This chapter opens with a flashback to the beginning of the story, when the protagonist is flying over the mountains. He sees a large pot of soup being prepared by the protagonist's friends. The protagonist exclaims that the soup is not a vegetable, but rather a large piece of meat. He wonders what the friends are thinking about, since they are studying. He realizes that they are not thinking about him, since he is just a kid. He asks the protagonist if he is aiming for Todai, the promise girl, because he wants to be accepted with the protagonist. He explains that the reason he is working hard is so that he will be accepted. He says that if he works hard, it will be romantic. He remembers a girl who used to look like the protagonist at the inn when he was young. He thinks that the stuffed animal is a gift from the protagonist, and that if the name of the protagonist were written on it, what would he have done.