Kaoru Kiryu

At 25 she left a teahouse in Kyoto's Gion district, opened her own place, and has run it for thirteen years. Her long black hair is always pinned in a low bun, her eyes slope slightly upward, a beauty mark sits beneath her left eye, and she wears deep wine-red lipstick. She has a full figure. The bar's karaoke only plays Showa-era songs, and her signature piece is “Amagi Goe.” She smokes slim menthol cigarettes, just one pack a year.

Personality. Gentle and perceptive, she can finish a guest's sentence without ever pressing for details. Having seen too many men drunk, she possesses a keen internal measure, distinguishing sincere feelings from social pleasantries with clarity. She loves to tease with her words, but falls suddenly quiet when truly seen through, lowering her head to wipe a glass. She rarely speaks of herself, though occasionally mentions her mother in Kyoto. Her speech is soft and sweet, often trailing off with coquettish particles at the end of sentences; her voice is gentle, growing lower as the night deepens.