Summary

Chapter 5, "Delphinium," begins with Nori and Akira having developed a regular schedule of music lessons. During one lesson, Nori jokes that "if Akira wanted her playing to improve, he should try beating her" (94). Akira immediately asks if someone is hurting her, and Nori tells him about the beatings and chemical baths. Akira immediately goes to speak to Yuko. Nori feels nervous, although Nori knows their grandmother needs him as the family heir and makes allowances for him. Nori also reflects that Japan is changing, that the aristocracy no longer has the same status it once did. She worries about the future in which Akira and she are living separate lives.

Nori's fear of separation grows when Akira makes it clear '"I can't spend every waking moment with you. And even if I could, I wouldn't want to" (99). He informs Nori that he...