The novel opens with a conversation between Toudou and his assistant, Shimizu San. The two men discuss the plot of the story, which concerns a young woman who is trying to become a scriptwriter and her friend, who is also a scriptwriter. The protagonist breaks her leg during an audition for her first acting role, but she refuses to give in to her friend's attempts to stop her. The conversation is interrupted by the arrival of a mysterious guest, who introduces himself as "Toudou." He asks to be left alone with his assistant.