No Longer Human ( PDFDrive )

59
One day, when we still barely knew each other by
sight-we hadn't as yet exchanged a word-he suddenly
said to me, "Can you lend me five yen?" I was
so taken aback that I ended up by giving him the
money.
"That's fine!" he said. "Now for some liquor.
You're my guest!"
I couldn't very well refuse, and I was dragged
off to a cafe near the school. This marked the beginning
of our friendship.
"I've been noticing you for quite a while. There.
That bashful smile—that's the special mark of the
promising artist. Now, as a pledge of our friendship
-bottoms up!" He called one of the waitresses to
our table. "Isn't he a handsome boy? You mustn't fall
for him, now. I'm sorry to say it, but ever since he
appeared in our art class, I've only been the second
handsomest.
Horiki was swarthy, but his features were regular
and, most unusual for an art student, he always wore
a neat suit and a conservative necktie. His hair was
pomaded and parted in the middle.
The surroundings were unfamiliar to me. I kept
folding and unfolding my arms nervously, and my
smiles now were really bashful. In the course of drinking
two or three glasses of beer, however, I began to
feel a strange lightness of liberation.