Summary

The mother continues to orient herself in Tokyo through movement. She maps the streets around Shin-Ōkubo on morning and evening walks, noting the clusters of teenagers filming videos, the late-night diners, and the tight alleys that funnel crowds toward Shinjuku. At home, she learns how carefully her son keeps the apartment: items have precise places, the cat follows a routine, and the mother is expected to fit herself into a space that already feels complete without her.

While she walks, the mother slips into memories of Portmore. She recalls time in the family shop with her brother Stefan and her best friend Cheryl, watching Stefan charm customers and irritate her on purpose. Cheryl’s boyfriend, Earl, hovers nearby, flirting with Stefan and then kissing Cheryl as if to prove where he belongs. In the present, the mother turns these moments over again, thinking...