This chapter's epigraph comes from a conversation between Hiroshi and Hiroshi's son, Aoyama. Hiroshi tells his father that his mother has died, and that his father's last words to him were, "I love you, Hiroshi." He tells his son that he will always remember his mother's love for him, and he asks his father if he will ever see his mother again. The boy replies that he would like to, but he does not know how to express his love to his mother. He tells Hiroshi that he wishes his mother were dead so that he could be with her forever. He also tells his mother that he wants to marry her, but that he cannot because his mother will not allow him to marry a woman who does not love him. He asks his mother to marry him, but she refuses, saying that she will not let him marry someone she does not approve of.