Inogata, a freelance worker in his early 19s, complains that the city has gone to dogs and that the commoners are being swindled. He asks a fortune teller to give him the money he needs. The fortune teller tells him that the side of town where he works has gotten dangerous recently, so he should head south instead of north, where he is sure to be safer. When he finally finds the fortune teller, he feels his head hurt and his body twitch. He wonders why it is so hot in the forest, and wonders if it is a dream. He then wonders if the man in the mirror is a real person, and if he is a merchant. He is sure that if he were a merchant, people would recognize him.