Like the square box his body was made to fit into, he feels as if he were a dice cast in a bet between Virus and Trip. He relizes the stakes are high once he discovers the meaning of the game, once he learns that in this house sex is a tool for asserting one's dominance, another prop in the rehearsal for the display of power in the stage show of life.
When Virus comes to him he tells him stories. It can be anything. Something that happened to him, a news report, information concerning some new scientific discovery, a book he read or some practical life hack he found useful. In the beginning Aoba thought there had to be a reason for Virus to tell him all these things. He tired to break through the labyrinth of meanings following the fickle thread of Virus' thought, before finally realizing that after all there is no logic to it. In Virus' mind news of suicide bombings went together with apple pie recipes. What he thought to be a puzzle turned out to be a clutter thrown in disarray like shreds of a broken mirror. So he gives up trying to understand and keeps still listening to whatever Virus has to say.
"We had a kitten." Virus starts out of nowhere one time. "It was just a stray, but everybody was very fond of her because of her beautiful green eyes. They named her Midori. Then there was an… accident. We had this unit were they ran tests on animals and one day they found her locked in one of the cages. She was dead. The lab rats had eaten her alive" he says with a smug smile as if he'd proven a point.
When Trip comes to him it's Aoba's turn to tell stories. Aoba quickly learns Trip's preferences. He's interested in all the humiliating details of Aoba's sex life. Aoba tells Trip whatever he wants to hear, be it truth or a lie. When Trip's interest in Aoba's sex life wears off, Aoba starts telling him about his life in general, his childhood, school, work, family, friends. Making things up is slowly causing the line between reality and fiction to become more and more blurred and one day Aoba realizes just how insubstantial everything about his past life was, his self being nothing more than an effigy molded after the little routines he followed, impressed by the people he knew and now that all these things went missing he doesn't know who he is anymore.
They tell him he's been backsliding lately. They tell him he needs to improve.
Virus says Aoba should apologize. Trip suggests that for his penance Aoba should have his head shaved.
"Are you afraid of pain? Or are you just being a vain little bitch?" Trip growls at him, Aoba struggling to break free from him, crying.
"Aoba, sweet Aoba" Virus intones taking out his switch blade. "Vanity must be your only fault. If eternal justice exists, it'll be easy on you. This pain we give you now will transfigure you into a little bird or a harmless bug and you will fly free. But until then...'' Virus leans in closer, a strand of blue hair twirled around his fingers "stay with us, Aoba."