The chapter opens with Tommo talking about how he's trying to get rid of stress by using the "math prep room" method of cooking. He's been trying to figure out how to make "sofuga yaki" , which is a Japanese style of cooking, but he can't figure out a way to get the meat thin enough to fit in the pan. He decides to try this new method, which involves cutting cabbage in half and then using a knife to cut the cabbage into smaller pieces. Tommo says he'll try this method, too, because it's so easy and he doesn't have to worry about cutting himself in the process. He tells us that when he was a kid, he used to cut himself with a knife without his parents' knowledge because he was scared of getting hurt. Now, he says, he can use a knife and be good like his dad.