Summary

This section begins with Komura preparing to take a bath. He entered the bathroom and felt uncomfortable when he started his bath, because the large bathtub was probably for people who “took baths together” (17).

After his shower, Komura returned to the bedroom, realizing that Keiko had left, so he was alone with Shimao. Shimao asked if it was alright for her to stay for a while. After accepting this request, Komura drank some beer while he and Shimao watched more news coverage about the Kobe earthquake.

Shimao turned off the television after the news report and began to speak with Komura. Komura asked her to tell him the bear story that she did not finish in the car. Shimao agreed. The story involved Shimao’s adventures with her first lover. They had been hiking in the woods during hibernation season, so they had...