After confiding in his latest despairs to Ms. Arai, she asks Nozomu to visit one of his students who hasn't shown up to school — Kiri Komori, a hikikomori. When he arrives at her house, he meets Kafuka, who joins him in his attempt to reform Kiri, even though her attitude causes her to misunderstand (and complicate) the situation. In the end Kiri goes to school but decides to be a hikikomori there. The next day, Nozomu notes that another of his students, Matoi Tsunetsuki, didn't show up that day...