Liyun stared off into the distance. ‘The rain is not going to stop any time soon. Are we going to spend the entire night crammed in this tiny phone booth?’

Shoji shrugged. ‘Probably.’

She rubbed her hands togetherr and breathed into them.

‘Cold?’ he asked.

Liyun shoved her hands into her pockets, keeping quiet. He turned away from her. The pouring rain blurred his view, as if a white veil had blanketed Tokyo. Or was it all of Japan? Shoji thought of Yoko. Was she seeing the same thing as him now?

He imagined her in a tiny apartment somewhere, sitting by the window, gazing out over a park. Her oversized, brown woollen cardigan falling from her shoulders, revealing her protruding collarbone. She was holding a mug with two hands. He didn’t need to check to know that she was drinking black coffee. No sugar, no milk.

She brought her mug to her lips. After a sip, she paused and whispered, ‘It’s cold.’

‘Hey, Shoji.’ Liyun’s voice broke the silence. ‘What are you thinking about?’

‘Nothing,’ he lied.

‘You’re always thinking too much. At times, when we’re together, even when I’m talking to you, your mind is elsewhere. We live together but, somehow, I can’t help but feel that you’re keeping a distance between us.’

Was he? ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Don’t be. You can’t help it, can you?’ Liyun gave a feeble smile. ‘I feel lonely sometimes. What about you?’

‘Well, kind of.’

‘Somehow, I can relate to you. I heard the pain of losing someone brings you closer to each other. I guess it must be true.’

But their situations were different. Shoji didn’t know whether Yoko was dead or alive. Had she moved on and found someone new? He had no idea. He didn’t have any closure, and that frustrated him.

‘If you take the Namboku Line towards Akabane-iwabuchi Station in Kita, you’ll pass by a particular stop,’ Liyun said. ‘It’s one of those little stations in a small neighbourhood. I accidentally stumbled across it because I overslept once. After I got off the train, instead of going to the other platform, I walked out of the station and explored the place. I don’t know why I had such a strong urge to do that.’

He listened in silence. Her clear, distinct voice resonated against the sound of the rain.

‘I wandered around the peaceful residential area. I went along narrow roads behind old houses, listening to the clinking of pots and pans, and smelling the curries. I walked past stray cats, lazing under shady trees and meowing at each other. Somehow, I ended up in a field by the river.’ She pressed her hands into the glass panel. ‘It was quiet. The only thing I could hear was the rustle of grass and the water flowing. It dawned on me that I was alone in an unfamiliar neighbourhood, but I felt safe.