Chapter 5, "Study of Tales" Summary

Left alone on the bridge, Eiji runs as fast as he can from the scene of the exploding Cadillac's, but he cannot get far on foot. Fortunately, Buntaro, who has come looking for him, rescues him. This information is withheld from the reader until later in the chapter. The chapter begins with Eiji waking up in a strange house, which reminds him of his childhood after the death of Anju, when he shifted from family member to family member and often woke up in unfamiliar surroundings. He is frightened both by memories of what he has recently experienced and by the idea that he will be hunted down, either by the police or the yakuza. He has no idea where he is, but the house is a comfortable one, well furnished in an old-fashioned style...