The chapter opens with a flashback to the events of the previous chapter, in which Hirokazu and his friend, Mr. Watanabe, are in the middle of a dinner party. They are interrupted by the arrival of Mr. kubo, who has just returned from a trip to Japan. The two men discuss the recent developments in their relationship. Mr. Kobayashi, who is in the process of returning to his home country, tries to explain the situation to Mr. Yamaguchi, but Mr. Yamamoto is unable to give him a straight answer. As a result, the two men are forced to admit that they are not in love with each other. They discuss the possibility of a sexual relationship between them, but they are unable to come up with a solution. As they are discussing the situation, Hiroko appears and tells Mr. Nakajima that he will be returning to Japan soon. As he is leaving, he is interrupted by Mr. Yamada, who tells him that he must return to his country immediately. As the men prepare to leave, Hiroki asks Mr. Takahashi to bring him some food, but the latter refuses, saying that he does not want to eat anything that would upset his family. As Hiroki leaves, he realizes that he has not been able to bring himself to eat with his family for a long time, and he is afraid that they will be upset if he does so. He is also afraid that if he eats with them, he will not be able to return to Japan safely.