Yoshimura listened to Katsumi in silence. A smile appeared on his lips but soon faded away.
"Put your thoughts into actions like me. You make out like you'd be the last person to approve of what I'm up to, but in fact you'd probably like to be having a go yourself. If you want, come on right now and join us—you're welcome—or else you can go tell the police. You have to do something to be true to your ideas and yourself."
"Sure, I see what you're trying . . ."
Katsumi suddenly interrupted by banging his glass on the bar.
"I've got it," he shouted. "The girl! She's changed her hair style. I knew I'd seen her before!"
He burst into laughter.
"So what's funny all of a sudden?"
"I just remembered something," he laughed. "Something just came to me out of the blue! I'm late. If you're coming, you'll find it interesting Yoshimura."
Katsumi got up and went out into the street. He couldn't help chuckling to himself as he patted the box of sleeping-pills in his pocket and looked back at the bar.
It had come to him while sitting there that the girl Akiko had once been Yoshimura's girl friend.
The previous autumn after Katsumi had been elected chairman of his class, he and Yoshimura had had to organize the details of a class project. He went to look for Yoshimura at the library, where a committee meeting was to take place. He was there, involved in a heated discussion with a girl who was a student of philosophy. She had long hair and wore a conspicuous black one-piece dress. The exchange between the two had gone on for some time until Yoshimura finally had to admit that her argument had him.
Everyone had been surprised that Yoshimura was defeated by a girl. When Katsumi tried to rub it in, Yoshimura could not praise her intelligence enough. He was obviously infatuated with the girl. He said her name was Akiko.
"You really have it bad, don't you?"
"Don't be too curious," said Yoshimura angrily. But after a while he asked: "Does it show that much?"
After that Katsumi had sometimes seen them walking together in the street, but he soon lost interest in them. Who could care about a couple that looked more like a teacher and pupil?
Takeda had become very impatient by the time Katsumi finally got back.
"Where the hell have you been all this time?" he snapped. "Did you get the pills?"
"Of course I did." Katsumi patted his pocket.
Takeda laughed, forgetting all about his impatience.
The two girls had been getting drunk on sake while Katsumi was away. Kyoko looked to be in the worse condition of the two.
"Where have you been all this time? It's no fun with just Sonnyboy!" she said.
"Don't call me Sonnyboy," Takeda retorted sullenly.
Aikawa had already fallen asleep. His head had dropped forward on his chest, his hands stuck in his pockets.
"Looks like I'm your only decent host," Katsumi said to the girls.
"Well, host, we're tired of sake, thank you."
"We'll have beer instead then—that'll sober us up and then we'll go someplace else."
While the beer was being served, the two girls got up and made their way to the toilet. This gave Katsumi time to take the powder out of his pocket and put it into the foaming beer mugs.
Hearing the clinking of the glasses, Aikawa woke up.
"Hey, did you finally get the beer?"
Takeda put the rest of the powder in Aikawa's mug and handed it him.
"Here, drink 'er down!"
Only half awake, Aikawa drained the mug, stretched himself out on the floor, and went back to sleep.
"Let's hope he doesn't wake up for an hour or two."
"You're a real friend!"
"Relax! He's always the first to go to sleep at a drinking session. He wakes up and gets merry when the rest of us are ready to pass out. Anyhow, now there won't be any quarrel over the women!"
The girls came back.
"Here're your drinks," Katsumi said, handing the beers across the table.
Akiko took hers, sipped a little, and then up-ended the mug and finished it all.
"That's awful beer! What kind is it?" she said.
Katsumi began to stutter an answer but Takeda was quicker.
"Don't you know real beer—it's a new brand!"
"Really?"
She watched him closely as she held her mug out. Katsumi felt his hand tremble as he poured more beer for Akiko. He felt rather ashamed of himself.
Aikawa slept on soundly. The other two watched the girls closely. The sleeping pills began to have an effect. The girls made vain efforts to keep hold of their mugs and to hold themselves in an upright position. They finally surrendered and covered broad yawns with their hands.
