After one of her lessons, the protagonist's violin instructor breaks the hard truth to her: she feels her student will never improve in her current state. The protagonist remembers Ritsu's promise three years prior to meet in the national tournament and feels vexed by the news. Wishing to help foster her student's progress, the instructor hands the protagonist a magazine article regarding one of Tohgane's concerts and helps her student enroll at Jinnan High School in Kobe.