ADN-100 He Came the Second Time, His Identity Became a Student

ADN-100 Editorial notes

松下紗栄子 plays 美佐, a home tutor in ikebana. When the advertising salesman 今井 came to the door, she politely refused him; the second time, she changed his identity to one that no one could easily dismiss: a student. He said he wanted to learn ikebana, and the husband let him sit inside the house.

I have always favored this kind of proximity with a reason. First, the hand touches the flower stems, then her hand; the distance shortens because of teaching, giving the gaze a chance to linger longer. The stranger does not suddenly break into the couple's life; courtesy and work gradually open the door for him.

The real flavor is that the husband is nearby. She still maintains the teacher's tone, but her body and voice begin to ignore that decorum. The man takes not only her, but also takes a part of the couple's shared life.

The original plot still involves coercion, not a model of real relationships. What I keep is its mode of entry: a reasonable identity, an access allowed by the husband, a period that slowly shifts from teaching to probing. For me, this is easier to relate to than a sudden, unforeshadowed assault.