"Oh, I'm getting awfully sleepy all of a sudden."
"Are you? Well, we'll be going out in the fresh air soon."
After a short time they all got up to leave the place. Katsumi carried Aikawa over his shoulder and Takeda put his arms round the two sleepy girls. By the time they had settled the bill, the two girls were leaning against the wall fast asleep.
Takeda shook Akiko. "Hey, are you all right?"
She opened her eyes slightly.
"I feel a little funny. I wonder what's the matter with me," she replied.
Afraid of what might happen if the two girls should start crying when they woke up, the boys decided to take them to Takeda's flat. Takeda's father had made the fourth floor of his Tokyo office into a comfortable apartment for Takeda and his sister to use while they were students in Tokyo. It was not the first time Takeda had used the rooms for more than his father had intended.
"My sister's gone to someone's birthday party. She'll stay there all night," Takeda said.
"That's good—no interruptions."
They stopped a taxi and told the driver where to go. When they arrived, Takeda told the driver to take Aikawa on to the Muse and deposit him.
"We don't know if Ryoji is still there—and if he is, he won't like this," Katsumi laughed.
"Don't worry. And if he's not, Rika'll look after him. He'll be okay."
At the office, the doorkeeper let them in with a knowing grin. They went through the empty hall and took the elevator to the fourth floor.
Once inside the flat, they laid the two helpless girls on the sofa and began to argue who would have which. Earlier Katsumi would have taken either one, but because of Yoshimura he had decided on Akiko. Takeda also wanted her. Katsumi didn't say what he had learned, figuring it would make Takeda want her all the more.
"Why do you want this one?" Katsumi said.
"Why do you want her? I had to hold both of them up, and this Kyoko's got no meat on her!"
"That won't make her any worse, and what are you going to do if I insist on Akiko?"
"Huh, well . . ." Seeing Katsumi suddenly serious made Takeda a little nervous. "Tell you what, we'll toss for her!"
"Hell! After all I've done? Didn't I go out and get the pills and then get the girls to take them? And now Aikawa's out of the way. You'd be out of luck if I weren't around. Take it or leave it."
Something in his tone made Takeda's expression change.
"All right," he said hastily. "I'll settle for the one you say."
Katsumi took the key to the inner room and picked up Akiko in his arms.
Although half asleep, she seemed to sense something as the door was closed and locked; she opened her eyes a little.
"Where . . . where am I?"
She struggled feebly in his arms. Katsumi laughed. He kissed her, pressing his lips hard on hers; then he tossed her onto the bed.
He tried to rouse her, with little success, and then found himself staring at the drunken figure beside him. Something had gone wrong. His face changed.
"How could I ever have wanted to sleep with you, even for a minute. Is this what all you girls are like after all—so easy?"
He remembered how beautiful she seemed when she cooly and boldly argued with Yoshimura. But he was disgu
sted at the woman lying before him, making no effort to sober up.
"Say something, can't you, instead of lying there like a rock!"
He was full of anger and contempt. He pulled Akiko up by her coat collar, pulled off the coat, and then began to tear off her skirt. But even half naked, she only shook her head drowsily, her expression soon becoming blank again.
"Open your eyes and look at me!" Katsumi said, and slapped her on both cheeks. For a moment the sudden shock caused her to raise her head and stare at him, but then she fell back limp.
Angrily, Katsumi threw himself on top of her.
An hour or so later Takeda knocked at the door. Akiko was lying on the bed crying, her face buried in a cushion.
"Crying for nothing—all that happened was she took a sleeping pill," Katsumi thought looking at her.
"Things weren't so good. Mine'd never done it before. Now she's crying like crazy. How about you?" Takeda spoke in a low voice.
"What the hell's on your mind!"
"We'll have to get them out of here. They can't stay till tomorrow morning. She's already talking about going to the police."
