"Five miles of fog," the narrator tells us, is the best way to date someone your own age. It's easier to date people you're already in love with than people who are "your own age" . He tells us about a time when he came to give the Consul a warning about mikuri, and the Consul left having taught him how to bake a mug cake. The Consul tells the narrator that he's not ashamed of what he said, and that he wants the two of them to be themselves in whatever way they like. He says that he doesn't think "true kindness" is all about "being nice to just anyone." The Consul says that they'll do everything they can to help him market his wares and advertise his wares. He'll pay 3,000 yen per day, which is about 30 dollars.