Because we're just friends。 Right？ As
long as you don't put it in； you can do anything you like； think
anything you want。〃
〃I don't know； I've never done it with so many restrictions before；〃 I
said。
〃Will you just think about me？〃
〃All right； I'll think about you。〃
〃You know； Watanabe； I don't want you to get the wrong impression …
that I'm a nymphomaniac or frustrated or a tease or anything。 I'm just
interested in that stuff。 I want to know about it。 I grew up surrounded
by nothing but girls in a girls' school； you know that。 I want to find out
what guys are thinking and how their bodies are put together。 And not
just from pull…out sections in the women's magazines but actual case
studies。〃
〃Case studies？〃 I groaned。
〃But my boyfriend doesn't like it when I want to know things or try
things。 He gets angry； calls me a nympho or crazy。 He won't even let
me give him a blow job。 Now； that's one thing I'm dying to study。〃
〃Uh…huh。〃
〃Do you hate getting blow jobs？〃
〃No； not really； I don't hate it。〃
〃Would you say you like it？〃
〃Yeah； I'd say that。 But can we talk about this next time？ Here it is； a
really nice Sunday morning； and I don't want to ruin it talking about
wanking and blow jobs。 Let's talk about something else。 Is your
boyfriend at the same university as us？〃
〃Nope； he goes to another one； of course。 We met at school during a
club activity。 I was in the girls' school； he was in the boys'； and you
know how they do those things； joint concerts and stuff。 We got
serious after our exams； though。 Hey； Watanabe。〃
〃What？〃
〃You only have to do it once。 Just think about me； OK？〃
〃OK； I'll give it a try； next time；〃 I said； throwing in the towel。
We took a muter train to Ochanomizu。 When we transferred at
Shinjuku I bought a thin sandwich at a stand in the station to make up
for the breakfast I hadn't eaten。 The coffee I had with it tasted like
boiled printer's ink。 The Sunday morning trains were filled with
couples and families on outings。 A group of boys with baseball bats
and matching uniforms scampered around inside the carriage。 Several
of the girls on the train had short skirts on； but none as short as
Midori's。 Midori would pull on hers every now and then as it rode up。
Some of the men stared at her thighs； which made me feel uneasy； but
she didn't seem to mind。
〃Know what I'd like to do right now？〃 she whispered when we had
been travelling a while。
〃No idea；〃 I said。 〃But please； don't talk about that stuff here。
Somebody'll hear you。〃
〃Too bad。 This one's kind of wild；〃 Midori said with obvious
disappointment。
'Anyway； why are we going to Ochanomizu？〃
〃Just e along； you'll see。〃
With all the cram schools around Ochanomizu Station； on Sunday the
area was full of school kids on their way to classes or exam practice。
Midori barged through the crowds clutching the strap of her shoulder
bag with one hand and my hand with the other。
Without warning； she asked me； 〃Hey； Watanabe； can you explain the
difference between the English present subjunctive and past
subjunctive？〃
〃I think I can；〃 I said。
〃Let me ask you； then； what possible use is stuff like that for everyday
life？〃
〃None at all；〃 I said。 〃It may not serve any concrete purpose； but it
does give you some kind of training to help you grasp things in
general more systematically。〃
Midori gave that a moment's serious thought。 〃You're amazing；〃 she
said。 〃That never occurred to me before。 I always thought of things
like the subjunctive case and differential calculus an d chemical
symbols as totally useless。 A pain in the neck。 So I've always ignored
them。 Now I have to wonder if my whole life has been a mistake。〃
〃You've ignored them？〃
〃Yeah。 Like； for me； they didn't exist。 I don't have the slightest idea
what 〃sine' and 〃cosine' mean。〃
〃That's incredible！ How did you pass your exams？ How did you get
into university？〃
〃Don't be silly；〃 said Midori。 〃You don't have to know anything to
pass entrance exams！ All you need is a little intuition … and I have
great intuition。 〃Choose the correct answer from the following three。' I
know immediately which one is right。〃
〃My intuition's not as good as yours； so I have to be systematic to
some extent。 Like the way a magpie collects bits of glass in a hollow
tree。〃
〃Does it serve some purpos