The narrator laments that there aren't enough experienced players at the school to compete with the other students. He wonders if the students will be able to compete when they return to school in the second term, when they'll have more time to play. He's also worried that the students' love for one another will hurt their chances of winning the tournament. The narrator says he'll be the referee for the game, but he doesn't want the students to lose. He wants them to focus on the game and not worry about him. He says he wants to teach them how to play and support one another, and he wonders if that's what he's doing. He thinks about how he looks in the mirror and wonders if it's because he looks scared or because he has too much stamina. He decides to send a card to the other team, which already has won five straight tournament titles.