In this chapter, we learn that the three of them caught the mumps in the third grade, which is why all of them got sick. Souma is upset that he didn't get a chance to apologize to Chiron for the kiss, and he blames himself for the whole thing. He says that Chiron forced himself on him because he knew that Chiron liked him, and Chiron would do anything to please him. He asks Chiron to tell him again that he likes him. Chiron says that he doesn't know who the real person is, and that if two of his best friends kissed behind his back, who would be the one to betray him? Chiron asks why they are trying to make the situation worse, and says that if they had been together, they wouldn't have kissed behind each other's backs.