“She stretched her arms towards me without moving from the spot, as if there were a fence preventing her from getting any closer. I rushed over and embraced her and she clung to me as if she were drowning.”

“Good evening" Said Mutsuko. Her voice that of a young girl. "Good evening" I responded. She was beautiful. Tears welled up in my eyes, unable to even ask her to come in, and with my eyes still on her, I began to sob. Mutsuko watched me in silence.”

“She too was gazing at the glimmering winows across the city.”

“In fact, knowing she'd been through hardship filled me with sweet tenderness.”

“Her hands clung to my neck; they would not have held me so fast in a shipwreck. And I did not understand whether she wanted me to save her or to drown with her.”

“I looked back towards them, to see if they were watching me, and saw her pulling her arm from his grip. Her eyes were closed and her hair was all over the places and her face was screwed up.”

“I bent over her and kissed her lips. She embraced me, and we remained like that as the light from the candle sputtered then went out.”