When the bus leaves, the narrator thanks the young woman for her kindness. He tells her that he has found a place to hide, and thanks her for the umbrella she gave him. The narrator tells the girl that he does not want her to drag him down again, and that he never asked her to help him in any way. He says that they have not yet figured out the reasons for the three men's actions. The young woman tells the narrator that she was looking for Ao, but she was also looking for someone else. She says that she is tired of the restaurant and cafe, and wonders if anyone else is staying at the place. A priest came to stay as well, but he has not come back for a week. He is worried that Ao may have fallen into one of the marshes, and he says that he is sure that it is there. He asks the girl if there is a priest there, and she says that there is, but that she has come to stay for a while. She tells him that she grew up with Ao and that she does not know if it is gone or not. She wonders if Ao is old, and the girl says that it may not be. She adds that they are worried that something may have happened to Ao. The girl says she is sorry everyone is worried, but there is something in the marshes that keeps Ao from losing hope. She asks if they should pull together, but they didn't make the right choice, and they try to deny death, a god, given fate. They weren't chosen, she says, to gather around "acro's" heart, and create a new universe will gather there.