Summary

In “Grapes,” Ai met Nishino while working at her family’s “beachside refreshment shack” in Enoshima (134). She was attending university, but often skipped classes. The first time she saw Nishino, he was “accompanied by a woman” (134). Although Enshimo “had an equalizing effect” on its visitors, this woman was different (134). Ai noticed the gold chain she wore on her ankle and became curious. When she asked Nishino about her “some time later,” he said the woman “didn’t seem to belong anywhere” (135). Ai asked if he always ended one relationship when he met someone else. He admitted his relationships sometimes overlapped. He talked about the women he saw, remarking that all women adhered “to the same formula” (136). Ai disagreed. She wanted Nishino to tell her she was different. Unlike other women, she was not in love with him.

Ai told her friend...