Chapter 11 Article Eleven: The Man Who Looks at His Tiptoes

Yuji Ishimaru's first visit to a tavern in Shibuya called Kei was taken by his old friend Saito. Saito works at a TV station in Shibuya. One day, Ishimaru went to the TV station to buy the videotape of "Bonza Lecture", and happened to meet his old friend Saito. What?Potted plants?Oh, that's not suitable for your age. What's the matter, we are all getting old gradually. Ishimaru and Saito were classmates in high school, so they were the same age, just over forty-five. That's true. There is a small courtyard in my house, which is very small, not as big as a cat's face.Ishimaru said defensively.

Ah, you built a big house yourself? It is not a big house, but a small two-story building with prefabricated wooden structure. Along the Inokashira subway line, you really have it!While chatting, Saito looked at his watch, how is it?Let's have dinner together. convenient?You haven't left work yet. You wait for me for thirty minutes. All right. Ishimaru waited until Saito got off work, and walked out of the office with him.Saito was very familiar with the terrain of the TV station building, took a shortcut around the corner, and said: I know a tavern is good. Yeah?Ishimaru followed Saito closely behind, for fear of getting lost.

Ishimaru's new home has only been built for half a year, and Shibuya is the place he must pass through to and from get off work, but there is no familiar tavern here.This time Saito wanted to introduce him to a tavern, which catered to Ishimaru's wishes. It's not a luxurious place, but it's quite distinctive. On the first floor of the TV station building are shops and restaurants, among which there are dark blue curtains with a white shop name: Jing. Ah, it's you, long time no see.The proprietress greeted Saito warmly. The tavern is not big, and there is an L-shaped bar counter inside, which is estimated to seat up to ten guests.The chef cooks live right behind the bar.

The proprietress is wearing a white kimono. She is about forty years old. Her appearance is reminiscent of a fox, but it is not a cunning impression, but a cute little fox. The first time he saw the proprietress, Ishimaru thought: This person looks a lot like Tamiko. Seeing a stranger's face and immediately thinking of someone you know is a sign of aging. Perhaps it is indeed beginning to age. Recently, similar things have often happened to Ishimaru. In the past, when Ishimaru saw a stranger, he rarely thought that he was similar to someone.Maybe it's because I know more and more people, or because I feel more and more indifferent to people as I get older, and feel that everyone is similar.

There were no other customers in the store, and the proprietress was still helping the chef behind the bar just now.Wiping her wet hands on her apron, she said: What would you like?He speaks with a Kansai accent, probably from Kyoto. A bottle of beer first. OK, all right. The proprietress first handed the two of them a hot towel, and then placed two gorgeous glasses in front of them. This is Ishimaru-kun, my high school classmate. Ah, looks younger than Saito. Where, where, I just have a little more hair than him, huh, huh. Welcome to my tavern. The proprietress took out a business card from under the bar and handed it to Ishimaru.The business card reads: Tavern King Nozaki Keiko.Shimaru also handed over his business card, and the proprietress took it with both hands respectfully and looked at it seriously.The movement of the gaze was also very similar to the Tamiko in Ishimaru's memory.

He's a drunk and must be a good customer for you.Saito said. Really?That's great. The hostess served a plate of broad beans and cold beer. Thanks! The proprietress slowly filled the wine for the two of them, please use it slowly! You're welcome! The moment you raise your glass and the cool beer glides down your throat is wonderful. Is it still hot outside? Well, it's very hot, and it seems that the high temperature will last for a while. It would be nice to cool down quickly. ah.Saito replied nonchalantly while flipping through the menu.Although the store is small, it is clean and beautiful, and even the cooking utensils are new.

