Her lips curled up into a smile. ‘That’s nice.’ She reached for her wine and took a sip. ‘Hey, tell me about your time at the swimming club. I don’t remember ever seeing you there.’

‘Nothing much to say. I wasn’t there for long. When I’d just started at university, I thought it would be a good idea to get involved in a few student activities. Swimming seemed to be an ideal choice as it’s a sport that doesn’t require much equipment.’

‘True. And then what happened?’

‘Just the usual,’ he said. ‘More and more work.’

She looked up. ‘But do you like to swim?’

Shoji shrugged. ‘I don’t know. My mother was so adamant about me learning to swim, it kind of killed the joy. Back in Fukuoka, she would send me to swimming lessons twice a week. She wouldn’t let me skip any unless I was sick. And she only let me off the hook after she was a hundred per cent assured I had become a strong swimmer.’

‘Is she a big fan of swimming or something?’

‘No, she’s just paranoid about the possibility of me drowning. My mother is superstitious. When I was a kid, I dreamed of drowning.’ Shoji reached for his wine. ‘There was also a young cousin who died in a freak accident at my house. He fell into a bucket of water while he was playing.’

Liyun covered her mouth. ‘That’s awful. How did it happen? He was left unattended?’

‘I’m not sure,’ Shoji said, sipping the wine. ‘I don’t remember. I tried to bring it up twice, but each time my mother looked terrified and shushed me. I think she was traumatised.’

‘And maybe she thinks you don’t need to know.’ She softened her voice. ‘Ignorance is bliss.’

Shoji didn’t tell Liyun, but there was something more to it. He felt uncomfortable talking about what had happened to Uncle Hidetoshi’s son and was surprised he had brought it up. Prior to this, he had never told anyone, not even Yoko.

At the end of the meal, Liyun proposed splitting the bill, but Shoji insisted on paying. ‘It’s your birthday,’ he said. ‘You can treat me next time, when you get a job.’

She was quiet for a moment. Eventually, she smiled and said, ‘Thank you. I really appreciate it.’

He thought about asking how her job search was going, but in the end decided against it because he didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable.

After the satisfying meal, they walked together to the station. On her insistence, they took the longer route.

‘I’m too full,’ she said, clutching his arm. ‘Let’s stroll around the park.’