Aomame

Aomame needs to calm herself after her job, so she goes to a bar at a high-class hotel and orders a gin and tonic. As she sips her drink, she reads a book and surreptitiously watches the men who come and go. Privately, she reflects that she enjoys one-night stands with the sorts of men who stay in hotels like this one.

A balding man enters the bar and orders a Scotch highball. Aomame is attracted to bald men with nicely shaped heads, so she strikes up a conversation. The man is undisguisedly surprised that a young, beautiful woman is showing interest in him, but he chats amiably anyway. He tells her about his boring job, and she describes her own work as a “specialized profession” that causes her a great deal of stress.

Remembering the cop she spotted earlier, Aomame asks the bald man when the police changed their uniforms and guns. He claims that it happened about two years ago, and the bartender confirms this. However, Aomame remembers seeing a cop with the old-style uniform and gun just this morning. She wonders if she is going crazy.

To get her mind off this issue, Aomame asks her companion whether he has a relatively big penis. The man is obviously shocked at this question, but he describes his penis as slightly larger than average. He asks if Aomame is a prostitute. She assures him that she is not, but that she has had a hard day at work and wants to calm herself with some vigorous sex. She order's him to take her to his hotel room, and he does.

Aomame's companion's penis is relatively large “as advertised,” and he is a decent lover. When they are finished, he falls asleep. Aomame briefly flirts with the idea of using her ice pick on him. She resists the urge. “This man is not an especially bad person,” she says to herself.

Still in bed, Aomame flips on the news and watches each story carefully as always. During the show, she hears a mention of an observation post that is being built on the moon. This surprises her because she has never heard of it before, but the newscaster treats it as an old story. Aomame wonders if she has a strange form of insanity that makes her forget bits and pieces of news.

The news does not make any mention of a dead body in a hotel room. Aomame is relieved at this. It means one of two things: her victim has not yet been discovered, or no foul play is suspected in his death. Either way, it is good news for her.