This chapter opens with a soliloquy by the narrator, in which he laments the fact that his life has turned out so differently than he had expected it to. He admits that he was wrong in thinking that he would lead a quiet, unassuming life. He is interrupted by the arrival of his mother, who has come to see him at the martial arts hall. She is worried that he has been skipping class, and he tells her that he is going to fight a girl at the hall. The two go to the gym, and the narrator tells his mother that he wants to test his boxing skills against the girl. The girl is strong, but she is only a few fighters in the sport. The first time they fought, the girl elbowed her in the temple, but the pressure was too great, and she lost. This time, however, she won the fight by a triangle choke. The referee stops the fight at 2:58 of the second round. The narrator exclaims that he will fight again.