Has your shop been open for a long time?Ishimaru asked. No, it's only been about half a year since I came to Shibuya for business for the first time, so there aren't many customers. Where did you do it before? The proprietress made a smiling expression and said: All over the country. She is an unknown person.Saito interjected from the side. I see. The proprietress's kimono fits perfectly, but she doesn't look like a veteran of the trade.The face is very neat, but the make-up is very light.If you really want to show a beautiful face, you should be able to make it more beautiful with makeup.From this point of view, she should not be from a brothel, giving the impression that an ordinary housewife opened this small shop for various reasons

However, it doesn't look like she is a housewife. Although I couldn't find a particularly strong reason, Ishimaru still felt this way silently. How are you?The company side. It's okay. Ishimaru works in a company that produces sliding doors. Since it is a large monopoly enterprise, it is not greatly affected by the current situation. If Japan is more prosperous, your company must be more prosperous. The principle says it should be so but in practice little has changed. The proprietress lowered her head and wiped the tableware while chatting with the guests. The radio in the bar was broadcasting a baseball game.

Does the proprietress also like baseball?Ishimaru asked Saito. Hmm, maybe, I'm not sure. Which team's game are you listening to now? It's like the Giants vs. Hanshin. Well, it seems to be.Sounds like a Hanshin pitch. The game has just begun. Is the pitcher still Jiang Chuan? It should be Ito. For office workers, baseball is a catchy topic, and Saito is very familiar with professional baseball. At this time, the proprietress came back from the kitchen, and it was still zero to zero.It turned out that she had been listening to the conversation of the guests. Takeuchi retired.Saito patted the back of his neck and said.

Ishimaru suddenly remembered that this old friend had worked in Fukuoka TV for a long time, so he would care about Takenouchi, a Fukuoka player. He's a master of dead balls.Ishimaru echoed his topic. Yes, he used to be a go-getter for the West Rail Lions. The glorious time of the Lions was several years ago. At that time, the team had many outstanding players such as Inao, Nakanishi, and Toyota.Baseball fans in Kyushu still cannot forget the original glory. The Lions were later sold to the Seibu Railway Group and became the Nishitetsu Lions, which also joined the Pacific League in the Japanese professional baseball league. Since then, Kyushu no longer has its own professional baseball team.

