When the narrator arrives at her grandmother's house, he finds her in a bad mood. She has been known as "the shamisen beauty" since she was younger, and her mother has told him that she was known as such when she was "younger." The narrator asks her grandmother to help her remove the makeup from her face. She tells her that her mother told her that she used to be known as the shamisen "beauty" when her mother was younger. The narrator wonders if she would have been able to improve her appearance if she had done something more feminine after school. She asks if someone else is in the house next door, and the narrator guesses that it must be "an oiran" . He then notices that someone is creeping closer, and he wonders if the oiran is trying to hide her beauty from him. He wonders if he is talking about his grandma, and she asks if he knows her. He tells her his name is Asuka, and that he loves to pluck