‘You’re so sincere, Mr Arai,’ she said. ‘You amuse me.’

He sipped his drink. The sweet scent of bergamot blended perfectly with the bold, full-bodied black tea. There were tiny hints of sourness and bitterness that gave it an interesting flavour. According to her, the blend served in the tearoom was slightly more delicate than most traditional Earl Grey, enhancing its aromatic citrusy notes.

She brushed her hair behind her ear, revealing a gold band on her ring finger. ‘Why don’t you choose a name for me? It would be easier to address me.’

‘Hmm … good idea.’ Except he wasn’t sure what to suggest. An elegant name would suit her. Perhaps something aristocratic? ‘Ah. Since you always order Earl Grey, what about Lady Grey?’

‘That sounds lovely, but how about a Japanese name? And I don’t particularly like Earl Grey, though I don’t hate it either. I prefer plain water, but it’s not on the menu.’

‘Maybe I should call you Mizu.’ Mizu for water.

She paused for a moment. ‘I like Mizuki.’

‘All right. Mizuki then.’

A rueful smile drifted across her face. The expression was so subtle it would’ve been hard to catch, if not for the fact that he’d been watching her intently.

They had seen each other three times now. Mizuki came every day after lunch, looking polished and sophisticated. That day, too, she was dressed impeccably in a classic white blouse paired with a tailored beige pencil skirt. He could imagine her as the wife of a big company director, one with too much time and money to spend.

‘May I call you Shoji?’ she asked.

‘Yes,’ he said, averting his eyes to hide his embarrassment. After he had moved to Tokyo, Yoko had been the only woman who’d called him by his given name. ‘Mizuki, you make me feel I’m not doing a good job, as I’m always the one doing all the talking. It would be better if you would tell me something too.’

‘My life is boring. You would fall asleep, listening to me.’

‘Try me. The one who says her life is boring usually has the most fascinating story.’

She shook her head. ‘You’re good at persuading ladies, aren’t you?’

‘Not that I know of. I can’t persuade you.’

‘Let’s make a deal.’ She leaned forward. ‘We’ll take turns asking each other a question, and the one being asked has to answer honestly. No lies. Nothing but the truth. I won’t be able to tell if you’re lying, but I know you won’t be. I trust you, and you need to trust me too. What do you think?’

‘Fine with me. I’ve got nothing to hide.’ Or rather, he was confident she wouldn’t ask any difficult questions.

‘And one more rule. You can’t ask about names.’ She bit her lower lip. ‘I don’t want you to get into trouble for knowing too much.’

‘That’s fine.’ She was definitely someone connected, then. ‘Who goes first?’

‘Let me start.’ She shifted in her seat. Her eyes brightened. ‘Did you move to Akakawa because of your girlfriend, or was there something more?’