This excerpt explores the deep emotional connection between the narrator and their shadow, portraying a moment of spiritual and existential realization. The narrator observes their shadow crying and perceives its tears as something profound and unique, suggesting that shadows can hold feelings and truths that are not evident in ordinary emotions. This idea contrasts the narrator's own tears, which they begin to question as mere shadows of true sorrow, indicating a powerful sense of introspection and doubt about their own feelings.

The imagery of tears, particularly in a vulnerable moment like that of a seventeen-year-old girl under the moonlight, emphasizes the intensity and unpredictability of emotions. The narrator feels that in such a state, anything is possible, hinting at the fluidity between reality and the surreal. Through this reflection, Murakami invites readers to contemplate the nature of their own emotions and the shadows we often cast, both literally and figuratively, in our lives.