One day, a mysterious man, Kota Takakura, visits Sakata. While Oshin is looking for Kayo, who was at the beach, Kota uses Oshin as a foil, as his girlfriend, to elude the police. Kayo and Oshin's lives are changed by this man, the son of a wealthy landowner and an idealist, who is a strong follower of socialism and wants to better the lives of the indebted sharecroppers through political agitation and land reforms. Kota reveals to Oshin his political mobilization efforts and wins her over with his idealism and passion. Unfortunately, both Kayo and Oshin fall in love with Kota; Kota does not reciprocate Kayo's love, feeling that it is simply an infatuation as he feels something special with Oshin.