Discussing the loss of young women is particularly challenging because their youth is forever preserved in the eyes of those left behind. Once a young woman's life ends, she remains at that age eternally, while the rest of us continue to age and confront the passage of time. This stark contrast creates a profound sense of sorrow and unfulfilled potential.

As time advances for those who survive, the feeling of aging becomes an acute awareness filled with sorrow. Each moment brings a reminder of what has been lost, amplifying the emotional weight carried by survivors. Murakami captures this painful reality, highlighting the struggle to reconcile the permanence of death with the inevitability of life continuing on for others.