As the doorbell sounded, Megumi's mother looked at a nearby clock and said, "Is it time already? Oh, it is. It might be them!" As she went over to the door and opened it, there was a man in a suit waiting outside. "Hello, I'm with the tournament, here for a Megumi Takaki," he explained.

The mother turned around and shouted, "Megumi, someone's here to pick you up for the tournament!"

A moment later, Megumi appeared, carrying a backpack on her, as well as lugging a suitcase. Following her was Megumi's father, who had been helping her pack. "Just in time, too," he said.

"We're going to miss you while you're gone!" Megumi's mother said as she hugged Megumi. 

"I'm still a bit worried about this, but it looks like there's no changing your mind. Go out there and win that tournament!" Megumi's father said, flashing her a smile and a thumbs up. "A million dollars will get you all set for college, that's for sure."

"Mm," Megumi agreed with a nod. 

After putting her shoes on and making sure that she didn't forget anything, she said, "I'm going now," before following the driver to the black car parked right outside her house. Megumi watched from out the window as her parents gave a final farewell wave before the car drove off. The ride was fairly silent, and the driver did not seem inclined to begin a conversation. Seeing as there was little else to do, Megumi reached into her pack and pulled out a small plastic bag filled with four buns that had ham and cheese fillings. Popping one in her mouth, she closed her eyes as she savored the taste before chewing and swallowing. Taking out another, Megumi stared at it for a few seconds before offering it to the driver. "Do you want one?" she asked. The driver didn't even look at Megumi, focusing more on driving and merely responded with, "No thanks." Without another word, Megumi took a bite out of that bun.