In this chapter, we learn that Futaro's father disappeared before they were born, and that he has been living in the country ever since. He has been thinking about the girls and where they might be. He knows that they have signed up for his lessons, but he doesn't want to be a part of their lives. He tells them that he would like to try to make them stay out of their own lives, but that his son is not suited to become a father. He says that he can lead them down many alternative paths, but they must know that they are not fit to be teachers. He wonders why they haven't heard from their mother, and wonders why she hasn't been acting the way he would have acted if he had known who the man was. Futaro asks if he knows the man, and he says he does. He also tells her that he loves her because she takes care of her own needs. He adds that he still wants to be like his mother, even though he's not always successful in getting good students.