Takenouchi is the player who transferred from the Nishitetsu Lions to the Hanshin Tigers.He has a unique posture and is also handsome. He is indeed the player who hits the most dead balls, and even Ishimaru knows this.Not to mention Saito, he must be a Takenouchi fan. In the past ten years, he has hit more than 200 dead balls, averaging more than ten balls a year. awesome! But suddenly one day, he began to be very afraid of dead balls. Why? So decided to retire.Saito seemed to be talking about himself. It turned out to be like this. I can understand his mood.A dead ball is a ball that the pitcher throws directly at the batter's body. The batter will be afraid one day and he must think: No way, he's getting old.Once a person loses confidence, there is only downhill ahead. Um We are the same, once we lose confidence, enthusiasm, drive, we are finished. yes. Office workers sometimes feel deeply tired of their jobs, and sometimes think: Why should I work so hard like a horse pulling a cart?However, once you think about it consciously, it is bad.You must keep telling yourself: I am not for anyone, I am working for myself.If the passion in the heart is lost, then one immediately feels sad. Do men like baseball?The proprietress brought new dishes and asked such a question at the same time. It seems that fewer and fewer young people like baseball these days. Because now there are all kinds of entertainment, and we had only baseball back then. The audience cheered over the radio, as if a player had hit a home run. At this time, the door opened and three guests walked in. Ah, welcome!The proprietress gradually became busy. The hour hand has already pointed to seven o'clock, it seems that the business of this tavern is not so prosperous.There are cooks, proprietresses, and a little girl who works in the kitchen in the tavern. How many customers do you have to come in a day so that you don't lose money? How about we go to another one for drinks?If you don't get drunk, you won't return! Just forgive me today, I still have work to do when I get home, so I can't get drunk. Then next time. Boss, settle the score! Ah, ready to eat? Well, my stomach is full. Come again next time, and Ishimaru-kun. The proprietress walked out of the bar and sent the two out of the shop. How is Tamiko doing now? After breaking up with Saito, Ishimaru sat in the shaking tram and his tentacles of thoughts began to extend to the distant past.In the past, I have recalled the past several times. It has been many years since she lost contact with Tamiko. Ishimaru only thinks that her last residence was near Funabashi, and wonders if Tamiko still lives there.Ishimaru couldn't even remember Tamiko's face clearly. Seeing Jing's proprietress, Ishimaru felt that she looked like Tamiko for a moment, but as to whether she really resembled her, Ishimaru himself was not sure.Now when he thinks of Tamiko, what comes to Ishimaru's mind is the face of the proprietress just now, with a slender face like a fox and cute eyes.Indeed, the proprietress and Tamiko are about the same age, but Tamiko should be married, and with several children, she should look a little old and haggard. My wife is about the same age as them. It is impossible for Tamiko to escape the passage of time. Ishimaru could no longer clearly recall the appearance of Tamiko, but he replaced Tamiko as his wife. What kind of marriage would it be if I married Tamiko? Ishimaru shook his head lightly, it was hard to imagine whether the result would be a happy life. The so-called couple must experience the marriage life in person before they can understand the meaning.This is completely different from what young men imagined before they got married. Tamiko is not a good candidate for marriage. To sum it up in one sentence, only a woman who knows how to compromise can be a good wife.Wife, you will be with you day and night and live together for decades in the second half of your life. How painful it will be if you meet a person who has a perverted personality and quarrels with you all day long.Although Tamiko's character is not perverse, her emotional ups and downs are too violent.Often I don't know why I lose my temper. Men and women are just different. This is the conclusion that Ishimaru and Tamiko came to when they were in contact. Ishimaru met Tamiko when he first entered the company.A college friend invited him to play: I went to the swimming pool with the girls from the DP shop on Sunday, and they came to two girls, you can go with me. What is a DP store? It's a store for developing photos. Isn't there a big DP store in the underground shopping mall in Shinjuku, and the two of them work there. I can't remember the name of the girl who came with Tamiko, Ishimaru. She has a very good relationship with that classmate Ishimaru, but soon the two of them got into a stalemate. Forget it. The relationship between Ishimaru and Tamiko has been maintained for about two years, and it should be said that it is only a half-hearted relationship. Speaking of liking, Ishimaru really likes Tamiko. At that time, Ishimaru didn't quite understand what falling in love was.I meet with Tamiko once a week, watch a movie, have a meal, have a cup of coffee, and go to the bar to sit and these things are repeated over and over again.If you really like Tamiko, you should take more proactive measures.Tamiko must have thought Ishimaru was an indecisive man. Tamiko left her parents and lived alone. She rented an apartment the size of four and a half mats, and Ishimaru