Despite their loss, Seita is determined to care for Setsuko and protect her at all costs. They travel to the home of their aunt (Akemi Yamaguchi, English: Amy Jones) who allows them to stay but convinces Seita to sell his mother's kimonos for rice. While living there, Seita goes out to retrieve leftover supplies he had buried in the ground before the bombing and gives them all to his aunt, however, he keeps one tin of fruit drops for himself. The children's aunt becomes increasingly bitter due to the hardships brought on by the war. She becomes resentful of the children as food rations shrink and she accuses Seita on having done nothing to earn the food she cooks. Tired of his aunt's insults, Seita decides to leave with Setsuko and care for her on his own. They find refuge inside an abandoned bomb shelter and release fireflies within for light. Come morning, Setsuko is horrified to find that all the fireflies have died. She creates a grave for them in the dirt and Seita realizes the depth of her understanding when she asks him why their mother had to die too.