木村「ねえ、中田君はけい子さんを好きなんじゃない？」
加藤「あなたもそう思う？私もピンと来たわ」
Pin to Kuru/Pin to Konai
Kimura: Nee, Nakata kun wa Keiko san wo suki nan ja nai?
Kato: Anata mo so omou? Watashi mo pin to kita wa.
Kimura: Hey, Mr. Nakata likes Keiko, doesn't he?
Kato: You think so too? I got the same feeling.
* * *
Pin to kuru refers to being able to quickly understand someone's emotions by observing their speech and action. When someone is in love Manvari kara miteitemo sugu ni pin to kuru mono da (people nearby can tell right away). This is evidence that the relationship has just begun. Keiko above has yet to understand that Mr. Nakata is interested in her.
Imagine two people from the same company are dating and that since most companies prohibit this kind of behavior, they are forced to see each other secretly. Imagine also that you've just heard about this, "What! Those two are going out? Zenzen pin to konai" ("That just doesn't click at all.")
I'm watching a mystery film and my friend tells
me, "That guy up there is the one who did it. Boku wa hajime kara pin to kita yo" ("I could tell right away.") "Him? You've got to be kidding. Watashi ni wa pin to konai wa" ("That just doesn't click with me.") What fun is a mystery if you can tell from the start who the culprit is, anyway! Isn't a good mystery story one in which no one can tell who the bad guy is (dare ni mo pin to konai) until the very end?
I'm reading a popular author's mystery story and in it the main character has been found dead in about a meter of water off the Malaysian coast. How could a good swimmer die in such shallow water? And even though all the witnesses say it was an accident, isn't it strange the man's wife will inherit an incredible amount of money? Questions, questions, questions. An insurance examiner and magazine reporter have taken an interest in the case.
Well, that's as far as I've read. (I'll finish the book as soon as this column gets written.) In any case, tsuma ga hannin daro to iu kangae wa pin to konai (it just doesn't click that the wife is the culprit). That'd be too easy. Since the author herself doesn't write out a plan for her novels and makes things up as she goes along, even she doesn't know who the killer is at this stage! How will she continue the story? The fact is I have a "nodding acquaintance" with the author and have seen her at a number of parties. I wonder what she's doing now? Writing away so she can take a summer vacation I imagine. I'll give her a phone call. "Hello?" "Hello. Ah, Mizue. Koe de sugu pin to kita wa" ("I knew it was you right away by your voice.") What a surprise to hear that! She really is a mystery writer. But has she already sensed what I'm thinking about too (Tokoro de watashi no kangaeteiru koto mo pin to kita daroo ka)!?