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munal life called for a certain degree of resignation； but by the
morning of the fourth day； I couldn't take it any more。
〃Hey； can you do that on the roof or somewhere？〃 I said。 〃I can't
sleep。〃
〃But it's already 6。30！〃 he said； open…mouthed。
〃Yeah； I know it's 6。30。 I'm still supposed to be asleep。 I don't know
how to explain it exactly； but that's how it works for me。〃
〃Anyway； I can't do it on the roof。 Somebody on the third floor would
plain。 Here； we're over a storeroom。〃
〃So go out on the quad。 On the lawn。〃
〃That's no good； either。 I don't have a transistor radio。 I need to plug it
in。 And you can't do radio callisthenics without music。〃
True； his radio was an old piece of junk without batteries。 Mine was a
transistor portable； but it was strictly FM； for music。
〃OK； let's promise；〃 I said。 〃Do your exercises but cut out the
jumping part。 It's so damned noisy。 What do you say？〃
〃J…jumping？ What's that？〃
〃Jumping is jumping。 Bouncing up and down。〃 〃But there isn't any
jumping。〃
My head was starting to hurt。 I was ready to give up； but I wanted to
make my point。 I got out of bed and started bouncing up and down
and singing the opening melody of NHK's radio callisthenics。 〃I'm
talking about this；〃 I said。
〃Oh； that。 I guess you're right。 I never noticed。〃
〃See what I mean？〃 I said； sitting on the edge of the bed。 〃Just cut out
that part。 I can put up with the rest。 Stop jumping and let me sleep。〃
〃But that's impossible；〃 he said matter …of…factly。 〃I can't leave
anything out。 I've been doing the same thing every day for ten years；
and once I start I do the whole routine uncon sciously。 If I left
something out； I wouldn't be able to do any of it。〃
There was nothing more for me to say。 What could I have said？ The
quickest way to put a stop to this was to wait for him to leave the
room and throw his goddamn radio out the goddamn window； but I
knew if I did that all hell would break loose。 Storm Trooper treasured
everything he owned。 He smiled when he saw me sitting on the bed at
a loss for words； and tried to fort me。
〃Hey； Watanabe； why don't you just get up and exercise with me？〃
And he went off to breakfast。
Naoko chuckled when I told her the story of Storm Trooper and his
radio callisthenics。 I hadn't been trying to amuse her； but I ended up
laughing myself。 Though her smile vanished in an instant； I enjoyed
seeing it for the first time in a long while。
We had left the train at Yotsuya and were walking along the
embankment by the station。 It was a Sunday afternoon in the middle
of May。 The brief on…and…off showers of the morning had cleared up
before noon； and a south wind had swept away the low…hanging
clouds。 The brilliant green leaves of the cherry trees stirred in the air；
splashing sunlight in all directions。 This was an early summer day。
The people we passed carried their jumpers or jackets over their
shoulders or in their arms。 Everyone looked happy in the warm
Sunday afternoon sun。 The young men playing tennis in the courts
beyond the embankment had stripped down to their shorts。 Only
where two nuns in winter habits sat talking on a bench did the summer
light seem not to reach； though both wore looks of satisfaction as they
enjoyed chatting in the sun。
Fifteen minutes of walking and I was sweaty enough to take off my
thick cotton shirt and go with a T…shirt。 Naoko had rolled the sleeves
of her light grey sweatshirt up to her elbows。 It was nicely faded；
obviously having been washed many times。 I felt as if I had seen her
in that shirt long before。 This was just a feeling I had； not a clear
memory。 I didn't have that much to rememberabout Naoko at the
time。
〃How do you like munal living？〃 she asked。 〃Is it fun to live with
a lot of other people？〃
〃I don't know； I've only been doing it a month or so。 It's not that bad； I
can stand it。〃
She stopped at a fountain and took a sip； wiping her mouth with a
white handkerchief she took from her trouser pocket。 Then she bent
over and carefully retied her laces。
〃Do you think I could do it？〃
〃What？ Living in a dorm？〃
〃Uh…huh。〃
〃I suppose it's all a matter of attitude。 You could let a lot of things
bother you if you wanted to … the rules； the idiots who think they're hot
shit； the room…mates doing radio callisthenics at 6。30 in the morning。
But it's pretty much the same anywhere you go； you can manage。〃
〃I guess so；〃 she said with a nod。 She seemed to be turning something
over in her mind。 Then she looked straight into my eyes as if peering
at some unusual object。 Now I saw that her eyes were so deep and
clear they made my heart thump。 I realized that I had never had
occasion to look into her eyes like this。 It was the first time the two of
us had ever gone walking together or talked at such length。
〃Are you thinking about living in a dorm or something？〃 I asked。
〃Uh…uh；〃 she said。 〃I was just wondering what munal life would
be like。 And。 。。〃 She seemed to be trying … and failing … to find exactly
the right word or expression。 Then she sighed and looked down。 〃Oh；
I don't know。 Never mind。〃
That was the end of the conversation。 She continued walking east； and
I followed just behind。
Almost a year had gone by since I had last seen Naoko； and in that
time she had lost so much weight as to look like a different person。
The plump cheeks that had been a special feature of hers were all but
gone； and her neck had bee delicate and slender。 Not that she was
bony now or unhealthy looking： there was something natural and
serene about the way she had slimmed down； as if she had been hiding
in some long； narrow space until she herself had bee long and
narrow。 And a lot prettier than I remembered。 I wanted to tell her that；
but couldn't find a good way to put it。
We had not planned to meet but had run into each other on the Chuo
muter line。 She had decided to see a film by herself； and I was
headed for the bookshops in Kanda… nothing urgent in either case。
She had suggested that we leave the train； which we happened to do in
Yotsuya； where the green embankment makes for a nice place to walk
by the old castle moat。 Alone together； we had nothing in particular to
talk about； and I wasn't quite sure why Naoko had suggested we get
off the train。 We had never really had much to say to each other。
Naoko started walking the minute we hit the street； and I hurried after
her； keeping a few paces behind。 I could have closed the distance
between us； but something held me back。 I walked with my eyes on
her shoulders and her straight black hair。 She wore a big； brown
hairslide； and when she turned her head I caught a glimpse of a small；
white ear。 Now and then she would look back and say something。
Sometimes it would be a remark I might have responded to； and some…
times it would be something to which I had no idea how to reply。
Other times； I simply couldn't hear what she was saying。 She didn't
seem to care one way or another。 Once she had finished saying
whatever she wanted to say； she'd face front again and keep on
walking。 Oh； well； I told myself； it was a nice day for a