The chapter opens with Bayar and Gerel sitting side‑by‑side on the metal chain‑supported steps of the Sukhbaatar statue in the centre of Ulaanbaatar. The night is warm, the sky clear, and the city’s streets are lit by numerous lanterns. Bayar, a freshly graduated geological engineer, and Gerel, a physics student in her third year, have been together for over four hours. Their conversation starts with a casual question about the evening’s theatre program – an opera called “Suman deer.” Bayar expresses mild interest, and Gerel asks whether he likes it. The dialogue quickly becomes fragmented: Bayar is hesitant to answer, Gerel probes with “When will the person arrive?” and mentions waiting for someone from the Soviet Academy of Sciences. The two struggle to keep a continuous line of talk, frequently interrupting each other.

Gerel asks Bayar for a cigarette; Bayar lights one and offers it to her. Gerel refuses, stating she dislikes smoke. The request triggers a brief argument about the purpose of smoking and the relevance of their discussion. Gerel then declares that they need not speak that night, while Bayar insists they must resolve something before he leaves. He speaks about their shared past, describing how they have grown from childhood friends into adults with independent thoughts, and how their feelings have become tangled.

The conversation spirals into a series of rhetorical questions and unclear statements. Bayar repeatedly asks Gerel what she thinks he is saying, and Gerel replies with vague refusals, “I don’t want to hear you,” or “I can’t answer.” Their dialogue alternates between attempts at philosophical reflection – mentioning the difficulty of their geological and physical studies, the “high mountain, deep gorge” metaphor, and a desire for certainty – and personal accusations. Bayar accuses Gerel of not listening, while Gerel hints that she may not be able to love him, suggesting she could be anyone’s but not his.

The tension escalates when Bayar, frustrated, asks Gerel directly if she dislikes him, and Gerel responds with a cryptic monologue about choosing a career, loving work, and not sharing sorrow. Bayar, feeling rejected, lights another cigarette, inhales deeply, and then walks away slowly, leaving Gerel silent on the bench. The chapter ends with Bayar’s lingering sense of emptiness and unresolved emotional conflict, while Gerel remains motionless, her lips moving without sound.