Taiwan Travelogue — CHAPTER XII

1. 1. The narrator, Aoyama, realized she had lived in Taichū for almost a year without truly experiencing or understanding the city beyond its main thoroughfare.
2. 2. Aoyama confessed that, as the author of the 'Taiwan Travelogue' series, she had implicitly looked down upon the Island.
3. 3. Aoyama presented Chi-chan with a detailed 'deduction' about her hidden past, based on various subtle clues and inconsistencies.
4. 4. Chi-chan confirmed Aoyama's deduction, revealing her mother died young and she was raised by three gē-tòa friends who became her aunts.
5. 5. Aoyama sincerely apologized for her arrogance and failure to truly listen to Chi-chan, acknowledging her own flaws.
6. 6. Chi-chan admitted she had never truly opened her heart to Aoyama or regarded her as an intimate friend, despite Aoyama's genuine feelings.
7. 7. Aoyama theorized that Chi-chan's guarded nature and mastery of deception stemmed from an upbringing designed for self-preservation.
8. 8. Chi-chan asserted that despite her inability to open her heart, the feelings she held within were nonetheless real, acknowledging a shared moment of truth.
9. 9. Chi-chan tragically concluded that true friendship between a Mainlander and an Islander was ultimately impossible, reflecting the societal divides.