Eiko started the car and set off for the hospital.
"Thanks for the flowers," said Tatsuya suddenly, without looking at Eiko. "But I wish you girls wouldn't make so much noise during the fight. I don't like it—it makes me nervous."
"Why, how can you accuse us of making noise?" said Eiko, and the three girls laughed.
"Tatsuya, you're kind of touchy, aren't you?" said Eiko after a while. "You didn't look like that type at all the other day."
"Who, me? You've got me all wrong. I couldn't be impudent with you," he replied.
The previous Saturday, five days before, he and his friends had gone into town dressed in their best clothes, as they often did on weekends. Between them they could only raise eight thousand yen, which was not enough for what they wanted. In the end they decided to try and pick up some respectable girls instead of spending their money on bar hostesses. Rather than ask girls they already knew, they would pick up the first girls that came along.
But no one wanted to make the first approach. They were usually much bolder and more "men-of-the-world" than their ages would indicate when it came to prostitutes and hostesses, but in this case they were all a little hesitant. In the end they drew lots by picking out thousand-yen notes and comparing the serial numbers. Tatsuya and Nishimura had the lowest numbers.
They were both very experienced with women and had highly developed tastes, but in spite of this, they had to walk along the main street and down a side street before they could work up enough courage. Finally at a milliner's on Namiki Avenue, Nishimura spotted three girls, all about the same age and all smartly dressed.
"Let's have a look at them from the front and see what they're like," he suggested.
When the girls came out of the shop, he sized them up quickly. He recognized in a moment that they all had clear-cut features. One of them had unusual eyes. Their noses looked alike, and someone remarked, "They're probably plastic surgery specials'."
Sahara noticed that one girl was trying to hail a cab and laid claim to her.
"If you guys let her go, it's no drinks for you tonight," he said.
The girls walked towards the main street in search of a taxi and Nishimura and Tatsuya ran after them, but as they drew close Nishimura suddenly stopped.
"Your number was the smallest, Tatsuya, you do the talking."
"Okay. But don't run off."
They set off again and soon overtook the girls.
Tatsuya's voice was rather weak as he said: "Excuse me," but the girls stopped and looked round.
"What is it?" said one girl, shifting her parcel from one hand to the other.
Tatsuya was already beginning to lose his nerve.
"My name is Tsugawa—Tatsuya Tsugawa," he stammered. "I'm a member of the boxing club. I'm sorry if . . ."
"A boxer? Well!"
He almost added that he was in the featherweight class. For a moment he wondered if this was going to work— the odds were against it. He began to feel a little more at ease. He told himself he didn't mind if they turned him down. It was too crazy to work out, but now that he had given them his name, he had to win.
The atmosphere was still a little tense, and for Tatsuya it was something like being challenged by a young tough on the street—both pleasant and ticklish. A faint smile came to his lips.
By this time Nishimura had slipped away.
"I'm all out of breath," he went on. "I had a job catching up . . . we're college students . . . we wanted to go out tonight . . . but we had no girls to go out with. We don't want to embarrass you, but if you're not doing anything else, we'd like you to join us. There are five of us. We've been trying to find some girls for a long time, but up to now we haven't found any worth talking to. Would you like to join us?"
"Well, it's very nice of you, but there are only three of us."
"Oh, don't let that worry you. As a matter of fact, it's safer that way," replied Tatsuya.
The girls withdrew a little, whispered together, and began to laugh at something. While this was going on, Tatsuya waved vigorously to his companions, who were watching developments from the corner. Nishimura was jumping up and down excitedly.
"My mother's in the hairdresser's over there," said one of the girls. "We were going to meet her, so I'll ask her to take home the things we got shopping. It's a nuisance carrying them around with us. Can you wait here a few minutes?"
"It's a lot of stuff for her to carry."
"Oh, no. She has a car."
"Well, be sure and come back."
"We'll come back. I'll tell you what, Sachiko can stay with you as a hostage."
"That's all right, but we'd like to know the rest of your names too."
He went back to the others feeling very pleased with himself.
"What do you think of that, boys. Pretty smooth, eh? You nipped off very smartly, Nishimura!"
"I'm sorry, I haven't got your nerve."
"What! As a punishment, you'll have to do as we tell you tonight. Well, they're called Eiko, Sachiko, and Yuki. I tell you now, Eiko's mine. I guess I deserve her, after all."
"What! The one with the funny eyes?"
"Yeah, she's got one single eyelid and one double, one, two, one, two—she's a boxer's kind."
"Yeah, and you're jealous. Little imperfections make her better."
When the girls were all gathered, introductions were made and they went off to a night club, a good one that was not too expensive.
"I hope we've got enough cash," said Matsuno, who was acting as treasurer.
"How about if Nishimura and the next lowest number hock their watches in a pawnshop to be on the safe side. It'd be bad if we couldn't pay the bill."
"Eight thousand yen won't be enough," said Tatsuya. "But let's spend that first, and then Sahara can use his influence. He said this place let him chalk up a bill once before. But don't overdo things with the girls because I promised them we wouldn't give them any trouble."
"Okay, but listen to who's talking!"
Tatsuya managed to keep Eiko to himself the whole evening. About eleven, the girls said they should go, but Nishimura persuaded them to stay another half hour.
Tatsuya went to the dance floor with Eiko. When the music ended, Eiko stopped him on the way back to the table.
"Here's some money. Please keep it. It's just the taxi fare." She handed him something wrapped in a handkerchief.
"Ahh . . . ?"
But she cut him short: "Don't worry. We've had a lovely time, Tatsuya. All quite unexpected."
"Well,
