The chapter opens with a description of the path that Hiroshi has taken. He is glad that he has taken it, because it is different from the path he expected to take as a child. He thinks that everyone will think less of him now that he is married, and he is sure that they will all be under the same circum stances as he is now. He tells his sister and teacher, Ohara sensei, that he cannot protect his sister since she is still not home. He says that the content of his sister's writing is beyond comprehension, and that this could become a "black mark" on the school's "reputation." He tells the teacher to calm down, saying that the problem must be nipped in the bud so that it does not become a problem in the future