Great choice
Dana Jean ! (I LOVE that your new old avatar is back )
What a sad story - full of longing and regret and insecurity! And how so perfectly true. 100% match - hmmm - maybe, maybe. Have you ever met someone and you just start "zinging"? They aren't necessarily the most handsome or give you the best smile or even have good breath - but
something shifts in you both? I'm not sure I believe in 100% perfect matches but I do believe there's something in our DNA that recognizes something in someone else's DNA and off go the pheromones and hormones and you're zinging! That's not to say it will ever be a perfect relationship, but it zings!
I'm not sure that's what we're meant to feel about this story, though. When they talk and decide that yes - they would be PERFECT together - like a couple of idiots they leave it up to fate to toss them together again. Le sigh. And there goes their chance and their youth (when the DNA recognition is at it's peak, trying to reproduce that perfect match!) And when they pass by each other again, they're more beaten down and more insecure and can't force themselves to take a chance. It's very sad - but the tone of the story is very "matter of fact", just some facts about something that happened. So does it mean that it really didn't matter? We go on. "It's a sad story..."
This is one of those stories that you can just keep on peeling. I'm glad I read it, the first time I've ever read Hanuki Murakami - I've always been a little intimidated - I'm not anymore!