It's the morning of the departure, and the narrator is hurrying to get to the train station. He's worried that he's going to be bullied by a boy named Kendo, who's been watching him closely for a year. He wants to change into someone who'll be close to him. The narrator says that he has a goal: to "proudly flower" like a sunflower. He says that the black rabbit gave him some advice about trying to be bright, and that he should try to say hello to people instead of just hanging out with them all the time. He also says that since no one has said hi to him in a long time, he'd given up on that. He wonders if he'll ever be good enough to be a close friend to Kendo. Everyone is gathered around him, and he wonders if it's okay for him to go too, since he doesn't want to stand in the hot sun all day. He asks his dog, the golden retriever, if he should just go. The dog says that Kendo is "bright, dependable, and smart" , and asks him if he wants to hang out with him. Kendo says, "I'm glad I met hinata, kun" . He then asks if he can talk to her on his cell phone.