Summary

In “Spring Thunder,” Kojima invited Tsukiko “to go on a trip with him” (105). He wanted to visit an inn known for its ayu fish (105). For Tsukiko, being with Kojima conjured “the word ‘grown-up’” (105). Since he was a teenager, everything about Kojima seemed adult. Though they were the same age, Tsukiko felt like “a childlike person” (106). She listened to Tsukiko go on about the inn and its fish. This was “the fifth time” they “had gotten together like this,” but visiting bars like Bar Maeda made Tsukiko “feel ill at ease” (107).

While at Satoru’s, when Sensei ordered ayu, Tsukiko mentioned the inn, desperate to express her anxiety about Kojima’s invitation. Sensei noticed her anxious mood. She insisted nothing was wrong, refusing to eat and drinking heavily. She knew she was acting like “a spoiled child” (109).

Tsukiko “came to...