Yozuru and Yuzuru receive a letter from an out-of-the-way neighbor. The neighbor tells them that he owes a lot to their grand mother, but that she doesn't recognize him. The letter goes on to say that she's impressed by how well they've grown up since their mother died. She's also surprised that their mother hasn't been crying since she died. The other neighbor says that her mother must have been sad that she died, and that she must be happy that the girls have grown up into fine young women. He also says that since her death, her mother has been complaining about how the girls haven't done their best at school, and how their mother has worked so hard to support them. He says that he's sure that her complaint stems from the fact that her daughters have done so well in school, but he also points out that every time she has had to change schools, she has made a snide comment about how they're not doing their best, and has been waiting for her to do something about it on her own. This is totally wrong, says the neighbor, because her mother is just waiting for something to happen so that she can get stronger. The neighbors snip at each other for cutting their hair, and then they snip at one another for not cutting theirs, and finally they snip and snip until the neighbor asks what's going on, and the neighbor replies that she isn't like her.