Tanimura and Kitaru met at the coffeeshop where they both worked part-time, while Tanimura attended Waseda University. Kitaru was in a study school to cram for university entrance exams, but he was unmotivated and spent years devotedly learning the Kansai dialect rather than studying for exams. Tanimura doesn't understand why Kitaru doesn't study when he says he wants to go to college, nor does he understand why Kitaru belts the Beatles' Yesterday in the bath with his own made-up Japanese lyrics. Kitaru is an eccentric character all around, and Tanimura is intrigued by him.

Kitaru tries to set Tanimura up on a date with his longtime girlfriend, Erika, whom he says he cannot feel sexual attraction for because of how close they are. Erika winds up spending the date confiding in Tanimura about her difficulties with Kitaru, despite her ardent love for him. Kitaru asks anbout every detail of their date, and Tanimura snaps and tells him he should go live his own life - go to college or not, date his girlfriend or not. Not long after, Kitaru disappears from the coffeeshop and Tanimura cannot reach him.

Sixteen years later, Tanimura runs into Erika at a business function. She said Kitaru moved to Denver, Colorado to work as a sushi chef; he never went to school after all. Tanimura hopes that Kitaru is happy.