"I don't know what to do about that boy," Kojiro said. He and Minoru stood on the breakwater of the small harbor where Shota's boat lay moored. The day was cold but bright. There was no wind and the water was flat calm both inside and outside the harbor, so they couldn't go out to sail. They were fishing instead. The conditions weren't very good for that, either, but it was something productive to do and a good excuse to be outdoors, on the headland, watching the sea and sky.

"Could ...