「それから、あなたの
「ええ、
「お金は」と言った。
「
それでも
"He also said he was going to paint you. Is that true?"
"Yes. I'm his high grade model," she replied.
Sanshirō, true to his nature, could think of no tactful response and simply fell silent. Mineko seemed to be hoping for a comment.
Sanshirō put his hand back in his pocket, produced the account book and seal, and handed them back to her. He had placed the bank notes within the account book. She asked him, however, about the notes, and he saw that they weren't there. He searched his pocket again and fished out the worn notes. She made no move to receive them. "Please, hold on to them," she said.
Sanshirō felt a bit burdened, but he was not wont to risk a quarrel, especially out in public. He took the notes he'd produced and returned them to his pocket, thinking to himself how peculiar she was.
Many students were about. On passing, they invariably glanced at the couple. There were some who took notice from afar and watched as they approached. To Sanshirō, the walk to Ikenohata seemed endless. Nevertheless, he felt no inclination to take the train. The two of them strolled at a leisurely pace. It was nearly three by the time they arrived at the exhibition. Out front was a curious placard. The characters for Tanseikai, as well as the accompanying graphics, struck Sanshirō as exceedingly novel. They were novel with respect to anything seen in Kumamoto, thus imparting a sense of eccentricity. Within was more of the same. To Sanshirō's eye, the only clear distinction was oil versus watercolor works.
Nevertheless, he did discovered likes and dislikes. There were works he would consider buying. However, he had no eye for the quality of a piece. Realizing from the start that he was out of his element, he offered no comment on the works.