DzŠƒ†„”‡ƒˆƒ•–ƒ––‡ǡdzsaid. Dz–ǯŽŽ„‡ˆ‹‡Ǥ˜‡”›‘‡Ž‹‡•›ƒ‹‹—Ǥdz Dz‘ǯ–›‘—™ƒ––‘ƒ–Ž‡ƒ•–†‹•…—••‹–ǫdz ’’ƒ”‡–Ž›ǡ•Š‡†‹†ǯ–Ǥ All further protests were in vain. The next thing I knew, I was seated across the table from her, with the standard tabletop charcoal grill between us. I had the boat of reeds act down pat. The lighting was low, but we could see each other just fineȄ‡˜‡‹ˆ™‡†‹†ǯ–”‡ƒŽŽ›‡‡†–‘Ȅthanks to the pendant lights above each of the mostly empty tables. Before long, a young waiter crouched at the end of our table to take ‘—”‘”†‡”Ǥ™ƒ•ǯ–•—”‡™Šƒ–™ƒ••—’’‘•‡†–‘†‘ǡ„—–›…Žƒ••ƒ–‡‡ƒ•‹Ž› responded like a math student reciting a well-memorized formula. Dz‡ǯŽŽ–ƒ‡–Š‹•…‘—”•‡ǡdz•Š‡•ƒ‹†ǡ’‘‹–‹‰ƒ––Š‡‡—ǤDzŠ‡‘•– ‡š’‡•‹˜‡‘‡Ǥdz Dz‘Ž†—’ǡdz ‹–‡”Œ‡…–‡†ǤDz†‘ǯ–Šƒ˜‡–Šƒ–—…Š‘‡›‘‡Ǥdz Dz–ǯ•ˆ‹‡Ǥǯ’ƒ›‹‰ǤdzŠ‡–‘–Š‡™ƒ‹–‡”ǡ•Š‡…‘–‹—‡†ǡDzŠ‡‘•– expensive all-you-can-‡ƒ–…‘—”•‡ǤdzŠ‡‰Žƒ…‡†ƒ–‡ǤDz‘Ž‘‰–‡ƒ•Š‘—Ž†„‡ ˆ‹‡ˆ‘”‘—”†”‹•ǡ”‹‰Š–ǫdz Caught up in her momentum, I nodded. The waiter hurriedly repeated the order and ducked back into the kitchen. Maybe he was worried my classmate might change her mind. Ž‡‡ˆ—ŽŽ›ǡ–Š‡‰‹”Ž•ƒ‹†ǡDzŠǡǯŽ‘‘‹‰ˆ‘”™ƒ”†–‘–Š‹•Ǥdz Dzǡdz•ƒ‹†ǡDzǯŽŽ’ƒ››‘—„ƒ…Žƒ–‡”Ǥdz Dz•ƒ‹†‹–ǯ•ˆ‹‡Ǥ‘ǯ–™‘””›ƒ„‘—–‹–Ǥ–ǯ•›–”‡ƒ–ǤŠƒ˜‡•‘‡‘‡› saved up from my after-•…Š‘‘ŽŒ‘„–Šƒ–Šƒ˜‡–‘„—”–Š”‘—‰ŠǤdz Before I die, •Š‡†‹†ǯ–•ƒ›ǡ„—–™ƒ••—”‡–Šƒ–™ƒ•™Šƒ–•Š‡‡ƒ–Ǥ DzŠ‹•‹•‡˜‡™‘”•‡–Šƒ›‘—”†‡…‹•‹‘–‘Œ‘‹‡ƒ––Š‡Ž‹„”ƒ”›ǡdz •ƒ‹†ǤDzǯ–‡ŽŽ‹‰›‘—ǡ›‘—ǯ˜‡‰‘––‘•’‡†›‘—”–‹‡‘•‘‡–Š‹‰‘”‡ ‡ƒ‹‰ˆ—ŽǤdz DzŠ‹•is meaningful. It would be no fun eating yakiniku all by myself, ‘™™‘—Ž†‹–ǫǯ•’‡†‹‰›‘‡›ˆ‘”›‡Œ‘›‡–Ǥdz Dz‡ƒŠǡ„—–Ȅdz Just as I was mounting my resistance, the waiter reappeared, saying, Dz™‘‘‘Ž‘‰–‡ƒ•Ǥ‘””›ˆ‘”–Š‡™ƒ‹–Ǥdz Š‡‰‹”ŽŠƒ†‘ƒ„‹‰‰”‹ǤŠ‡…‘—Ž†ǯ–Šƒ˜‡‘”…Š‡•–”ƒ–‡†ƒ„‡––‡”™ƒ› to escape an unwelcome topic.