The chapter opens with a discussion between a senior perfumer and a member of the company's marketing team. The senior perfumer is described as a "pervert" and a "weird" person. He is a "person with high standards" . The other perfumer, who is introduced as "aroa," is also described as "weird." The two men discuss whether or not they should have dinner together. Aroa complains that he has to go out and answer a call while the other perfumer is having dinner with his colleagues. When he arrives at the restaurant, he finds that the perfumer is staring at him with an "unfriendly look." Aroa apologizes for offending him the day before, and the two men decide to have a drink together. When they arrive, the senior perfumer tells Aroa that he was the one who delivered food to the company the previous day, and that he will be taking a leave of absence from the company. When Aroa asks if there is a scent on his body, Aroa replies that it is "unsafe" for him to go off work alone. He then tells the story of his friend, Shaylee, who lost her parents when she was a young child. She is a lively and active young woman, and he describes her as having a "strong personality" and "lively and active."