went to her place to play a few times.The two of them had sat side by side for several hours in a narrow room, and Tamiko had boldly touched Ishimaru's body, regardless of whether she was careful.Or hit Ishimaru with your shoulders, or sit on Ishimaru's lap with joy and laugh Shimaru's family has only brothers, and he grew up among boys since he was a child. He doesn't understand these behaviors of women at all, but he just feels itchy in his heart. That's great, I'm very happy today. He simply thought that Tamiko was amused today, and Ishimaru only thought that Tamiko's actions were her habitual actions.Ishimaru felt content to see Tamiko. Tamiko is not always in a good mood, sometimes she will be very rough, say harsh words, and ignore Ishimaru, which makes Ishimaru helpless.He just thought: she hates me? There are times when Ishimaru resolves: I'm going to take our relationship further tonight.But unfortunately, Tamiko lost her temper, so Ishimaru's mood immediately calmed down, thinking: let's forget it, today is not the time to further develop the relationship.It will take a long time for Ishimaru to recover his courage. Maybe somewhere deep down in Ishimaru was hiding the idea that Tamiko was not good in her own right. Later, in Ishimaru's view, this judgment was correct.Unknowingly, Tomiko met him less often, and asking her out to play was not as happy as before.It turned out that Tomiko fell in love with other men, so Ishimaru had no choice but to break up. For a period of time after the breakup, the pain of broken love lingered in Shiwan's heart for a long time and could not dissipate.Because he was so devoted to this relationship After that, Ishimaru also had a love experience once or twice, but the one who left the impression in his heart was only Tamiko. Of course there is a reason why Tamiko is the most beautiful, but it is not entirely because of this. Tamiko is a woman with very distinct advantages and disadvantages.When she is happy, she is like a flower, she talks about bright topics, and flirts with men.However, there are times when she is unhappy, and the expression on her face when she is unhappy makes people feel like seeing an enemy.And she is stubborn, indifferent, good at lying, and sometimes can sense her evil intentions.Therefore, if the advantages and disadvantages are combined, Tamiko's personality cannot be called a good personality, but only the advantages of Tamiko are recorded in Ishimaru's memory.Whenever he thinks about it, Tamiko is more beautiful and interesting than the average woman. After getting married, Ishimaru still thinks of Tamiko occasionally, and once he meets a woman who looks like Tamiko, Ishimaru will be excited.It took many years after the breakup to really realize that Tamiko was not a suitable marriage partner. really like it? What kind of woman is the proprietress of the tavern?Not sure.Ishimaru thought she looked like Tamiko the first time he saw her, and there must be similarities in appearance between the two. Ishimaru's home is near Nishinagafuku Station on the Inokashira Subway Line, and Shibuya is his daily commute to and from get off work. How about going to that bistro again? Ishimaru is not a flamboyant person, he is not that kind of person, he knows this very well. The taste of the food is good. The tavern has not been open for a long time, and there are not many regular customers. The image of the proprietress who respectfully greeted the guests flashed in Ishimaru's mind. Three months later, Ishimaru has become a frequent visitor to Jing.At this time, the customers of the tavern were still sparse. You are still so quiet here. Yes, because it's in a building, it's not very conspicuous, and customers don't even know it's here. I like quietness, but it's troublesome for you, and you can't make money. It is so true that I even want to ask a trumpeter to help me spread the word.The proprietress muttered in a low voice, but there was no sign of embarrassment on her face.Do you really not feel embarrassed?Or do you not want people to see yourself in trouble? Does Saito come here often?Ishimaru asked. Occasionally come for a drink or two, by the way, I came here last week. Will he come today? Won't. how do you know? Saito-kun came here to listen to the baseball broadcast. There is no baseball game on the radio today. Why?He likes baseball that much?Ishimaru remembered the scene when he talked with Saito about Takenouchi last time. How did you know Saito? My dad used to work in TV, so I know some people in TV. I see. Since there are very few customers, the proprietress is almost exclusively serving Ishimaru.Although she still doesn't seem to be used to the service industry, she is definitely a very careful person.Seeing that Shimaru's suit buttons were about to unbutton, he helped him fasten them immediately.Shimaru said that he likes to eat sea urchin sauce, so the proprietress will prepare canned sea urchin sauce for his next visit.Remember what the customer once said, I am afraid that it is not only because of the lack of customers, but mainly because she has a gentle and virtuous heart, which is very different from Tamiko in this point. What did you do before?Ishimaru once asked the proprietress this way. The proprietress who washed the dishes and loaded the chopsticks before replied with a smile.Of course she understood what Ishimaru meant, but she deliberately avoided answering. That's not what I mean, I'm asking what have you been doing since you grew up? Ah, I didn't do anything, I was