“I work in the advertising section of a pharmaceutical company in
Nihon-bashi.”
He had said too much.
“Pharmaceuticals?”
“Yes.”
Though technically he was in the advertising section, Hirata actually
worked as a salesman—he visited stores. Different companies sold more or
less the same faddish medicines, and most consumers knew almost nothing
about even common things like cold medicines and multi-vitamins, so most
people made their purchases according to clerks’ recommendations.
Hirata’s job was to visit stores and make friends with the clerks.
Just as he was about to say something else to the young woman, he
noticed that his neighbor, Ichiko, was approaching.
Ichiko came within inches of Hirata, who had been waiting to greet her,
but kept going—she didn’t even notice him. Her face as she passed was set
in the ill-tempered expression of a woman walking alone.
“People really are bizarre, aren’t they? You never know when someone
might be watching you without you noticing—it could happen anywhere,
no matter what you’re doing” Hirata said.
Ichiko was wearing a winter coat with low shoulders and a high hemline
—the kind that was fashionable that year. She was short, and her figure as
he saw it now from behind resembled a bag of rice.
In fact, winter coats like bags of rice were walking around all over.
Hirata felt pleased and ran after Ichiko. He tapped her suddenly on the
shoulder.
“Well—if it isn’t Mr. Hirata! You must be trying to startle me. ’
“You walked right by me”
