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〃Well； this school；〃 Midori said； scratching the corner of her eye with
her little finger； 〃had nothing but upper…class girls … almost a thousand
girls with good backgrounds and good exam results。 Rich girls。 They
had to be rich to survive。 High tuition； endless contributions；
expensive school trips。 For instance； if we went to Kyoto； they'd put
us up in a first…class inn and serve us tea ceremony food on lacquer
tables； and they'd take us once a year to the most expensive hotel in
Tokyo to study table manners。 I mean； this was no ordinaryschool。
Out of 160 girls in my class； I was the only one from a middle…class
neighbourhood like Toshima。 I looked at the school register once to
see where the others lived； and every single one of them was from a
rich area。 Well； no； there was one girl from way out in Chiba with the
farmers； so I got kind of friendly with her。 And she was really nice。
She invited me to her house； though she apologized for how far I'd
have to travel to get there。 I went and it was incredible； this giant
piece of land you'd have to walk 15 minutes to get around。 It had this
amazing garden and two dogs like pact cars they fed steaks to。
But still； this girl felt embarrassed about living out in Chiba。 This is a
girl who would be driven to school in a Mercedes Benz if she was
late！ By a chauffeur！ Like right out of the Green Hornet： the hat； the
white gloves； the whole deal。 And still she had this inferiority
plex。 Can you believe it？〃
I shook my head。
〃I was the only one in the whole school who lived in a place like Kita…
Otsuka Toshima。 And under 〃parent's profession' it said 〃bookshop
owner'。 Everybody in my class thought that was so neat： 〃Oh； you're
so lucky； you can read any book you like' and stuff。 Of course； they
were thinking of some monster bookshop like Kinokuniya。 They could
never have imagined the poor； little Kobayashi Bookshop。 The door
creaks open and you see nothing but magazines。 The steady sellers are
the women's glossies with illustrated pull…out sections on the latest
sexual techniques。 The local housewives buy them and sit at the
kitchen table reading them from cover to cover； and give 'em a try
when their husbands get home。 And they've got the most incredible
positions！ Is this what housewives have on their minds all day？ The
ics are the other big…seller： Magazine； Sunday； Jump。 And of
course the weeklies。 So this 〃bookshop' is almost all magazines。 Oh；
there are a few books； paperbacks； mysteries and swashbucklers and
romances。 That's all that sells。 And How…To books： how to win at Go；
how to raise bonsai； how to give wedding speeches； how to have sex；
how to stop smoking； you name it。 We even sell writing supplies …
stacks of ballpoint pens and pencils and notebooks next to the till。 But
that's it。 No War and Peace； no Kenzaburo Oe； no Catcher in the Rye。
That's the Kobayashi Bookshop。 That's how 〃lucky' I am。 Do you
think I'm lucky？〃
〃I can just see the place。〃
〃You know what I mean。 Everybody in the neighbourhood es
there； some of them for years； and we deliver。 It's a good business；
more than enough to support a family of four； no debts； two daughters
in college； but that's it。 Nothing to spare for extras。 They should never
have sent me to a school like that。 It was a recipe for heartache。 I had
to listen to them grumble to me every time the school asked for a
contribution； and I was always scared to death I'd run out of money if
I went out with my school friends and they wanted to eat somewhere
expensive。 It's a miserable way to live。 Is your family rich？〃
〃My family？ No； my parents are absolutely ordinary working people；
not rich； not poor。 I know it's not easy for them to send me to a private
university in Tokyo； but there's just me； so it's not that big a deal。
They don't give me much to live on； so I work part…time。 We live in a
typical house with a little garden and our car is a Toyota Corolla。〃
〃What's your job like？〃
〃I work in a Shinjuku record shop three nights a week。 It's easy。 I just
sit there and mind the shop。〃
〃You're joking？〃 said Midori。 〃I don't know； just looking at you I sort
of assumed you'd never been hard up。〃
〃It's true。 I have never been hard up。 Not that I have tons of money；
either。 I'm like most people。〃
〃Well； 〃most people' in my school were rich；〃 said Midori； palms
resting on her lap。 〃That was the problem。〃
〃So now you'll have plenty of chances to see a world without that
problem。 More than you want to； maybe。〃
〃Hey； tell me； what do you think the best thing is about being rich？〃
〃I don't know。〃
〃Being able to say you don't have any money。 Like； if I suggested to a
school friend we do something； she could say； 'Sorry； I don't have any
money'。 Which is something I could never say if the situation was
reversed。 If I said 〃I don't have any money'； it would really mean 〃I
don't have any money'。 It's sad。 Like； if a pretty girl says 〃I look
terrible today； I don't want to go out；' that's OK； but if an ugly girl says
the same thing people laugh at her。 That's what the world was like for
me。 For six years； until last year。〃
〃You'll get over it。〃
〃I hope so。 University is such a relief！ It's full of ordinary people。〃
She smiled with the slightest curl of her lip and smoothed her short
hair with the palm of her hand。
〃Do you have a job？〃 I asked。
〃Yeah； I write map notes。 You know those little pamphlets that e
with maps？ With descriptions of the different neighbourhoods and
population figures and points of interest。 Here there's so…and…so hiking
trail or such…and…such a legend； or some special flower or bird。 I write
the texts for those things。 It's so easy！ Takes no time at all。 I can write
a whole booklet with a day of looking things up in the library。 All you
have to do is master a couple of secrets and all kinds of work es
your way。〃
〃What kind of secrets？〃
〃Like you put in some little something that nobody else has written
and the people at the map pany think you're a literary genius and
send you more work。 It doesn't have to be anything at all； just some
tiny thing。 Like； say； when they built a dam in this particular valley；
the water covered over a village； but still every spring the birds e
up from the south and you can see them flying over the lake。 Put in
one little episode like that and people love it； it's so graphic and
sentimental。 The usual part…timer doesn't bother with stuff like that；
but I can make decent money with what I write。〃
〃Yeah； but you have to find those 〃episodes'。〃
〃True；〃 said Midori with a tilt of her head。 〃But if you're looking for
them； you usually find them。 And if you don't； you can always make
up something harmless。〃
〃Aha！〃
〃Peace；〃 said Midori。
She said she wanted to hear about my dormitory； so I told her the
usual stories about the raising of the flag and Storm Trooper's radio
callisthenics。 Storm Trooper especially made Midori laugh； as he
seemed to do with everyone。 She said she thought it would be fun to
have a look at the dorm。 There was nothing fun about the place； I told
her： 〃Just a few h undre