in a daze all the time. So are you married? There is no object, it seems that it can't be settled yet. That's true, but it doesn't mean that you can't find your partner. No one wants me.The proprietress speaks with a Kyoto accent. It's not too late to find it now. How old do you think I am?Is it still young?How can there be such a stupid man willing to want me now. It seems that she is really never married, and it is not a lie that her father worked in a TV station, because Saito is a TV station, and such a lie will be exposed soon.Ishimaru finally judged that she must be unwilling to tell her experience for some reason. I once knew someone who looked just like you. Yeah?And a good story? I can't tell if it's a good story, I just liked her once. first love? Roughly the same. I feel very honored to be like your first love, but she must be much better than me, she must be like me only in bad places, right? I can't remember exactly what she looks like, but you should be more beautiful, lady boss. You are so sarcastic, you blush when you tell a lie.The proprietress covered her mouth and kept laughing. Ishimaru felt very embarrassed. Saying that the other party looks like one's first love is a deceptive line often used in sexual situations, and the other party will not believe it.Since this happened to be the case, Ishimaru couldn't talk about this topic any further. After Shiwan remained silent, the landlady got excited and asked: What kind of person is she? Well, she is a woman with a lot of emotional ups and downs.Just like the weather in the mountains, it can change at any time. I am also such a person. Yeah?How can I not see it. My acting skills are good. Well, I might be fooled by your performance.Just as Shiwan's order was ready, the proprietress turned around to serve the dishes. She came back with a plate and said: Today's sashimi with yam sauce must taste good, the fish is very fat, and the yam has just been shipped from the mountains.As he spoke, he filled Ishimaru's wine glass with wine. It's really interesting. whats the matter? There are only brothers in my family. I grew up among boys since I was a child. I don’t know much about women, and I still don’t understand them now. Why? In the process of interacting with temperamental women, I discovered that women are emotional animals. well said. During the days when I was with her, one day I suddenly discovered a pattern.When she is unhappy, it first shows up in her appearance. If one day she feels that she is not as beautiful as usual, it is ninety-nine percent because she is in a bad mood.As far as she is concerned, she is probably thinking: I don't want to see this man.When we stood together, the direction of her toes was also different from usual. The direction of the toes? Yes, when her toes are facing me, her heart is also facing me.Nothing good usually happens to me when her toes are pointing the other way.That's how she is, and men don't show their emotions so explicitly. Then she is a straightforward person. Maybe that's the case, but it's a little different from straightforward.I have learned a lot from her. There are many women in our company. I have observed them in the same way. Only one out of ten women is like her. When they are unhappy, they express their mood somewhere. So what happened to you and your first love? There was no result, she pointed her toes at other men completely, and I was completely dumped. Now, you still think of her occasionally. I can't remember it anymore, maybe it's not a good thing to be together with such a woman, it's too tiring. Maybe. There was a brief break in the conversation. Suddenly the proprietress picked up the bottle, sorry, your glass is empty. Um. Ishimaru-kun really has a way, people who don't know him dare to observe the toes of others. It's not that exaggerated, in fact, I am very embarrassed to look at strangers, especially women. It doesn't look like it. Where do you say my toes are facing? I don't know about the proprietress, you are full of secrets, Saito said the same. No kidding, I'm like a room with an open door, everything inside should be clearly visible. Yeah? The proprietress's toes The proprietress's toes were always pointing towards Ishimaru. Ishimaru felt like this. Although the proprietress's toes could not be seen because she was standing behind the bar, her whole body was facing Ishimaru.The concern is also for Shimaru: the buttons of the suit, the canned sea urchin sauce, and other details can make Shimaru feel this. Does she treat every guest like this? Probably so. Ishimaru is not an overconfident person who likes to fantasize about being the only one who receives such special service. This is not bad. There are not many customers in the tavern. If there are ten regular customers, then Shiwan can only enjoy one-tenth of the warm service from the proprietress, but for Shiwan, this is enough. You go slowly!It was her habit for the proprietress to climb the steps with Ishimaru and send him to the gate of the building.The blue straps on the clogs are paired with snow-white socks Moreover, the proprietress had been standing there watching Ishimaru off, and when Ishimaru had gone a long way and looked back, the proprietress was still standing there nodding her head and saying goodbye, pointing her toes in the direction of Ishimaru. Just go here. If it is developed in depth, there will be no satisfactory ending.It is impossible for the proprietress of the wine shop to not have a man she likes. Although she is not surprisingly