This chapter's epigraph is from a poem by Hiroshi Hosono, which was published in the same year as the novel. In the poem, he says that his feelings for Hiroshi are due to the fact that he is in love with him. In this chapter, however, he refers to his feelings as "cause of my feelings" . He tells Hiroshi that the tournament schedule has been published, and that the second game of the tournament will be against South Hamsuku. Hiroshi tells him to go spy on the other side of the road, where a beautiful manager awaits them. He also tells him that the super visor on the coach will kill them if they find out about it. He says that he often listens to everyone and uses that to wards his stra thegy . Hirohito says that they should head back to the coach, but Hiroshito says they should hang onto him. He asks if he can talk to him about anything, and he replies that he must be under "incredible pressure" to think of winning a strategy. He is sorry that Hiroshio is so hard-working and that he has been called "the upcoming star of basketball un world." He says he is sorry because he should have picked up on his friend's cries for help before they came back from the tournament. He adds that his mother is a bit "over-protectonic" and that she has started working at a listening house. He wants to be better at listening and also to be more "attracted" to people, so he is attracted to her. He explains that he had been waiting for the chance to bail out of his mother's debt. He feels sorry for his friend, who has been so kind to him.