Breasts and Eggs

In August, Rika calls Natsu to tell her that Sengawa has died of metastatic lung cancer, which she hid from everyone until her death. Natsu is grief-stricken and feels guilty that her last encounter with Sengawa ended in a fight. She is thrown back into memories of her mother and Komi. She misses Aizawa, not having heard from him since she rejected him months ago.

Thinking of Aizawa, Natsu wonders if she’s still incapable of having sex. She attempts to masturbate but finds the experience unremarkable and quickly gives up. She feels certain that her body wasn’t made to have sex. She imagines Yuriko telling her that it’s okay for parts of her body to remain childlike.

Midoriko calls Natsu to ask if she is still planning on coming to Osaka for her birthday in late August. Natsu reluctantly agrees. Midoriko tells her that Makiko has been agonizing over whether to call her sister.

Twenty days later, Natsu makes the trip to Osaka. Arriving at Shobashi station, she’s overwhelmed by childhood memories, some happy and some sad. She remembers the day of her mother’s death, but also the joy of Komi’s visits and of playing in the street on hot days.