attacking you with her fists. She might be all over you one minute and act as if you didn’t exist the next.
In other words, her clinging to him like this was by no means an indication that she hadn’t read the notes. He’d have to spend more time with her before he’d know for sure.
‘Emergency room, eh?’ the driver said, glancing in the rear-view mirror. ‘Anything wrong?’
The girl laughed in a weird voice - a voice remarkably like the beeping of an ATM - and said, ‘I’m having a baby.’
Kawashima shook his head. What an imbecilic thing to say. The driver had seen her standing at the kerb, and would surely have noticed how slender she was. You could have encircled her waist with two hands.
‘Aren’t I?’ she said, looking up at Kawashima.
He didn’t bother to reply. He glanced at her moist eyes for a moment, but the expression on his face gave her nothing.
‘You look good with those glasses on,’ she said.
He stared straight ahead, thinking: Hurry up and get us to the hospital.
‘Your eyes are really pretty through the lenses.’
Chiaki had begun to sense that this man, her mystery man, was in fact very wealthy. He was so calm and dignified, and really kind of handsome up close. And somehow she knew she could trust him completely. Normally, whenever she said something she really believed, something straight from the heart, or made a clever joke, all she’d get from people were phony reactions. But this man wasn’t saying anything or reacting at all, so she knew he wasn’t a phony, or a liar. He’d been wearing that cheap suit at first, and the things he had on now - the coat, the sweatshirt and jeans, the shoes, even the glasses - were chintzy too, but maybe he was in disguise. Maybe he’d disguised himself because he was embarrassed about the whole idea of S&M. He’d reserved her for six hours but never even touched her in a sexual way. And he’d paid her for six even though she said she’d only charge him for four. He was nothing like all her other clients - Hurry up and take it off, hurry up and show it to me, hurry up and lick it, hurry up and suck it - he was different, in every way. And even though her leg had been hurting really bad, she’d got wet when he put her panties on for her. He must’ve gone to that hotel incognito for one night of fun, she thought, just to try something new. I bet he’s from Kyoto or Kobe, someplace like that. And I bet he’s even got another room at a different hotel, probably some unbelievable luxury suite.
‘Hey,’ she said softly, smiling up at him. ‘What hotel are you staying at really?’
Kawashima’s body stiffened.
I knew it, Chiaki said to herself - he’s a secret rich man.
Sure enough, thought Kawashima - she read the notes.
Most of the hospital’s windows were dark. The driver dropped them off at the side entrance and watched them move slowly, arm in arm, up the walkway to the door.
‘Listen, I’ll be waiting right here,’ Kawashima told the girl. ‘I don’t want to go in, but I won’t move from this spot. I don’t like hospitals, never did. I mean, the truth is, I’m afraid of them. Hospitals scare me.’
His breath made little clouds as he spoke. They were standing in front of a lighted sign that said EMERGENCY OUTPATIENT RECEPTION. The reception room would be brightly lit, and he couldn’t afford to be seen with the girl in a place like that, especially by any doctors or nurses.
‘OK,’ said Chiaki, thinking: So that’s why he’s never around when I wake up - he doesn’t like hospitals. ‘But shouldn’t you have them look at your hand?’
‘I’ll be all right,’ Kawashima said. He took three 10,000-yen notes from his pocket and held them out to her. ‘Use this to pay.’
‘That’s OK,’ said the girl, shaking her head. ‘You already paid me extra and everything.’ She stepped towards the door beneath the sign, then stopped and looked back at him. ‘You’ll be right here, right?’
‘I
In other words, her clinging to him like this was by no means an indication that she hadn’t read the notes. He’d have to spend more time with her before he’d know for sure.
‘Emergency room, eh?’ the driver said, glancing in the rear-view mirror. ‘Anything wrong?’
The girl laughed in a weird voice - a voice remarkably like the beeping of an ATM - and said, ‘I’m having a baby.’
Kawashima shook his head. What an imbecilic thing to say. The driver had seen her standing at the kerb, and would surely have noticed how slender she was. You could have encircled her waist with two hands.
‘Aren’t I?’ she said, looking up at Kawashima.
He didn’t bother to reply. He glanced at her moist eyes for a moment, but the expression on his face gave her nothing.
‘You look good with those glasses on,’ she said.
He stared straight ahead, thinking: Hurry up and get us to the hospital.
‘Your eyes are really pretty through the lenses.’
Chiaki had begun to sense that this man, her mystery man, was in fact very wealthy. He was so calm and dignified, and really kind of handsome up close. And somehow she knew she could trust him completely. Normally, whenever she said something she really believed, something straight from the heart, or made a clever joke, all she’d get from people were phony reactions. But this man wasn’t saying anything or reacting at all, so she knew he wasn’t a phony, or a liar. He’d been wearing that cheap suit at first, and the things he had on now - the coat, the sweatshirt and jeans, the shoes, even the glasses - were chintzy too, but maybe he was in disguise. Maybe he’d disguised himself because he was embarrassed about the whole idea of S&M. He’d reserved her for six hours but never even touched her in a sexual way. And he’d paid her for six even though she said she’d only charge him for four. He was nothing like all her other clients - Hurry up and take it off, hurry up and show it to me, hurry up and lick it, hurry up and suck it - he was different, in every way. And even though her leg had been hurting really bad, she’d got wet when he put her panties on for her. He must’ve gone to that hotel incognito for one night of fun, she thought, just to try something new. I bet he’s from Kyoto or Kobe, someplace like that. And I bet he’s even got another room at a different hotel, probably some unbelievable luxury suite.
‘Hey,’ she said softly, smiling up at him. ‘What hotel are you staying at really?’
Kawashima’s body stiffened.
I knew it, Chiaki said to herself - he’s a secret rich man.
Sure enough, thought Kawashima - she read the notes.
Most of the hospital’s windows were dark. The driver dropped them off at the side entrance and watched them move slowly, arm in arm, up the walkway to the door.
‘Listen, I’ll be waiting right here,’ Kawashima told the girl. ‘I don’t want to go in, but I won’t move from this spot. I don’t like hospitals, never did. I mean, the truth is, I’m afraid of them. Hospitals scare me.’
His breath made little clouds as he spoke. They were standing in front of a lighted sign that said EMERGENCY OUTPATIENT RECEPTION. The reception room would be brightly lit, and he couldn’t afford to be seen with the girl in a place like that, especially by any doctors or nurses.
‘OK,’ said Chiaki, thinking: So that’s why he’s never around when I wake up - he doesn’t like hospitals. ‘But shouldn’t you have them look at your hand?’
‘I’ll be all right,’ Kawashima said. He took three 10,000-yen notes from his pocket and held them out to her. ‘Use this to pay.’
‘That’s OK,’ said the girl, shaking her head. ‘You already paid me extra and everything.’ She stepped towards the door beneath the sign, then stopped and looked back at him. ‘You’ll be right here, right?’
‘I
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