beautiful, she definitely has the charm to attract men.No matter what the first half of her life she has experienced, it is not easy for a woman to independently support a tavern.There may be a man's power behind it, and this guess is probably accurate. Even if this is not the case, it is better not to trouble yourself.No matter how people pointed their toes at me, it was just the service of the enthusiastic proprietress to the customers. Although she didn't hate herself, it was still very different from the relationship between a man and a woman. However, what if the enthusiasm of the proprietress is born from the love between men and women? Ishimaru shook his head exaggeratedly. Even if there is one in a thousand miles, which is indeed the case, it will not be able to develop a relationship in depth.If she is a bad woman, it will do him no good; if she is a good woman, the ending can only be unfortunate. It is a very suitable place for drinking, and there is a warm and beautiful proprietress. It is enough to go there for a drink or a chat with the proprietress once in a while. Ishimaru has no other ideas. Ishimaru secretly determined his own policy in his heart, and acted according to this policy. From winter to spring, Jing ushered in the celebration of the first anniversary of its opening. During this time, the number of regular customers has increased a little, but it is still rare to see full capacity.Ishimaru prefers this kind of clean atmosphere, if he is entangled by a drunk, then the proprietress will be pitiful However, it is better to have more customers, so that the tavern can maintain itself. After so long, Ishimaru is still completely ignorant of the experience of the proprietress.Whenever the topic mentioned her life experience, the proprietress would subtly avoid it with words. She is a woman who always keeps silent about her own experience. Shi Wan didn't ask any more questions, this is the proprietress's way of life, if you don't plan to have a deep relationship, there is no need to know everything about her.It's good to keep the current relationship, anyway, she doesn't have any evil intentions. After a long time, Ishimaru got used to it, and gradually no longer cared about the direction of the landlady's toes.In this way, another few months passed. Why? As usual, Ishimaru walked into the basement of the TV station building, but the jingzi noren curtain was gone.It was pitch black in the glass windows, and a notice was pasted on the door: Temporarily closed.There is also a large strong lock on the door. what happened? Ishimaru was disappointed that day, but the next time, the next time, the tavern was still closed. The lady boss is sick? The last time I saw her, she was still healthy. Ishimaru didn't have the contact information of the proprietress, and I couldn't find anyone if I wanted to ask why. Another month passed. Is it open today? Ishimaru shook his head slightly and walked down the steps. The store door was open, and there seemed to be someone walking inside. Good evening! Shiwan's heart was full of anticipation, but what greeted him was a strange face. Excuse me Are you looking for Keiko Nozaki?She has quit. The new owner is preparing the store for opening. She quit?Ishimaru muttered softly full of nostalgia. The woman in the store gave him a look of disappointment, yes. Well, bye.Ishimaru left in a hurry. Too much!without even saying hello Ishimaru was full of unhappiness. strangeness. The operation of the tavern is indeed not booming, but the proprietress never said anything like not being able to continue before closing down.Maybe she doesn't want to add to the worries of the guests, which is the intention of the proprietress. At this time, Ishimaru could no longer get angry with the proprietress, who closed the door when there was no other way out. If she got angry with her again, then she would be too pitiful. Was there any sign before? Ishimaru began to recall, but couldn't think of any sign that the tavern was closing. One afternoon a few days later, Ishimaru went to Shibuya on business and went to visit Saito by the way. The tavern downstairs was closed. Yes, it would have been a nice tavern, what a pity. why?Although the business is not very prosperous, it can still be maintained. I heard the lady boss got married. Shiwan felt as if something flew out of his body, do you know her husband? do not know. It turned out to be like this.Ishimaru remembered something, and a kind of awakening surged in his chest. About three months ago, the proprietress behind the bar showed a cold look, and Ishimaru was a little drunk at the time and didn't think much about it.Later, Ishimaru felt strangeness from the proprietress a few times.Now, he finally understood. Since then, she has begun to think about marriage. It should be like this.Ishimaru was already familiar with the atmosphere in the store, and was not too sensitive to subtle changes, it could be called slow. In the past two or three months, I always felt that the atmosphere in the store was not very comfortable.Saito felt the same way. I feel the same way. Well, the enthusiasm is gone, I can understand her.We used to talk about Takenouchi, right, in that tavern, afraid of dead balls Um. Losing enthusiasm and motivation for work will manifest itself in some way, especially in women. yes. Ishimaru blankly thought of the landlady's toes, blue sandal laces, and snow-white socks When did the direction of her toes start to change? Ishimaru began to think wildly again.