Signs: Inn / Noda's Village The narrator tells us that he's just returned from a field trip to a Japanese village. He's been told to divide up the village into different parts so that no one can see the cause of the commotion. He says that he came to the village on such a trip because he heard people asking for money in the streets. The narrator says that the people of the village always ask for money as offerings in the street, but he doesn't believe that they're actually offering money. He also says that even though he knows that they are offering money, he still feels like they've tricked him into thinking that he is not going to take a fortune. He goes on to say that he won't take any of the money because he'll go out with his friend Anri, who's already gone out with another man. They're going to have a group picture together, and the narrator asks Anri if he can join them. Anri says yes, and they go off to have some food together. As they walk back to the inn, Anri tells the narrator that she's accepted an invitation to stay with her family for the summer. She says she'll have to take the news with a grain of salt, but she'd rather take it than let Anri's family down than let him down again. She's also worried that if Anri and her family get fed up with her, they'll be able to get rid of her quickly. She thinks that's the worst thing that could happen to her, since it would mean that she would have to show everyone how much she loves them, even if they didn't love her back. She tells Anri that when they get back to Japan, she wants to