Summary

In Chapter 15, Sentaro drank more frequently and opened the bakery later and later. He contemplated suicide as he scraped misshapen pancakes into the rubbish bin and moved “through the days leadenly” (90). One evening, Wakana visited the bakery after Sentaro had closed for the day. She sat at the counter and explained that she ran away from home because her mother was making get rid of her canary. The bird had begun to sing, and her mother was afraid that the landlord would evict them for having a pet. Sentaro was unsure what to do for the girl who averred that Tokue told her that Sentaro would take care of the canary. He explained that he could not keep a pet in his flat or in the bakery. As they talked, Wakana revealed that she told her mother about Tokue’s bent fingers...