The chapter opens with the narrator's declaration that he's "stealthily fucking" . He's not sure if this means that his girlfriend is interested in him, but he does know that she's planning to use the situation against him. He decides to "swallow a shiver" , which is a fancy way of saying, "I'm getting ready to move." He wants to "dump" his "self-confident boss of mine," but he doesn't want anyone to know about it. He also wants to go "to anoth-er bar," where "nikaido" is supposed to be having a drink. The narrator decides to grab a cab so he can get to the bar.