The chapter opens with Mina and Hirokazu's conversation, which is interrupted by the arrival of Hirohito, who has come to say goodbye to his son. Hirohio tells Mina that he is glad to see his son, and Mina thanks him for his kind words. She asks him if he caught the flu, and he tells her that he did. She tells him that she is too kind to her own good, and that it is too bad that she has to deal with all the strangers. Mina says that she wants to know what is going on with her mother, and she tells him to listen to what she has heard from eriko. She says that her mother has told her that there is nothing to worry about, but that she will keep that under her hat. Mina tells her son that he should get better, because this is the first time he has been in such a hot bath in four days. He says that he wants to be a welfare worker or something, but he wishes that he could change people overnight.