The World's Literature in Europe discussion

Chapters 22-23

The Marquis Matsugae wanting to revive Count and Countess Ayakura fortunes, had invited the Siamese Prince and Princess Toinnomiya and their three adult sons to the spectacular cherry-blossom-viewing festival, where all present including Prince Harunori highly regarded Satoko's beauty. The Toinnomiya expressed an interest in a marriage alliance with the Ayakuras, which progresses with the Toin's receipt of her photo, their tea invitation to the Ayakuras, and their formal request to petition the Siamese emperor for the marriage.

The hopefulness and genuine feeling above are turned about in Ch. 23. Kiyoaki and Honda submit doctors' reports which exempt the two seniors from the harsh, confining Peers dormitory life. Then, Kiyo has honed the skill of disguising his deep emotions about Satoko and the tutor Iinuma. He discovers that the "emptiest words aroused the strongest emotions", that the polished sentiment serves as protective armor.

"Devoid of worry or annoyance, free of all anxiety, Kiyoaki at nineteen liked to see himself as a cold and supremely capable young man."

It seems that others, too, no longer meaningfully regard connections to the past. That increasingly dutifully observed obligation, the Omiyasama festival to revere and mourn Kiyoaki's grandfather, lacks its former reverential mood in loud whispering and in the Marquis's attraction to the priestess.

Chapter 24-25

Looking at photos of Satoko, Kiyoaki reminisces about their young schooldays, remembering the brushes, scrolls, and Satoko's more elegant script than his own in writing out the poems of Shigeuki Minamoto and Yoshinobu Onakatomi.

When Kiyo visits the Princes' dorm room, bringing back the elaborate emerald ring, a gift of Chao P's girlfriend Princess Yang Chin in Siam, Chao P brings attention to her photo.

"In my mind, the emerald and the picture--her body and soul..."

to which Kiyo replies,

"...if being together brings joy, then it is only proper that separation should do the same in its own way."

Kiyo has his own love crisis, cherishing his extraordinary feeling from a long-ago glimpse of Princess Kasuga. Though beautiful, Satoko can provoke his irritation. He wants to make a clean break with her, refusing phone calls and tearing up new letters from the Ayakura household. However, an incident convinces him of his love, his emotions pulling him out of aloofness into desire.

"Long ago he had resolved to recognize his emotions as his only guiding truth and to live his life accordingly, even if this meant a deliberate aimlessness.

The issuance of the imperial consent, moving forward Satoko's and a Siamese Prince's marriage negotiations suddenly enflames his desire.

"I love Satoko...Now at last, I'm sure that I do love Satoko...And the impossibility of fulfilling that love was proof enough that he was right in his [original] conviction."

Though he is now conscious of his real feelings, he is right anyway in foreseeing the end of the relationship.