Convenience Store Woman

Leaving the store, Keiko sees Shiraha standing huddled in a large shadow across the street. She thinks he’s stalking a customer and tells him that they’ll call the police next time. He claims he’s doing nothing wrong—that it is acceptable for him to attempt to make a woman his, as has been the case since ancient times. He says once he starts his own business, women will flock to him. Keiko tells him to start a business then. He says that society is dysfunctional—that everyone is an animal, and this is why he is treated unfairly. Keiko thinks to herself that he might be right, and that she cannot imagine what a functioning society would look like. She notices Shiraha crying and worries about customers seeing them together. She takes his arm and leads him to a family restaurant.

At the restaurant, Shiraha notes that society does not allow “foreign objects.” He drinks jasmine tea that Keiko places in front of him, as he is unwilling to move. He continues to describe himself as a victim, noting that other men make fun of him for doing casual work and only experiencing sex from in his mid-30s.