In the first chapter, Chika writes to her grandmother and tells about her two friends from the swimming club, Chizuru and Natsuki, and about how she really likes being at home with Kaoru and everyone. Next, one of Kaoru's professors give him a couple of passes that entitle him and a friend to stay the night in a nice hotel. Kaoru asks Aoi to go out with him, and after spending the day in Chinatown, Kaoru decides he's going to use the passes after all, and the two of them go to the hotel. He calls to get Miyabi's permission to stay out overnight, and Miyabi says it's okay but also tells Kaoru that Aoi's father isn't very happy with what's going on and begs him to go back to the Hanabishi. Kaoru really doesn't want to go back, but is afraid he might have to. Everyone notices that he's depressed about something, and Mayu even asks him on a date in an effort to cheer him up. Then Aoi asks him if he loves her, because after what happened at the hotel, she wonders if he might not any more. Kaoru assures her that he does and then resolves to make her happy. He goes to his mother's grave to tell her that he's going back to the Hanabishi, but Aoi finds him there and tells him that that would not make her happy, because it would make him suffer. He tells her that he has to go anyway, because he wants to face his past.