Aomame

One of Aomame’s talents is her ability to kick a man in the testicles. She believes wholeheartedly that a skilled, unflinching attack of this kind is the only way that a woman can fend off a physical attack by a man. She has discussed this with male acquaintances, one of whom once told her that being kicked in the testicles

hurts so much you think the end of the world is coming right now. I don’t know how else to put it. It’s different from ordinary pain.

Aomame is fascinated by this description and by her observation of men’s vulnerability after a kick to the testicles. She watches the movie On the Beach, a dark story about people waiting for death after a large-scale nuclear war. Afterward she thinks that now she has some sense what a kick to the testicles feels like.

One evening, hungry for a one night stand, Aomame goes out to a bar. As she sips a drink, she reflects on how she met the dowager. Aomame works at a health club for wealthy people and celebrities, where she teaches martial arts and fitness classes. Her specialty is women’s self-defense, and she first met the dowager in one of these classes. When the two of them spoke after a class one day, Aomame commented that all women should know self-defense, regardless of age or social status: “A state of chronic powerlessness eats away at a person,” she explained. This statement obviously intrigued the dowager, who requested Aomame’s help as a masseuse and personal trainer soon afterward. In the privacy of Willow House, the dowager’s home, the two women gradually developed a mutual sense of trust.

In the bar, Aomame rebuffs advances by several young, good-looking men and keeps an eye out for the balding middle-aged men she prefers. She does not see anyone she finds interesting, but after a while, a woman named Ayumi strikes up a conversation. Aomame cannot disguise her surprise at being approached by a woman. Ayumi hurriedly assures Aomame that she is not a lesbian but rather a fellow girl on the prowl looking to “team up” with a friendly partner.

Aomame chats with Ayumi, who soon reveals that she is a police officer. Aomame replies that she is a martial arts instructor. As they chat, Ayumi spots a couple of nervous middle-aged men at a nearby table and suggests starting a conversation. Aomame agrees. She watches, impressed, as Ayumi simply hops up and goes over for a chat.