Katsumi, noticing some scratches on Takeda's cheeks, grinned.
"So what did you tell her?"
"What could I? I said she could do whatever she wanted, but she only had herself to blame for what happened. You should see her—she really threw a fit. Best thing is to get rid of them."
Takeda went to find a taxi. The other door opened and Kyoko came in. Her hair was dishevelled, her face red from crying. There were bruises on her arms from the struggle with Takeda.
In spite of her anger at Katsumi, Akiko was very tender with Kyoko. After comforting her, she turned on Katsumi. He looked the other way. "You're rotten! Don't you know what a terrible thing you've done? The police are going to hear about this."
"They won't listen to you." Katsumi shrugged his shoulders. "You came of your own free will. Let's save time and trouble by admitting it."
"You're a cheat!"
"Cheat? We couldn't have got you to join us if you hadn't both really liked the idea and expected what followed."
"With you! Who'd want to do anything like that with you?"
"Thank you so much," Katsumi said with an exaggerated bow.
Takeda called them from downstairs and Katsumi hurried the trembling girls out. He pushed them into the cab waiting at the entrance, climbed in after them and told the driver which way to go.
They sat in silence while the taxi took a roundabout way to the center of town. At one of the bridges they all got out.
"What about a cup of tea, girls?"
"No, please, let us go home."
"Not so fast! Got to keep up appearances," and with a glance at each other, the boys put their arms affectionately about the girls' waists and turned the corner into a side street.
As a group of students approached them, Takeda let go of Kyoko and moved casually across towards Katsumi.
"I want to get some cigarettes. Got any small change?" he asked winking.
Katsumi stopped and felt in his pockets. The girls walked on and for a moment the group of students hid them from view.
"Now, let's go!" and they dashed off, each in a different direction. They were out of sight in no time.
Full of his success, Katsumi turned toward the Muse to find an audience. It was almost closing time.
"Ryoji left long ago," the manager told him.
"Did a fellow called Aikawa turn up?"
"You know that one? He was dead drunk. Your friend got rather upset about it."
"Really? Glad you took care of him—he might have got run over if he'd been in the street."
A week later, Katsumi was surprised to get a letter from Akiko. He could not imagine how she had found his address. But he was well known at school and around, so probably it had not been so difficult for her to trace him after all. She wrote only that she wanted to meet him, giving the time and place. The letter seemed reasonable enough, so he wrote back agreeing.
The place was the second floor of a teahouse, and he went along cheerfully at the appointed time. Akiko arrived a few minutes after Katsumi sat down. When she caught sight of him from the foot of the stairs she smiled and waved. He was not sure of how he should react and ended by producing a slightly surprised smile.
"Sorry I'm late," Akiko said, almost coquettishly, as she sat down.
Katsumi looked at her warily and replied, "Well, I'm sorry too."
"Oh, don't let's talk about that."
"There wasn't any other way. So what can I do for you now?"
"Oh, this and that."
"How's Kyoko?" he asked, still wary.
"Poor thing. That was an awful type you put on her. She's so depressed she hasn't gone out since."
"Did she go to the police?"
Katsumi allowed himself to smile.
"I don't know."
"And did you?"
"Not yet. But I may. It depends on you."
"Is that some kind of threat?"
"In a way."
She ordered tea from the waiter without waiting for Katsumi to ask her what she wanted.
"Now tell me why you picked me the other day. You said you'd seen me before. Where was it?"
Katsumi decided not to reveal that he'd seen her with Yoshimura.
"Guess I just liked your looks, that's all," he said.
"And how about now?"
"Now? Now you kind of scare me. But you look even better."
"I don't believe you."
"Well, then where are we?"
"That's what I want to know."
He began to wonder if she had decided to try and hook him.
"How do you feel about me now?" he asked.
"Me?" she paused, looking out of the window and up at the ceiling. "I . . . like your frankness," she replied slowly. "I like your recklessness too, but I hated that guy we called Sonnyboy."
