A Story in Yokohama -15【Fascinating Yokohama night view】
A Story in Yokohama【 Subtitled "Longing"】-15
J's mother was once a freelance hostess known as Jane.
She was beautiful and witty, and was based in a number of exclusive clubs, but customers who wished to take her out of the club and spend the night with her were accustomed to leave a reasonable charge with the club, and there were more than a few customers who came to the club for her, so she was never roughly treated by the clubs she went to.
Shiro Murakami met her at the Club Carriage Road, where he was taken by a colleague after a meeting of the tax accountants' association. They both looked at each other in surprise, and when Shiro tried to say something to her, she turned on her heel and disappeared.
Someone said, “She's a good woman, isn't she? I don't know her real name, but she's called Jane. They say it goes for 100,000 yen to the club to pick her up and 200,000 to her.”
Another said, “Even if you have money, if she doesn't like you, she'll turn you down.”
Shiro was in a daze.
(It's Ando. I'm sure it's Ando.)
It was Junko Ando, his high school crush.
She was beautiful and fresh, and was the most popular girl among the boys at their school.
She had long slit eyes, a roll of the tongue, a curly short cut and a smooth nape.
(She is just like Ando back then. ...and she remembered me.)
He started going to Carriage Road.
At first, Junko's attitude was unassuming.
“I'm Jane, and I'd be happy to talk to you if you like.”
Shiro was happy just to exchange a few words with Junko.
“I won't be going out with you. Just here with you.”
Junko's voice and gestures were the same as they had been in high school and he felt comfortable just being with her in the clubhouse.
“You're like Clawdia Chauchat,” he whispered beside her.
“Oh, you mean Mrs. Chauchat from Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain.”
“Have you read it?”
“I've been reading it since high school. It's the story of a young man's experiences in the Swiss foothills, isolated from the rest of the world.”
“Mrs.Chauchat, the woman who stole the protagonist, Hans's heart, was a very seductive and sensual woman.”
“I've spent many a sensual night with man.”
“I'd be lying if you said it didn't bother me... but the enchanting Madame Chauchat will always be out of Hans' reach.”
“You've misread it. Hans spends the night with Clawdia. The smart and innocent hero gets what he wants.”
“Why? I didn't see where it says they spend the night together.”
“She says goodbye to Hans' confession of love, but says, ‘Don't forget to return my pencil.’ You're like a child who can't imagine what comes next.”
“...”
“Well, for the record, I'm not going to sleep with you.”
“Why do you say that?”
“It's not like you have a wife. It's because your brain is still in platonic high school. I'm a woman who spends many a night with my customers. I wouldn't be able to cope with a platonic relationship outside the bar.”
Days passed as he tipped his glass in front of Junko.
One day, Junko said to him.
“You know, at that time I was interested in you too.”
“I asked you, but you turned me away.”
“I didn't know if you were serious or not.”
“Everyone was crazy about you and I thought you wouldn't take me up on it, but I got up the courage just once to tell you.”
“It's not enough to talk to me once. If you’d kept pushing me, I might have gone out with you.”
“Why did you care about me?”
“Because you were platonic and innocent, Just as you are now.”
“Me?”
“I'm only joking.”
“You were...”
“You got into a fight with a captain of a baseball team.”
“I got in a fight with him and he knocked me down.”
“I was going out with him. He didn't seem to mind if anyone made a pass at me, but you were the only one he cared about.”
“Is that why he did it?”
“Probably so. He said you weren't just an honors student, that you could be a bad guy.”
“I've never been a bad guy.”
“That's not what he meant. Maybe you've had something in your guts that most boys don't have.”
“He once said to me.” ‘Murakami is weak, but he never gives up, and if he was equal in strength, I might have lost.’
“In any case, you were playing with me.”
“A man of pure heart and unshakable strength is always attractive. But at that time you didn't know that about yourself. He was more mature than you.”
“Would it be the same if we went back to that time?”
“Yes. If I were a high school student again, I would take him. You would be next.”
Shiro laughed, and Junko smiled too.
One boy came up to Junko and handed her a small piece of paper.
“The platonic is over.”
With that, Junko turned away from Shiro and headed for the exit, followed by a man seated farther away.
(My Lady Chauchat has gone.)
Commentary
Junko Ando, who would later become J's mother, was a hostess called Jane.
She was also the girl whom Yuichi's father, Shiro Murakami, admired in high school.
The two met by chance at the Club Carriage Road.
Their conversation is awkward at first, but gradually becomes more romantic as they talk about Thomas Mann's book "The Magic Mountain".
・・・To be continued・・・