V: Pivots — Chapter 2

Summary

• Marx had booked tickets for a trip to Tokyo with Zoe, but she abruptly received a fellowship to study opera in Italy, causing her to leave two weeks before their planned trip.
• When taking her to the airport, the two get stuck in traffic and joke about having too much time to spare for the journey.
• In the middle of their joking, Zoe suddenly breaks down and began to cry, expressing stress about leaving.
• During the tension-filled drive, Zoe abruptly suggests they should break up, causing Marx to reflect on their past arguments and miscommunications.
• Zoe explains she believes Marx does not love her enough, that she doesn't want to love more than she's being loved, referring to the fact that she thinks Marx loves his job more than he loves her.
• Despite the breakup, Marx still has to go on his trip to Tokyo due to business meetings that are scheduled, he invites his business partner Sadie to accompany him since his colleague Sam declined the offer.
• During the trip, Marx and Sadie engage with different gaming experiences, leading to Sadie gaining interest in playing Harvest Moon, a slow-paced farming role-playing game.
• Sadie and Marx share ideas on adapting their latest game project in spite of its failure, deciding to reboot Mapletown, a previous success of theirs, into an online multiplayer game.
• Marx introduces Sadie to his parents individually, both of whom mistakenly believe Sadie to be Marx's girlfriend, Zoe.
• Marx's mother shares wisdom about quality craftsmanship in relation to her work as a textile designer, which inspires Sadie to approach the new online venture with more care and attention to detail.
• After seven days in Tokyo, Marx and Sadie continue brainstorming ideas over meals and seamlessly form a strong working relationship, enhancing their understanding and loyalty towards each other.

• In this chapter, the characters Sadie and Marx discuss adulthood in Japan where people are considered adults at twenty, also known as "hatachi."
• The pair discuss their relationship status and mutually agree they don't want a relationship at the moment, but decide to sleep together while in the country. Sadie compares sex to a video game in terms of rules and strategies.
• Sadie reflects on her comfort and ease after her first intimate encounter with Marx but isn't sure if these feelings are due to Marx, or other factors like her alcohol consumption, their hotel comforts, or being far from home.
• After they sleep together, Sadie expresses her love for the city, and Marx suggests they could live there someday. They return to their home the next day.
• They part ways after their flight lands, agreeing to remain friends. Sadie meets up with a customs agent who is a video game enthusiast but is unfamiliar with the game 'Ichigo' that Sadie created.
• After a brief exchange about her career path, Sadie is about to take a cab home when Marx unexpectedly appears, offering her a ride home, even though he had initially left the airport already.