"Oh, we don't have much to do with him. So, have you decided I should like you in return for your frankness? Your . . . generosity?"
"Is that wrong?" she asked demurely.
"Well, you're not shy anyway," he said, and they laughed.
"D'you think people fall in love just like that? So easily? Anyway, what's love?"
"Haven't you ever been in love?" she asked.
"When I see a girl I want, I try to make her . . . just like that, no time to talk about love with all the trimmings."
"Just like the other day, I suppose!"
"Maybe. It's the only way I can feel about a girl. If she wants more, well, I haven't got it to give."
Akiko paused for a moment; her cheeks flushed as she spoke.
"All right, if that's how it is, it's fine with me."
Why he could not say, but for a moment Yoshimura's face flashed before Katsumi's mind. He smiled. Akiko would be his girl now.
A couple of weeks passed, then one day Katsumi happened to run into Yoshimura at the Muse. Ryoji turned up shortly after.
"What's going on? You haven't been around here lately," Yoshimura said to Katsumi. "I'll bet you're up to something."
Katsumi thought with satisfaction of Akiko, and he pictured Yoshimura's face when he found out.
"Still doing just what I want and not caring about the consequences!" Katsumi answered.
"Be sure it doesn't turn into a nightmare later on. It all seems so easy now, but suppose you can't pull out when you want to some day?"
"Nightmare? Why should I care? I don't care what you say and I don't worry about later. Living for the moment's what counts. The way people like you live cramps me—like living in a small room. It's torture. I want to get out and do whatever suits me. Just thinking won't help find anything, no matter how hard you think."
"There you are . . ."
"Where? Where I have to think more?"
"That's right. You're just going to burn yourself out for nothing at all, Katsumi. You've felt nothing worth feeling; you've done nothing worth doing. You jus
t resist everything blindly—but for what?"
"You just say that because you haven't got the guts for my kind of life, that's all. You can't even go out and hook the girl you like!"
Katsumi felt he was getting drunk, but it was too late to stop.
"Well, Yoshimura, shall I tell you something interesting? Remember that girl Akiko you thought you were so in love with? Well, she was one of the two that Takeda and I laid on the last night of the baseball league!"
He was aware that Ryoji was trying to shut him up, but he went on all the same.
"Akiko likes a good time, and you couldn't service her. So what do you think happened? Did she have me arrested for rape or something? No! She liked it! And now she's hot for me—at least that's what she says."
Katsumi saw Yoshimura's face darken and drew nearer to him, enjoying himself very much.
"She may be smart, like you, but she's got more spirit than you'll ever have. She does what she wants, and I can tell you that she really knows how to do it!"
Yoshimura picked up a glass and started to fling it at him. Katsumi forestalled him with a smart downward blow that numbed Yoshimura's hand and sent the glass crashing to the floor.
"Break it up, you two!" shouted Ryoji, getting between them.
"Let him fight!" yelled Katsumi. "Come on, Yoshimura! See how far you can go. Show some guts! I'd like to fight over a woman with you!"
Yoshimura started to react but stopped and sat down again.
"I don't think I want to make a fool of myself."
"You don't think so, huh! Come on! Be a man and have it out. Or would you rather go home and take it out on the furniture? Breaking a mirror won't make you forget I swiped your girl!"
"Shut up, Katsu!" Ryoji said, stepping forward again.
"All right, all right, I'll leave him alone. He's not worth the trouble. I'll be waiting for you in the pool-room."
With that he left them.
Yoshimura would not speak to him after that, even though they chanced to pass each other at school, and Katsumi did his best to provoke him.
About four months later Katsumi broke up with Akiko. The truth was that Akiko saw that he had changed and confronted him with it.
"There's no reason why I've got to stick to you because of your threat. I've run around with you till now because I wanted to. Now I've had enough. You can go and tell the police, but it won't do any good."
Season of Violence Page 8