With the advent of winter, her eyes seemed to take on a greater transparency, a transparency that lead nowhere. Occassionally, for no particular reason, Naoko would gaze into my eyes as if searching for something. Each time I was filled with odd sensations of lonliness and inadequecy.

My face, my self, what would they mean to anybody? Just another stiff. So this self of mine passes some other's self on the street - what do we have to say to each other? Hey there! Hi ya!That's about it. Nobody raises a hand. No one turns around to take another look.

In the spring of her twenty-second year, Sumire fell in love for the first time in her life.

Life's no piece of cake, mind you, but the recipe's my own to fool with.

Is this what it means to go back to square one? Most likely. He had nothing left to lose, other than his life.

There is nothing in this world that never takes a step outside a person's heart.

Young people these days don't trust anything at all. They want to be free.