This chapter opens with a soliloquy by a young man named Seto. He explains that his roommate, Akio, is obsessed with him, and that he first met Akio on a clear night when the sky was clear and the stars sparkled. Seto is fascinated by the sight of the stars and wonders if he can see them with a magnifying glass. He says that his name, Seto, means "star" and that his interest in the stars is due to the fact that his age is rarely associated with the stars. He wonders if Akio can hear him, but that he does not look at him.