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easy？〃
〃That's it。 I'm going to have Spanish mastered by next spring。 I've got
English and German and French down pat； and I'm almost there with
Italian。 You think things like that happen without hard work？〃
Nagasawa puffed on his cigarette while I thought about Midori's
father。 There was one man who had probably never even thought
about starting Spanish lessons on TV He had probably never thought
about the difference between hard work and manual labour； either。 He
was probably too busy to think about such things … busy with work；
and busy bringing home a daughter who had run away to Fukushima。
〃So； about that dinner of ours；〃 said Nagasawa。 〃Would this Saturday
be OK for you？〃
〃Fine；〃 I said。
Nagasawa picked a fancy French restaurant in a quiet backstreet of
Azabu。 He gave his name at the door and the two of us were shown to
a secluded private room。 Some 15 prints hung on the walls of the
small chamber。 While we waited for Hatsumi to arrive； Nagasawa and
I sipped a delicious wine and chatted about the novels of Joseph
Conrad。 He wore an expensive…looking grey suit。 I had on an ordinary
blue blazer。
Hatsumi arrived 15 minutes later。 She was carefully made up and
wore gold earrings； a beautiful deep blue dress； and tasteful red court
shoes。 When I plimented her on the colour of her dress； she told
me it was called midnight blue。
〃What an elegant restaurant！〃 she said。
〃My old man always eats here when he es to Tok yo；〃 said
Nagasawa。 〃I came here with him once。 I'm not crazy about these
snooty places。〃
〃It doesn't hurt to eat in a place like this once in a while；〃 said
Hatsumi。 Turning to me； she asked； 〃Don't you agree？〃 〃I guess so。 As
long as I'm not paying。〃
〃My old man usually brings his mistress here；〃 said Nagasawa。 〃He's
got one in Tokyo； you know。〃 〃Really？〃 asked Hatsumi。 I took a sip of
wine； as if I had heard nothing。
Eventually a waiter came and took our orders。 After choosing hors
d'oeuvres and soup； Nagasawa ordered duck； and Hatsumi and I
ordered sea bass。 The food arrived at a leisurely pace； which allowed
us to enjoy the wine and conversation。 Nagasawa spoke first of the
Foreign Ministry exam。 Most of the examinees were scum who might
just as well be thrown into a bottomless pit； he said； though he
supposed there were a few decent ones in the bunch。 I asked if he
thought the ratio of good ones to scum was higher or lower than in
society at large。
〃It's the same；〃 he said。 〃Of course。〃 It was the same everywhere； he
added： an immutable law。
Nagasawa ordered a second bottle of wine and a double Scotch for
himself。
Hatsumi then began talking about a girl she wanted to fix me up with。
This was a perpetual topic between us。 She was always telling me
about some 〃cute girl in my club〃； and I was always running away。
〃She's really nice； though； and really cute。 I'll bring her along next
time。 You ought to talk to her。 I'm sure you'll like her。〃
〃It's a waste of time； Hatsumi；〃 I said。 〃I'm too poor to go out with
girls from your university。 I can't talk to them。〃
〃Don't be silly；〃 she said。 〃This girl is simple and natural and
unaffected。〃
〃e on； Watanabe；〃 said Nagasawa。 〃Just meet her。 You don't have
to screw her。〃
〃I should say not！〃 said Hatsumi。 〃She's a virgin。〃
〃Like you used to be；〃 said Nagasawa。
〃Exactly；〃 said Hatsumi with a bright smile。 〃Like I used to be。 But
really；〃 she said to me； 〃don't give me that stuff about being 〃too
poor'。 It's got nothing to do with it。 Sure； there are a few super…stuck…
up girls in every year； but the rest of us are just ordinary。 We all eat
lunch in the school cafeteria for ？250 … 〃
〃Now wait just a minute； Hatsumi；〃 I said； interrupting her。 〃In my
school the cafeteria has three lunches： A； B； and C。 The A Lunch is
？120； the B Lunch is ？100； and the C Lunch is ？80。 Everybody gives
me dirty looks when I eat the A Lunch； and anyone who can't afford
the C Lunch eats ramen noodles for ？60。 That's the kind of place I go
to。 You still think I can talk to girls from yours？〃
Hatsumi could barely stop laughing。 〃That's so cheap！〃 she said。
〃Maybe I should go there for lunch！ But really； Toru； you're such a
nice guy； I'm sure you'd get along with this girl。 She might even like
the ？120 lunch。〃
〃No way；〃 I said with a laugh。 〃Nobody eats that stuff because they
like it； they eat it because they can't afford anything else。〃
〃Anyway； don't judge a book by its cover。 It's true we go to this hoity…
toity establishment； but lots of us there are serious people who think
serious thoughts about life。 Not everybody is looking for a boyfriend
with a sports car。〃
〃I know that much；〃 I said。
〃Watanabe's got a girl。 He's in love；〃 said Nagasawa。 〃But he won't
say a word about her。 He's as tight…lipped as they e。 A riddle
wrapped in an enigma。〃
〃Really？〃 Hatsumi asked me。
〃Really；〃 I said。 〃But there's no riddle involved here。 It's just that it's
plicated； and hard to talk about。〃
〃An illicit love？ Ooh！ You can talk to me！〃 I took a sip of wine to
avoid answering。
〃See what I mean？〃 said Nagasawa； at work on his third whisky。
〃Tight…lipped。 When this guy decides he's not going to talk about
something； nobody can drag it out of him。〃 〃What a shame；〃 said
Hatsumi as she cut a small slice of terrine and brought it to her lips。
〃If you'd got on with her； we could have double…dated。〃
〃Yeah； we could've got drunk and done a little swapping；〃 said
Nagasawa。
〃Enough of that kind of talk；〃 said Hatsumi。
〃What do you mean 〃that kind of talk'？ Watanabe's got his eye on
you；〃 said Nagasawa。
〃That has nothing to do with what I'm talking about；〃 Hatsumi
murmured。 〃He's not that kind of person。 He's sincere and caring。 I can
tell。 That's why I've been trying to fix him up。〃
〃Oh； sure； he's sincere。 Like the time we swapped women once； way
back when。 Remember； Watanabe？〃 Nagasawa said this with a blas茅
look on his face； then slugged back the rest of his whisky and ordered
another。
Hatsumi set her knife and fork down and dabbed at her mouth with
her napkin。 Then； looking at me； she asked； 〃Toru； did you really do
that？〃
I didn't know how to answer her； and so I said nothing。
〃Tell her；〃 said Nagasawa。 〃What the hell。〃 The mood was turning
sour。 Nagasawa could get nasty when he was drunk； but tonight his
nastiness was aimed at Hatsumi； not at me。 Knowing that made it all
the more difficult for me to go on sitting there。
〃I'd like to hear about that；〃 said Hatsumi。 〃It sounds very interesting！〃
〃We were drunk；〃 I said。
〃That's all right； Toru。 I'm not blaming you。 I just want you to tell me
what happened。〃
〃The two of us were drinking in a bar in Shibuya； and we got friendly
with this pair of girls。 They went to some college； and they were
pretty plastered； too。 So； anyway； we； uh； went to a hotel and slept
with them。 Our rooms were right next door to each other。 In the
middle of the night； Nagasawa knocked on my door and said we
should change girls； so I went to his room and he came to mine。〃
〃Didn't the girls mind？〃
〃No； they were drunk too。〃
〃Anyway； I had a good reas