murakami, haruki - Norwegian wood
murakami, haruki - Norwegian wood murakami, haruki - Norwegian wood
"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 blasé 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 reason for doing it," said Nagasawa. "A good reason?" "Well, the girls were too different. One was really goodlooking, but 246
the other one was a dog. It seemed unfair to me. I got the pretty girl, but Watanabe got stuck with the other one. That's why we swapped. Right, Watanabe?" "Yeah, I s'pose so," I said. But in fact, I had liked the not-pretty one. She was fun to talk to and a nice person. After we had sex, we were enjoying talking to each other in bed when Nagasawa showed up and suggested we change partners. I asked the girl if she minded, and she said it was OK with her if that's what we wanted. She probably thought I wanted to do it with the pretty one. "Was it fun?" Hatsumi asked me. "Swapping, you mean?" "The whole thing." "Not especially. It's just something you do. Sleeping with girls that way is not all that much fun." "So why do you do it?" "Because of me," said Nagasawa. "I'm asking Toru," Hatsumi shot back at Nagasawa. "Why do you do something like that?" "Because sometimes I have this tremendous desire to sleep with a girl." "If you're in love with someone, can't you manage one way or another with her?" Hatsumi asked after a few moments' thought. "It's complicated." Hatsumi sighed. At that point the door opened and the food was carried in. Nagasawa was presented with his roast duck, and Hatsumi and I received our sea bass. The waiters heaped freshcooked vegetables on our plates and dribbled sauce on them before withdrawing and leaving the three of us alone again. Nagasawa cut a slice of duck and ate it with gusto, followed by more whisky. I took a forkful of spinach. Hatsumi didn't touch her food. 247
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- Page 218 and 219: Watanabe." "Glad to meet you," I sa
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"What do you mean "that kind of talk'? Watanabe's got his eye on<br />
you," said Nagasawa.<br />
"That has nothing to do with what I'm talking about," Hatsumi<br />
murmured. "He's not that kind of person. He's sincere and caring. I can<br />
tell. That's why I've been trying to fix him up."<br />
"Oh, sure, he's sincere. Like the time we swapped women once, way<br />
back when. Remember, Watanabe?" Nagasawa said this with a blasé<br />
look on his face, then slugged back the rest of his whisky and ordered<br />
another.<br />
Hatsumi set her knife and fork down and dabbed at her mouth with<br />
her napkin. Then, looking at me, she asked, "Toru, did you really do<br />
that?"<br />
I didn't know how to answer her, and so I said nothing.<br />
"Tell her," said Nagasawa. "What the hell." The mood was turning<br />
sour. Nagasawa could get nasty when he was drunk, but tonight his<br />
nastiness was aimed at Hatsumi, not at me. Knowing that made it all<br />
the more difficult for me to go on sitting there.<br />
"I'd like to hear about that," said Hatsumi. "It sounds very interesting!"<br />
"We were drunk," I said.<br />
"That's all right, Toru. I'm not blaming you. I just want you to tell me<br />
what happened."<br />
"The two of us were drinking in a bar in Shibuya, and we got friendly<br />
with this pair of girls. They went to some college, and they were<br />
pretty plastered, too. So, anyway, we, uh, went to a hotel and slept<br />
with them. Our rooms were right next door to each other. In the<br />
middle of the night, Nagasawa knocked on my door and said we<br />
should change girls, so I went to his room and he came to mine."<br />
"Didn't the girls mind?"<br />
"No, they were drunk too."<br />
"Anyway, I had a good reason for doing it," said Nagasawa.<br />
"A good reason?"<br />
"Well, the girls were too different. One was really goodlooking, but<br />
246
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