Tengo

Once again, Tengo returns to his normal routine of teaching, writing, and weekly sex with his girlfriend. His writing skills continue to improve, as do his skills at explaining mathematical processes. At the cram school, he delivers a series of captivating lectures. Perhaps as a result of this, several of his female students suddenly seem attracted to him. He notices this but feels totally uninterested in them. No other teenage girl can compare to Fuka-Eri.

Tengo tries to put Fuka-Eri out of his mind, but his thoughts often return to the night she slept at his house. Once while his girlfriend gives him fellatio, he thinks about the pajamas Fuka-Eri wore in his bed, and he experiences premature ejaculation. This is quite embarrassing, even though he does not reveal the reason for it.

For appearances’ sake, Tengo tries to avoid association with anyone who was involved in the publication of Air Chrysalis. When the book comes out, Komatsu mails Tengo two copies, and he shoves them to the back of a shelf without even bothering to flip through the pages. He keeps track of the newspaper reports about the book’s rise to the number one slot on the bestseller list, but he speaks to no one of his own involvement in the project.

This state of affairs continues until one night when Komatsu calls just as Tengo is about to fall asleep. Komatsu says that Air Chrysalis is selling well, but that Fuka-Eri has suddenly disappeared. A disappearance like this is unprecedented. The Professor fears for her and is considering calling the police.

For Komatsu, this situation is worrying because of its possible effect on the sales figures of Air Chrysalis. For Tengo, it is upsetting on a personal level. He wonders if Fuka-Eri has been kidnapped by Sakigake. After all, she repeatedly claimed that the Little People and their air chrysalises were both real. Tengo does not know what this means, but both terms may hold special significance to the cult. They may have decided to enact revenge. Or Fuka-Eri may simply have run away from the hype associated with the publication of her book.

For a couple of weeks after Komatsu's call, Tengo hears nothing more about Fuka-Eri. He tries to contact Professor Ebisuno, but the man's phone has been disconnected. Komatsu’s phone is working fine, but he never bothers to answer it, nor does he respond to any of the messages Tengo leaves. In the end, the only person who bothers to reassure Tengo about Fuka-Eri’s safety is Fuka-Eri herself.