It's been a while since we've heard from the narrator, but he's back. He's in the middle of a conversation with a guy named Motoyama, who's just arrived from a shopping trip. The two of them chat about the latest gossip in town, which is that the guy they're talking about is back in Japan, and that they've been in touch ever since he moved to America. The narrator is psyched to hear this news, because he thinks it's a sign of romance, and he hopes that the two guys will be able to make up for lost time.