group had completely changed form from the original organization, expanding into an immense group that had spread to every corner of the campus. How could this have happened? Moai, the group that had been founded on a promise between just two people. Two people concerned only with our own opinions, going to museums, attending lectures, and volunteeringȄdoing idealistic things that would result in no profit at all. Š‡”‡™‡”‡ƒ—„‡”‘ˆ…ƒ—•‡•„‡Š‹†–Š‡‰”‘—’ǯ•–”ƒ•ˆ‘”ƒ–‹‘Ǥ Others saw us doing these activities, things which on the surface looked as though we were just having fun, and grew interested, and our membership grew. The university began to see some value in what we were doing, at some unexpected juncture. However, the greatest reason was neither of those. It was that our unparalleled, idealistic leader and her lofty notions were lost to the sands of time. There was nothing more crucial than this. Without its captain at the helm, the organization grew weaker than I ever could have imagined, gradually warping and twisting, eating into its own flesh. It metamorphized into a group that sought profit over ideals. Finally, there was someone who was expelled from the group: me. This new form of Moai had no use for me and my lingering, lofty ideals. And so, I distanced myself from the group. Laying this all out before me, that was all there was to it. Dz–Ž‡ƒ•–ǡƒ••—‡†–Šƒ–™ƒ•ƒŽŽ–Š‡”‡™ƒ•–‘‹–ǡ•‘Šƒ˜‡ǯ–”‡ƒŽŽ› „‘–Š‡”‡†™‘””›‹‰ƒ„‘—–‹–ǡ—–‹Ž‘™ǤdzŠ‡ƒ˜‡†ƒ•‹‰ŠǤDz—–‘™Šƒ˜‡ƒ Œ‘„ǡƒ†›ˆ—–—”‡‹••‡…—”‡†ǡŽ‹‡›‘—ǯ˜‡•ƒ‹†ǡ•‘ǯ˜‡„‡‡”‡–Š‹‹‰–Š‡ –Š‹‰•ǯ˜‡†‘‡—’—–‹Žow. I started thinking about when we founded ‘ƒ‹Ǥ†•‹…‡™‡‰‘–‘–Š‡–‘’‹…‘ˆ‘ƒ‹ǡˆ‹‰—”‡†•Š‘—Ž†–‡ŽŽ›‘—ǡdz ‡š’Žƒ‹‡†ǡ‡˜‡–Š‘—‰Šǯ†ƒ…–—ƒŽŽ›„‡‡™‘”‹‰—’–Š‡…‘—”ƒ‰‡–‘„”‹‰ this up since morning. Tousuke listened quietly, dutifully to my story, not giving away what he was thinking. From the next room I could hear a song from a band that was popular when we were in high school. Dz‘””›ˆ‘”‘–•ƒ›‹‰ƒ›–Š‹‰—–‹Ž‘™ǡdzƒ’‘Ž‘‰‹œ‡†Ǥ‘—•—‡ scratched his head awkwardly. Dz‘ǥ‰‡–‹–Ǥdz‡Ž‘‘‡†–”—Ž›–”‘—„Ž‡†ǤDz‡”‹‘—•Ž›–Š‘—‰ŠǡŠƒ–‡–Šƒ– ǯ˜‡„‡‡•‹––‹‰Š‡”‡„ƒ†‘—–Š‹‰•‘‡–Š‹‰–Šƒ–›‘—…”‡ƒ–‡†ǥ”ǡ™‡ŽŽǡ ǯ•—”‡‹–•—…‡†‘”‡ˆ‘”›‘—–‘Šƒ˜‡–‘•‹––Š‡”‡ƒ†Ž‹•–‡–‘ƒŽŽ–Šƒ–Ǥdz