Shoji got up. ‘Have you had dinner?’

Yoko shook her head. ‘Not hungry.’

‘Bad day at work?’

She didn’t answer. After taking off her coat, she sat down next to him and hugged her knees to her chest. ‘What’s the show about?’

Shoji looked at the television. It was showing a family drama, but he hadn’t been paying attention.

‘Stop turning on the TV if you’re not watching it. You’re wasting electricity.’

Yoko switched the television off before burying her face in her knees. She stayed quiet for a long time. He guessed today was one of those days. Shoji sighed. He couldn’t cheer her up because she wouldn’t tell him anything about her job. She probably felt uncomfortable discussing her kind of work. He took a deep breath and rubbed her shoulders.

The silence made the slightest sounds more pronounced: the whirring ceiling fan, the ticking clock, the rustling of leaves, and the chattering of passers-by seeping through the windows.

After Yoko calmed down, she whispered, ‘I’m sorry.’

Shoji gave her a gentle pat. ‘It’s all right.’

‘You’re still wearing the same clothes as this morning,’ she said, staring at him. ‘Were you home the whole day?’

He shifted his eyes. ‘Kind of.’

‘What about the job search?’

‘Let’s talk about it another time,’ he said. ‘You look tired. You should rest.’

‘No,’ she insisted. ‘It’s bothering you, so we should talk now.’

Taking a deep breath, Shoji stared at the window. Traces of water from yesterday’s rain had left streaks on the glass. He’d not noticed them until now.

‘I can’t find a job here,’ he said. ‘Maybe everyone was right. I should’ve looked for a suitable position in Tokyo. The recruiting season isn’t over. If I return now, I should be able to catch the last wave.’

She stared at him. ‘You’re leaving.’

‘I have no choice.’

‘But you do have a choice.’ Her tone was flat. ‘You always have a choice.’

He grew defensive. ‘Look, I need a job to survive. My savings are running out. I can’t rely on you to pay for everything.’

‘Didn’t I tell you it’s fine?’ Yoko straightened her legs. ‘I don’t mind. We’re a couple. We help each other. You’d do the same for me, wouldn’t you?’

That was true, but … ‘I do mind. I don’t want to depend on you financially. It’s not fair, and it’s not right.’ He paused and reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. ‘Yoko, I’m not leaving you. I’m just leaving Akakawa. We can still see each other on our days off.’

‘I don’t like this,’ she mumbled.

Me neither, he wanted to say, but kept quiet. Instead, he looked around the room. This old, cheap apartment wasn’t as comfortable as the one he used to share with Jin back in Tokyo, but he’d grown fond of it.

‘Why don’t you come and work with me?’ Yoko asked. ‘I can recommend you. I’m sure they’ll say yes. The pay is good.’

Shoji hesitated. ‘You mean … the company also runs a host club here?’ He thought of those glitzy places where young, handsome men clad in suits entertained rich, female clients. They were common in Tokyo, but he was surprised to hear they had spread to the suburbs too.