After completing his local business, Mikio wanders the grounds of the onsen inn in search of Chitose. Drawn by her voice, he reaches a secluded outdoor bath and pauses at the bamboo fence. Through a narrow gap he glimpses his childhood friend in the company of another man, the sight stirring memories of their earlier bond and leaving him unsettled beneath the night sky. The quiet tension of the encounter lingers as he steps away.
