While Ryuji is sailing, he and Fusako exchange letters, and they fall deeply in love. Returning to Yokohama days before the New Year, he moves into their house and gets engaged to Fusako. Ryuji then lets the Rakuyo sail without him as the New Year begins. This distances him from Noboru, whose group resents fathers as a terrible manifestation of a dreadful position. Fusako has lunch with one of her clients, Yoriko, a famous actress who is described as stolid and only trusts her fans. After Fusako breaks the news of her engagement to Ryuji, the lonely actress advises Fusako to have a private investigation done on Ryuji, sharing her disappointing experience with her ex-fiancé. Fusako ultimately decides to go forth with this idea in order to prove to Yoriko that Ryuji is the man he says he is. After they depart, the investigation is done and Ryuji passes the test. Fusako then plans to put him in a managing position at Rex. Noboru's secret of the peephole is discovered, but Ryuji does not punish him severely in order to fulfill his role of a lovable father, despite being asked to by Fusako.