The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: Book 2, Chapter 1 Summary & Analysis

On the night of Mamiya’s visit, Kumiko does not come home. When Toru wakes up the next morning, he finds that Kumiko still has not returned. He fixes himself breakfast and thinks about how making and eating breakfast together is something both he and Kumiko always treated as sacred. It is an important part of their relationship. However, on this particular day, Kumiko is nowhere to be seen. Toru sits and eats breakfast alone. As he eats, his mind wanders to the perfume Kumiko is wearing, and he wonders if she is with another man.

Toru calls Kumiko’s office and asks if she has come in yet. The receptionist tells him that she has not seen Kumiko. Her response puzzles Toru and makes him even more concerned. Kumiko never misses work, and her job requires her to stick to a strict schedule. Later in the day, he considers calling the office again, but he decides against it. He doesn’t think he will be able to stand hearing the receptionist tell him the same thing again.

Later, Malta calls Toru to talk about his missing cat. Malta warns Toru that, at this point, she thinks it is impossible he will ever find his cat. Toru asks Malta for more information, but she does not give him any. Then, Malta asks if there is another pressing matter for her to help him with. Toru admits that he thinks something bad is about to happen. Malta confirms his suspicion and tells him to look out for a phone call from someone whose name starts with O. She also tells him to look for a half moon that will last several days. Finally, she promises to be in touch soon. For now, she says, all Toru can do is wait.

Toru looks through his phone book, hoping he can find someone he knows whose name begins with O. However, he does not find any promising leads. Toru makes himself lunch even though he is not hungry. As he does so, he recalls a scene in Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms where a man tries to distract himself by eating and drinking while his wife gives birth next door. Toru feels like a character in a bad novel because of the unreal quality that his life has begun to take on.

After lunch, Toru receives a phone call from the Omura liquor store. The man on the other end of the line reminds him that he has a delivery that will arrive at his house shortly. As promised, a man comes and drops off some beer and juice. Before the delivery man leaves, he asks Toru if he knows about the accident next to the laundromat. Toru says he did not hear about it. The delivery man tells Toru that a car hit and killed a young girl.

The mention of the laundromat reminds Toru that he needs to pick up some of Kumiko’s clothes, which he dropped off the other day. He heads out and makes his way to the laundromat. On his way there, he notices that everyone around him seems to have taken on a sort of unreal quality. When he arrives at the laundromat, Toru sees that there are still people cleaning up from the accident. He goes inside the laundromat and asks the cleaner for his clothes.

The cleaner tells Toru that Kumiko came by the previous morning to pick up the clothes. Toru asks the cleaner if he is sure, and the cleaner promises Toru that he is certain. Toru realizes that Kumiko must have stopped by to pick up the clothes on her way to work. He thanks the cleaner for his help and tries to act normal. However, as Toru leaves the store, he begins having an internal meltdown because he is more confident than ever that Kumiko left him for another man.