Summary

In October, the cold air comes through the cracks in the wall and winter approaches. Junpei comes up with another plan for escape that relies on patience, which he names project HOPE. He builds a trap in the backyard for crows, with a piece of dried fish for bait, reasoning he could tie a note to its foot and let it go in the hope that someone would see it and help him leave.

Meanwhile, the woman strings beads for two months, earning money and saving almost enough to buy the radio they talked about. The monotonous work gives meaning and color to their lives, and they try to make it feel like the center of the world. Junpei still hasn’t given up, and he compares his situation to a Hell of Loneliness, where he is searching for an illusion to believe...