murakami, haruki - Norwegian wood

"He's a little strange up here," said Reiko, touching her head.
He had been right about the weather, though. The sky was a freshswept
blue, with only a trace of white cloud clinging to the dome of
heaven like a thin streak of test paint. We walked beside the low stone
wall of Ami Hostel for a time, then moved away to climb a steep,
narrow trail in single file. Reiko led the way, with Naoko in the
middle and me bringing up the rear. Reiko climbed with the confident
stride of one who knew every stretch of every mountain in the area.
We concentrated on walking, with hardly a word among us. Naoko
wore blue jeans and a white blouse and carried her jacket in one hand.
I watched her long, straight hair swaying right and left where it met
her shoulders. She would glance back at me now and then, smiling
when our eyes met. The trail continued upwards so far that it was
almost dizzying, but Reiko's pace never slackened. Naoko hurried to
keep up with her, wiping the sweat from her face. Not having indulged
in such outdoor activities for some time, I found myself running short
of breath.
"Do you do this a lot?" I asked Naoko.
"Maybe once a week," she answered. "Having a tough time?"
"Kind of," I said.
"We're almost there," said Reiko. "This is about two-thirds of the way.
Come on, you're a boy, aren't you?" "Yeah, but I'm out of shape."
"Playing with girls all the time," muttered Naoko, as if to herself.
I wanted to answer her, but I was too winded to speak. Every now and
then, red birds with tufts on their heads would flit across our path,
brilliant against the blue sky. The fields around us were filled with
white and blue and yellow flowers, and bees buzzed everywhere.
Moving ahead one step at a time, I thought of nothing but the scene
passing before my eyes.
The slope gave out after another ten minutes, and we gained a level
plateau. We rested there, wiping the sweat off, catching
our breath and drinking from our water bottles. Reiko found a leaf and
165